Note to Editors: Please note Tim Brauteseth, MPL sound bite in English
The DA is deeply concerned by the findings presented in the Auditor-General’s (AG) report and by responses received by SCOPA during its KZN’s Department of Transport (DoT) hearing held earlier today.
While the DoT received an unqualified audit opinion on its financial statements, SCOPA engagement has revealed serious and persistent failures in performance, compliance, and governance. This includes qualified findings on key service delivery programmes – namely, Transport Infrastructure and Transport Operations- where only 50% and 57% of targets were achieved respectively, despite full budget expenditure.
This is a clear indication of poor planning, weak project management, and a lack of accountability amongst errant officials.
The report also highlights repeat non-compliance with legislation, including R1.3billion in irregular expenditure and R4.2million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R4.2 million. In this regard, SCOPA requested consequence management reports from the DoT, however these were not forthcoming. Reports from the Provincial Audit Risk Committee and Treasury further reflect that 99.57% of irregular expenditure remains unresolved.
The DA is committed to ensuring that the culture of impunity within government comes to an end. Officials responsible for mismanagement must face disciplinary action and irregular contracts must be terminated.
Infrastructure projects such as the Klein Boesman River Bridge and road P242 rehabilitation represent systemic failures such as delays, poor workmanship and excessive professional fees. This while communities continue to suffer from unsafe and incomplete infrastructure.
The DA is also concerned by the DoT’s inability to pay service providers within 30 days, with 18% of payments overdue, and growing contingent liabilities now exceeding R9.5billion. These financial pressures threaten future service delivery and undermine the sustainability of small businesses reliant on government contracts.
During the hearing, SCOPA was assured by Transport MEC, Siboniso Duma and senior departmental leadership that the AG’s recommendations would be urgently implemented and that critical vacancies, including a Supply Chain Manager (SCM) Director, would be filled. It is also critical that a functional Project Management Office is established without delay.
The people of our province people deserve a transport department that delivers safe, reliable infrastructure and operates with integrity. As a responsible member of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA will continue to hold KZN’s executive accountable and push for clean governance and efficient service delivery.