The lack of internal controls to ensure that the correct service providers are paid is taking away money that could have been better spent on improving service delivery to Gauteng residents. In just one appalling example, the Gauteng Provincial Treasury (GPT) incurred fruitless and wasteful expenditure during the 2023/2024 financial year, to the tune of R230 000 because an incorrect service provider was paid.
In a reply to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), the MEC for Finance, Lebogang Maile indicated that the GPT has yet to implement the recommendations of the forensic report into the fruitless and wasteful expenditure that occurred during the 2023/2024 financial year.
MEC Maile has also admitted that despite the GPT issuing a letter of demand, they are yet to recover any of the money that was paid in error. Furthermore, the service provider who received the payment in error has not yet been blacklisted from doing business with the government.
By not having a proper internal control system in place, the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) is opening itself up to corruption. Other than the fruitless and wasteful expenditure, the sluggish disciplinary action process also takes away valuable money away that could instead be used to deliver services to our residents.
Previously, the Department of e-Government paid Microsoft $20 million instead of R20 million. One would have thought that the provincial government had learnt from this expensive error.
Public servants will continue to take advantage of the current system, which is open to corruption, knowing full well that there will be no consequence management for their actions.
“The absence of consequence management is putting our residents at a disadvantage as service delivery is non-existent in Gauteng. This is just one instance. A lack of proper controls and consequences means there could be hundreds of millions of rands wasted in this way”, says Mike Moriarty MPL.
Beyond any attempts to recover the money, a criminal investigation also needs to be opened to ensure that those who take part in corruption face the full might of the law.
The DA will be asking further questions on this matter. We will also be engaging with the MEC to expose more cases that are like this one and what steps are being taken to stop this from reoccurring.
A DA-led provincial government will ensure that disciplinary action is taken against any official implicated in corrupt activities and such processes do not take longer than 90 days.