Social Development on Democratic Alliance media briefing

29 July 2015

Following the media briefing held by the Democratic Alliance this morning, July 28, the Department of Social Development responds:

At face value, it looks like the DA is doubting the independence of the office of the Auditor-General (AG), the processes of Parliament and their own members of Parliament who sit in the portfolio committee on Social Development. Every question that they have sent to the Minister of Social Development was dealt with in these processes of government and the department has directed them to those. The AG has pronounced on the books of the department and its agencies and these are in the public domain.

It is absurd for any department to reply to the same questions asked differently by the same party. All the information that they have requested can be found in their offices because we table the annual report to Parliament and distribute it to all members of the Portfolio Committee. The Minister of Social Development and officials of the department have honoured all Portfolio Committee meetings and allowed their members to question what was not understood.

The Department of Social Development received clean audits for two years in succession. We meet quarterly with the office of the AG.

Statement issued by Ms Lumka Oliphant, Department of Social Development, July 29 2015