Good morning ladies and gentlemen
Four days ago; I received preliminary reports on at least three of the five forensic investigations currently in progress in various provincial departments.
The preliminary reports now available, relate to investigations carried out in the: Office of the Premier, Departments of Health and Social Development including Agriculture, Conservation and Rural Development.
I am yet to receive the status reports from auditors detailing work done in the Department of Sports Arts and Culture as well as Education. While it is premature to make public pronouncements on some of the findings and recommendations in two of the three reports, which I had an opportunity to study over the weekend:
My immediate response is:
On the strength of what I have seen, my suspicions have been confirmed and assertions vindicated in that:
- a flagrant disregard for procurement prescripts, protocols and Treasury regulations by senior managers and subordinates has seriously compromised service delivery
- habitual contraventions of government procurement protocols as spelt out in the Public Finance Management Act (PMFA) appear to have also prejudiced this government financially.
Without giving away much, it is not remote from the truth to make an assertion that from the draft interim reports of the forensic investigations into the Office of the Premier and that of Health and Social Development:
- The reports seem to implicate senior and junior public servants acting in concert with some entities doing business with government
- The investigators are still hard at work to make the necessary findings or links relating to public servants who may have acted to the prejudice of government.
It is still early days yet to make a full pronouncement on this subject now. But to this end, I expect my office to take the lead within the next few days by taking appropriate action against the prime suspects fingered in the report.
I have also sought urgent meetings, with some of the auditors between tomorrow and Thursday this week, to talk me through their reports.
With regards to the investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the Department of Sport Arts and Culture, I gave the Auditor-General a two weeks deadline to report back, which is supposed to be this week.
However, I have just received information suggesting that after 16 August, several transactions have been made using the government issued credit card currently in the former MEC Bothman's custody.
It is against this background that I have given investigators more time to also include this matter in their investigation.
The Accountant-General has been instructed to cancel the former MEC's card.
I also want to re-affirm that my office has never received information about the purported investigation that was about to be launched by the former MEC for Sport and Culture.
In conclusion
May I confirm what has been intense speculation within government circles in the past weeks. Indeed it is true that, Ms Lydia Sebego, the current accounting officer of the Department of Health and Social Development has asked for a transfer to one of the national departments. I was approached last week regarding her move, which I have accepted.
I thank you for your time.
