House Chair, I move:
That the report be adopted.
There was no debate.
Declarations of vote:
House Chairperson, the establishment of the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation was met with great expectations. However, the department, as with so many Cabinet initiatives, proved to be another substandard oversight authority. In all honesty, the department did not live up to its expectation.
Allow me to use the Limpopo textbooks crisis as an example, bearing in mind that one of the 12 main priorities outcomes of this Ministry is to improve the quality of education. Why is it that the system of check and balances, widely hailed as being forever efficient, did not manage to pick up the serious problems with the government's supply management processes? How many municipalities continue to receive qualified audits; is it not the exact purpose of this department to foresee and combat such performances? The department seemed to grandstand with occasional reports on certain of the government's shortcomings, successes and failures.
However, without tangible plans to seriously address underperformance, it seems that the Ministry itself should come under scrutiny. With the underexpenditure that amounted to R3.3 million in all four departments; irregular expenditure of R1,4 million; and the continuous delays in funding vacant positions, including those of deputy directors-general, there is enough proof that the portfolio committee must be established in order to ensure that this department is fully accountable to Parliament. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon House Chair, I am sure you are expecting a declaration, since I am not sure if what we have from the DA is a declaration or not. However, it is important to inform the hon member that all members of this House are welcome to attend the meetings of the committee to which this department is accountable. There is a committee that has been established to do oversight on this department. The Standing Committee on Appropriations as well as a portfolio committee on the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, attends to the responsibilities of this committee. I know that, hon Chairperson, the ID or small DA does not have enough members to attend all the committee meetings. This department has produced, for your information, hon member, a number of very important reports. Maybe you must fully join the DA so that you will be able to access all the reports. I have even lost count of a number of reports that have been produced, even on the issue of the textbooks. If you were part of the committee, you would be able to know the role that the department has played on that issue.
Hon House Chair, I would like to invite the hon member to come to the committee meeting so that the department can brief him on its role, both nationally and provincially, as well as in municipalities. House Chair, on that note, I would like to thank you. [Applause.]
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted (Democratic Alliance and Independent Democrats dissenting).