The Gauteng Executive Council (EXCO) held its meeting on Wednesday 20 October 2010 in Johannesburg. Premier Nomvula Mokonyane and all Members of the Executive Council attended the meeting.
The Auditor General (AG) Terrence Nombebe presented the Gauteng Provincial Government's audit outcomes for the 2009/10 financial year. The EXCO welcomed the AGs report and acknowledged the importance of his oversight role.
We believe this will go a long way in building public confidence and accountability on how we spend public funds while improving service delivery and strengthening our democracy. The AGs report demonstrated that there has been a discernible improvement in how departments comply with the tenets of Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and governance issues. This is attributed to the interventions made last year to improve compliance and accountability.
We were particularly pleased that the benchmark that the province has set itself, that of being more answerable to the citizens of Gauteng, is bearing fruit as confirmed by the clean audit outcomes from the Office of the Premier and Treasury.
The AG reported that of all the 15 departments audited, Gauteng received two clean audits and 11 departments received unqualified audits, while one department received a qualified report and another one a disclaimer. The Office of the Premier and Treasury received clean audits reports, thus setting standards for best practice in the province. The Department of Health and Social Development received a disclaimer while the Infrastructure Development Department received a qualified report.
Some of the issues raised by the audit outcomes are historical. However, the Executive Council has made a commitment to address areas requiring improvement and enhance the accuracy of record keeping and reporting. The Executive Council committed themselves to increasing public confidence in the way public funds are spent and receiving clean audits by 2014.
The new approach in Gauteng is that a dedicated team spearheaded by the Treasury and the Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) of all departments will ensure that there are systems in place that will better track performance. In addition, controls will be tightened further and monitored by the executive authority and accounting officers. There will also be better management of assets and disclosure items.
We are today announcing the appointment of Ms Nosizwe Nokwe as the new Director-General (DG) of the Gauteng province. She will commence duty officially on 1 November 2010. Ms Nokwe brings a wealth of experience from both the private and public sector. We are confident that she will take the province to new heights and ensure faster service delivery on our electoral mandate and help improve the lives of the people of Gauteng.
This brings finality on the filling of posts of all HODs and the DGs posts since the reconfiguration process was undertaken in 2009. MEC Nkomfe explained to the Executive Council the reasons that led to the termination of the contract with Sibize International Calling. The department is also conducting an impact study on the efficacy of call centre license bookings. MEC Nkomfe further said the department undertook a comprehensive review of the contact centre to align its operations with newly adopted outcomes and priorities of the province. It has since emerged that provincial objectives will be better served with the contact centre being managed by the department and building internal capacity.
The Executive Council further resolved that the province needs to develop common standards for contract management in Gauteng and ensure greater transparency of procurement processes. In addition, the MECs and HODs will be held accountable for financial decisions made in departments. We, as the Executive Council, wish the class of 2010 well in their final exams and are confident that with the setting up of study camps; adequate support from parents and the entire civil society, the class of 2010 will make us proud. It is heart-warming to see the resilience displayed by the learners and how they have taken ownership of their own studies. We urge learners to remain focused and continue working hard so as to make us proud.
Upcoming events:
- The province will, from 21 to 31 October, be celebrating the life of Mama Albertina Sisulu as she turns 92 tomorrow. The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture will be spearheading the celebrations.
- The Executive will be engaging in public participation in Soweto on Thursday, 21 October 2010. The programme involves visits to matric study camps and interaction with parents and educators in several public meetings in and around Soweto from 16h30. This is aimed at encouraging and motivating the Class of 2010.
- The province will host the Anti-Corruption Summit on 5 November 2010. Arising from the electoral mandate, the Executive has identified the fight against corruption as one of the key priority areas in the current term of office. The main objective is to forge a social compact in the fight against corruption, fraud and unethical behavior and develop a common plan of action because corruption affects not only government but civil society as well.
- 16 Days of Activism against women and Children will start on 25 November 2010.
- South Africa will be hosting the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students in Gauteng from 13 to 21 December 2010. The event will be attended by approximately 30 000 young people from over 140 countries. The opening will be at Orlando Stadium and this provides us with another opportunity to showcase our country and province as a preferred destination for huge events.
- The province has also thrown its weight behind the CAF Women's Football Championships which will be held from 31 October to 4 November 2010. This presents us with an opportunity to sustain the momentum created by the 2010 World Cup soccer spectacular.
For more information contact:
Matlakala Motloung
Cell: 011 355 6196
E-mail: Matlakala.Motloung@gauteng.gov.za
