‘Correctional services slack on the details’

THE Department of Correctional Services has come under fire from Parliament’s finance watchdog, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), for collapsing systems, lack of accountability by senior managers, conflicts of interest by officials and a R10 billion tender for building prisons.

Members of the standing committee have also reserved more questions for correctional services on the R10bn tender given to a company with no capacity to build prisons. Infuriated members of Scopa told the department yesterday it would not tolerate a lack of concrete answers on its inquiries. This was after correctional services failed on many occasions to provide detailed responses, forcing Minister Michael Masutha to intervene.

Scopa members said the department must provide detailed responses at their meeting next week.

The department of correctional services appeared before Scopa over its annual report for 2013/14. Members of the committee were unhappy with the lack of detailed responses from newly appointed National Commissioner for Correctional Services Zach Modise and his team.

ANC MP Thapelo Chiloane fired the first salvo over the department’s failure to submit its financial statements quarterly. The department was accused by MPs of ignoring the financial reports of two consulting firms, yet paid them R7 million.

Chiloane said even the Auditor-General, Kimi Makwetu, said there was lack of internal controls in the department.

Scopa chairman Themba Godi bemoaned the lack of action against officials for a conflict of interest.