SPEEDY PROBE NEEDED INTO FORGED SIGNATURE ON GAUTENG HEALTH AUDIT

The allegation that a signature was forged on the audit of the Gauteng Health and Social Development Department must be speedily investigated.

It is hugely disturbing that the 2010/11 audit report on this department was allegedly not properly ratified by Gauteng deputy Auditor-General Japie du Plessis. He has reportedly complained that his signature from the previous year's report was scanned and used on this year's report without his knowledge.

Are there even more adverse findings than the scathing qualified report that has been submitted to the Gauteng Legislature? According to the report, the department failed to account for assets worth R3 billion. Internal controls were found to be severely lacking.

There was unauthorised expenditure of R1.169 million, irregular expenditure of R2.246 billion, and fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R218 million. Adequate steps were not taken against officials who made or permitted this fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

The overall picture is of a highly dysfunctional department that fails to spend money effectively to improve health and welfare.

The signature controversy indicates that more bad news may be revealed, but we need to know the truth about this department in order to fix it up.

Statement by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Health Spokesman, October 23 2011

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