Swazi Observer

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‘CONCLUDE PROBE INTO AG’

By PHEPHILE MOTAU | 2024-07-01

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Madala Mhlanga has urged the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to conclude their investigation into the Auditor General (AG) Timothy Matsebula.

Mhlanga said this yesterday when the ACC, led by Deputy Commissioner Operations Maphevu Mkhatshwa, appeared before the PAC.

When making these comments, the AG was seated right beside him as he also attends the PAC, which works on recommendation of his office.

Mhlanga said it was hard working with someone who was under investigation.

“If it calls for him to go home, let him go,” Mhlanga said.

The ACC is believed to be looking into the procurement process of the tender awarded to Funduzi Forensic Services (Pty) Ltd.

According to reports, the ACC acting Commissioner Maphevu Mkhatshwa is said to have written a letter to the AG, dated May 13, 2024, requesting the authority to hire Funduzi Forensic Services and other companies, as well as the technical and financial evaluation reports of the companies awarded the tenders, among other documents.

Mhlanga said this after Mkhatshwa assured the PAC that there would be improvement this financial year in terms of the work done and delivery of results by the ACC. He explained that the issue of under-expenditure at the ACC was caused by the dark cloud that was hanging on the Commission.

He said the attorney general had given them an opinion on the issue, and they now had direction.

He said all that was left now was for the ACC to deliver.

Matsebula in his report for the financial year ended March 31, 2023 reported that the ACC incurred under-expenditures on recurrent vote (CTA vehicle charges and professional and special Services) amounting to E7 401 423.95, in the fiscal year.

He said the under-expenditure indicated that public funds were tied up in the treasury control items and deprived funding to other essential public programmes during the fiscal year. Matsebula said had the funds been accessible and/or used to finance essential programmes, they would have contributed towards the development and economic growth of the country.

He said he was concerned that planned programmes were not accomplished, fewer cases of corruption were investigated, leading to lesser service delivery and thereby limiting improvements in the economic and livelihood of citizens.

In the response to the query, the controlling officer had said the Commission’s operations were hampered following a Cabinet decision to harmonise mandates of the ACC and that of the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration (CHRPA). The alignment was aimed at addressing the constitutional overlaps between CHRPA and ACC with regard to investigations mandate. The undertaking made it seem like the harmonisation exercise was imminent, which brought uncertainty to the operations of the controlling officer.

He said the commission had planned to increase coverage of investigations by improving volumes of cases to be investigated. It also included setting up investigative and support units that were aimed at expediting the conclusion of corruption cases, procuring expert services, training of investigators and improving information technology infrastructure for purposes of strengthening investigations. The controlling officer explained that the activities were not undertaken due to the stated reasons and the professional fees were not expended, hence the under-expenditure. Meanwhile, Matsebula said the commissioner should assure the PAC that the three Golf 7 vehicles which formed an audit query under the ACC in previous years were working. He said last time; they were parked where the ACC rented out offices. “Where are they now as they were previously parked in a hidden place?” Matsebula asked.

Mkhathwa said the cars were available and fully functional. He said they, however, had an issue with fuel.

He said they were having back and forth in terms of allocation of fuel.

“The ACC is treated like another government department, yet the work we do is unpredictable. The rationing or allocation on fuel has greatly affected the performance of the institution,” he said.

Fired ACC accountant refuses with laptop

A former accountant of the ACC is refusing to handover a laptop worth over E20 000 after being fired.

This was revealed during the appearance of the ACC before the PAC. The AG Timothy Matsebula had reported in his report that during the inspection conducted on December 18, 2023, he observed that a laptop worth E20 585, bearing serial number 59DLVC3 was not availed for a physical verification. Stores records revealed that the laptop was allocated to a former accountant bearing employment number 2699431 who has exited the public service (no longer a civil servant). Her last salary was in April 2022.

The ACC Deputy Commissioner Maphevu Mkhatshwa said the laptop was with the accountant who was fired. He said the institution was working around the clock to resolve the anomaly. He said the matter had already been reported to the police to try and recover the laptop and also to the losses committee.

“We acknowledge the anomaly and that it happened at the ACC,” he said.

Mkhatshwa said the officer said she would not surrender the laptop.

Matsanjeni South MP Sabelo Ndlangamandla wanted to know why the former accountant had refused with the laptop. Vice-Chairman of the PAC Manzi Zwane said he was worried that the gadget had since depreciated. He said government would find itself unable to sell it even for E200.

The AG said the ACC should now demand the value of the laptop from the former accountant and not the laptop as it had been in her possession since 2022.

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