Madam Chairperson and colleagues, it is very refreshing to note that a member of the ruling party can speak in the manner that she has spoken on behalf of Scopa. [Interjections.] I just hope that members of the executive take these words by hon Chiloane very seriously. I'm glad that the hon Minister of Transport is holding the fort on behalf of the executive because I think the executive needs to know what the feelings of the members of Scopa are.
Having said that, I want to follow on what hon Godi, the chairperson of our committee, said about emulating good practice. I know that not so long ago we were all waxing lyrical about the Minister of Home Affairs and the Department of Home Affairs having turned around and having received an unqualified report. However, it's quite depressing when one reads the latest report that they have regressed to qualified. Something needs to be done in that regard, and I am sure we are going to call them in for a public hearing. A common thread in most of the reports that are published by the Auditor- General is noncompliance with laws and regulations, and one cannot understand why heads of departments cannot comply with laws and regulations that are clearly written there for them to follow. There are sanctions, as hon Kilian and other members said, in terms of section 38 of the PFMA, but to date we haven't imposed any sanctions on any of these heads of departments.
Another area which Scopa looks at is the information technology, IT, environment, and I think when it comes to the IT environment in most departments, they are seriously lacking. This puts risk management at the forefront, and this is something that all departments need to look at.
When we look at what portfolio committees do, it is to look at the strategic plans of departments. All of us spend a lot of time looking at what they present to us and how they are going to spend the money, but when the Auditor General makes his findings we find that the predetermined objectives which were stated by that very department are not met. Why should that be the case? The Department of Labour, for example, spent 99,5% of its budget, yet in terms of performance it was 50%. We need to look at these kinds of things.
Turning quickly to Transnet, it's quite sad that there's R8,3 billion of irregular expenditure, which even warranted the chairperson of the portfolio committee writing to Scopa to investigate this R8,3 billion irregular expenditure. What comes up in Transnet with the portfolio committee, is the obscene salaries that are paid to members of this state- owned enterprise, SOE, ranging from R3,5 million up to R10 million a year. I don't know what kind of rocket science is required to administer some of the SOEs for those kinds of obscene salaries to be paid. No wonder we get strikes ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Motion agreed to.
First Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Report of Independent Auditors on 2009-10 Financial Statements of Botshelo Water accordingly adopted.
Second Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Report of Independent Auditors on 2009-10 Financial Statements of Bushbuckridge Water accordingly adopted.
Third Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Report of Independent Auditors on 2009-10 Financial Statements of Magalies Water accordingly adopted.
Sixth Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Annual Report and Financial Statements of Transnet and Report of Independent Auditors on 2010-11 Financial Year accordingly adopted.
Fifteenth Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Annual Reports and Financial Statements of Department of Mineral Resources and Report of Auditor-General on 2010-11 Financial Year accordingly adopted.
Sixteenth Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Annual Reports and Financial Statements of Department of Labour and Sheltered Employment Factories and Report of Auditor-General on 2010-11 Financial Year accordingly adopted