CHARLES MOLELE
OUTGOING Auditor-General of South Africa, Kimi Makwetu, has died of lung cancer at the age of 54, the auditor general’s office confirmed in a statement on Wednesday night.
Makwetu was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in June 2018.
The news comes less than a week after Makwetu was appointed to the United Nations Independent Audit Advisory Committee.
Makwetu was appointed auditor-general in December 2013.
He had spent seven years as the country’s deputy auditor-general.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said during his address on Wednesday that he was deeply saddened by Makwetu’s death.
“As I address you this evening, the country has just received the deeply sad news of the passing of the outgoing Auditor-General Mr Kimi Makwetu,” said Ramaphosa.
“During his term as Auditor-General, Mr Makwetu served his country with dedication, with distinction and with integrity. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time of great sorrow.”
Makwetu was born in Cape Town and completed a Social Sciences degree at the University of Cape Town in 1989.
He received a BCompt Honours degree from the University of Natal and was a qualified chartered accountant.
He started his career with Standard Bank and later worked at Nampak.
He completed his articles at Deloitte where he progressed to senior management before joining Liberty and Metropolitan Life in Cape Town (Western Cape).
He moved to Gauteng in 2003 where he worked at Liberty Life.
Makwetu returned to Deloitte as a director in the firm’s forensic unit before his appointment as Deputy Auditor-General at the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA).
He leaves behind his wife and three children.
(SOURCE: INSIDE POLITICS)
