LOBAMBA – The controversy surrounding the appointment of the acting Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs resurfaced in Parliament yesterday.
This resulted in renewed tensions during the ministry’s appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The matter arose at the start of the session when the ministry was expected to provide responses to queries raised by Auditor General, Timothy Matsebula.
In terms of the law, responses to audit queries are expected to be presented by the controlling officer, who is the principal secretary.
In the absence of the principal secretary, the responsibility ordinarily falls to the under secretary (US).
The acting position is currently being held by Duduzile Nhlengethwa, who is the Director of Meteorology.
Her appointment has been the subject of debate, with some stakeholders maintaining that US Hlobsile Dlamini should have been appointed to the acting position.
When PAC Chairperson Madala Mhlanga requested the controlling officer to respond to the queries, Nhlengethwa indicated that Dlamini should take the lead.
However, Dlamini appeared reluctant to do so.
She then spoke up and said she found it surprising that she was being asked to respond when the ministry’s controlling officer was present and seated before the committee.
Mhlanga acknowledged her concerns and explained that the established practice was for the controlling officer to respond to matters before the PAC. The incident revived issues that emerged when the ministry previously appeared before the committee earlier this month.
During that sitting, confusion arose after it emerged that neither official had an instrument authorising them to act as a controlling officer.
As a result, the ministry was unable to proceed with its presentation. Instead, its parastatals continued with their submissions while Mhlanga indicated that consultations would be undertaken to establish the correct position.
Subsequently, it was communicated that Minister for Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Simelane had issued an instrument appointing Nhlengethwa as acting PS.
Despite that development, yesterday’s proceedings once again raised questions regarding the ministry’s leadership arrangements.
The uncertainty prompted Mhlanga to adjourn the meeting for 20 minutes to allow for further consultations after some PAC members questioned whether the session should continue amid the apparent confusion.
When the committee reconvened, Mhlanga announced that consultations had resulted in a decision that the meeting should proceed as planned.
Although the session continued, some PAC members appeared dissatisfied with the situation.
At various points during the proceedings, members suggested that there was a lack of cohesion within the ministry’s leadership structures.
The issue was revisited at the conclusion of the sitting when Kubuta Member of Parliament (MP) Masiphula Mamba raised concerns about recurring disputes over acting appointments in government ministries.
Mamba said the situation was making the work of the PAC unnecessarily difficult.
He questioned why substantive appointments were not being made when vacancies arose and argued that established structures should provide a clear succession path.
He noted that, in many organisations, deputies assume leadership responsibilities when the head of an institution is absent.
The MP further expressed concern about instances where directors were appointed to acting positions above under secretaries, saying this created uncertainty and raised questions about leadership processes within the public service.
He urged the Ministry of Public Service to ensure that appointments were handled in a manner that avoided recurring disputes and confusion.
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… ministry slammed over unutilised funds, delays in big five project
LOBAMBA – The Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs came under heavy criticism from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday.
This was over its failure to utilise funds allocated for key programmes, including the highly anticipated Big Five Project.
The ministry appeared before the committee to respond to queries raised by the Auditor General for the financial year ended March 31, 2024.
One of the issues raised related to under-expenditure on vehicle charges amounting to E107 050.83 under the Tourism, Gaming and Wildlife Department. The committee questioned why the ministry had requested funding that was ultimately not utilised while service delivery challenges persisted.
Responding to the matter, Acting Principal Secretary Duduzile Nhlengethwa said the ministry had been working to improve fleet management by assessing the condition of its vehicles and determining which required repairs. She explained that the exercise was intended to ensure that the ministry could continue delivering its services effectively. However, PAC members were not convinced by the explanation. Kubuta MP Masiphula Mamba questioned what steps the ministry had taken after failing to utilise the allocated funds. He noted that Parliament had approved E400 000 for the programme through the Appropriation Act, yet only a portion of the funds was eventually spent.
Mamba said it was important to understand how service delivery had been affected when significant amounts remained unused, especially considering that other government projects could have benefited from the resources.
Dvokodvweni MP Sifiso Shabalala also queried whether the ministry had managed to achieve its intended objectives despite spending considerably less than what had initially been budgeted. He noted that while E400 000 had been requested and E260 000 released, only E160 000 had ultimately been utilised. In response, Nhlengethwa said not all of the funds earmarked for the programme had been released due to government cash flow considerations.
She further explained that the ministry’s inspection programmes had been affected because some vehicles requiring servicing were not repaired on time, resulting in fewer inspections being conducted than originally planned. The PAC also turned its attention to a more substantial issue involving the non-utilisation of funds allocated to the G699 Big Five Project.
*Full article available on Pressreader*
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