The Gauteng provincial government has warned that that it will act tough against officials who persistently fail to adhere to financial management rules.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura issued the stern warning as the provincial government became the only province in the previous financial year to achieve unqualified financial statements.

"We have also introduced strong anti-corruption and integrity promotion measures across various departments in order to rid Gauteng of any corrupt elements."

"What must be made clear is that those who cross the ethical line will face the consequences. We now have an effective instrument where, through close collaboration with the SIU, all old cases are being attended to and new ones immediately when they arise. We mean business," he said.

Finance MEC Barbara Creecy said despite Gauteng celebrating a sustained record of clean and unqualified audits for the previous four years, she was concerned about the high level of irregular expenditure which prevented a number of departments from moving to clean audit status.

She said government will re-establish good governance and root out state capture and corruption, adding that the government would also promote sustained and inclusive growth to create jobs, reduce inequality and transform our economy.

The auditor-general's office said one of the main reasons the Gauteng government scored good audits for four consecutive years was due to the province reacting positively to advice from the A-G's office.

"The premier, speaker and members of the executive council continued to lead by example and insisted on a culture of transparency and accountability in the conduct of public affairs," reads the A-G's report.

"Coordinating departments and external oversight structures complemented this culture, as they sustained their oversight responsibilities within the province."

The report also commended the quality of the financial statements submitted for auditing, saying it improved from the previous year.

However, the report raised concerns that 10 of the 11 departments that did not achieve clean audits had material findings on compliance - as was the case in the previous three years.

"This remains the main obstacle preventing the province from further improving its audit outcomes, as the administrative leadership and senior management were slow to implement their commitments to address compliance findings, specifically those relating to expenditure management, procurement management, and the prevention of irregular expenditure," it warns.

Makhosi Khoza, the executive director of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse's local government division, said the Gauteng government should improve its oversight role on municipalities.

Makhura said the provincial government would not hesitate to intervene in poor-performing municipalities to ensure that minimum services are provided to residents.