Scopa cracks down on SOEs

The watchdog standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) is demanding that vetting of applicants for crucial posts in stateowned enterprises (SOEs) must be enforced.

Scopa chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa and the committee yesterday expressed concern about the enforcement of a vetting law.

The committee said despite the 2014 Cabinet resolution that all supply chain management officials must be vetted, some government departments and SOEs refused to vet employees.

“This leaves the state vulnerable to crime, fraud and mismanagement of state funds,” Hlengwa said.

He said that out of 121 employees at Eskom, only 21 have been vetted.

“This is a state-owned entity that is plagued with problems, particularly in the area of supply chain management.”

The committee revealed that of the applications before the State Security Agency (SSA) for vetting in the supply chain management sector, only 48% had been completed.

“As Scopa is a committee committed to fighting corruption and instituting consequence management, it believes it is imperative that vetting of officials be prioritised.

“The lack of enforcement of vetting can have dire consequences,” Hlengwa said.

During his inaugural Scopa meeting, he said his committee would demand consequent management be strictly adhered to by the executive.

In highlighting the lack of vetting at SOEs, the committee heard from the South African Social Security Agency that even though it had informed the SA Post Office that the official who confessed to the rape and murder of University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana had a criminal record, the Post Office had retained the employee.

Some committee members said that had the Post Office vetted the alleged perpetrator, Mrwetyana’s life might have been spared.

Hlengwa vowed that his committee monitor the measures taken to deal with SSA’s backlog in vetting through the SSA quarterly reports.

The agency anticipated it would have completed the process by September next year.

Scopa believes it is imperative that vetting of officials be prioritised. The lack of enforcement of vetting can have dire consequences.

Mkhuleko Hlengwa Scopa chairperson