The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) has suspended its meeting with State-owned defence technology company Denel, which was scheduled for June 6, as the Denel board failed to appear.
Scopa was scheduled to receive a briefing from Denel on the non-tabling of its annual report and its liquidity crisis.
Denel was also expected to update the committee on irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure and on other outstanding matters. The committee was also to receive an update on investigations conducted by the Special Investigating Unit.
The committee sent a letter to Denel through the Department of Public Enterprises on May 23 indicating that the entity should appear before the committee on June 6.
Last week, the Scopa chairperson received an undated letter from the Denel chairperson indicating that she was abroad and would not be available. However, she committed to ensuring the board would be represented at the day’s meeting.
At the start of the meeting on June 6, the committee heard from Public Enterprises Deputy Minister Obed Bapela that no board members were present.
The committee could not proceed with the meeting as the board is the accounting authority and the body that should brief the committee. It is a dereliction of duty on the part of the board not to make arrangements to appear before the committee as scheduled, Scopa points out.
The committee has rescheduled the meeting with Denel to June 14, where the board is expected to attend. In the event that the board does not attend, the committee will ask the Speaker of the National Assembly to issue subpoenas to the board on the committee’s behalf.