Durban - Managers in the office of KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu will have to explain why there was irregular expenditure of more than R16 million incurred in the last financial year.
This emerged on Tuesday when ’s director-general Nhlanhla Ngidi, who is chairman of the newly formed finance committee overseeing all departments, appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) in Pietermaritzburg.
It also emerged that the auditor-general had found that the premier’s office underspent by R63.3m of its adjusted budget of R762.4m.
Scopa members, including chairwoman Maggie Govender, last week called for all senior managers to take full responsibility for redress in their departments.
Ngidi then told Scopa junior managers were inevitably the ones made to take the blame.
“I have asked the chief financial officer (in the premier’s office) to identify the responsible managers who caused irregular expenditure because we are going to institute disciplinary measures against them,” said Ngidi.
He also said other procedures would be taken to address irregular expenditure including having one-on-one, regular meetings with managers.
Ngidi said the committee, which would meet monthly, would be made up of chief financial officers and deputy director generals from the provincial government. The committee had already held its first meeting.
Departmental managers responsible for financial matters had also been provided with training.
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But there is a stick that accompanies that training. Anybody who, after the training, is still incapable of financial management will have incapacity proceedings invoked against them,” Ngidi said.
The auditor-general’s report highlighted cases in the premier’s office where supply chain management protocols had been ignored.
MPLs said they were also concerned about the premier’s office’s failure to fill vacant positions.
DA MPL Mark Steele said the premier’s office needed to be monitored by the portfolio committee monthly.
“We cannot carry on like this. We need to send the department a message that this is unacceptable,” said Steele.
The Mercury