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The Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs today resolved to hold members of the Board of the South African Weather Service (SAWS) personally liable for the fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R2m that was incurred as a result of its ill-advised decision to prematurely terminate the employment contract of the former CEO, Dr Linda Makuleni.

“The Committee is of the view that this expenditure could have been avoided had the Board exercised reasonable care, and that SAWS did not derive any value from this expenditure and therefore it is classified as fruitless and wasteful expenditure, as defined by the PFMA (Public Finance Management Act),” said the Chairperson of the Committee, Mr Philly Mapulane.

“We have, as the Committee responsible for oversight over this entity, consequently resolved that members of the Board of SAWS who voted for this this reckless decision, which was arrived at without any formal written report presented to the Board nor any legal opinion obtained, should be personally be liable for this expenditure and they must pay back the money to the state,” said Mr Mapulane.

The Committee has further resolved that the Chairperson and other members of the Board be removed from being members of the Board in line with Section 7(1)(b) of the South African Weather Service Act, 2001 (Act No 8 of 2001) because of their failure to exercise proper fiduciary duties in performing their functions as members of the Board of SAWS.

“We want to send a strong message to those who are in charge of the resources of the public that they must always exercise due care and diligence and follow the principles of good governance in dealing with tax-payers money and that Parliament will effectively play its oversight role to hold them accountable,” concluded Mr Mapulane.
 

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs, Philly Mapulane