KwaZulu-Natal Treasury prioritises accountability

KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has again committed her department to doing all it can to ensure that accountability is prioritised.

The MEC made this commitment during the department’s appearance before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) on Wednesday.

Accompanied by the Acting Head of Department, Neli Shezi, the MEC addressed the protracted issue of the e-procurement tool, which the department has been seized with for a number of years, following a finding that its procurement and use breached National Treasury regulations.

An investigation was launched, and the findings recommended that consequence management be applied via disciplinary action against people involved in its procurement.

The investigation commissioned and paid for by the department and the Office of the Premier oversaw the forensic investigation.

The provincial department appeared before SCOPA as part of transparency and accountability in a bid to explain in detail the matter that involves the development of the e-procurement tool.

Dube-Ncube told the committee that the e-procurement tool was developed and exists, but it is not being used because it was not approved by National Treasury.

“KZN Treasury, however, is consulting legally to establish the existence and extent of the fruitlessness and irregularity of the expenditure, after which proper and necessary processes will ensue,” Dube-Ncube said.

The MEC said the provincial Treasury has raised the matter with National Treasury but at this point, there is no indication on whether they will receive a different response from National Treasury.

Shezi told the committee that the provincial treasury is serious about consequence management, adding that despite previous delays, “this matter will be finalised by the end of the year and steps taken in respect of the officials implicated.”

“The investigation on the matter was done in 2018 but the report on that investigation was taken on review by the previous head of department. That is part of what caused the delay in finalising this matter,” Shezi said.

Regarding the existence of the e-procurement, SCOPA has mandated the department to hold discussions with National Treasury in order to find ways of ensuring that the tool is used because it was paid for, and it exists.

Consequence management

Meanwhile, a status report tabled by the department, has highlighted irregular expenditure by different provincial government departments.

The department said it is concerned that there are cases of irregular expenditure, which shows that certain prescribed supply chain processes were not followed – not necessarily, that money was stolen.

The department said the engagement processes with the affected departments are underway and it stands ready to assist the departments, public entities and municipalities to bring the situation to normalcy.

The department also encouraged the departments, including public entities and municipalities with irregular expenditure to ensure corrective measures are taken, and that consequence management is applied against officials involved in the irregular expenditure.

“Upon finalisation of this exercise, a report can then be made public. This exercise takes the form of an enquiry with the purpose of assisting departments, public entities and municipalities to manage their finances in accordance with financial regulations that government public sector finances. We cannot report on it until it is completed,” the department said.