Media Statement: Committee on Social Services Concerned with Lack of Progress in Department of Social Development

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The Select Committee on Social Services received a briefing yesterday from the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) on audit outcomes for the Department of Social Development (DSD) and its entities for the 2023/24 financial year.

The committee expressed concern with the lack of progress in addressing long-standing issues. Key concerns raised by members of the committee with points in the AGSA's presentation include the regression in audit outcomes, with the DSD and the National Development Agency (NDA) moving from clean audits to audits with findings.

There are also persistent challenges in performance reporting, with material misstatements identified in the annual performance information of the DSD, SASSA and the NDA. The committee also noted with concern the continued non-compliance with legislation highlighted in the AGSA’s presentation, particularly around irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Ineffective consequence management was noted, with officials not being held accountable for transgressions.

Weaknesses in systems and controls were also identified, hampering the effective administration of social grants and the processing of public queries and disputes.

Delays in filling critical vacancies at the DSD and NDA, as well as material irregularities identified at SASSA and the DSD resulting in financial losses, were also areas of concern.

The committee expressed great concern over the negative impact these persistent challenges have on service delivery and the lived experiences of vulnerable South Africans who rely on the social welfare system.

Members of the committee emphasised the urgency of addressing the root causes and holding leadership accountable. The committee has resolved to call the executive authority, the Minister of Social Development, to appear before it to account for the poor performance and provide a detailed turnaround plan to remedy the situation. The committee urged AGSA to continue exercising its expanded mandate to drive accountability and consequence management where necessary.

The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Desery Fienies said: “The findings presented by the Auditor-General are extremely concerning and unacceptable. As a committee, we will not tolerate the continued failure to deliver quality services to our most vulnerable citizens."

The committee indicated that it will closely monitor the implementation of the AGSA’s recommendations and the DSD’s remedial actions to ensure tangible improvements in the next financial year.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.