The article in The New Age, article dated 24 June 2013 with the headline ‘No-show at meeting slows audit process'.
The Acting MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs has noted with disgust a statement made in The New Age dated 24 June 2013, with a headline: “No-show at meeting slows audit process”.
In the article, serious accusations are being posed and this cannot go unchallenged. Reality is that we are running a government and therefore, our mandate to meet our obligations to the communities is critical. Our commitment in ensuring that we emerge with a total clean audit has started to yield result and this has been proven by our recent Audit Indaba launch and this therefore proves that we cannot abdicate from our responsibilities, especially where the Auditor-General is concerned.
The provincial legislature works on a scheduled programme and this makes no exception to the department which has a scheduled programme to be respected and adhered to as it involves important external role players.
The journalist was willingly misled into believing that MEC deliberately stayed away from the meeting and instead he (journalist) could have been informed of the process that led to the non-attendance or could have verified with the department prior to publication. On that particular day (20 June 2013), the invitation was sent on the same day (20 June 2013) of the meeting and equally, written apologies were sent to the Chairperson and committee as there were already scheduled official commitments for both Acting MEC and HoD.
It is indeed regrettable that the PPAC has adopted a tendency and a pattern of calling impromptu meetings without consultation with relevant parties. I am very much confident that both the departments that I am politically responsible for, has a solid and concrete working relationship. I can confirm that, the two departments are working together in all matters including the case in point.
We are serving one government and it is unfortunate that instead of engaging one another to clarify matters we are quick to engage with the media on such issues and this type of behaviour will not benefit us nor our endeavours to create harmonised and lasting solutions to the challenges in our communities out there.
Contact:
Dineo Lolokwane
Spokesperson
Cell: 072 542 8444
