Question NW2089 to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
27 September 2021 - NW2089
Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
(1)Whether her department has developed an action plan to address the 30 findings in the report it commissioned in October 2020 titled Review of Parliament’s Prestige Construction Projects; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what measures (a) will be taken against those who are implicated in fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditure and (b) are being taken to (i) address the issue of capacity within this directorate and (ii) ensure that proper risk assessment and mitigation strategies are being implemented in this directorate; (2) what is the reason that the specified report has not been presented to the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure; (3) whether she will provide the minutes of the Internal Audit Committee Meeting in which the report was presented and discussed; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (4) whether she will furnish Ms S J Graham with a copy of the report; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:
1. A draft report on the independent assessment by BDO was submitted to the department on 19 October 2020 for the department’s management to comment on. The final report was submitted by DPWI management on 20 November 2020.
The report was, however, not submitted to me as the Executive Authority of the Department who commissioned the independent assessment. This audit report was only submitted to me on Friday, 17 September 2021, almost a year after the Department received it. This, after I made regular enquiries about the final report.
I have been informed by the Department that the draft action plan has been crafted and will be finalised with Internal Audit and be effective immediately upon finalisation. The final action, incorporating Internal Audit inputs, have not yet been shared with the Ministry. It is anticipated that this internal consultative process will be finalised by 30 September 2021.
a) No actions have been taken against any Official at this time.
b) I have written to the Acting Director-General to immediately institute consequence management against a) those who failed to share the report with me and 2) those implicated in any wrongdoing.
2. The report has been submitted to the Speaker of the National Assembly, as the report was commissioned following meetings held with the former Speaker.
3. I was not part of the meeting held by Internal Audit in which the report was presented.
(4) As indicated above, I have furnished the Speaker with the report for further processing