Deputy Chairperson, what I was saying was that there is a process that we have started together - that is with the portfolio committee and Scopa. That process will definitely have timeframes. It is not advisable for me to just come and stand here and say that this is the time that it will take for the process to be completed.
I must also say that it is not correct to say that we have done nothing. There have been corrective measures taken. One of the key things which was not happening before was that there was a process where all chiefs of services were involved but they were not accounting to the Chief of the National Defence Force. They all now account to the Chief of the National Defence Force and he in turn works with the committee. So, there are some steps that have already been taken. But I assure you that, like you are saying, you will be part of the committee. You will come with the timeframes and we will make sure that those timeframes are met. Thank you.
Steps taken to determine who was responsible for unverifiable travel and subsistence claims
362. Adv H C Schmidt (DA) asked the Minister of Defence:
(1) Whether, in light of his department having received a qualified audit report from the Auditor-General for the 2006-07 financial year, the amount of R463,4 million for unverifiable travel and subsistence claims includes the trip taken by the Deputy President, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, to the United Kingdom at the end of 2006; if not, in what section of his department's annual report is the expenditure for this trip reported;
(2) whether his department has taken any steps to determine who was responsible for these claims; if not, why not; if so, (a) what steps and (b) who was responsible;
(3) whether any action has been taken against those responsible; if not, why not; if so, what action? NO2358E