Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Nehemiah Modubule will during this coming Parliamentary sitting report Member of Parliament for Tati-East Guma Moyo and Member of Parliament for Gaborone South Kagiso Molatlhegi for abstaining from PAC sitting apparently to campaigns in their constituencies. The two pair, who are members of the PAC absconded from the committee that examines government’s books of accounts and instead allegedly went on the campaign trail.
The PAC mandate is to examine the books of government. The Committee mandate is derived from the standing orders of Parliament 105.3 of the National Assembly. After each financial year the committee examines the accounting statements prepared and signed by the Accounting General in accordance with the provisions of the Finance and Audit Act and then report the results of such examinations to the assembly. Commenting on their absence PAC Modubule who is also Lobatse legislators told Sunday Standardthat, “PAC is made of ten members. When we started our examinations all the members were present but along the way we lost two members in the name of Guma Moyo and Kagiso Molatlhegi.
The eight members who remained were very committed to their duty. We have managed to examine the books of government. I do not know what happened to Moyo and Molatlhegi because they have never indicated to me as the chairman or anybody the reasons for their absence but being an election year we just assume that they went back to their constituencies to campaign. Really I cannot answer for them; even now we still do not know the reasons for their absence. As the chairman of the committee I will have to report them before parliament this coming month when parliament resumes,” he said.
Molatlhegi denied that he abstained from the PAC meeting intentionally. “Who is saying I did not state the reasons for my absence? The chairman of the committee knows exactly why I was not part of the proceedings of the PAC. I am going to call him to ask him about this because I told him all the reasons why I was not part of the PAC,” he said. This publication was unable to solicit a comment from Tati-East Member of Parliament Guma Moyo. Meanwhile Modubule revealed that the just ended PAC seating was his last as the committee chairman.
“As the outgoing chairperson of the PAC, I can only say it is upon the parliament to strengthen the powers of the PAC. I am not happy about the level of implementation on the commendations made by PAC to the ministries. There are some challenges, some ministries simply ignore the recommendations made by PAC,” he said. After the general election parliament is expected to elect the new chairman of the PAC. The chairman must be from one of the opposition parties.
