PAC to Subpoena Rundu, Kavango East Councils Over Audit Queries
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PAC) has resolved to subpoena the management of the Rundu Town Council and Kavango East Regional Council after failing to get satisfactory answers to questions raised in Auditor-General reports.
The decision was taken during a public hearing in Kavango East on Monday, where the committee questioned the two institutions over audit findings covering the financial years ending June 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Both councils received adverse audit opinions for the periods under review, prompting the PAC to demand explanations on how public funds were managed and spent.
According to the committee, the responses provided by the management teams did not adequately address the issues raised by the Auditor General.
The hearing was also affected by the absence of Kavango East Regional Council Chief Regional Officer, who was unavailable to respond to questions directed to the council.
The PAC has now ordered the management teams of both institutions to appear before the committee in Windhoek. The date of the appearance will be announced later.
The committee says the hearings are intended to establish what happened to public funds, address shortcomings identified in audit reports and determine whether corrective measures have been taken.
The move puts renewed focus on financial accountability at local and regional government level, with the PAC signalling that outstanding audit concerns will not simply be left unresolved.
