Pretoria - Gauteng legislature’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) will defer expenses incurred for postponed hearings on financial performance of the provincial departments and entities to three departments, whose MECs failed to attend public hearings on Wednesday.
Gauteng Scopa chairperson Sochayile Khanyile said the committee was concerned that invitations were sent two weeks ago to Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, Human Settlements and Infrastructure Development MEC Lebogang Maile, as well as Kedibone Diale-Tlabela MEC for Transport and Logistics, but they sent apologies on the 11th-hour.
Khanyile, who received apologies on the day of the hearings, said: "The responsibility to account to the legislature and its committees on the performance of the departments lies with the MECs, and therefore Scopa could not conduct the public hearings with the officials who were present in the absence of the MECs."
He said Scopa resolved to invoke the legislature rule to institute a process to subpoena the MECs for the hearing to be conducted later this month. This is an attempt by the committee to ensure the MECs attended the next hearings.
"Members of Scopa are displeased that the hearings could not take place as scheduled. They plead with MECs to prioritise compliance with requirements of oversight work of the legislature and its committees. Oversight is an effective mechanism for the legislature and the executive to account to the citizens of Gauteng on the work they do towards improving their lives."
The public hearings were set to assess the financial performance of the Gauteng Departments of Health, Human Settlements and Transport and Logistics, where members of the public and the media would be allowed to participate virtually.
The hearings are informed by the auditor-general’s findings for the 2021/22 financial year as well as the research analysis conducted by Scopa on financial performance of Gauteng government departments and entities for the year under review.
They are an annual report process that forms part of the oversight work conducted by Scopa in an effort to maintain accountable and transparent public financial management, while also improving accelerated service delivery in the province.
They also present an opportunity for members of Scopa as well as stakeholders, including the general public, to engage government leaders on departments’ performance, as well as progress made in implementing corrective measures where poor performance and financial management challenges are identified.
Khanyile apologised for the postponement of the hearings to the people of Gauteng and all other stakeholders who physically and virtually participated.
The committee will communicate details of the next public hearings in due course.
Pretoria News