Meeting on R500k braai areas for ministers postponed again

Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) said on Thursday that it was discouraged that it had to again postpone its hearing with the Department of Public Works on Wednesday due to the fact that the department could not explain details on purchasing and maintenance of ministerial houses.

This after the committee revealed last week that the department had spent almost half a million rand on braai entertainment areas in ministerial houses.

In a statement on Thursday, the committee said it could not get any information from the department on why such exorbitant amounts are being spent on purchasing and maintaining ministerial homes.

“There seems to be no manual that guides the department on how much should be spent for maintenance of these houses,” the committee’s chairperson Themba Godi said in a statement.

The statement further read that the committee had observed that there is a breakdown of governance in the department, little accountability and lack of monitoring, which leads to a system that wastes a lot of money.

“Scopa is also concerned that the department is paying a lot of money in municipal services for these houses. In its next engagement with the department, the committee would like to gain a deeper understanding of their maintenance.”

ALSO READ: Government department spent almost half a million on braai areas for ministers

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