Thanks, Chair. Minister, a big reason why tender fraud and wastage in municipalities balloons to such an extent is because officials who commit irregularities or fraud or corruption can get away so easily. So, today you have spent a great deal of time telling us how little you can do from a co-operative governance perspective.
But one thing that you can do, Minister, is to keep a list of officials who have been dismissed in municipalities, all who have resigned in anticipation of facing disciplinary consequences. If fact, section 57 (a) of the Municipal Systems Act anticipates or requires the Minister to keep such a list.
Of course, its purpose would be to stop job hoppers from resigning from one municipality where they have created a mess or stolen money or broken the rules and in being hired at a different municipality.
Minister, of course, we can talk about the examples of chief financial officers under whose watch money deposited in VBS Bank. Has that list been updated, Minister? Thanks very much. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF CO-OPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS: Yes, that list is there, but that list does not
... When somebody is going to be employed, we get informed and we have to look at it, look at whether they meet the requirements and advice. But not every level of official in a municipality we are informed about. So, for those that we are informed about, yes, but there are laws at a lower level who we are not informed about who worked in the municipalities.
Sometimes people working in the supply chain may not necessarily be in the category where when they are employed we get informed. So, yes, you are right where we get informed by law but there are others where we don't get informed. It still happens. That's why I was saying we work with the Hawks, we work with everybody where fraud has been committed so that they can investigate and find out what is going on.
But the councils themselves, because we are talking here as though there is no oversight in the municipalities, the councils must also take their responsibilities in the municipalities. Thank you.