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TAKEN TO TASK: Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga Photo: Tsheko Kabasia

 A-G unhappy with lack of reports 

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This damning indictment was delivered by the office of the auditor-general (A-G) in parliament yesterday in its assessment of the department's reports.

Corporate executive in the audit division of the auditor-general, Jan van Schalkwyk, told parliament that there were no clear indications that the department was doing anything right.

He said good financial management meant nothing if the department could not prove service delivery and the proper use of taxpayers' money.

In the report presented, which covered the 2011/2012 financial year, the A-G found that the national department and most of the provincial departments were failing to adequately report on their delivery targets.

"You may find a situation where money has been spent and you can find all the documentation and on the face of it [it] looks appropriate but you need to have right next to it a performance objective that tells whether that money has actually reached the goal that is set," he said.

He said on the face of it, and in light of the unqualified audit, the department appeared to be making strides in tackling financial mismanagement and improving on delivery targets.

"You start off with a picture that is pretty okay, you tend to feel very comfortable . but we need to know the outcome. If we had to comment on the validity, completeness and accuracy of performance reporting we would not agree with what is on the table, that's how strong that statement is," Van Schalkwyk said.

However, citing an example of provincial failings, Van Schalkwyk said that in the previous financial year, the Eastern Cape had not even been able to provide a service delivery report.

This showed a "desperate situation", he said.

The provincial department is under Section 100 intervention, meaning it is being temporarily run by the national department.

In Limpopo, the department of basic education has been dogged by scandal over the non-delivery of textbooks.

A presidential task team report on the late delivery of textbooks in the province has recommended that director-general Bobby Soobrayan be investigated for alleged indecisiveness after he was alerted to a possible shortage of pupil support materials by publishers.

Senior manager in the business division of the auditor-general's office, Godfrey Diale, said school infrastructure was a key example of where the department was failing to report.

"If they can't get these fundamental areas of infrastructure right, what are we saying of these funds we are injecting?" Diale asked.

Other key focus areas where progress reports were not filed included the HIV/Aids life skills education, the school nutrition programme, the pupil transport scheme and the allocation of funds to schools.

Van Schalkwyk said failure to report on service delivery could be a result of staff vacancies, unskilled personnel and a lack of understanding of accounting policies.

However, he did not discount possible corruption by officials.

"Are there any indicators in this report that deal with corruption? Yes, the fact that the department can't accurately report on performance in its own departmental environment and the sector," he said.

The department declined to comment, saying it will make a presentation in parliament today to respond to the issues.

• This article was first published in the printed newspaper and eEdition on 10 October 2012. Click on this link to view the eEdition

Comments

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Fri May 24 15:50:27 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 12, 2012

RobinH

INOFFENSIVE COMMENT DISAPPEARED. MODERATOR IS REALLY ANNOYING! This department is a complete travesty. Angie consistently refuses to talk to the press, and Soobrayan and the like lie through their teach whenever in a corner, which is all the time. The shocking thing is that this affects a generation of young people. Management in this department appear to be completely without conscience.
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Oct 12, 2012

ApelMankotsana

Yet Zuma has instructed that Booby Soobrayan be investigated instead of the Angie, as the political head becuase Zuma is quite aware should he investigate Angie then the WL will not nominate him..
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Oct 12, 2012

Hail

Previously the department of education was one and run by one minister succesfully, now they have simplified it and divided it into two but is the more is difficult for the ministers to perform! what is that? I really do not understand what is her problem! She must go and ask the brewery how are they doing since liqour is delivered at shebeens nation wide always on time.The women is so incompetent that even an insane person can see that but only the president cannot see it. why is that? Is he not care about the future of our children. How do you hire such a person? how do you elect such a person to lead an organisation? Aowa mmaago wa pallwa!
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Oct 12, 2012

RobinH

A motion should be tabled that the offspring of parliamentarians and senior executives MUST attend public schools and be barred from using private schools or going to school overseas. As soon as this fiasco in education affects politicians themselves something may be done about this. At the moment our leadership float blissfully above the disasters they create, because they are not affected in practice.
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Oct 12, 2012

Bombay_Mafia

Incompetence beget incompetence ... we knew this was gonna happen & time has proven us right, the worst is yet to come & time will prove us right again, n again, n again, n again! ...Tlltltltltltltltltltltltltll LOSERS.
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Oct 12, 2012

Jajaja

But are South Africans serious or not ? Can't you see that Angie Motshega is not normal upstairs ? Take a look at her features, especially the dental formula and facial expression, and the way she reasons and put her so called facts. If you add all those things together, you will see what I mean. JZ must fire himself first, and thereafter give "The Ugly Girl" a boot on her African butt... Period.
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Oct 12, 2012

Jajaja

An African child's future is under serious threat if not dissaster under the current leadership. How do u expect an ABET drop-out to provide a proper guidance to your child ? These people care very little about the future of our children. Let me tell u something that u didn't know: ANC goverment is not going to address ilitiracy any time soon because stupidity keeps them in power. The more iliterate nation in SA. the longer they remain in power.
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Oct 12, 2012

cornelius

Hw can any one with such a mo.ronic wig be a cabinet minister anyway.

Education in SA is in tatters, thanks to this miserable, incompetent government. Resign you b.astards, all of you.
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Oct 12, 2012

CHIEFKHONZAPHI2nd

I am tired of this woman's lack of capacity, yet the women's league wants JZ back because he doesn't fire incompetent women.
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Oct 12, 2012

sowet123

Jajaja
But are South Africans serious or not ? Can't you see that Angie Motshega is not normal upstairs
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haaaaaaaa oska mpolaya so
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