DA escalates late-payment crisis to SCOPA
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has announced it will ask the Eastern Cape Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) to summon accounting officers and chief financial officers from provincial departments after figures revealed that 4,096 invoices worth R291.8 million were not paid within 30 days in March 2026.
The backlog was disclosed in the provincial government’s response to parliamentary questions, according to the DA. The party says the problem is concentrated in two departments: Health and Transport, which together account for more than 94% of the number of late invoices and almost 74% of the total value.
"For a small business operating on tight margins, an unpaid government invoice can mean the difference between paying salaries and retrenching workers, meeting obligations and taking on debt, or surviving and closing its doors," the DA said in a briefing note accompanying the figures. The party described the recurring failures as a deliberate referral to SCOPA so that senior finance officials can be held to account.
Health and Transport drive the problem
The Department of Health was the worst performer in March, according to the material released to the DA, failing to pay 2,340 invoices valued at R161.9 million within 30 days. Almost 48% of invoices processed by Health were paid late.
The Department of Transport recorded 1,518 late invoices with a total value of R53.8 million, representing 35.3% of the invoices it processed during the month.
| Department | Late invoices (March 2026) | Value of late payments | % of dept invoices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 2,340 | R161.9 million | ~48% |
| Transport | 1,518 | R53.8 million | 35.3% |
| Other departments (combined) | 238 | R76.1 million | — |
| Total | 4,096 | R291.8 million | 17.2% of all invoices processed |
Political and economic context
The DA framed the matter as more than an accounting lapse, saying the province cannot afford practices that undermine job retention while claiming to create work. The party cited official provincial unemployment of 47.5% and an estimated loss of 116,000 jobs in the last year, arguing that government should be protecting supplier liquidity rather than withholding funds.
Delays in settling invoices are a known pressure point for small and medium enterprises that supply services and goods to government. The DA says it will demand evidence of effective consequence management and explanations for repeated non-compliance with the 30-day payment standard established to protect suppliers.
"The Eastern Cape cannot afford a government that destroys jobs with one hand while claiming to create them with the other," the DA said in its briefing.
What SCOPA could do
If SCOPA accepts the DA referral, it can call accounting officers and chief financial officers to appear, examine payment processes, probe root causes and recommend remedial action. Possible outcomes include orders to improve financial controls, prosecution referrals where irregularities are found, or directives to prioritise settlement of outstanding invoices.
- SCOPA hearings would establish who authorised late payments and whether there are systemic problems in procurement and invoice processing.
- The committee can assess whether consequence management measures have been applied to officials responsible for chronic delays.
- Remedial steps might include process reengineering, increased cashflow prioritisation or suspension of officials found to have acted improperly.
Implications for suppliers and municipal economies
Late payments from provincial departments ripple through local economies. Suppliers facing unpaid invoices may delay payments to subcontractors or staff, dip into credit lines at cost, or suspend operations. The DA argues this reduces the capacity of local businesses to keep workers employed and to invest.
The provincial government has not yet released a public response to the DA’s announcement beyond the figures provided in parliamentary answers. The DA has made the formal referral; the timing of any SCOPA engagement will depend on the committee’s programme and priorities.
The issue places renewed scrutiny on the Eastern Cape’s financial management ahead of further provincial budget cycles and at a time when employment and business confidence remain fragile across the province.
