Johannesburg - Members of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts have launched a stinging attack on several key departments including the Presidency and the Department of Public Service and Administration for undermining Parliament after they failed to show up for a meeting dealing with corruption.
Several departments and law enforcement agencies were on Wednesday part of the meeting with Scopa to discuss progress made in fighting tender fraud and corruption in the country.
However, the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency, the State Security Agency, the Department of Public Service and Administration and the Financial Intelligence Centre did not attend the meeting.
Co-chairman of the anti-corruption task team Lt-Gen. Berning Ntlemeza, who is also the head of the Hawks, said he did not know why the other departments and agencies did not attend the meeting with Scopa.
He said all organs belonging to the anti-corruption task team were informed about the meeting with Scopa.
Another co-chairperson of the task team Advocate Nomgcobo Jiba of the National Prosecuting Authority said they meet every month to discuss the fight against corruption in the country.
She said there were also operational teams from the Hawks and the NPA and other entities that looked at the cases closely.
The country was using the task team to nail corruption in government and in the private sector.
But members of Scopa said they were concerned that some departments and agencies did not attend the meeting.
Chairman of Scopa Themba Godi said he was concerned that key departments including that of performance monitoring and evaluation in the Presidency was not present.
Some MPs said the departments and agencies not present were undermining the work and authority of Parliament.
Godi said they take serious exception to being snubbed by the departments.
“The civil servants that we are talking about they are not doing the right thing. The Department of Public Service and Administration is not here. The department of performance monitoring and evaluation in the presidency, that is championing governance, is not here,” said Godi.
“We take a very dim view on this,” he said.
Political Bureau