Browsing by Author "Hlohlo, Mgcini Collin"

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    An examination of the impact of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) on financial management of the Eastern Cape Department of Education
    (University of Fort Hare, 2009) Hlohlo, Mgcini Collin
    For many years, poor financial management has been a major challenge facing the Eastern Cape Department of Education. Reports from the Auditor General reflect a Department plagued by poor financial management, lack of internal control systems and poor service delivery. This state of affairs continues to exist despite the fact that SCOPA has consistently discharged its constitutional responsibility of overseeing the financial performance of the Department of Education. The mandate of SCOPA indicates that one of the fundamental objectives of this committee is to ensure that government departments gradually improve their financial management standards. In the light of the continued poor management within the Department of Education, this study focused on whether SCOPA in its role of overseer of the Department's fiscal affairs has managed to yield any positive results. The literature reviewed indicated that the legislative sector has failed to hold the executive arm of government accountable. This has come about because the legislative sector does not have the power to enforce compliance with its resolutions. The party electoral system compounds this problem as it entrenches party loyalty, and as a result, the responsibility of holding the executive arm of government accountable is left to the political opposition. The study further indicated that the Department of Education was facing various challenges such as staff charged with the responsibility of financial management lacking the necessary skills, staff shortages, the slow rate in filling of vacant critical posts and poor monitoring and evaluation. All of these challenges proved to be a barrier to the successful realization of SCOPA's mandate, namely, the improvement of the financial management of the Department. Various interventions have been employed by the Department to solve these problems. Notwithstanding these interventions, the Department continued to face the same challenges. As a result, in 2009, the National Department of Education intervened by bringing in a team to assist the Eastern Cape Department of Education in turning the situation around. The success of this team will depend on the extent to which the root causes of these problems are adequately addressed by the Department. Conclusions which were drawn from the study are: • The legislature and its committees with particular reference to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts has an important role to play with regard to the improvement of financial management standards in government departments. However, there are challenges which are inherent within the system of governance which hinder the successful realization of these objectives. These challenges will continue being unresolved if the current system of governance (list party system) is not reviewed. • Failure by SCOPA to effect positive change within the Department of Education must not be seen in isolation. The limited capacity in terms of numbers and skills of the finance directorate of the Department of Education should be relatively easy to resolve as this Department receives the biggest allocation of the provincial budget. The problems that are faced by the department with regard to its financial management will continue to exist if the challenges relating to staff shortages and necessary skilled personnel are not immediately addressed. The major problem affecting the Department of Education is the instability at the level of the Accounting Officer and this affected the accountability responsibilities of this Department. The study indicated that instability in this regard had a profound effect on the overall performance of the Department.