The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) has admitted to a staggering R219-million blunder in its provincial audit presentation, which sparked political outrage and accusations that the Mpumalanga Department of Health was squandering taxpayers’ money on employees sitting at home under suspension.
The incorrect figure, contained in an audit presentation submitted to the Mpumalanga provincial legislature last week, prompted DA MPL Trudie Grovè-Morgan to publicly condemn the provincial government for allegedly paying nearly R224-million to suspended officials.
The health department was singled out as the biggest culprit, supposedly accounting for more than R200-million of the expenditure.
However, after noticing discrepancies between the presentation, the department’s annual report and its response to questions, Sunday World approached the AGSA for clarification.
The investigation prompted an admission that the figure was incorrect.
AGSA spokesperson Africa Boso confirmed that the correct cost associated with suspended health employees was R4.9-million, involving 19 officials, rather than the R219.86-million reflected in the draft presentation.
“As part of this briefing, an incorrect cost associated with the suspended employees in the provincial Department of Health was erroneously included in our draft presentation slides (which you are using in your enquiry),” Boso said.
AGSA said its general report had not yet been tabled and referred further questions about the disciplinary processes to the provincial Department of Health.
The admission vindicates the department’s decision not to accept the disputed figure without verification.
The erroneous presentation had already fuelled a political confrontation.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Grovè-Morgan accused the ANC-led provincial government of failing to implement consequence management and allowing irregular expenditure to accumulate, claiming that: “The Mpumalanga government has paid nearly R224-million to officials who have been on suspension for years.”
Despite the blunder, concerns remain about the length of employee suspensions.
Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa provincial secretary Cyril Mdhluli said the union had represented healthcare workers subjected to lengthy precautionary suspensions, including employees eventually cleared of wrongdoing.
- The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) has admitted to a staggering R219-million blunder in its provincial audit presentation, which sparked political outrage and accusations that the Mpumalanga Department of Health was squandering taxpayers’ money on employees sitting at home under suspension.
- The incorrect figure, contained in an audit presentation submitted to the Mpumalanga provincial legislature last week, prompted DA MPL Trudie Grovè-Morgan to publicly condemn the provincial government for allegedly paying nearly R224-million to suspended officials.
- The health department was singled out as the biggest culprit, supposedly accounting for more than R200-million of the expenditure.
- However, after noticing discrepancies between the presentation, the department’s annual report and its response to questions, Sunday World approached the AGSA for clarification.
- The investigation prompted an admission that the figure was incorrect.
