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.]