The Gauteng Department of Community Safety is on the brink of bankruptcy.
This is according to the DA Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL) and spokesperson for Community Safety Michele Clarke.
It has prompted the DA to call on the departments in the province to be proactive in seeking to reduce unnecessary costs.
Clarke complained that a recent committee report revealed that in the last three financial years, the department’s expenditure has increased at an alarming rate from R67 215 million in 2012/2013 to R 117 200 million 2013/14 and R117 460 million in 2014/2015.
She further explained that there was poor management of accruals and poor implementation of procurement plans.
“Poor management have left the department falling short on executing imperative service deliverables,” she said.
Clarke explained that examples of careless spending could be seen in how the department spends R1 040 567 monthly on a building aimed for the use of traffic officers in Kruis Street in Johannesburg.
Clarke said, “The building has not been fully utilised with many vacant floors. Another example is shown by the monthly payment to the company providing connectivity for CCTV cameras in the South African Police war room, which added no value to the department acting simply as an oversight tool.”
She said the DA welcomed the corrective steps that the department had put in place, like in-housing of administrative tasks and the termination of contracts which have been draining department budgets.
“Community Safety in Gauteng plays a critical role in other socio-economic needs of our province. Execution on deliverables cannot be compromised by careless expenditure,” concluded Clarke.
Comments from the Department of Community Safety are awaited.
Details: Gauteng DA 060 558 8309.
Related stories:
Rural policing to be strengthened
SAPS discontent jeopardises Gauteng safety
More traffic officers to beef up road safety in Gauteng
