The Gauteng Provincial Legislatures Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has welcomed the decisive intervention by Premier Panyaza Lesufi, following the recent suspension of the Head of Department HOD and Chief Financial Officer CFO of the Gauteng Department of Community Safety.
The committee says this action reflects a strong commitment to ethical governance, transparency, and accountability within the provincial administration.
The suspensions follow the outcomes of a forensic investigation conducted by the provincial forensic audit unit in the Premiers Office, which uncovered serious financial irregularities within the department.
Committee chairperson Dr Bandile Masuku says the committee is concerned about these developments.
"The committee views this development with serious concern, particularly as both as the HOD and CFO regularly appeared before the committee to present reports on the department's financial performance. No indications of such irregularities were evident during these engagements, raising important questions about the effectiveness of current oversight mechanisms. In response, the committee is calling on the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to review and strengthen its sector oversight model to ensure more rigorous departmental financial performance.