Bigwig’s crisis for underspending

R463m RETURNED TO TREASURY

A SENIOR government official is facing the axe following an accusation of underspending hundreds of millions of rands.

The Limpopo department of cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs last week sent Phillip Chauke, the department’s deputy director-general, a letter of intention to suspend him.

Chauke, who is responsible for integrated sustainable human settlements, is also accused of incapacity. He was found to have underspent, resulting in the loss of more than R463-million.

He is accused of “materially” underspending the allocated budget for the financial year 2015/2016.

It is also alleged that he failed to put corrective measures in place to ensure there was no future underspending and ensuring the improvement in service provision.

The department had to hand the money back to National Treasury.

Sowetan has seen a copy of the letter, dated February 16 2017, which directs Chauke to make representations on why he should not be suspended.

“The department intends to suspend you from service, with full salary, in terms of Clause 2.7(2) of the SMS Handbook Chapter 7, with misconduct and incapacity,” reads the letter in part.

According to the letter, among other things, Chauke is accused of misrepresenting facts to the standing committee on public accounts during hearings held on February 8 2017, where he allegedly reported that his department had underspent the grant by R542-million instead of R463 580 000 as reported by the auditor-general.

“In line with the audi alteram partem rule, you have five days from the date of receipt of this letter to make representations and provide possible reasons why you should not be suspended,” it reads.

When Sowetan contacted him for comment this week, Chauke requested that questions be sent via SMS as he was in a meeting.

He had, however, not responded by the time of going to press.

However, a highly placed source in the department yesterday said that Chauke was being made a scapegoat for the department’s failure to deliver services. “Chauke joined the department on January 3 2016, and at that time the department was in deep trouble,” said the source who did not wish to be identified for fear of reprisals. “The procurement of 2015/16 contractors had just been concluded and the unmitigated gross poor planning had plunged the department in such a crisis that appointed contractors could not commence with house constructions.”

He added that despite having been appointed two months before the end of that financial year, Chauke tried everything in his powers to ensure all the monies were “duly and accountably spent”.

Department spokesman Motupa Selomo promised to comment but had not done so at the time of going to print.

“When official joined, the department was in deep trouble