Committee Reports on Grants

NCOP Appropriations

12 October 2022
Chairperson: Ms D Mahlangu (ANC, Mpumalanga)
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Meeting Summary

Tabled Committee Reports

The Select Committee on Appropriations met on a virtual platform to consider and adopt four Committee reports on the expenditure and performance of the following grants:

  • The Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant for provinces in the first quarter of 2022/23;
  • The Learners with Profound Intellectual Disabilities and Maths, Science and Technology Grant at the end of the fourth quarter of 2021/22 and first quarter of 2022/23;
  • The Land Care Programme Grant at the end of the first quarter of 2022/23; and
  • The Early Childhood Development Grant at the end of the fourth quarter of 2021/22.

Section 4(a), (d) and (e) of the Money Bills and Related Matters Act No. 09 of 2009 (as amended in 2018), mandates the Committee to consider and report on spending issues; reports on statements of actual expenditure published by National Treasury; and any other related matter set out in the Act. These provisions, read together with section 32 of the Public Finance Management Act No. 01 of 1999 (as amended), and section 16 of the Division of Revenue Act No. 05 of 2022, provides the framework for the legislative sector to play an oversight role over the Executive. Against this background, the Committee undertook to assess the implementation, performance and expenditure of these grants.

 

Meeting report

Report of the Select Committee on Appropriations on the Expenditure and Performance of the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant for Provinces in the First Quarter of the 2022/23 Financial Year

The Committee Secretary took Members through the addition at point 7.10. It read that the Select Committee urged the National Treasury (NT), the Department of Human Settlements (DHS) and provincial departments tasked with spending allocated funds, to remember that these were not merely numbers and targets. These funds impacted the lives of people, especially the ones who relied on government support for their quality of life. Members urged all brokers to seek ways in which funds would be spent appropriately in the most cost effective manner to enhance the lives of people living in informal settlements.

Mr S du Toit (FF+, North West) supported the amendment.

Mr E Njadu (ANC, Western Cape) said that on the basis that the addition was the focus point, service delivery was crucial for people.

Mr W Aucamp (DA, Northern Cape) moved the adoption of the report.

Ms M Mamaregane (ANC, Limpopo) seconded the adoption.

The report was adopted.

Report of the Select Committee on Appropriations on the Expenditure and Performance of the Learners with Profound Intellectual Disabilities and Maths, Science and Technology Grants as at the End of the Fourth Quarter of the 2021/22 Financial Year and the First Quarter of the 2022/23 Financial year

The Committee Secretary took Members through the additional point 8.7. It read that Members wished that the funds allocated were clearly desperately needed by the intended beneficiaries. The responsible departments should always have the interests of these beneficiaries in their priorities as they conduct their daily tasks.

Mr D Ryder (DA, Gauteng) wanted to emphasise the fact that beneficiaries of these funds were in desperate need and must be at the centre of focus for the departments dealing with these issues.

The Chairperson agreed that the money must be spent on the intended beneficiaries.

Mr Njadu felt that the money should be spent effectively and efficiently for the beneficiaries to reap the most benefits.

Ms Mamaregane moved the adoption of the report.

Mr Ryder seconded its adoption.

The report was adopted.

Report of the Select Committee on Appropriations on the Expenditure and Performance of the Land Care Programme Grant as at the End of the Fourth Quarter of the 2021/22 Financial Year and the First Quarter of the 2022/23 Financial Year

Mr Aucamp referred to item 7.3, and said that he did not understand the phrase, “However, the Committee is of the view that this should not be done at the expense of poor South Africans and service delivery. He said that there was no link between enforcing consequence management and following the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and having a negative effect on the poor and service delivery. He felt the sentence should be changed.

He said that in the future, Members should provide guidance on the general aspects of the grant. He used the example of Limpopo setting up 33km of fencing, along with other provinces putting up none or insufficient fencing. He said this was insufficient due to the large areas of land that had to be covered, and could be set up quickly.

He cautioned against letting the figures misguide Members into thinking a lot of work had been accomplished. He referred to the many veld fires in the Northern Cape. He appreciated that the Department of Agriculture in the provinces used the funds for disaster management. The grant had greatly improved conditions in the province and saved many hectares of land.

He encouraged Members to relook at what should be done with the money to use it most effectively.

The Chairperson said that the sentence mentioned could be removed to ensure a clear message was put forward.

Mr Phelelani Dlomo, Committee Content Advisor, said that the item indicated that when compliance was enforced regarding consequence management issues, the government should seek a balance. He used the example that previously, funds had been withheld from municipalities due to non-compliance issues. These measures unfairly affected the people on the ground, which Members had previously warned against.

He said that a balance had to be struck between enforcing compliance and implementing consequence management, which affected the people on the ground. He said that the sentence could still be removed for clarity.

The Chairperson said the phrase would not make sense to others reading the report without this background knowledge.

Mr Ryder said that the sentence should be included. He referred to the Constitution in paragraph 26. The section stated that National Treasury (NT) must enforce compliance, and funds may be withheld if an organ of state made a serious or persistent material breach of these measures.

He read this with s241, which said that the funds could not be stopped for more than 120 days. He explained that this was important to ensure that organs of state followed compliance through withholding funds and applying pressure to the entity.

He said that this was a short-term issue to hold government accountable and ensure that work was done properly on the ground. He felt the sentence was important to include, although it could be amended for clarity.

The Chairperson agreed with Mr Ryder’s point.

Mr Aucamp said that the PFMA prescripts were not followed due to insufficient consequence management measures in place. If proper consequence management was in place, adherence to the PFMA would be improved.

He said that no act of government should occur at the expense of ordinary South Africans, especially the poor. He emphasised that this should be reflected in the amended sentence.

The Chairperson said that consequence management had been highly emphasised by Members.

Mr Du Toit said that the sentence should be removed, as it was written to provide an advantage to the poor. He felt that the sentence was open to interpretation, which created a grey area.

The Chairperson agreed that the sentence was unclear. She said that the benefit of the poor must always be considered by government.

Mr Njadu said that the Transferring Officer was responsible for ensuring consequence management. Consequence management measures should be adhered to, but they could not affect the poor.

The Chairperson felt that the sentence should be put in place to ensure that beneficiaries were not impacted by the consequence management measures. She said that it should be written in a way that people reading the report understood the intention of Members.

Mr Dlomo said that the additional information added by Members had changed the context of the sentence in a way that fixed the clarity issues. He would reword the sentence with the sentiments of the Members included.

Mr Ryder suggested that the sentence read as, “However, the Committee is of the view that this should be done strictly in terms of paragraph 261(3) of the Constitution to ensure Government acts in the interests of the poor and service delivery.”

Mr Dlomo appreciated the input of Mr Ryder for its clarity and reference to the Constitution.

Mr Njadu supported the statement of Mr Ryder.

Mr Najdu moved for the adoption of the report, with amendments.

Mr Ryder seconded the adoption.

The report was adopted.

Report of the Select Committee on Appropriations on the Expenditure and Performance of the Early Childhood Development Grant as at the end of the Fourth Quarter of the 2021/22 Financial Year

Mr Najdu moved the adoption of the report.

Ms Mamaregane seconded the adoption.

The report was adopted.

Committee minutes

Mr Ryder moved the adoption of the minutes of 7 September.

Mr M Moletsane (EFF, Free State) seconded the adoption.

The minutes were adopted.

The meeting was adjourned.

 

 

 

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