AG laments slow pace of directors-general acting against corruption

CAPE TOWN - Auditor-General (AG) Tsakani Maluleke says the tardy manner in which directors-general (DGs) act against officials for financial wrongdoing, hampers effective consequence management within the public service.

This is compounded by the instability of the tenure of departmental accounting officers.

Addressing the Parliamentary Press Gallery Association on Monday, Maluleke said this has the effect of also making it near impossible to recoup some R14 billion identified as irregular spending over the last five years.

Five years ago, Parliament gave the AG more teeth to act against accounting officers for irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. 

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But Maluleke said they often wait for her office to insist on action before officials are disciplined.

"They almost act when we keep following up. Sometimes we have to take remedial action and say: 'thou shalt discipline your team members'. And then sometimes they wait so long that the people responsible have resigned or retired by the time they try to institute disciplinary action," she said.

DGs are appointed on five-year contracts but often don’t see out the term when they clash with their political principals or are embroiled in wrongdoing themselves.  

"Our ability to drive consequence management and effective accountability mechanisms in government have been slowed down because an accounting officer leaves, then there’s a new one who must acquaint him or herself with the matter on hand," Maluleke said.

She added this has a knock-on effect on recovering money received illegally by suppliers.