The Auditor-General is an office established by the 1996 Constitution of South Africa

Constitution of South Africa

The Constitution of South Africa is the supreme law of the country of South Africa. It provides the legal foundation for the existence of the republic, sets out the rights and duties of its citizens, and defines the structure of the government. The current constitution, the country's fifth, was...

 and is one of the Chapter nine institutions

Chapter nine institutions

Chapter nine institutions refer to a group of organisations established in terms of Chapter 9 of the South African Constitution to guard democracy...

 intended to support democracy, although its history dates back at least 95 years .

The incumbent is Terence Nombembe, who was appointed with effect from 1 December 2006 to replace Shauket Fakie on his retirement. Nombembe served as deputy auditor-general for five years prior to his appointment and his contract runs until 1 December 2013.

Mandate

The Auditor-General is required to report on the finances of all national, provincial and local government administrations and has the discretion to audit any institution that receives money for a public purpose.

History

The Auditor General's office was established by legislation in 1911, and this legislation was amended over the years, with the institution celebrating its centenary in 2011.