TWO Science and Technology Department officials, who made the department incur more than R100000 in irregular expenditure after dropping out of varsity, will be "sent back to school".

Lucky Khumalo, chief director: poverty alleviation and Ben Durham, chief director: biotechnology cost the department R110133 after failing to complete their course.

Department spokesman Tommy Makhode said the two men would go back to school.

Khumalo and Durham were part of 15 managers nominated to attend accelerated leadership skills at Stellenbosch University at a cost of R55066.66 a person.

At the end of the training, it was discovered that the two were not awarded certificates of competency as they did not submit any assignments.

It was also found that the men did not sign the executive management development programme undertaking before starting the programme.

As a result, they were not liable to refund the department.

Although the management report of auditor-general (A-G) Terence Nombembe had stated that the matter would be reported under "matter of emphasis" in the audit report, Nombembe decided not to report on it.

Makhode also denied allegations that the A-G may have awarded his department a clean bill of health due to political pressure.

Allegations were that before he omitted the negative results in the department, Nombembe had a meeting with the department's director-general Phil Mjwara.

"Dr Mjwara wishes to state that at no time was pressure put on the A-G," Makhode said.

"Irregular findings were disclosed by the department in the financial statements."