GCIS incurred R4m in unauthorised expenditure during Mandela funeral

National Treasury’s chief director Gillian Wilson confirmed the amount during a meeting between various government departments and the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on Thursday.

GCIS was responsible for all communication activities related to the funeral programme.

"The funeral activities were implemented late in December, which was post the adjustment budget. So we didn't have a budget process to allocate additional funding to the department. We also wanted the department to use its existing budgets to cater for and accommodate the additional funding that is required for the funeral. So the department had a lot of cost-saving measures to make sure that they don't have unauthorised expenditures,” said Wilson. 

 "So also as part of cost-saving, they have postponed costs relating to stationery, catering to venues and through that they could shift funding to other programmes that dealt with the activities relating to the activities of the funeral of President Mandela. But in the end, they could not cover all the activities and costs of the funeral, and there was an unauthorised R3.696 million in the department."  

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Wilson adds that as a result, the GCIS did "everything" to avoid unauthorised expenditure by delaying filling vacancies and embarking on cost-cutting measures.

"We do recommend that this authorised expenditure be financed as a direct charge against the national revenue fund." 

 Scopa has this week embarked on various meetings with government entities. 

 The committee met with power utility Eskom at Megawatt Park on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

The committee is expected to meet with the Road Accident Fund on Friday.