‘Bhisho needs to be more accountable’

THE failure by provincial government departments to address “repetitive” legislature and auditorgeneral’s findings is undermining the oversight function of the Bhisho legislature.

This was a message delivered by legislature speaker Noxolo Kiviet when she tabled the legi policy speech in Bhisho yesterday.

Kiviet raised concerns that provincial government departments were not taking the oversight role of the legislature seriously.

“Democracy will remain lifeless if those in power cannot be held accountable in public,” she said.

Kiviet told the house that the legislature would tighten the screws and implement models and oversight approaches which would enhance the executive council’s accountability.

“The repetitive findings on the work of the government departments, coupled with the quality of their responses to house resolutions and the nonimplementation thereof, have perpetually undermined the oversight function of the portfolio committees and this house,” she said.

“We will build on the gains of the previous term in implementing models and oversight approaches that will lead to enhanced accountability of the executive.”

She said the legislature would this year work with various tertiary institutions around the province “to conduct a detailed analysis of the findings so as to determine the root cause of this problem” .

“We will foster working relations with senior management of government departments to sensitise them about meeting time-frames and providing accurate information for oversight purposes.”

Kiviet warned departments that the legislature would keep an eagle eye on their operations.

“We will put in place systems to track house and standing committee on public accounts’ resolutions and oversee the implementation thereof.

“We will also monitor the implementation of the auditor-general’s recommendations and other turnaround plans of the provincial departments.”

Kiviet also raised concerns that provincial departments were struggling to submit parliamentary responses timeously.

She said the house had resolved to increase the time-frames within which questions must be responded to, from 10 to 15 working days.

Meanwhile, tabling his office’s policy speech, Premier Phumulo Masualle revealed that there was a deficiency of human resources in his office.

He told the house that the improvement of human resources management in his office was crucial and urgent for the provincial administration to operate adequately. —