Departments headed by Nomvula Mokonyane and Des van Rooyen lead the government pack when it comes to irregular expenditure‚ according to an Auditor General report before parliament’s finance watchdog.
Mokonyane’s water and sanitation department racked up a whopping R2.5 billion in irregular expenditure‚ while cooperative governance and traditional affairs‚ led by Van Rooyen‚ saw irregular expenditure of R1 billion.
The standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) has summoned all the affected deparment heads to explain the irregular expenditure.
Scopa chairman Themba Godi said the committee agreed that they would call all the departments that have fruitless and wastesful as well as irregular expenditure.
Godi said irregular expenditure means expenditure incurred without following proper procedures and processes.
“We have sent our letters to the accounting officers and also copied the ministers. We will hear from departments in terms of who is coming to appear‚” said Godi.
The meeting is also expected to be attended by the government’s anti-corruption task team.
Godi said irregular expenditure can either be that there was an “emergency” or because “somebody wanted to advantage a person who didn’t open competitive bids that person might not have won‚ or because they want the state to acquire services for much higher amounts than they should be‚” said Godi.
According to the report‚ the Public Finance Management Act identifies three types of improper expenditure specifically: irregular expenditure‚ unauthorised expenditure as well as fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
“The department of water and sanitation incurred irregular expenditure of R782.7 million in 2015/16 resulting in a cumulative figure of R2.5 billion‚ followed by Cogta with a cumulative figure of R1 billion‚” read the report.
The other affected departments are Michael Masutha’s correctional services and minister Nathi Mthethwa’s department of arts and culture which recorded R403 million in irregular expenditure.
- TMG Digital/BusinessLIVE
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