KwaZulu-Natal Premier Willies Mchunu has promised to crack the whip on poorly performing provincial government departments and corrupt officials.

Delivering his State of the Province Address at the Pietermaritzburg Royal Showgrounds on Wednesday, Mchunu said he is not impressed with the overall state of provincial governance, which he said was still facing "deep-rooted challenges".

According to the 2015/16 annual audit outcomes, only one provincial department had received a clean audit while four received qualified audits.

"This is a clear indication that there is much room for improvement in improving effective and efficient governance in state institutions. From now onward, HODs have been warned by the provincial executive council that there will be punitive actions for any non-compliance with legislation or procedures," he said.

Mchunu said he was sad to acknowledge that there were officials who were not interested in serving, "but who constantly want to serve themselves".

He promised consequences for those implicated in corruption.

116 cases investigated

"Government can only be effective in delivering on the needs of our people if it is served by professional, dedicated and loyal officials who take pride in their work and are committed to [eradicating] all forms of corruption.

"We will deal firmly with fraudulent issuing of tenders and contracts to undeserving companies who advance cash, not proof of quality and capacity to perform, as a basis of successful awarding of contracts."

Mchunu said investigations by the provincial treasury's internal audit unit had resulted in more than a 100 cases being sent for criminal investigation.

"About 116 are still being investigated. A total of 57 disciplinary actions were recommended and 73 cases were handed over to the SAPS and the Hawks. About 10 of these matters are currently before court.

"We can also confirm that there are other 28 cases that have been completed by the SAPS, wherein 33 public servants and five private persons were convicted. The amount involved was more than R41.9-million and convictions were issued to the tune of R12.9-million. A total of 15 out of the 33 convictions against the public servants were finalised between April and October 2016."

During his speech, which was about two hours long, Mchunu backed calls for radical economic transformation and land reform.