Hon member, the
reality is that, yes, even this financial year, we will have areas where the Auditor-General will have matters of emphasis or even
qualifications in some of the areas which are caused by what I referred to earlier on: Sometimes the difference in interpretation of auditing standards between National Treasury and the Auditor- General.
However, I think it is important for me to acknowledge that having elaborated on some of the things which we have done, like boards of inquiry, disciplinary actions and so on. Yes, some people have been fired from the defence force; while some people are standing trials in civilian courts, those cases having been referred to by the military police. We refer these cases to the civilian police. In some instances, where we investigate a matter, we draw in the Hawks. Just as an example, for instance, recently, the President signed a proclamation which will allow for the Special Investigating Unit to investigate some issues which have been flecked by the Auditor- General.
The question you are raising is whether these serve as a deterrent. I would imagine that if people see one or two of us going into a correctional facility, obviously it will serve as a deterrent because no one wants to go into a correctional facility as an inmate. So, I would want to imagine, but one thing I would not do is to mislead the House and suggest that because we have taken certain
steps or remedial actions against some of the people who are implicated in the wrong doing. Therefore, there hasn't been a repetition of some of these things. No, there is; it continues, but maybe not at a large scale.
So, we will have an unauthorised expenditure. We will have an irregular expenditure, but maybe what we need to look into is: What are the figures; what are numbers; and are they as high as they were in the past three to four years or not? I don't want to mislead the House and say it serves as a complete deterrent and therefore there is no wrong doing or there are not irregularities. There will be irregularities. However, I do believe that remedial action which we have taken has led to people being very scared of being found out to be on the wrong side of the law. Thank you.