Parliament, Thursday, 22 May 2025 – The Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament on Tuesday evening interrogated expenditure and contracting related to the rebuilding of Parliament project, vacancies, unresolved investigations and what some members called inefficient public participation.
The committee was briefed by the Office of the Auditor-General (AG) and the Secretary to Parliament, Mr Xolile George, on Parliament’s annual report for the 2023/2024 financial year. The committee heard from the AG that Parliament achieved a clean audit with no material findings on compliance with legislation for the period under review. However, an emphasis of matter was raised regarding the agreement with the Development Bank of Southern Africa for rebuilding the Parliamentary precinct – an initiative that, due to its scale and significance, requires close and continued oversight. Despite improvement in Parliament’s financial performance, the AG also flagged irregular expenditure of R6.9 million, mainly due to spending “beyond authorised limits”. Another concern was related to the effectiveness of portfolio committee oversight.
In his presentation, Mr George told the committee that Parliament has addressed eight of 13 areas flagged by the AG. He said remedial actions are underway and reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to strengthening its internal controls.
In addition, Parliament facilitated 255 public hearings across provinces, demonstrating its commitment to inclusive lawmaking and public participation during the reporting period. Some members, however, questioned the efficiency of Parliament’s public participation efforts and cited instances where public inputs were not acted upon. They urged Parliament to do better to reflect the will of the people.
The committee heard that although committees and Members of Parliament decide how to respond to public inputs, the administration is also working on a standard operating procedure to ensure that all elements of public participation are appropriately undertaken, whether it is to consult, inform or give feedback. The committee was assured that this is part of the interventions currently underway.
Noting that the performance information dates back to 2023/24, some members asked for updates on unresolved investigations, especially payments related to conferences and a fraudulent bank transaction involving the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). The committee heard that Parliament opened a criminal case in July 2024 with the South African Police Service following a fraudulent invoice related to CPA subscription fees. Members were informed that about R1.17 million (£49 000) was mistakenly transferred to a fraudulent account in London. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation are investigating the case. Mr George said Parliament is finalising a separate internal report on the incident that will be submitted to the committee.
Some members also flagged internal capacity issues, with Parliament recording a 17.6% vacancy rate during the period under review. Members were concerned about the over-reliance on acting-position appointments. The committee heard that vacancies mainly result from financial constraints and were recorded in core business services relating to committees and language services. However, an intentional and structured talent acquisition process is underway. The team working on this has been fast-tracking and closing vacancies, with about 45 closed to date since October 2024.
The committee acknowledged the commitment of the executive authority and the Secretary to Parliament to engaging with contemporary and topical issues. The committee will continue to play its oversight role, said Mr Molapi Lekganyane, one of the committee’s Co-Chairpersons. “If there’s any report we need, we will communicate with the Office of the STP and the Speaker to make reports available.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSONS OF THE JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF PARLIAMENT, MR MOLAPI LEKGANYANE AND MS SANNY NDHLOVU.
For media enquiries, please contact the committee’s media officer:
Name: Alicestine October (Ms)
Cell: 083 665 4345
E-mail: aoctober@parliament.gov.za