Presentation of the annual report of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature for the 2013/14 financial year
The Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), Hon. Lentheng Mekgwe, today presided over the Sitting for the tabling of the GPL Annual Report for the 2013/14 financial year. The Annual Report (tabling) Sitting came after the Legislature’s attainment of another clean audit bill in a successive year.
According to an assessment report by the Oversight Committee on the Office of the Premier and the Legislature (OCPOL), which reviews GPL’s achievement of planned targets and completed projects against allocated budgets and timeframes; the Legislature met all its financial obligations and operated within budget. This was achieved across all programmes and sub-programmes on all performance relating to the delivery of GPL’s Constitutional mandate of: Oversight, Law-making, Public Participation and Co-operative Governance.
GPL spent all its allocated financial resources, including the adjustment budget. One area of saving was the 20-Year project, which came about as a result of the internal coordination of the project which realised savings on consultancy fees.
The report of OCPOL also concluded that GPL submitted the Annual Report for 2013/14 within set timeframes and complied with the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and other relevant Legislation and Regulations.
The Legislature’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) also presented a review report on the Auditor General’s (AG) assessment of the Financial Statements and Performance Information of the Office of the Premier for the year that ended 31 March 2014. According the report, the AG issued an unqualified audit opinion with no findings on the financial statements of the Office of the Premier.
Scopa exercises oversight over Provincial and Local Government on behalf of GPL to ensure accountability in the use of resources and prudent financial management; and makes recommendations to the Legislature. This role is complemented by the AG, whose mandate is to conduct audits of National and Provincial State Departments, Local Government and other public sector bodies, and submits reports to GPL, as per the requirements of the Public Audit Act, 2004 (Act No. 25 of 2004) and the Constitution of RSA.
In responding to the Legislature’s clean audit, Speaker, Hon. Lentheng Mekgwe said in her address: “This is a reflection that all Members of the Legislature and the administration are doing everything possible to ensure that GPL as the body charged with the responsibility of overseeing the work of the Provincial Executive and entities, is itself accountable for the public resources at its disposal. It also provides a reflection of the quality of work conducted by Honourable Members as representatives of our people; and I think that we can conclude, that the oversight work continues to improve and has become a beacon for many Legislatures here at home and throughout the continent and the world.”
“GPL finds itself in a very unique situation wherein, despite the fact that in terms of Section 4 (1) of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature Services Board Act No. 5 of 1996, the Legislature has established a Legislature Services Board to provide political and strategic leadership to the Administration, ensure that the Administration is accountable and that the LSB is itself accountable to the House. In addition to this, GPL has also established the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Oversight Committee on the Office of the Premier and the Legislature to hold the Legislature accountable.”
“This is a unique and commendable situation, in that both here at home and abroad, there continues to be debates about improving the accountability of legislatures. Until very recently, some legislatures were accountable to their Rules Committee. In Parliament, the legislature is accountable to the Oversight Committee presided over by Executive Authorities, i.e. Speaker of the National Assembly and Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces. Gauteng will continue with this unique and innovative way of improving accountability.” The Speaker concluded.
The Speaker reaffirmed that GPL would continue to find innovative ways to improve participation of people with Disabilities in its programmes and processes. She concluded by expressing appreciation to OCPOL for the “robustness and depth of engagement, scrutiny and oversight”, attributing GPL’s success to the Committee’s hard work and commitment.
It was to this effect that she appreciated the efforts by the collective of Presiding Officers from the previous Term of office, namely: former Speaker, Hon. Lindiwe Maseko, Deputy Speaker, Hon. Uhuru Moiloa, Chairperson of Committees, Hon. Nomantu Ralehoko and former Deputy Chairperson of Committees, Hon. Valentine Mbatha for excellent leadership and stewardship.
She also thanked the Secretary to the Legislature, Mr Peter Skosana, senior management and all staff of GPL for their dedication, commitment and hard work.
For more information:
Khazi Sithole
Cell: 060 533 2122
Tel: 011 498 5777
E-mail: ksithole@gpl.gov.za
Pfano Bulasigobo
Cell: 060 533 1982
Tel: 011 498 6381
E-mail: pbulasigobo@gpl.gov.za
