The Universal Service & Access Agency of South Africa (Usaasa), the “worst-performing entity” that reports to the department of communications, plans to spend R1 408/employee on a Christmas function this year, Democratic Alliance MP Marian Shinn has said.
Shinn, who is shadow communications minister, says the figure was confirmed by communications minister Dina Pule in reply to a parliamentary question about the planned spending on Christmas parties by the department of communications and the entities reporting to it.
The Independent Communications Authority of SA plans to spend R862/person, Sentech has allocated R363 a head, the SABC R254/head and the department of communications R660/head.
Shinn says the SABC’s planned R926 060 party still needs approval by the group’s executive management.
The Post Office and training institute Nemisa have no plans to spend money on year-end celebrations.
Shinn says Pule justified the Usaasa expense because it was needed to “alleviate pressures undertaken by staff in this year and to appreciate staff for the co-operation and flexibility shown during the forensic…” The sentence in the minister’s reply is incomplete.
“The pressure I assume the minister alludes to is the entity’s participation in the forensic audit, nearing completion, into the financial maladministration that led to the suspension of Usaasa’s top management last year and the nonexecutive directors of the board being released from their responsibilities,” Shinn says.
The agency is under executive caretaker management and was without a board until September. “The entity has been criticised by the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications for failing to meet 91% of its targets in 2010/11 and for excessive spending on management salaries and bonuses while it was not functioning. Its first quarter expenditure for 2012/13 is 82% under target.”
Shinn says she will write to Pule to request that Usaasa exercises restraint “in using the public purse to reward well-paid public servants who have had very little success in their endeavours this year”.
TechCentral was not immediately able to reach an Usaasa spokesman for comment. — (c) 2012 NewsCentral Media