THE move by Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to reveal financial mismanagement in government departments must be commended. As representative of the people it is Parliament's duty to hold the government accountable.

THE move by Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to reveal financial mismanagement in government departments must be commended. As representative of the people it is Parliament's duty to hold the government accountable.

But it is disheartening to learn that even the Presidency is among the 47 rotten apples of financial mismanagement.

A Scopa report revealed that the Presidency, with its annual budget of R316 million, needed to be summoned to account for unauthorised expenditure of more than R14 million and irregular expenditure of more than R24 million.

The Presidency has also been accused of not cooperating with auditors and having inappropriate financial systems.

This does not augur well for the kind of clean and efficient government the taxpayer expects and is entitled to.