Parliament, Wednesday, 7 February 2018 – The Portfolio Committee on Health met on Tuesday with the Northern Cape Provincial Department of Health, Northern Cape Department of Public Works and the National Department of Health.
The Committee was supposed to be have been briefed on the progress made and challenges faced in relation to the completion of the Northern Cape Psychiatric Hospital.
Subsequently, a presentation by the Northern Cape Department of Health, Public Works and the National Department of Health was made. The Committee requested that the departments should provide a detailed report of all the issues pertaining to the psychiatric hospital.
The Committee expressed disappointment with the quality of the presentation tabled before it. Members of the Committee said the construction of the hospital began about 13 years ago with escalating costs which have reached approximately R1.8bn – from R290m when the project started in 2005.
The Committee said the departments failed to provide a detailed update and did not take the Committee on board on the challenges faced by the project.
The Committee said it is concerned about the delays of the project as it is a clear indication of challenges that the project is facing.
The Committee raised its concern about the delays of the project which might have violated the PFMA in terms of the economy, efficiency, effectiveness and transparency in the use of public resources. The Committee came to the observation that there might be huge corruption and waste in the said project. The Committee is awaiting the submission of the Gobodo and the Accountant-General’s report on the project which the departments have promised to share.
The reports will shed some light on the extent to which public resources have been utilised.
Members of the Committee said they wanted to know the problems faced by the project and why it is taking too long to complete.
The Committee was of the view that the provincial departments came to present without making the necessary preparations as requested by the Committee. The presentation by the departments was a matter of compliance to honour the invitation to the meeting. The Committee was of the view that the departments were not prepared to provide any information regarding the project.
Members of the Committee indicated that the National Department of Health needs to take responsibility for the delays that have taken place. As members of the joint task team that is tasked with dealing with management of the project, the department failed to alert the Committee of any challenges.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Ms Lindelwa Dunjwa, said: “We have listened and having a second round of questions will not assist the Committee as we will become frustrated. We are not going anywhere.”
Members of the Committee agreed that the department needs to submit all the relevant documents to the Committee within five working days.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH MS LINDELWA DUNJWA
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