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The Treasury is playing the victim in the media yet doesn’t account enough to Parliament.
This was the feeling of members of Parliament this morning when Kenneth Brown, the state’s chief procurement officer, failed to show up for a session of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts to submit his office’s quarterly report.
Brown, who is currently on a working trip to Europe, sent representatives from his office to appear before the committee.
“This is unacceptable, and borders on unprofessionalism,” said MPs in the committee when they were told at the beginning of the sitting that Brown would not be present.
There was agreement that Brown should appear before the committee and apologise for his conduct as soon as he returned.
He hadn’t informed the committee in writing beforehand that he wouldn’t be attending today’s sitting.
The office of the chief procurement officer falls under the Treasury, which is led by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.
Inkatha Freedom Party MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa insisted that Brown should apologise.
According to him, the Treasury had a willy-nilly attitude when it had to account to Parliament.
“And then they play the victim in the media,” he said, adding that working overseas trips should not get preference over Parliamentary accountability.
The committee’s chairperson, Themba Godi, regarded Brown and the Treasury’s conduct in a very serious light.
He said there was a consistent pattern, and every time Treasury was invited to appear before the committee, “then they decide who is going to come”, he said.
“They do not even bother to inform the committee in advance.”
Godi said that the poor conduct needed to be conveyed to Treasury.
