The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) is going to call the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane, within the next three weeks to account on the department’s financial situation.

Scopa has noticed that the Department of Water and Sanitation is bankrupt, as it owes contractors more money than it has. At the end of the last financial year the department owed R500m to contractors, but the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation has informed Scopa that currently the department owes R1.5bn to contractors.

Scopa today held a hearing with the Department on irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure and accrual, but the Director-General failed to answer all the questions that were asked by members of the Committee.

Scopa is concerned that the department seemed to be in disarray and has been this way for a long time. Scopa wants to get to the bottom of issues. The Minister is the political head of the department and must take final responsibility for the issues facing the department.

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of Scopa, Mr Themba Godi