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PAC TELLS ACC: SPEED UP AG OFFICE INVESTIGATION

28/06/2024 07:25:00 Nonduduzo Kunene

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LOBAMBA – “Bobhabuli batochubeka bajangaze (the perpetrators of corruption will continue to thrive).”

This comment was made when the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) appeared before the Public Accounts Committee yesterday in Parliament. The ACC was responding to queries of an over E7.4 million under-expenditure on CTA vehicle charges as well as under professional and specialised services in the financial year ended March 31, 2023. The Financial Audit Report on the Consolidated Government Accounts of the Kingdom of Eswatini for the financial year ended March 31, 2023, indicated that the ACC, under the two centres, was allocated E364 028 for CTA and motor vehicle charges but only utilised E308 880.96.

Under professional and specialised services, the commission was allocated E8 312 774, but utilised E966 497.09. The commission had an under-expenditure of E7 401 423.95 in both centres, which equated to over 88 per cent under-expenditure. The under-expenditure suggested that the commission could not perform a large percentage of its responsibilities.
The Controlling Officer and ACC Acting Commissioner, Maphevu Mkhatshwa, explained to the PAC that the under-expenditure in these two centres was brought about by that in the financial year 2022/2023, government reduced the allocation of fuel for the commission, against the approved budget.

He further stated that the turnaround process for the maintenance of vehicles took longer than expected. “The Ministry of Public Works and Transport returned unprocessed documents after the close of the financial year and this resulted in the commission incurring less expenditure than expected. The shortage of vehicles and reduction of fuel quota limited the commission’s operations and as a result, fewer investigations were undertaken,” he said.

Hampered

With regard to the under-expenditure on professional and special services, Mkhatshwa stated that the commission’s operations were hampered, following a Cabinet decision to harmonise the mandates of the ACC and that of the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration (CHRPA). Following the explanation that was given by the acting commissioner, the PAC felt the issues that engulfed the ACC did not hold water, in the fight against rampant corruption. Zombodze Emuva Member of Parliament (MP) Ntando Mkhonta, wondered if the commission was able to recover in terms of their operations, after they recorded the under expenditure in 2023.

“It is worrying to see a commission as crucial as the ACC recording under-expenditure. This means the people who are committing corruption will not be caught if you fail utilise it to catch bobhabuli (perpetrators). If you fail to utilise the funds, kusho kutsi bobhabuli batochubeka bajangaze,” he said.He urged the commission to show interest in ending corruption in Eswatini and achieve all their planned programmes. Gege MP Magesi Dlamini, wondered what measures were taken by the ACC to bypass the lengthy CTA process at least.
The PAC Vice Chairperson and Nhlambeni MP, Manzi Zwane, said his concern about the under-expenditure was caused by the powers that the ACC was stripped of. He asked how badly the court judgment affected the ACC. “Will I be wrong to say the court judgment affected you? “We need to know if we are getting the value for money in this entity,” he said. However, Auditor General (AG) Timothy Matsebula, said the ACC controlling officer was shallow in his explanation. He stated that their analysis of the ACC budget allocation indicated a lot of under-expenditure.

Allocated

“In 2022, they were allocated E10.2 million, but only spent E500 000. In 2023 they were allocated E10.9 million, but the actual expenditure was E966 497.09,” he said. Matsebula said the figures indicated that the ACC was provided with a budget that was not utilised. He said in 2022, the ACC stated that the under-expenditure was due to stalled operations caused by the uncertainty of the CHRPA harmonisation and the funds were for special services and lawyers. Matsebula said in 2023, the story was similar. He said he was hopeful that the controlling officer would ensure that going forward the funds they requested were utilised. The controlling officer emphasised that the issue of fuel was challenging. “We struggle in terms of fuel. “We are treated like a normal government department, yet we are more or less like a law enforcement department and some of our operations are instant,” he said.