Hon Chairperson, the IFP wishes to express its utter shock and outrage at the recent disclaimer status given to the Department of Public Works by the Auditor-General. It was reported that the Auditor- General had declared that the department could not account properly for R819 million in spending in respect of goods and services procured, and for R1,3 billion in respect of capital expenditure.
The Department of Public Works has been on a steady decline as far as accountability is concerned. It received qualified audits in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, and then, most shockingly, a disclaimer for the 2010-2011 period from the Office of the Auditor-General. The recent decision by the President to sack the Minister of Public Works, although long overdue, is a necessary step in the right direction and will hopefully go a long way towards correcting the current irregularities within the department. The President should be applauded for taking this action.
Asazi-ke, Somlomo, noma uNgqongqoshe omusha uzele ukuzotapa uju kanye nezinyosi. [Mr Speaker, we don't know whether the Minister will follow suit.]