BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
LOBAMBA – The Deputy Prime Minister’s Office says it is continuing engagements with the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development to resolve issues surrounding an E5 million Tinkhundla Development Plan allocation raised in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending March 31, 2025.
The matter was discussed during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting with officials from the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office at the House of Assembly on May 27,2026.
Assistant Auditor General Samukelo Motsa told the committee that the Auditor General’s Office had identified unreleased appropriated capital budgets under the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office.
The allocations included more than E1 million meant for the procurement of Information Technology (IT) equipment as well as E5 million allocated for the Tinkhundla Development Plan.
The Auditor General explained that the controlling officer had informed the Auditor General’s Office that the IT equipment procurement was intended to be a once-off project which was supposed to be completed within one financial year.
According to Samukelo Motsa, the controlling officer further explained that the project’s appearance again in the 2025 budget was due to an administrative error from the Ministry of Finance.
On the E5 million Tinkhundla Development Plan allocation, Motsa said the controlling officer clarified that the item was not supposed to appear under the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office.
“The office was advised to engage the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development so that the matter could be resolved,” said AG during the committee sitting.
Responding before the committee, Principal Secretary in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office and controlling officer Siboniso Nkambulo confirmed that the office had already engaged the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development regarding the Tinkhundla Development Plan matter.
Nkambulo said the office had written a formal letter to the ministry and submitted it as proof that engagements were ongoing.
The Auditor General’s Office confirmed that it had received the January 2026 correspondence and acknowledged that the matter was still under discussion and had not yet been finalised.
The PAC meeting focused on accountability and progress made by government institutions in addressing matters raised in the Auditor General’s report.
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