Scopa
MPs want De Lille to be charged for Beitbridge border fence saga
That’s the view of MPs serving on the public works oversight committee which has inspected the controversial infrastructure.
The committee on Tuesday expressed concerns on the delay, saying it wanted to finalise the controversial R40 million failed Department of Public Works and Infrastructure project.
Public Works Minister Patricia de Lille’s directive to have the Beitbridge border fence erected has again come under sharp focus from ANC and DA members.
MPs have compared the fence to the Berlin Wall where people tried to cross into West Germany seeking a better life during the Cold War.
They also want Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille to shoulder the blame for giving the directive.
Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the PPE contract linked to King Madzikane II should be subjected to a 'comprehensive criminal investigation or a special audit by the Auditor General of South Africa'.
The public broadcaster has in the past struggled to generate revenue and was in constant need of bailouts.
Friday’s Scopa meeting followed Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s appointment of Advocate Terry Motau to lead fraud and corruption investigations into the department and its water boards.
Members of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) believe the fence, valued at R37 million, was not fulfilling the role it was intended to, calling it a waste of money.
Scopa said R10 billion has been spent on operations since January and the practitioners were expected to have completed their working in March.
Five months since beginning the mammoth task, SAA’s BRPs are yet to table a final business rescue plan for the troubled airline.
The background to the arms deal points to the failure of our democratic institutions, particularly Parliament, to exercise oversight over the executive account, while other institutions failed to hold the corrupt to account, writes Judith February.
The Eskom board’s appearance before Scopa didn’t get off to a good start, with MPs expressing their dissatisfaction with the quality of information they had presented.
Minister Pravin Gordhan on Wednesday briefed Scopa about the state of affairs at SAA following a parliamentary oversight visit to the airline last year.
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter and other executives honoured Tuesday’s meeting to give an update following last year's oversight visit by MPs.
The committee said this would prevent their appointment on any other boards in future.
The minister said departments currently owed it R3.4 billion in relation to municipal services including electricity.
Minister Patricia de Lille and officials from the department were at pains to explain to members of Scopa the ongoing problem and plan to resolve the matter of non-payment.
Public Enterprises portfolio committee chairperson Khaya Magaxa said the committee needed a well-thought-out strategy to oversee state-owned enterprises like SAA instead of an 'ad hoc and crisis led approach'.