Democratic Alliance MP Helen Lamoela said the party initially made a submission to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) about what she termed the department's skewed spending priorities.

"The SAHRC has subsequently informed us that our complaint would be best dealt with by the Public Protector's office, as the DWCPD's failure to spend its budgets and deliver tangible outcomes in its programme for people with disabilities amounts to maladministration rather than a direct violation of human rights," she said in a statement.

Madonsela's spokeswoman Kgalalelo Masibi said the DA's submission to the Public Protector was still being assessed and an announcement would be made on Tuesday.

The department of women, children and people with disabilities was not immediately available for comment

Lamoela said the DA, in its submission, presented evidence of poor financial and administrative management of the DWCPD.

This included 66% under-spending in the rights of people with disabilities programme and overspending in the administration programme. The department had also apparently spent 107% of its budget by the third quarter of 2011/12 and overspent 112% on employees' salaries, said Lamoela.

"We hope that the Public Protector's investigation brings light to the inefficiencies within the DWCPD and the limited benefit that vulnerable communities have enjoyed from the programmes of this department," she said.