The Auditor-General has a constitutional mandate and, as the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of South Africa, it exists to strengthen South Africa's democracy by enabling oversight, accountability and governance in the public sector through auditing, thereby building public confidence. The Committee works closely with the Office of the Auditor-General, and enjoys regular interactions with the institution. The Auditor-General briefed the Committee over the years on the audit outcomes of the TPF. Past and recent interactions between the Committee and the Office of the Auditor-General revealed serious challenges surrounding the fund, which led to undesirable audit outcomes and indicated an existence of bigger challenges, namely;