Parliament’s sport, arts and culture committee has warned it may take the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) to SCOPA.
This after officials admitted that internal audit has never recommended consequence management, despite three years of repeat audit findings.
The committee was processing DSAC’s 2025/26 annual report on Friday.
DA MP Leah Potgieter said the department’s report and the Auditor-General’s findings painted two different pictures.
She said the AG found that 52% of auditees in the portfolio had repeat material non-compliance with key legislation.
She said 31% submitted performance reports with material misstatements, and 66% submitted financial statements with material misstatements.
She said the department spent its whole budget, but its performance dropped from 93% to 80%.
“While we’re being presented with targets that are being achieved and money that’s being spent, the AG gives us a picture of non-compliance, weak controls, unreliable supporting evidence and complete failures in oversight,” she said.
“Which picture should we rely on as the portfolio committee?”
The department said the two reports did not conflict.
“We had running battles initially when we discussed the audit matters, but ultimately we signed off the management report from the AG,” an official said.
Potgieter asked who had been held accountable.
The department’s chief audit executive said internal audit flags non-compliance.
“But we have not recommended any consequence management in respect of those non-compliance issues,” she said.
Potgieter asked why not.
“It’s coming up over three years. At what stage do you recommend consequence management?” she asked.
“I think we would have to look at it going forward,” the chief audit executive said.
The CFO said the department had a repeat finding on transfer payments for three years.
He said it was a “difference of opinion” with the AG.
He said DSAC wrote to National Treasury, which agreed with the department. He said the AG saw the letter before signing off but did not accept it.
Potgieter said she accepted that, but wanted to talk about the other findings.
“Why is it that no consequence management or interventions have taken place, and we’re hearing that we must consider this going forward? It’s very bizarre to me,” she said.
“I’m not going to continue giving my child my card if they keep abusing it. Nobody will learn if there’s no consequences,” said Potgieter.
Acting director-general Vincent Campbell said the AG had told the committee the day before that it flagged only one case for consequence management.
He said some officials in that case are no longer in the system.
The chair stopped him.
“Mr Campbell, are you in disagreement with what the AG presented to us?” the chair asked.
“It has been reported that there’s no consequence management. You are presenting the contrary here today. You know what that means. It will force us to have a conversation with SCOPA. It’s very serious,”
The chair listed forensic probes this financial year, including national school sport, the State Theatre and a bonus paid to a CEO.
“And yet it is your department reporting today in its annual report that there has never been one disciplinary hearing,” the chair said.
Potgieter said consequence management did not always mean a disciplinary hearing.
“It includes interventions. It includes capacitating your staff. But consequence management has to follow,” she said.
“I don’t think it should get to the point where the AG tells you who you need to discipline.”
She will put her questions to the department in writing.
Later in the meeting, the chief audit executive said two supply chain officials had faced disciplinary processes after whistleblower reports. One process is complete and one is under way.
She said in the case flagged by the AG, the official resigned after a forensic report. DSAC is pursuing criminal and civil action to recover the money, ongoing since about 2023.
The chair asked the department to give the committee the case number.
“So that we can be assured that this case has not been swept under the carpet,” she said.
The department also told MPs that the minister was not to blame for its missed targets.
“It is the responsibility of the administration, led by the DG and supported by the DDGs,” Campbell said.
