The Auditor General (AG) Kimi Makwetu presented the 2016/17 audit outcomes to the Legislature and the Executive Council in Polokwane last Wednesday and the overall interpretation was that Limpopo is the most improved among all the Provinces.
For the first time in five years, the Department of Education got a qualified audit opinion. Makwetu explained that an unqualified audit was better as clean and unauthorised expenditure does not necessarily mean the money has been stolen.
At three auditees, 14%, irregular expenditure of previous years was not investigated by management to determine if anyone was liable for the expenditure. Road Agency Limpopo (Ral) is, according to the report, the highest contributor of irregular expenditure. The management investigated the population as far back as 2008, this resulted in the prior year identified in the current year of R1 060 million.
The report stated that 78% of fruitless and wasteful expenditure over a period of three years related to overpayment of land acquired by Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs amounting to R109 million in Tubatse. The department contributed R109 million to fruitless and wasteful expenditure while Education wasted R13 million.
Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za
