Chairperson, I just wanted to say to hon Davidson in his absence that I intend raising no controversial matters, since my task is, on behalf of the full collective of the committee, to introduce the reports. So, the DA does not have to be nervous about what I am going to say.
I just wanted to start by congratulating - and I believe I do so on behalf of the House at large - our Auditor-General, which is the supreme audit institution of South Africa, for having celebrated 100 years in existence. To take the matter further, as in this year, I want to say that all reports indicate that our institution, in the form of the Auditor-General - in other words, our supreme audit institution in the form of the Auditor- General - has been in good hands under the leadership of the ANC government.
It continues to grow from strength to strength, continues to surpass its own targets, and I think that is something that should make us all go home and rest in the confidence that our finances are being properly monitored and used for the purposes for which they are intended, and that where that does not occur, there is an impartial and unbiased hawk that is looking out to ensure that such abuses are actually exposed.
It is for this reason part that government has repeatedly said that most of the corruption and maladministration that has been uncovered in the public sector has been as a result of the public sector itself taking the initiative to expose it through its various institutions, and that includes the institution of the Auditor-General that we have created. I think we can take pride in that. [Applause.]
I also would like to, on this note, congratulate our Auditor-General for having been awarded the Jrg Kandutsch Award. This is the name of the first secretary-general of IVCOSAI and Auditor-General of Australia in whose honour this award has been named and which is awarded to the best performing supreme audit authorities in the world, and I think we should take pride that our own Auditor-General last year in November, when South Africa hosted the 20th conference of the International Congress of Supreme Audit Institutions, INCOSAI, was awarded this particular award.
We had such a big event where over 100 supreme audit institutions from all over the world descended on the Sandton Convention Centre, and we take pride in having hosted not only the World Cup last year, but many other international events of note, including this particular one.
Before the House this afternoon is a report of the committee which I am privileged to chair, the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General, which is recommending to this House that it accepts the annual report of 2009- 2010 of the Auditor-General, and the strategic plan for 2011-12, which includes the budget, which in turn also includes the proposed tariffs to be charged by the Auditor-General.
Just to remind members that, unlike other institutions in the public sector, the Auditor-General lifts itself by its own bootstraps. In other words, it does not receive its budget from the fiscus but has to charge a fee from auditees for services rendered. It is very important that the budget of the Auditor-General is supported through, amongst other things, auditee institutions paying up their fees.
You will note that one of the recommendations that the committee is making, especially in relation to municipalities, is to urge that auditees pay outstanding balances to enable the financial sustainability of our Auditor- General. This is also critical to protect the independence of this very valuable institution, which, having received a clean audit, I am sure that the DA would particularly want to support, except that I would remind them that it does not end with a clean audit; that is just the beginning.
It is critical that beyond just making sure that our finances are regular, the actual service delivery to our people speaks to the finances as well. I would like to emphasise some of the points that have been made this afternoon about some of the poor service delivery situations in which our people continue to suffer. It is not sufficient to regularise your finances, one must ensure that all the people of this country enjoy the services that are due to them that government must provide.
Amongst the reports that we are also tabling are included two on oversight visits that we conducted in Limpopo and Mpumalanga on municipalities, which were essentially to take a sample of municipalities that have had repeated disclaimers, to probe into the circumstances that led to this perpetuation of disclaimers and to interact with three municipalities so as to understand what measures they intend taking, or they are taking, to improve the situation.
I must report that, as the report indicates, we were encouraged by the kinds of efforts that are being taken. Some of the mayors that we interacted with demonstrated the practical steps that they are actually taking to improve the situation. For example, at a small municipality that has had repeated disclaimers in Mpumalanga, called Inkomazi, the mayor was there in person to answer all the questions relating to the problems that have beset that municipality ... I recommend that the House adopts these reports. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
There was no debate.
The Chief Whip of the Majority Party: Chairperson, I move:
That the reports be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Reports accordingly adopted.