Department of Correctional Services 2014/15 Annual Report hearing, with Minister & Deputy Minister

Meeting report

The Chairperson welcomed the Minister, Mr Michael Masutha, and Deputy Minister, Mr Thabang Makwetla. The chapters of the Public Financial Management Act (PFMA) explicitly put a lot of responsibility on accounting officers, and a portion of the responsibilities were directed to the executive authority as well. As Parliament; there had been debates about whether the responsibilities mentioned in the PFMA were only for the accounting officers, but it was recently made clear that executive authorities also had some responsibility when it came to the PFMA. The departmental executive authority must also be accountable for the funds spent by the department, and most importantly the authorities must explain why the individuals found guilty of financial misconduct were not being disciplined.

A chapter in the PFMA that indicated that political leadership had the responsibility to ensure proper financial management. He understood that the political leadership could not account for some things such as why certain monies were paid, as that was the duty of the accounting officer. When the accounting officer was not available to answer those questions then the executive authority should be able to provide the Committee with answers to those questions.

Documents were not printed due to the parliamentary support staff protest. 

Mr Zacharia Modise, National Commissioner, Department of Correctional Services, introduced the departmental officials.

The Chairperson reminded the Minister that in June 2015 it was pledged that when the Auditor General (AG) released the new audits the Department of Correctional Services would be the first department to come before the Committee. However, it was decided that the Committee had to urgently deal with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), hence the meeting had been postponed. He reminded Members that when the Committee met in May 2015 it was decided upon that they would seek to engage with the Department as part of a process to move the Department forward. The engagements would focus on some of the recurring challenges reported by the AG.

The Committees’ responsibility was to ensure that the budget that Parliament approved for the Department was properly accounted for; which had to be in line with the law and the regulations set by National Treasury. The Department had not been able to turn their situation around. The Committee was interested in what disciplinary measures would be taken against the officials who were convicted and why certain funds were used for activities not accounted for. The Department’s Commissioner had stated that the Departments’ major issue was that there was a lack of action when it comes to disciplinary measures; was the department able to show whether they have improved on this matter.

Protesting parliamentary support staff disrupted the meeting, which was then cancelled for the day.