Lesseyton Sports Field: AG accepts response but warns of possible escalation

Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality has told council that the Auditor-General has accepted — for now — its response to the material irregularity flagged over the controversial Lesseyton Sports Field, but has warned it will escalate the matter if promised actions are not implemented.

A report before the ordinary council meeting on 27 August 2026 provides an update on Material Irregularity No. 01 of 2024/25 concerning the Lesseyton Sports Field.

According to the report, the AGSA issued its notification on 22 May 2025. The municipality made its written submission, which the AGSA recorded as received on 18 July 2025.

By determination dated 11 August 2025, the AGSA concluded that “appropriate actions are being taken to address the material irregularity.”

The AGSA said it would report those actions in the audit report and follow up regularly on progress, but reserved the right to reconsider the determination and escalate the matter under the Public Audit Act should the committed actions not be implemented or be unduly delayed.

The report does not detail what those committed actions are.

*Same field, second report*

The Lesseyton sports field is also the subject of a second damning report — this time from the Public Protector.

Public Protector Report No. 02 of 2025/2026 was issued on 18 June 2025.

Council considered the report together with a legal opinion and resolved, under Item 94/2025 of the Special Council Meeting of 18 July 2025, to mandate its legal representatives to take the Public Protector’s report on judicial review.

In the same resolution, council recorded that officials implicated in the Public Protector report and recommended for consequence management have separately instituted proceedings challenging it, and that their challenge is pending.

The Municipal Manager has therefore been directed to “hold in abeyance any further implementation and action” on the Public Protector’s report pending the outcome of both review processes.

The review applications are now before the High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division, Bhisho, under case number 2025-117590.

The Public Protector applied to consolidate the municipality’s review and the officials’ review into one case. The consolidation application was set down for hearing on 14 July 2026, but the notice of set down was withdrawn on 4 July 2026, with the Public Protector reserving the right to re-enrol the application on a date to be allocated by the Registrar.

The reviews remain undetermined.

The council report notes there are no financial or human resource implications at this stage and that the item is for information purposes only.

The Lesseyton Sports Field project has been at the centre of public outrage since 2021 over expenditure and the quality of the facility delivered.