Ex official sues dept for R45 mil

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) last week heard that the Department of Social Development is defending a legal suit of R45 million by a former official found guilty in 2004 following a disciplinary hearing after allegedly capturing R1,6 million in fraudulent transactions. The alleged transgressor was suspended for two months without pay and removed from the directorate where he/she worked. The case was reported to the police and published in the media. The name of the official was allegedly supplied to the media by a person working for the department and the official now sues the department for wrongful arrest and defamation of character.
Scathing comments were launched at the hearing over the department’s R14,5 million irregular expenditure being nearly as much as its budget. It was also noted that no action was taken against transgressors.
Scopa Chair Snowy Kennedy-Monyemo­ratho told the department on Thursday that their responses to questions asked about the 2014/15 financial statements report by the Auditor General was disappointing.
The department was taken to task for irregular expenditure incurred for a workshop during the financial year that never took place and the question was asked why the then acting Executive Manager, a certain Shivambu, whose initials were not known, was still working for the department. It was demanded that he be charged for the waste of taxpayers’ money. Scopa also demanded to know the names of the transgressors.

Acting Head of Department Mapula Ra­makgopa told the committee that most of the cases of irregular expenditure hailed from the Mopani district and said the main challenge was the understanding of the transversal policies. She said some matters are with the legal unit of the Department of Public Service and Administration and with the Provincial Treasury to investigate. The department’s risk management unit only has one officer with the Manager’s post being vacant. She was told in no uncertain terms that the department is to investigate its own affairs and not pass it on to other government departments. Kennedy-Monyemoratho said that the policies and procedures are there, it must just be followed.
The department did not ask for quotations for R74 million’s worth of contracts awarded and Scopa was firm in saying the Hawks must be brought in to investigate, as this was an opportunity for corruption. The department’s fruitless and wasteful expenditure amounted to R3,5 million. The department is to hand over rewritten responses to most questions posed by Scopa to the committee tomorrow (Friday).

Story: NELIE ERASMUS
>>nelie.observer@gmail.com

Featured photo: Scopa Chairperson Snowy Kennedy-Monyemoratho.