Johannesburg - Limpopo faces a potential shortfall of R2bn
at the end of the financial year, the ministry of finance said on Thursday.
"Why has this situation come about in Limpopo? The
province has large, accumulated unauthorised expenditure which has grown from
R1.5bn in 2009 to R2.7bn 2011," the ministry said.
The statement was released during a news briefing giving an
update after the province was placed under administration in December.
The cabinet put the province under administration after it
emerged that Limpopo was bankrupt and could not pay civil servants such as
teachers and nurses.
In the department of health, the team found that:
- The province owed suppliers R138m, but only half of these
payments, R67m, could be verified and approved for payment by December 23;
- R427m in assets had no supporting documents;
- There was R400m in irregular expenditure of goods and
services, mostly medical equipment.
Education Minister Angie Motshekga said in the
province's education department there was no supply chain management, with the
department not ordering pupil support material on time.
It accumulated unauthorised expenditure of R2.2bn and there
was a R190m accrual of "stale debt" - money owed.
At least 200 "ghost" teachers were paid and there
were 2 400 excess teachers in the province.
Certain schools had not received the money they needed in 2011 for basics such as electricity and photocopying.