Deputy Chair, Mluleki, hon George here, is very naughty. He says I should say this but I'm going to say it because I'm a Christian and he is a Christian himself. He says: If in the first place they didn't commit crime, they would be having houses, but that is not the way to approach it. You can't approach it from that angle at all. So I'm censuring him for what he is saying. Reverend Moatshe, please talk to him and counsel him.
Kgoshi, for the 2006-2007 financial year, the Auditor-General issued five management reports which highlighted various issues of non-compliance by my department. The reports were distributed to the relevant branches for them to provide suitable answers and strategies to address and prevent similar queries in future.
On 23 and 24 August, a senior management conference was held with the focus solely on the issue of compliance. In the department I'm known for one thing; whenever we start meetings with the senior management, my war cry is simple: Compliance, compliance and compliance because if we don't comply, we'll get Auditor-General reports that are qualified all the time.
So, these officials from all over the country attended the conference and took part in compiling action plans to address the qualifications and other important issues raised by the Auditor-General in the audit report. On a monthly basis, our audit steering committee meetings take place, where all branches and staff from Auditor-General's office are represented. The items on the agenda include all qualification issues as well as other important matters highlighted by the Auditor-General. These issues are interrogated and progress is monitored.
Some identified anomalies will take longer to resolve. The asset register and asset management will take longer but other issues should take a short period of time to resolve. Some will be resolved within a short timeframe. The measures are incorporated into various action plans and progress reports from different branches.
I also must admit that the finance and budget committees in Parliament, the portfolio committee and the select committee assist us a lot when you ask us to come and report and to be able then to criticise the work that department does constructively and give guidance where it is needed.