Public Protector reports R26M deficit

[LazyLion]

The public protector's office has reported a deficit of R26 million in its annual report due to rising staff and office overheads costs, and has issued another plea for a budget increase.

Outgoing CEO Themba Mthethwa notes that the chapter nine institution's budget for the past financial year was R199.2m, but spending came to R226m.

"The implication of the overspending is that the organisation will begin the financial year with a deficit of R26m."

In her foreword to the report, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela wrote: "We appeal to Parliament to relook our financial situation to ensure that our structure is fully funded while we conduct a structural review."

She warned that the office's chronic cash shortfall meant investigations took too long to complete and this could result in a loss of public trust.

"Needless to say, the acute funding and human resource constraints result in cases taking too long to complete and this has the potential to erode public trust in the institution," she said.

"In addition, the cases are becoming a lot more complex and this puts stress on the balance between swiftness and thoroughness."

In July, Madonsela told Parliament's portfolio committee on justice that her budget was being strained by rising litigation costs as ministers increasingly challenged her findings.

In the report she notes: "On remedial action, we appeal to Parliament and provincial legislatures to join hands with us in ensuring remedial action, as envisaged in section 182 of the Constitution, is not replaced by impunity."

This week, a parliamentary ad hoc committee consisting of only ANC members after the opposition withdrew from it, rejected her directive to President Jacob Zuma to repay part of the R246m in state funds spent on his private homestead in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.


Source : Sapa /ef/lp/th/jk
Date : 02 Oct 2014 12:22

 

[Xino_sam]

Not getting enough money to do their work or are they really overspending? If not getting enough money then someone in government doesn't like that office.

 

[rza]

She has been accused of taking on the work that other Ch 9 institutions (like Auditor General, Human Rights Commission, CRL Rights Commission, and others) are supposed to be doing hence she is forever in need of more money. I think considering the spike in her case flow then the accusation is right. My accusation is that she is using too many consultants (external auditors) for the work her office should be doing. Either way, she looks like the master of her own problems. It doesn't help that she is accused by her own deputies of being a bully, or that her CEO and CFO have left her.

 

[HideInLight]

Well she did try take on people with power, people with power are experts at stalling. Time is money after-all, they can kinda get rid of the public protector by making it un-affordable to after them.

 

[MrR]

I don't think anybody in the ANC government likes the department at this stage.

They have been too effective and efficient with their investigations and have shown their willingness to not back down. Therefore the powers that be need to find other means of deterring them.

 

[LazyLion]

Too much work for her to do 'cos the country is so corrupt.

 

[rza]

Well she did try take on people with power, people with power are experts at stalling. Time is money after-all, they can kinda get rid of the public protector by making it un-affordable to after them.

Nobody is stalling on anything. She submitted a budget, like everybody in government has done, and she had her budget approved, like everybody in government has done. All she's telling us is that she's either incapable of properly budgeting or she is misusing the funds she got. Anyway, she is confessing to spending the money she didn't have, in contravention of PFMA and she's doing the same thing that the Limpopo government did when it was placed under administration. She is proving to be a very good advocate but a bad manager, and people shouldn't confuse her good job as an advocate with her bad job as a manager.

 

[rza]

Now its clear why the CFO resigned. It's a career limiting move for a CFO to be in charge of an organisation that overspents on it's budget, and only tells people after the fact, thereby contravening PFMA.

 

[Jola]

Too much work for her to do 'cos the country is so corrupt.

That^

She needs a massive budget, just too much corruption in SA.

 

[rza]

That^

She needs a massive budget, just too much corruption in SA.

No she doesn't, she needs to respect the role of other corruption fighting institutions like Auditor General and work with them more. There are many cases she can hand over to AG to do but she prefers to do herself, and you end up with an audit report from AG and the PP report on the same department and issue. And why is she using external auditors when AG has plenty of auditors who can be utilised. Her lack of collaboration with AG is to her detriment, and it's not like there's a bag full of cash waiting for her.

 

[Jola]

AG is also overloaded with work sorting out the corrupt municipalities, I don't believe that they have any spare capacity.

 

[rza]

AG is also overloaded with work sorting out the corrupt municipalities, I don't believe that they have any spare capacity.

You are right, which means that there is duplication of duties in many times. They audit municipalities and issue a report, and the PP comes and investigate and issue a report on the same issue at the same municipality. To make things worse, the PP hires external auditors at ridiculous rates per hour for the work that AG is already getting a budget to do. All the PP can do when faced with a request regarding an entity like a municipality is to get help from AG as they already know the municipality, instead of starting an investigation from scratch herself. But I suspect that the AG doesn't want to be involved in her investigations because she engages in media wars with those she's investigating. She has a lot to learn from AG with regards to professionalism and good management of an entity.

 

[MickeyD]

YBut I suspect that the AG doesn't want to be involved in her investigations because she engages in media wars with those she's investigating. She has a lot to learn from AG with regards to professionalism and good management of an entity.

So you have proof that the leaks are in her office and not elsewhere?

 

[rza]

So you have proof that the leaks are in her office and not elsewhere?

I'm not talking about leaks, but her interviews and conference speeches. For instance, the war of words she had with ANC (Gwede and Duarte) recently. You don't see AG engaging in those media wars, although she exposes more corruption than PP does, and she audits all government entities.

 

[MickeyD]

I'm not talking about leaks, but her interviews and conference speeches. For instance, the war of words she had with ANC (Gwede and Duarte) recently. You don't see AG engaging in those media wars, although she exposes more corruption than PP does, and she audits all government entities.

Don't they have different mandates?

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Idea - let her use Zuma's money for her budget.

I'm sure the Prez won't mind...

 

[rza]

Don't they have different mandates?

Yes they do, but there's a grey area where more than one institution can have jurisdisction.

 

[diesel]

Why bother even keeping her department going , her report on nkandla was of no use as the president just ignored her.

 

[rza]

Why bother even keeping her department going , her report on nkandla was of no use as the president just ignored her.

If you are discouraged by Zuma's disregard for PP's report, just imagine the yearly damning annual reports done by AG on municipalities which nobody cares about.