The Department recorded an expenditure of R8.2 billion or 91 per cent of an adjusted allocation of R 9 billion at the end of the 2011/12 financial year. One of the reasons for the under expenditure was unfilled vacant posts, including Organisation Specific Dispensation (OSD) posts which represented R169 million or 21 per cent of the R784 million under expenditure. The Committee expressed concerns in this regard. The vacancy rate of the Department stood at 22.4 per cent which was a cause for concern and raised questions on the Department's ability to effectively perform on its mandate.