Pretoria - Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan is to meet with the Auditor-General as well as the chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) over purchases of World Cup tickets by government and its entities.
Treasury said the minister is soon to meet with Public Protector Terence Nombembe and Scopa chairman Themba Godi to discuss the issue of government departments, public enterprises and municipalities purchasing World Cup tickets.
"While there may be legitimate reasons for buying tickets to advance the business case of public enterprises and government departments, concern has been raised as to what action may be taken should the Auditor-General deem this expenditure wasteful or fruitless," said the Ministry.
It said the Public Finance Management Act for both national and provincial government as well as the Municipal Finance Management outlines that the responsibility to ensure that public funds are not wasted rests with accounting officers. This would be the director-general in the case of national department and municipal manager in the case of local government.
In turn, each director-general is accountable to Parliament (which is responsible for approving budgets and authorising transfer of funds) for the expenditure of public funds.
"The minister reiterates his call for civil servants to live up to their moral contract with citizens and for restraint and discernment to be exercised in the use of public funds," said the Ministry.
It has been reported that some state entities as well as government departments spent millions of rands on World Cup tickets for business associates.
