Over 150 NHBRC employees face lifestyle audits amid scrutiny

FINANCIAL EXPLANATION SOUGHT

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA

MORE than 150 employees at the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) have been referred for lifestyle audits, Human Settlements Department Director-General Alec Moemi said yesterday.

Moemi said the employees are required to explain their financial income.

Briefing the Human Settlements Portfolio Committee, Moemi said the lifestyle audit started in 2024 after a directive by former minister Mmamoloko Kubayi across the entities of the department.

“We asked (initially) three of the six entities and the others have since been asked to start,” he said.

The Special investigating Unit (SIU) has completed the lifestyle audit at the Community Schemes Ombud Service.

“We are expecting the SIU this week to do the referral. We are yet to receive the report,” Moemi said.

The NHBRC’s lifestyle audits were not finalised and not ready for presentation to the portfolio committee.

Moemi explained that the lifestyle audit entailed three phases, which comprised looking at the financial profiles of the employees, corroborating information, and identifying undeclared income, as well as employees explaining unexplained wealth and identifying potential proceeds of unlawful activities.