Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu will brief Parliament on steps and systems implemented to improve financial management in the Department of Defence (DOD) which resulted in the DOD receiving the best audit report with only one qualification from the Auditor-General for the first time in ten years. On the same day, the minister will also introduce the Defence Amendment Bill to the National Assembly.
The implemented financial management systems and the measures put in place to address six qualifications from the 2008/09 annual report has resulted in one qualification which relates to asserts management which is due to conflicting accounting systems. “The single qualification we have is due to accounting systems, and we have now addressed it. Both the Auditor-General, the accountant general have worked with us to develop a system that can accommodate both NATO accounting and our own treasury accounting, we have never been here before, we are very proud of the work done by the team,” Minister Sisulu said.
The minister will be accompanied by the Secretary of Defence, Ms Mpumi Mpofu, the Chief Financial Officer, Mr Mziwonke Dlabantu and the team that is working on “project clean audit”. The Defence Act, the Public Finance Management Act and other applicable regulations designate the Secretary of Defence as the accounting officer and Head of Department of Defence.
The minister added that other issues raised by the Auditor-General in the report which relates to internal control and irregular expenditure are being addressed and dedicated teams are ensuring that her vision of a clean audit and the DOD being a leader in financial systems and management is achieved.
“Working with the Auditor-General, the accountant general and the DOD team we are ensuring that systems are in place for internal control and all irregular expenditures are attended to, all the issues addressed in the annual report are being addressed by the team,” she said.
The minister will also introduce the Defence Amendment Bill to the National Assembly on Tuesday, 26 October 2010. The bill is already adopted by the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans. Its main objective is to introduce a Permanent National Defence Force Service Commission which will create a new dispensation out of the public service for soldiers. It also amends the Defence Act to allow the Commander in Chief, President Jacob Zuma to deploy soldiers during peace time in the country. The current legislation restrict the deployment of soldiers in the country during peace time, this hinder the use of soldiers for developmental projects and other programmes to support the implementation of government programmes.
“The Defence Amendment Bill is a very important legislation that will ensure that soldiers are given the dignity and respect they deserve, it introduces a new dispensation for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) out of the public service, soldiers are not public servants, they are the defender of our democracy and national security, their condition of service must be treated differently, we are happy that we are a few steps from concluding this important milestone,” Sisulu said.
Programme for Tuesday, 26 October 2010
- 09h00 to 11h00 (Minister briefs the Portfolio Committee on the Annual Report and Project Clean Audit)
- 12h00 to 13h00 (Minister addresses media briefing at (Imbizo Media Centre, 120 Plein Street) on the Annual report, the Defence Amendment Bill and progress on the implementation of ministerial priorities
- 14h00 to 16h00Minister introduces the Defence Amendment Bill in the National Assembly.
Please RSVP for logistical purposes.
Enquiries:
Ndivhuwo Mabaya
Cell: 083 645 7838
E-mail: Ndivhuwo.mabaya@dod.mil.za
