Issued by: SA Communication Service
Madame Speaker
Honourable Members of Parliament
I wish to express my gratitude for the opportunity to respond to the report of the Public Protector on his investigation into HIV/AIDS play Sarafina II.
PUBLIC PROTECTOR
It was a pleasure for me and my Department to meet with the Public Protector and provide him with all the information he needed to compile his report. The report also bears testimony to the fact that my Department cooperated fully with this investigation by the Office of the Public Protector. The Public Protector was established by this democratic government and we fully respect this institution as an instrument to forster transparancy and accountability in government and the democratisation of civil society.
REPORT
Madame Speaker, my Department also welcomes and agrees in general with the report of the Public Protector on its investigation into Sarafina II. It helped us to take a second look at all our actions regarding the play.
The report was helpful in highligting some weaknesses in the management and administration of the Department. It gives us an opportunity to strengthen some of these areas of weakness too.
HIV/AIDS
Madame Speaker, before I come to the summary of the findings and the recommendations of the Public Protector, I would like to reiterate and recommit my Department to the struggle against HIV/AIDS which is a deadly scourge in our society.
During the past two days I had the privilege to discuss the seriousness of this disease during my budget vote in this Assembly and the Senate.
While we must give an account of what happened to Sarafina II, this epidemic will still be with us long after the debate and long after Sarafina.
The rate of HIV infection in South Africa has reached alarming proportions. The increase in HIV prevalence amongst pregnant women is shown below:
The burden is not felt to the same extent in all parts of our country:
KwaZulu-Natal 18,2% -Mpumalanga 16,2% -Gauteng 12,0% -Free State 11,0% -North West 8,3% -Eastern Cape 6,0% -Northern Cape 5,3% -Northern Province 4,9% -Western Cape 1,7%
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Madame Speaker, during my address to this House, I will like to focus my response to a few important and over-arching findings and recommendation which have been cited in the report.
TENDER PROCEDURES
We accept the criticism of the weaknesses in the Departmental tender procedures and we accept the recommendation to restructure the Departmental Tender Committee, to reconstitute it and ensure that the officials serving in this committee have the necessary training, expertise and authority.
Madame Speaker, we would like to report to this House that we have already taken remedial steps to rectify this situation. To date, we have restructured the Departmental Tender Committee. It is now chaired by an experienced person and two Chief Directors sit on the committee.
The State Tender Board has already conducted two training session on state tender and procurement procedures for all our managers during.
FINANCIAL CONTROLS
We accept the criticism of the weaknesses in the financial management which were referred to by the Public Protector.
Madame Speaker, I would like to report to you that to date, we have appointed a Finance Manager, Mr Bill Bradshaw who is a certified general accountant, to review all the financial systems in the department and to set up a new financial management system.
He has already had lengthy discussions with the Deputy Auditor General and will be having discussions with the Accountant General. There will also be ongoing interactions with the Department of State Expenditure to ensure that our financial management systems are aligned.
LEGAL PROCEDURES
We acknowledge the concerns of the Public Protector on the legal section. Madame Speaker, we accept the recommendation that before contracts are signed, after beingdrafted by the Legal Section of the Department of Health, they should be referred to the State Attorney for vetting in line with State Treasury Instructions.
EUROPEAN UNION
I regret the Department's understanding of the European Union procedures Madame Speaker, I have been assured by the European Union that their commitment to support the transformation of health services in South Africa has not wavered. The programmes that are currently in place, including participation in our National HIV/AIDS programme, will continue.
In addition, I have opened discussions with the European Union to obtain additional support in our ongoing effort to improve the financial management system of the Department.
DEPARTMENTAL OFFICIALS
We accept the steps recommended by the Public Protector regard- ing some officials in the Department. The Director General will appoint an investigator to investigate the allegations contained in the Report of the Public Protector within the rules and regulations of the Public Service Act.
PLAY
We welcome the comments of the Public Protector on the play. It is amazing how much discussion the controversy around the play has generated on the subject of HIV and AIDS. As I have already indi- cated to you Madame Speaker, the scourge of the AIDS disease will remain with us, long after the controversy on Sarafina has gone.
It has always been my view that the play was a dynamic and effective way of converging the HIV/AIDS message which must be reviewed and improved continuously to ensure the relevance and effectiveness of the message. However, the play cannot be a panacea for all the social ills of our society, including that all relevant to AIDS.
One of the major criticisms of the play was the fact that this was a play about condoms. I submit to you, Madame Speaker, that while it is not my intention to promote sex and promiscuity among teengers.
However, it should also be recorded that the message must also be very clear and simple. The major lesson from the play is indeed: "If you cannot abstain use a condom".
Why this message? Considering that 392 out of a 1000 children are born of children, and the use of condoms does prevent unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted disease (STDs) and HIV/AIDS. I submit to you that even if that was the only message that the youth could learn, then that is possibly enough.
COMMITTED ARTISTS
We accept that there were problems with the financial controls from Committed Artists. From the side of the Department, we are convinced that we have taken the appropriate steps to prevent these mistakes from re-occurring.
Because of the problems which we have experienced with the play, especially in ensuring adherence to the contract, tender and procurement procedures, financial reporting procedures, etc., we are forced to cancel the contract between the Department of Health and Committed Artists.
FATE OF THE PLAY
In assessing the future of the contract, the Public Protector considered three options
1. Whether to continue with the original agreement. 2. Whether to negotiate a new or amended agreement. 3. Whether to terminate the contract.
The Public Protector finds that Option 1 is not a viable one. However, he finds that Option 2 is a possibility, should the contract not be terminated.
He suggests that this Option be considered only in the event that Mr Ngema can carry the contract within the approved budget and time frame. The Public Protector considers Option 3 to also be a viable one and recommends that the Department consider terminating the contract.
The Department accepts the Public Protector's recommendation to terminate the contract between the Department and Committed Artists.
The Department will recover all unauthorised expenditure due to it in terms of the contract between itself and Committed Artists.
Sarafina has taught us that conventional methods and techniques for preventing and controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS are not sufficient for spreading the message on AIDS.
Theatre, as an art form, is no doubt a very powerful instrument for spreading health messages. Whilst we accept that there were problems with administrative procedures and financial controls, the play was a good idea.
Fortunately there are South Africans from the private sector who have said they accept that mistakes may have occured and they do not want to interfere with government procedures, nevertheless they recognise the enormity of the AIDS epidemic in South Africa and internationally and therefore pledge to support and pay for the play and support future endeavours that deal with AIDS.
This will therefore take care of Sarafina's total budget.
I thank you.