The Auditor-General flagged state funerals and events as one of the main ‘material irregularities’ in the Department of Public Works.
FILE: President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the eulogy at Edna Molewa’s official state funeral in Tshwane on Saturday 06 October 2018. Picture: @SAgovnews/Twitter
CAPE TOWN – Public Works committee chairperson Nolitha Ntobongwana said that the department should consider placing a cap on funding state funerals to avoid corruption.
Ntobongwana and members of the portfolio committee were responding to a presentation from the Auditor-General on Wednesday on material irregularities in the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
The Auditor-General flagged state funerals and events as one of the main “material irregularities” in the Department of Public Works.
The office of the Auditor-General told the Public Works committee that cases involving officials had still not been finalised.
Senior audit manager at the Auditor-General, Londoloza Songwevu: “As at March 2023 the disciplinary has not been finalised, as well as the recovery of the financial loss.”
Ntobongwana repeated the call for a limit on state funerals. The department has budgeted R83 million for state funerals and events for 2023/24.
“I think in all of the meetings, as the portfolio committee, we even raised an issue with the department of what about capping the issue of state funerals to a certain amount to avoid these corrupt activities that are happening when there is a state funeral.”
The department said that delays in finalising cases against officials were due to legal processes and interdicts.
