The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration/Monitoring and Evaluation has called for the strengthening of management tools within the Mpumalanga Provincial Government. The Committee is on a two-day visit to the province to assess the quality and extent of service delivery rendered to people.
The Public Service Commission informed the Committee that there are various deficiencies within the provincial administration. One of the shortcomings identified is the lack of performance evaluation of Heads of Department (HoDs), despite signing performance agreements.
“We are worried that despite HoDs having signed performance agreements with their executive authorities, no effort has been made to do a thorough analysis to ascertain if they are indeed performing as per the agreement. This goes against the performance evaluation model adopted by the current administration and must be rectified immediately,” said Dr Makhosi Khoza, the Chairperson of the Committee.
The Department of Monitoring and Evaluation informed the Committee that to simplify the process of performance assessment, the Minister has devolved the process to the executive authority in each department. This means that assessment can be done through a simple meeting between the Member of the Executive Council and the HoD.
The Committee also raised concerns about the trend of non compliance with the Management Performance Assessment Tool within the provincial Department of Health. The department registered non-compliance and partial compliance with a majority of indicators.
The non-compliance with the Financial Disclosure Framework was another area of major concern for the Committee. The department recorded 0% compliance with the framework, meaning that no manager disclosed their financial interests.
The Committee also raised concerns about the high number of unpaid invoices within the allotted 30-day deadline. The department recorded 12 581 unpaid invoices within 30 days, with a total value of R1 444 965 111.
“This is unacceptable because it threatens the viability of many small businesses. The minute you don’t pay these entrepreneurs, you threaten their businesses thereby undermining their drive to create much-needed job opportunities and stimulate economic growth,” Dr Khoza emphasised.
The Committee will today visit various health facilities within the province.
Malatswa Molepo
28 March 2017
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