DA KZN:  MEC must stop performance bonuses for relevant senior staff

Today, KZN Transport MEC, Willies Mchunu chose not to attend his own department’s annual Scopa oversight hearing, instead opting to go to an in-house Sukume Sakhe function.

That he chose to avoid this important performance enquiry, which follows the Auditor-General’s report, speaks volumes about his priorities. 

Today’s hearing revealed that KZN’s Transport department:

- Has two qualifications within its audit with six other matters

- Faces potentially huge irregular expenditure after the Auditor-General found massive non-disclosure by the department

- Used 38 consultants at a cost of R937million – a moved questioned by the AG.

This department has gone from a clean audit to a qualified audit for the past two years. This regression is extremely serious.  It is money that could have been spent improving KZN’s road network amongst others.

Had the MEC attended today, he would have been confronted by a united Scopa, one which declared his department’s response to audit findings as ‘hopelessly inadequate’.

The DA expects MEC Mchunu to send out a very clear signal that this regression is unacceptable.  To start with he must withhold performance bonuses from all relevant senior staff.

The DA expects nothing less.  This department must get back on track.

Issued by Mark Steele, DA KZN Spokesperson on Scopa, 28 October 2015