Hon Chairperson, members, we as the committee commend the department and its entities, which are Umalusi, the SA Council for Educators, and the Education Labour Relations Council, for continuing to receive unqualified audit opinions in relation to the management of their finances. The committee was also pleased that South Africa rated well on standard indicators of access to education and that the department was advancing in many areas in giving expression to its mandate of providing quality education. The committee itself supports the department's efforts of sustaining gains made in equity and access. It also welcomes inroads made in terms of planning to address the infrastructure backlog.
Although the department made significant achievements, we have noted within our report our concerns, and we made certain recommendations regarding the concerns we had, and they are in our ATCs - Announcements, Tablings and Committee reports.
There are only two points that I would like to highlight when it comes to the Basic Education report. Firstly, according to the Auditor-General's report, when it comes to our different education departments within different provinces, including the national department - except Gauteng - irregular expenditure and wasteful expenditure are very high. So, we as a committee - because I would like to reiterate this in this House - would like to receive regular updates as a matter of urgency on the nature and impact of interventions to improve the management of finances in all the affected provinces.
I think what would be important is that we should follow up when it comes to the provincial Auditor-General's reports with the relevant committees in Parliament. When it comes to Umalusi, we as a committee would like the Minister to ensure that additional funding be provided in order for this entity to effectively carry out its extended mandate. Lastly, because everything is in our report, the committee would like to move for the report, as tabled in the ATC and to the House, to be adopted. I thank you. [Applause.]
There was no debate.
Chairperson, I move on behalf of the Chief Whip of the Majority Party:
That Order No 13, the report of the Committee on Basic Education, be adopted.
Thank you.
The motion is that the Report be adopted. Are there any objections? No objections, so it is agreed to.
Chair, this is just a point of clarity: My colleague the hon James has just mentioned something that was read in the report which might be contradictory. Could we just question that particular aspect, please, if you wouldn't mind?
The DA can go ahead with the question.
Thank you very much, Chair. This is just for the sake of clarity. Could the hon chairperson just repeat what she said about the Auditor-General's report when it comes to wasteful expenditure regarding provinces? Just for the record, could she repeat what she said?
Hon Chairperson, when you look at the Auditor-General's report, the report that we received about our provinces, all our provinces, except Gauteng - all eight provinces including the national department - had high rates of irregular expenditure; fruitless and wasteful expenditure. The only thing I said afterwards, with regard to our recommendation, was that we need to have regular updates from our department on progress made when it comes to financial management. Secondly, when it comes to the committees that we have here, we have to meet with them. One of those committees will be the Finance committee - because those were decisions we made with Scopa - and even the NCOP, so that we can look at how our different provinces manage their finances. Thank you. [Applause.]
I now recognise the hon Chief Whip of the Majority Party.
Chairperson, as already said, we move that the Report be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.