Transnet ordered put brake on looting, fix internal controls

THE standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) said yesterday corruption and looting of resources were impacting negatively on Transnet.

Scopa said it had told the Transnet board and management to put a stop to the looting to enable the monopoly to be profitable. In addition, the commission said it had noted the breakdown in internal controls in the internal auditing and procurement departments.

“This has led to the qualified audit outcome that Transnet has received for the 2017/18 financial year. Scopa hopes that the internal audit department will be fully capacitated and strengthened in order to discharge its duties effectively,” the committee said yesterday.

“The same should be done for the supply chain management department, which performs one of the key components for the entity.”

The committee said it had requested from Transnet internal audit reports that were changed or rejected by the previous internal audit committee.

Scopa said it would like to check to see whether the members of that previous audit committee should not be blacklisted from holding non-executive positions in the public sector.

It had also requested reports on the forensic investigations that were commissioned by Transnet, Werksmans, Fundudzi and MNS and the “status of the implementation of the recommendations in those reports.”

In an attempt to get to the bottom of the anomalies, members of Scopa visited Transnet offices and spoke with employees, particularly of the finance, internal audit and supply chain management sections. “Scopa has noted the intention to suspend some members of Transnet management.

“The committee understands this to be in the context of the investigation reports that implicate certain individuals, including those who are meant to be suspended.”

The committee called on the board to act against any implicated individuals without fear, favour or prejudice.