DA MPL Boitumelo Babuseng indicated that he was in the process of laying criminal charges against accounting officers, chief financial officers and senior management, during the Provincial Treasury budget speech that was delivered on Tuesday.
He believed that Provincial Treasury did not have any control over the provincial fiscus.
“The unpalatable reality is that Treasury is currently being used as a conduit to embark on a criminal escapade and is complicit in the funding of irregular, unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Downright illegal activities are carried out by various provincial departments. Treasury is failing to ensure the proper management of the provincial purse.”
He pointed out that the Province had a projected budget deficit of R530 million for the 2017/18 financial year.
“The projected consolidated unauthorised expenditure of the Province will amount to R883 million up to the end of March 2018 whereas there is only R247 million available to clear debt. The rate of overspending by far outweighs the provision for debt.”
Babuseng stated that the bulk of the accruals that exceeded R1.4 billion were owed by the Department of Roads and Public Works and the Department of Health for goods and services.
He added that 22 municipalities in the Province were on the verge of total collapse as their expenses exceeded their income.