Rustenburg - The North West Provincial Legislature’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) sent the provincial council on Aids packing on Tuesday, citing unhappiness over its response to a qualified audit opinion.
After the North West Provincial Council on Aids presented its report, committee chairman Mahlakeng Mahlakeng said there were “conflicts in documents presented”.
He said the council presented its report reading from two documents. The council was given seven working days to resubmit a technically structured document.
The public hearings were held following concerns by Scopa over the council’s audit outcomes for the 2013/2014 financial year.
“This was not necessarily a wasted exercise as we already have most of the report on record,” Mahlakeng said.
He indicated that the report would only be fixed technically and that the content would remain the same.
“This is a public hearing and the document is given to the public, so the way it was written it [is] hard for the public to understand it,” he said.
The report must highlight how the funds were used. Mahlakeng said they would not hesitate to take action against any misuse of funds.
“Should the report reveal that funds had been misused, we will investigate, force the perpetrators pay back the money, and if needs be they will be arrested.”
He said if the council did not present an acceptable report in the next sitting, they would report the matter to North West premier Supra Mahumapelo.
The North West Council on Aids received a qualified audit opinion with findings in the 2013/14 financial year which remained unchanged from the 2012/13 financial year.
This was mainly caused by the entity’s lack of implementation of appropriate internal financial control systems, and instability in key management positions which include the position of Chief Financial Officer being left vacant for more than 12 months.
The Auditor General’s report further stated that effective and appropriate disciplinary steps were not taken against officials who made and permitted irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
ANA