Edu dept is grilled

POLOKWANE – After two years under administration, nothing has changed in the department of education.

This was the opinion voiced by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) chairperson, Jack Matlala, following the department’s appearance before Scopa.

The department was one of three departments in the province and one of five departments in the country to get a disclaimer from the Auditor-General (AG) for their financial statements for the year ending March 31, 2013.

This meant the AG could not give an opinion regarding their financial statements.

The department handed in the bundle with their answers to questions asked by the AG’s office regarding their audited financial statements for the year ending on March 31 2013 and progress on resolutions taken by the legislature regarding their audited financial statements for the year prior to that. Some 89% of revised responses to the resolutions were not implemented and 79% of questions were not answered.

The department’s excuse for the late submission of the bundle was that its photocopier machines were not working.

Scopa asked why the photocopy machines of the department getting the lion’s share of the budget were not working.

Scopa sent the department back to the drawing board to rework their answers. They have to submit it on February 14, whereafter a new date for a hearing will be determined; even if the hearing takes a whole week, according to Matlala.

The department was asked to also submit a report to Scopa as to why the former HOD, Morebudi Thamaga, was investigated, placed on compulsory leave and replaced by an acting HOD.

The department was asked how the project management unit was appointed and why the documentation was not submitted to the department when its contract was ended.

The role of the administrator who assumed the role as accounting officer was also discussed and the role the administrator was supposed to fulfil was discussed. Zwandile Matthews, administrator, said he was to assume role of the accounting officer.

Scopa said the result was that he could not be held accountable by the provincial Scopa, and this was a dilemma.

The question was asked who is responsible for what and why.

The decision was taken that at the next sitting the control measures the administrator put in place will be discussed, and it must be submitted in writing.

Education MEC, Dikeledi Magadzi, said she refused to sign the answers supplied. She said hoped the issues would be corrected with time. There were many disciplinary actions being taken, she said.

She said the acting HOD and CFO did not have any authority and that it rested with the administrator.

She said many accruals are building up as payments are not done.

She called for this to be corrected and for the minister to step in.