Pretoria – The Department of Correctional Services on Wednesday clarified media reports on the R2 billion the department spent on consultants.
Addressing a meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts in Parliament, Correctional Services Commissioner Tom Moyane said reports that the department had spent R2 billion on consultants from 2008/9 to 2010/11 needs to be clarified.
“The bulk of these costs were incurred on the core mandate/business of the department, without which we would not have been able to provide critical services. These include provision of nutrition (outsourced to several centres), health and medication for offenders, maintenance of facilities, training for offenders and officials as well as logistics and security services,” Moyane said.
On the findings of a performance audit on the use of consultants by the department, the Auditor General had audited a ‘selected sample’ of 27 projects with a total value of R214 million.
During October last year, Correctional Services Minister Sibusiso Ndebele instructed the department to implement a turn-around strategy and plan to ensure improved financial management with respect to issues raised by the Auditor-General regarding the department’s 2011/12 annual report.
“To this end, we met with officials from the Office of the Auditor-General, National Treasury as well as our senior management team and worked out a road map, and put necessary measures in place, to ensure a complete shift,” Moyane said.
He said in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, necessary action has also been instituted against officials suspected of having committed offences.
“Together with law enforcement agencies, we will ensure that those found guilty of any offence face the consequences of their actions. As DCS, we are working hard and we are confident that our collective efforts as a department will result in better financial management,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
