Parliament, Tuesday, 6 September 2022 – The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) received a briefing today from the North West Provincial Government on the management of Covid-19 relief funds following a briefing the committee received from the Auditor-General (AG) in 2021 on findings relating to real-time audits.
The AG highlighted recommendations to North West provincial government departments and municipalities relating to adverse findings, including in Ngaka Modiri Molema and JB Marks municipalities. The North West provincial government’s delegation included MECs from the departments of Finance, Education, Social Development and Health and was led by the MEC for Finance, Ms Motlalepula Rosho.
The committee engaged the MECs on the implementation of the AG’s recommendations, as well as the consequence management following the real time audits. The committee also wanted to hear about the provincial government’s response to the findings of the Special Investigations Unit and the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations.
The committee expressed its unhappiness with the presentations and the MECs’ responses to questions posed by committee members. The committee also wanted more detail on the consequence management process, particularly as it relates to the four officials mentioned. In addition, the committee will invite the municipalities that were supposed to be in today’s meeting to appear before it on 20 September to answer on the AG’s findings against them.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Fikile Xasa, said the committee will collaborate with chapter nine institutions to sharpen its oversight responsibility over the use of public funds, including money used by municipalities, as some municipalities have disclaimers after every audit.
Mr Xasa said that the committee has identified some municipalities for intensified oversight, starting in the Eastern Cape province. Provincial treasury departments can play an important role in reversing the culture in public institutions of no accountability for public money.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS, MR FIKILE XASA.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Name: Mava Lukani (Mr)
Cell: 081 503 1840
E-mail: mlukani@parliament.gov.za
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