Hon Chairperson, I thank the hon Minister. Hon Minister, you have just acknowledged that your department's critical challenges included some of the issues you've just explained, for example overspending. You have alluded to the fact that one of the officials, the accounting officer, had allegedly misled and defrauded your department.
The IFP has welcomed your investigations into nepotism, mismanagement, fraud and corruption. However, you've reported to the Portfolio Committee on Women, Children and People with Disabilities that this individual, instead of being retained in your department to face the music, has simply been transferred to another government institution while your department was finalising investigations.
Minister, don't you believe that this incident sends out the message that corruption and mismanagement are condoned? As a senior member of the ANC, can you give us the assurance today that you will raise your voice strongly against what seems to be the redeployment of officials without any regard for the alleged crime that they have committed? I thank you.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Chairperson, wherever officials are deployed, they must still account, as they are still members of the Public Service. The transfer took place before the report of the Auditor-General came out and before the report of the investigation was finalised.
It's not only the accounting officer, but the chief financial officer, CFO, also resigned before the Auditor-General completed the audit. We spoke and asked her to stay on, but she jumped ship. There's no way that I can stop officials if they decide to resign. They have the right to do so, but we are following up on any offence that has been found through the investigation. Thank you, Chairperson.