Durban – The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature has demanded a full report from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education by next month (June) on what measures it has taken to ensure that only properly employed staff are paid salaries.
The call forms part of the report presented by Scopa chairperson Maggie Govender during a special sitting of the legislature last week.
The committee’s call comes after the auditor-general noticed some problems in the previous years within the department which included salary payments to persons no longer employed by the department.
Scopa noted that the department has committed to among other steps:
- Appoint a full-time project manager to ensure effective and efficient monitoring of the recovery of staff debts.
- Review its debt management policy and ensure effective implementation thereof
- Ensure that the appointment and termination dates of contract employees and temporary educators is better controlled.
“The Committee resolves that the Accounting Officer reports to the Committee by the 30th of June 2023 on progress made in the implementation of the proposed measures to improve on recovery of staff debts and whether those measures have been effective, as well as progress made in recovery of staff debts,” the report stressed.
Govender told the sitting that she had been satisfied with the input from all political parties in the crafting of committee resolutions. All parties approved the report except the EFF who abstained from voting for the report.