Admittedly, Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi has been able to show material progress in dealing with irregular expenditure at the Department of Public Works (DPW) over the past five years. However, citizens are justified in regarding the DPW as the ‘Department of Public Waste’, especially after learning that there was irregular expenditure of nearly R35-billion over the period. The DPW’s credibility will also never be fully repaired until there are genuine signs that the Nkandla scandal is being dealt with appropriately.