Forensic investigative committee to oversee accounting at TCLM
The committee further recommends that a forensic investigation team be instituted through the accounting officer relating to that expenditure from 2011 to 2017 and hold the responsible officials accountable.
LYDENBURG – During a special council meeting recently held at Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM), all recommendations made by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPac) were agreed to and accepted by all parties present.
This is the first time that such an thorough investigation will be launched into unauthorised, irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure at TCLM.
According to Cllr Gravett Herbst of this committee, “The role of MPac is to serve as an oversight committee and to review Thaba Chweu’s annual report with specific focus on the financial aspects as contained in the Auditor-General’s report and, when instructed by the council, to advise it in respect of unauthorised, irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure.”
Herbst said MPac has to assist council to hold the executive and municipal agencies to account, as well as ensure the efficient and effective use of public resources like finances and other assets. “For the committee to fulfil its function properly, it needs appropriate and complete information.”
During the meeting, MPac made the following recommendations that should be implemented: council should take note of the report from the oversight committee and TCLM should improve recordmanagement systems to ensure business continuity.
It said that council should take note that the committee interrogated the deputy chief financial officer (CFO) since the other senior managers were on leave during the period, and consider that some of the municipal officials who were responsible for some of the reported transactions have since left the municipality.
MPac said the committee invited the accounting officer to clarify the response that management made to it and the MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs in relation to the reported irregular, unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
“The committee further recommends that a forensic investigation team be instituted through the accounting officer relating to that expenditure from 2011 to 2017 and hold the responsible officials accountable.
“It is further recommended that council also consider extending the forensic-investigation scope to the other transactions of the municipality as recommended in the 2015/16 oversight report that was tabled before council on March 30, 2017.”
The report further states that the accounting officer should ensure that a credible audit firm is appointed through following the supply-chain management policy procurement processes to conduct the forensic investigation. “The accounting officer will table progress reports on the forensic investigations to council monthly, when such reports are made available by the auditing firm to be appointed.
The committee also recommends the accounting officer fast-track the appointment of a suitable and qualified MPac researcher, and that council considers the possibility of having the chairman as a full-time counsellor going forward.”
