Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
July 2, 1998
STATEMENT BY DR BIKI MINYUKU, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER OF THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
In the wake of the Auditor-General's audit report on the accounts of the Commission, two Commissioners have been found to have used their official credit cards to pay for private expenses during the fiscal period 1996/7. The Commissioners concerned are Ms Glenda Wildschutte and Dr Wendy Orr.
Dr Orr used her Diners Club card to the tune of R789,42 while in the USA after she had lost her personal card. Ms Wildschutte also used her Commission-issued card to the tune of R6286,46 mainly in Mozambique. As indicated in the previous statement, the amounts involved in the period under review have since been fully repaid.
During the fiscal period 1997/8, which is yet to be audited, the following Commissioners and Committee members had the following unauthorised expenditures:
Ms Widschutte's private expenses on her Diners' Club card, which include an overseas trip amounted to R4 272,27 Dr Orr's, also including an overseas trip were to the tune of R7 555,22 Dr Faizel Randera's which include shopping amounted to R457,45
A member of the Human Rights Violation's Committee, Ms Judith Maya's expenses which include shopping amounted to R4465, 88 An Amnesty Committee member Mr Ntsikelelo Sandi's medical expenses amounted to R4 700.
Ms Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, a Human Rights Violation's Committee member used her credit card to pay for private expenses while overseas. Her unauthorised expenditure amounted to R7119,67. She paid R5 018,65 of this amount.
The Commission has since recovered the R2101,02 outstanding on her official credit card as mentioned in my previous statement following the release of the Auditor-General's report for the period ending March 31.
I would like to stress that the amounts involved have since been fully repaid and the Commissioners and Committee members concerned have returned their official credit cards to the Commission.
Media inquiries : Vuyani Green 021 245 161