NO PUNITIVE action has been taken against the head of the Mpumalanga public works department, Kgopane Mohlasedi, after he allegedly wasted more than R350-million.

Earlier this year, Mohlasedi was at the centre of a dispute between Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza and former public works MEC Clifford Mkasi.

Mkasi had wanted to suspend Mohlasedi after the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) had pointed out irregularities in the department's financial affairs.

But before any action could be taken in response to Scopa's objections, Mabuza reshuffled the province's cabinet, removing Mkasi from the public works portfolio.

Now sources claim Mabuza's decision to reshuffle his cabinet - an act that allegedly protected Mohlasedi - might yet return to haunt him.

This has become apparent after the auditor-general (AG) Terence Nombembe found that the department had incurred R352,95-million in irregular expenditure for the 2010-11 financial year and that Mohlasedi had failed to prevent it.

According to the AG's report, the irregular expenditure had pertained mostly to irregular tender awards, and included the awarding of scholar transport contracts.

People who were awarded the contracts to transport pupils to and from schools had allegedly not tendered for the work.

In May this year, Scopa ordered Mkasi to take disciplinary action against Mohlasedi for failing to report wasteful expenditure of more than R4-million.

The irregular expenditure, discovered by the AG, was allegedly caused when R4233000 was paid for offices that were never used by the province.

But, before Mkasi could take any action, Mabuza moved Mkasi from his portfolio to the department of health. He replaced him with Dikeledi Mahlangu.

Two months later, Mahlangu is yet to take any action against Mohlasedi. In June, Mahlangu's office said she was still studying the report.

Yesterday, asked if Mahlangu was still studying the report, departmental spokesman David Nkambule said the enquiry had been referred "to the relevant authorities" and that they needed more time to respond.

Scopa chairwoman Nomsa Mtshweni said the deadline on which Mkasi was to discipline Mohlasedi lapsed on July 31.

Yesterday Mtshweni refused to say what action, if any, her committee would take against Mahlangu for failing to charge Mohlasedi.

Anthony Benadie, DA leader in Mpumalanga, said Mahlangu's failure to take action against Mohlasedi was "questionable".

"The MEC may have been new when she failed to charge Mohlasedi two months ago but the administration was not new," said Benadie.

Benadie said he would write to Mtshweni requesting her to convene a sitting of the committee and to have Mahlangu account as to why no disciplinary action had yet been taken.