Afriforum’s campaign against irregular expenditure at DoH amounting to R344 million

MBOMBELA- According to Hennie Bekker, the district coordinator for AfriForum, these were charges relating to the contravention of Section 86(1) of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).

“The charges relate to irregular, wasteful and unauthorised expenditure,” Bekker said.

The Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) report indicates that during the 2017/18 financial year almost R310 million was irregularly spent by the department; R317 000 amounted to fruitless and wasteful expenditure and almost R34 million can be described as an unauthorised expenditure.

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“This can be, for example, food or medication, which according to the AGSA should not have been bought, or for which there is no paper trail, nor slips,” Bekker added.

Last year AfriForum also laid criminal charges against the department for more than R5 billion in irregular expenditure. According to Bekker, the investigation is ongoing and has been transferred to another high- ranking investigating officer.

Bekker explained in his affidavit that Mohangi is the accounting officer and the PFMA provides that “an accounting officer is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine, or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years, if that accounting officer wilfully or in a grossly negligent way, fails to comply with a provision of section 38, 39 or 40”.

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He also asserts that fruitless and wasteful expenditure could have been averted, had reasonable care been exercised. In terms of Section 38 of the PFMA, accounting officers must take appropriate steps to prevent and avoid unauthorised expenditure, manage available working capital efficiently, immediately report in writing the particulars of any irregular expenditure and take appropriate disciplinary steps against any official who contravenes the act.

The notes by AGSA to the annual financial statements of the DoH reflect that no disciplinary steps or criminal action were taken after the incidents that caused the irregular expenditure, Bekker said.

The organisation laid complaints against the heads of all nine provincial health departments. It forms part of the organisation’s national campaign against the proposed National Health Insurance Bill (NHI).

“The mismanagement of funds are one of the main reasons why we cannot depend on government when the NHI Bill comes into operation. They have proven that they cannot be trusted with taxpayers’ money,” Bekker said.

“The wasteful expenditure of taxpayer’s money is a countrywide problem, and at a level where you can declare it a national crisis. The responsible parties must be held accountable, as per the report of the AGSA, which recommends that it be investigated thoroughly.

“The heads must curb irregular and wasteful expenditure and hold accountable the responsible parties. The heads of the DoH failed taxpayers by neglecting to properly execute their duties,” he concluded.

Dumisani Malamule, the spokesman for the department, said, “From my side the DoH feels that if a person is of the opinion that irregularities occurred, it is within their right to take the matter to the police. The law must take its course and we will respect the outcome thereof.”

AfriForum urged the public to oppose the NHI Bill by commenting at jougesondheid.co.za.