This included money spent on a UN conference in New York where government officials flew business class, stayed in five-star hotels but skipped important conference sessions.

Its annual report for the 2010-11 financial year, which was tabled in Parliament on Monday, it shows the department was still dogged by massive capacity constraints and administrative shortcomings. It was given a clean audit nonetheless.

The department now insists that it has since turned the corner since Lulu Xingwana took over as minister.

According to the annual report, the department overspent its administration budget by R8.8-million as a result of overseas trips.

It also overspent its women empowerment and gender budget by R387000. This was attributed to Women's Day celebrations costs and monies spent on the UN conference on the status of women.

The Sunday Times reported in March that a delegation of 49 officials had flown business class to New York to attend the two-week conference.

A return business class flight to New York on SAA costs R81000.

A sizeable number of the delegates stayed at the glitzy Ritz Hotel on Central Park where room prices start from R5500 a night.

Re-advertising of posts added to the pressure on finances.

The ministry said local and overseas travel by officials seconded to it had contributed to the R167000 that it overspent on its children's rights budget.

The Auditor-General pointed out that the department had redirected R6.3-million in savings on its capital expenditure programme to other programmes where it was overspending. This was done without the approval of the National Treasury, in contravention of public finance regulations.

The Auditor-General also found that payments were made to suppliers who failed to provide proof that they comply with tax requirements, and that suppliers were not always paid on time.

It also emerged that the Presidency had to step in with a R3-million additional allocation after a donor agency recalled its donation of a similar amount due to a lack of transparency. The donor agency concerned is not named.

Departmental spokesperson Sibani Mngadi saidmany of the problems experienced in the previous financial year had now been addressed.

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Thu May 23 08:13:43 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 12, 2011

ApelMankotsana

This is the worst peforming department in the Republick. Do we really need a separate department to deal specifically with women, children and people with disabilities. In any event children are covered by the Childrens Act which. My view is hat the department should be abolished and spend its budget on improving the lives of the people its purport to represent.

There are very serious issues which the department could be attending to, such as, the killing of children, street kids, prostitution and so on. but alas!
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Oct 12, 2011

Reyataz

And this is how she empowers women, children and the disabled, by staying in 5-star hotels! I love Zuma's government!
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Oct 12, 2011

Easybee

My plea to the president is: Can you please stop political deployment on this department. we need someone who understands these issues maybe someone working for POWA. In my nigerian accent a beg a beg Mr. President.
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Oct 12, 2011

2shy2call

La bona yanong. Labona dikrepe tsena di etsang. Di mpeto tsa teng ke tsa di wheelchair Yaa.

Mr Presidente Easybee is bhaging you Ha. Do you hear dad Oga? Mmm


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Oct 12, 2011

Mdala

We are back to square one again Lulu should be expelled from any government position the situation is the same like her predecessor Noluthando Mayende......something
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Oct 12, 2011

Africa2010

Wait untill they nationalise banks and mines!
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Oct 12, 2011

ladyEva

mis spending government funds is all they know what is the dept. doing to imrove the lives of women, children and people with diabilities????????????
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Oct 12, 2011

sakhomba

atleast she spent it on something,she is short sighted and surrounded by amatsetse bam shaye spytwo. other depts never spend the most needed budget.
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Oct 12, 2011

somaartakeit

typically illiterate tendencies, mismanaging or not knowing how to manage a budget, Lindiwe Mazibuko please take us out of this morass, please show the world that there are infact intelligent black women, make us proud, don't give up your dreams because most black MEN are against you! They don't want to see black women climbing the ladder cause when you outperform, you will show them up for the losers that they are who have failed this nation, Go my girl go for that bidding and I wish you luck, when you thnk about it, you have all the odds to your favour, I am routing for you, take all advise you can grab one your way up there please remain as humble as you are, don't let power change who you are!!!

LIndiwe Mazibuko for President!!!
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Oct 12, 2011

somaartakeit

@avatar image
Oct 12, 2011
ladyEva
mis spending government funds is all they know what is the dept. doing to imrove the lives of women, children and people with diabilities????????????
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typical anc no surprises here!!! not even their gold plated policies can help make them perform like smart people, cause most of the chaff have no skilled ngamaqaba nje who got those jobs through cadre deployment, and ALL OF THIS INCOMPETENCE is hurting development of our country and her people, that is why I am pray for the demise of the anc led corruption regime!!!! These people make it look like blacks are idiots, cause all they have been doing since occupying office is shame us and be corrupt and arrogant!!! We need change of the regime.
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