MBOMBELA – The department appeared before the committee on Friday to answer questions about its progress since 2012/13. It had received an unqualified with findings audit outcome from the Auditor-General for 2013/14.
Committee member and deputy speaker Mr David Dube said considering the department’s challenges, it might be unrealistic to plan on it achieving a clean audit by April. “You are left with only four months before the end of the financial year. Is it not important that in light of the challenges we admit that this is unrealistic?”
According to the department’s report presented during the meeting by acting head of department Mr Thulani Mdakane, capacity in the department had been a problem. Part of the plan to improve its financial reporting this year was to ensure critical and funded vacant posts were filled.
Previous challenges included a moratorium placed on the appointment of new employees and delays in filling vacant funded posts. “The department has since improved the recruitment turnaround time.” MEC Mr Eric Kholwane noted that they were struggling to find a suitable candidate to appoint as the head of department. He said during the hearing that advertising the position had not drawn a suitable candidate, so the department would headhunt someone.
It also came under fire for the perceived limited action it had been taken against officials found guilty of misconduct. Committee chair Mr Sibusiso Malaza criticised the department for the majority of its disciplinary action seemingly ending in written warnings.
Mdakane admitted that in some instances the sanctions perhaps did not match the seriousness of the offences.
