Hon Speaker, first of all I would like to associate my remarks on behalf of the IFP with the report that was tabled by the hon chairperson of the committee, the hon Godi. I would just like to indicate to this House that sometimes people mistake the role of Scopa. Scopa is a committee that actually deals with issues after the fact. At the moment we are processing some 300 financial reports and statements of public entities and government departments. Those reports ended on 31 March and were tabled only recently.
So, therefore, I endorse what the hon chairman of our committee has said in that the role of portfolio committees in doing oversight of their respective departments is extremely important. What we have noticed of late and which is very encouraging is that portfolio committees are taking a keener interest in the financial issues as they relate to their own departments, which they have oversight over.
And, I think, what is also quite encouraging is that in the past 18 months or so a number of Ministers have been attending Scopa hearings, and this is very encouraging. When I look here to my right to the hon Minister of Health, I must say without fear or favour that the hon Minister of Health was one of the Ministers that conducted himself in an absolutely wonderful manner when he appeared before Scopa in terms of answering questions and knowing exactly what his department was about. [Applause.] Now that is the kind of intervention that we need from the hon Ministers, because as the IFP we believe that the buck for accountability stops with the executive authority.
Also, although our legislation - the Public Finance Management Act - provides that a director-general or head of department is responsible for financial matters, I think this House needs to look very closely at the Public Finance Management Act and amend it to ensure that the buck stops with the Minister. A Minister or a Deputy Minister cannot sit idly by and watch governance in his or her department go down the tubes. Ministers have the responsibility to ensure that they rule from the top.
We also suggest that this House and all Members of Parliament take a very keen and active interest in the reports of Scopa, because it is through this mechanism that we can hold the public service to account. It is quite a tragedy - like a Shakespearian tragedy - that 18 years into our democracy the Auditor-General is still picking up issues of noncompliance by officials: not keeping invoices, not following supply-chain management rules and regulations. This has to stop, and we have to move to a situation in which we are looking at value-for-money audits. We need to know that the taxpayer is getting value for taxpayers' money and not just that a department is complying with accounting requirements. So, I do trust that hon members of all portfolio committees and this House will assist Scopa and assist us in ensuring that we hold the public service accountable for what they do or what they do not do correctly. Thank you, hon Speaker.
Motion agreed to.
Seventeenth Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Report of Auditor- General on Annual Reports and Financial Statements of Department of Sport and Recreation for 2010-11 Financial Year accordingly adopted.
Eighteenth Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Report of Auditor- General on Annual Reports and Financial Statements of Boxing South Africa for 2010-11 Financial Year accordingly adopted. Nineteenth Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Report of Auditor- General on Annual Reports and Financial Statements of Department of Arts and Culture for 2010-11 Financial Year accordingly adopted.
Twentieth Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Report of Auditor- General on Annual Reports and Financial Statements of National Arts Council for 2010-11 Financial Year accordingly adopted.
Twenty-first Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Report of Auditor- General on Annual Reports and Financial Statements of South African Heritage Resources Agency for 2010-11 Financial Year accordingly adopted.
Twenty-Second Report of Committee on Public Accounts on Report of Auditor- General on Annual Reports and Financial Statements of Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority for 2010-11 Financial Year accordingly adopted.