Times Of Swaziland: PAC OWES ME APOLOGY - KNOWLEDGE

PAC OWES ME APOLOGY - KNOWLEDGE
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Mbongiseni Ndzimandze on 21/06/2022 09:01:00


MBABANE - Former investigator in the ministry of Education and Training
Knowledge Ngwenya has written a hot-worded letter to the chairman of the PAC.
Ngwenya is of the view that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) owes him an
apology as he never received any cent from the sum of E282 519 that was
reportedly misappropriated at Ikhwezi High School, through payment to suppliers.
The letter is in respect of the PAC recommendations on the Auditor General’s
Report on the use of funds in public schools for the financial year ended May
31, 2018. Ngwenya’s name appeared in the issue of Inkhwezi High School where
the aforementioned amount was allegedly embezzled by the management of the
school, through payment of suppliers.  Ngwenya is one of the people whom the PAC
recommended that he should be reported to the police by the Principal Secretary
in the Ministry of Education and Training, Bheki Gama.
In his four-page letter, Ngwenya stated that on June 13, 2022, he received a
call from the controlling officer in the ministry of Education and Training, who
informed him that he was complying with the PAC recommendations and further
invited him to give his side of the story. He said he did not understand why the
committee could have made such a recommendation that the controlling officer
should report the matter to the police for investigations, when on page 21 of
its opening statement stated that:  “The head teacher who was the accounting
officer during the audited year was fired by the ministry of Education and
Training for the misappropriation of school funds.”
Information
Ngwenya pointed out that appearing before the PAC was the new head teacher, who
did not have much information on the questions raised by the audit. “To me,
this statement by the honourable committee was clear that it acted prematurely
by making such recommendation of having the matter reported to the police. “I
feel that  the PAC did not conduct its business fairly  by failing  to summon
the former head teacher to appear before it to answer on the findings of the
audit report as all things were done by him,” reads part of the letter. He
further wrote that the responses of the former head teacher could have assisted
the PAC to at least arrive at a fair conclusion for onward justified Parliament
recommendation. “Therefore, I feel the PAC did not fully exercise its powers
as highlighted on Page 6 of its report, especially bullet five which stipulates
that the committee has a right to call and enforce the attendance of witnesses
to provide information in relation to observation made by the auditor
general,” said Ngwenya.
He stated that whatever made the PAC to rely on the evidence of the new head
teacher and one member of the school committee, who appeared before it, really
puzzled him. “What puzzled me further, is that the PAC is a 12 member
committee, but among these members, no one saw that there was a gap that would
also make the report incomplete if the person who engaged the suppliers, made
verbal agreement with them, signed the cheques with the school’s committee
chairman and sometimes was not summoned to appear it,” wrote Ngwenya.
Ngwenya continued to state that, what also mystified him more, was that the PAC
worked with partners like, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Police Fraud
and Commercial Crimes Unit but they also as law enforcement agencies and with
their investigation expertise also failed to advise the PAC that it was crucial
to advise in an investigation to summon the person who engaged the suppliers,
made verbal agreements with them and signed the cheques.
bewildered
He went on to highlight that what further bewildered him was that the PAC
allegedly compiled its report and submitted it with recommendation to the House
of Assembly wherein different MPs had an opportunity to see the report but none
of them raised a concern on the need that the person who engaged the suppliers
should appear before the committee to answer on the findings of the auditor
general. Ngwenya said he believed that as the controlling officer, the principal
secretary in the ministry of Education and Training had already complied with
the PAC recommendation that the matter be reported to the police within seven
days. He said he trusted that a proper investigation would be conducted by the
police. “I hope the police who were part of the PAC sessions will not do the
same to investigate the matter, as the fact that they failed to advise the PAC
on the crucial need to summon the person who made agreement with the
suppliers,” reads part of Ngwenya’s letter.
In conclusion, Ngwenya registered his unhappiness about the recommendation that
was made by the PAC in the matter. He said he felt that this was a shoddy job on
the part of the PAC such that its decision had placed him as someone who
illegally received payments amounting to E282 519.  Ngwenya described the
recommendation that was made by the committee as character assassination. He
further observed in his response that the controlling officer stated: “On the
other hand, the school grantee said, according to his reconciliation, the
officer did not instruct the school committee to pay specific debts but to them
to compile a list of all legitimate schools debts and then told them to pay them
as per the ministry instruction.”
Ngwenya said it then puzzled him why the PAC did not consider that as a reason
enough to summon the former head teacher to answer before it. He wondered
whether it was deliberate or a costly mistake to tarnish his (Ngwenya) image.
“Anyway, honourable chairperson, after all has happened, may I make it clear
that there was no black or white cent from the E282 519 paid into Knowledge
Ngwenya’s  bank account whether by cheque, cash, mobile money, eWallet, so I
hope one day I will receive an apology for such a mistake.
Power
“Yes I know I have no power to change anything but I can assure you with my
last breath that I shall comply with the PAC/ Parliament recommendation, in this
regard,” concluded Ngwenya. Reached for comment, PAC Chairman Musa Kunene said
he had not received the letter. He, however, stated that if Ngwenya had a
grievance, he must approach the relevant ministry as the PAC did not deal with
individuals. Kunene emphasised that the PAC worked with the relevant ministries
and the auditor general.