The unauthorised spending of R60 million by the Northern Province Department of Health and Welfare, highlighted in a report released by MEC Sello Moloto last month, seems likely to be the subject of lively debate during the coming sitting of the Provincial Legislature.

The report, compiled by an inter-disciplinary panel, showed that tender procedures had been violated during the installation of the Hospital Information System in the province. In addition, an official apparently lied to the MEC when he said that the project would cost R35,9 million over a short period of time.

It turned out the expenditure would amount to R94 million over a period of five years. During the first year alone, R50 million had been spent.

A further disturbing finding was that the former Superintendent-General approved the purchasing of furniture and laptops which were not part of the HIS project, and therefore outside the scope of the approved tender. One of the puzzling aspects was the decision to do away with an existing information system, in favour of the older system.

Meanwhile, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) has welcomed the transparency shown by the MEC in releasing the entire report, in contrast to previous tendencies to table mere executive summaries.

ACDP provincial leader Neels Roelofse described this development as a clear change in attitude by the provincial government. He believed that pressure by opposition parties had definitely contributed to this change in attitude.

"The ball is now in the MEC's hands. Further action is needed, and we call on him to employ agencies such as the Auditor-General to carry out forensic auditing of the tenders, to establish whether the Public Finance Management Act has been contravened. We believe it will also be necessary to draw in the Scorpions to determine criminal liability", Roelofse said.