Evaluating the effectiveness of the oversight role of the portfolio committee on the accountability of the Limpopo Department of Education, South Africa

Abstract

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of the oversight role of the Portfolio Committee on Education, in determining their influence on accountability functions by the Department of Education. The overall aim is to provide an understanding into inherent challenges in the oversight role of the Portfolio Committee on Education in the Limpopo Legislature. The study further aimed to collect data on the role played by the Members of the Education Portfolio Committee on how they exercise their oversight role in ensuring that the Department of Basic Education delivers quality service to the public. As such, the study was conducted from a qualitative perspective; using interviews and documentation analysis. The results of this study indicate that although Members of the Limpopo Legislature, particularly Members of the Portfolio Committee on Education, are capacitated to conduct oversight over the Department of Basic Education, there are still gaps and challenges as far as the oversight role of Parliament is concerned. The study further reveals that the Portfolio Committee’s ineffectiveness when performing its oversight may be attributed to the Department’s lack of co-operation, submission of poor quality reports, non-compliance with rules and regulations, Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) (and other policies), deviation from the budget, unwillingness to implement the Committee’s recommendations and failure to submit required documentation to Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) and the Auditor General’s (AG) Office.