R4.9bn integrated justice programme falters amid governance and ICT failings

The integrated justice system (IJS) programme has failed to deliver its promised benefits despite nearly R4.9 billion spent over the past decade, the Auditor‑General warned after presenting a report to parliament’s portfolio committee on justice and constitutional development.

Governance gaps hobble reform

The auditor‑general’s report said that, although substantial funds have been invested through the department of justice and constitutional development’s allocation, the IJS vision has not yet been achieved. The report identified a range of governance weaknesses as obstacles to progress.

Key problems cited include unclear accountability, fragmented oversight, siloed planning, inconsistent performance indicators and limited outcome‑based monitoring. The report said stakeholders are still gathering input for a formal strategy, noting ongoing engagement by the enterprise architecture committee and members of the implementation committee with participating departments and the private sector.

“There has been limited progress in developing the new IJS strategy. The enterprise architecture committee and members of the implementation committee are currently engaging participating departments and the private sector to gather input for the development of the IJS Digital Transformation and Modernisation Strategy,” the report said.

The report called for a renewed focus on driving adoption, strengthening governance and realising sustained value across the criminal justice chain.

ICT weaknesses put courts and data at risk

The auditor‑general flagged significant weaknesses in the justice portfolio’s information and communications technology environment. Identified issues include poor risk monitoring, cybersecurity gaps, delayed strategic projects, weak management of external providers and recurring weaknesses in access controls, security, change management and business continuity.

Instability in local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN) was singled out as a threat to court operations and case systems, with the report warning that network problems could cause postponements, lost records and slower justice.

Network upgrade targets are far behind schedule: only 63 of 506 planned WAN upgrades had been completed by 31 August, the report said.

Public finances and procurement concerns

Audit findings across the justice portfolio raised broader accountability concerns. The department’s 10 auditees managed a combined budget of R29.62 billion, and the audits recorded R289.4 million in irregular expenditure for the department.

The report provided a breakdown of irregular expenditure across entities: the Office of the Chief Justice accounted for R25.7 million, the South African Human Rights Commission for R3.5 million, and the Special Investigating Unit for R3.1 million.

“While some institutions achieve unqualified or clean audits, these institutions continue to incur irregular expenditure and disregard procurement laws. This culture must be addressed, irrespective how material the amounts involved are,” the auditor‑general warned.

Leadership instability noted

The report also highlighted leadership gaps in parts of the justice portfolio, stating that the Office of the Chief Justice had been without an accounting officer for 15 months and the Special Investigating Unit had been without one for two months.

What the report signals

Taken together, the auditor‑general’s findings point to a programme hampered by governance shortcomings and ICT fragility that threaten operational continuity and the protection of sensitive information. The report presented to the portfolio committee urged action to strengthen governance, complete strategic planning and accelerate infrastructure upgrades.