By Patrick Cull

The Eastern Cape government failed to spend R246-million of the close to R3-billion it received as conditional grants from the national treasury in the last financial year.

An amount of R125-million of the integrated housing and human resettlement grant and R63,7-million earmarked for the national school nutrition programme was not spent.

Replying to a written question from Bobby Stevenson (DA), Finance MEC Billy Nel said the amount unspent on conditional grants had been accumulating since the 2005/06 financial year. Rollovers had been requested, but only the national treasury could approve this.

Nel said rollovers for both the housing and nutrition grants had been requested, along with R9,4-million for further education and training, R35-million for the land care programme and R44,9-million for forensic pathology services.

The MEC said that with regard to general expenditure performance a number of trends had been observed.

There was an acute lack of capacity to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate grant programmes and projects.

Inadequate and sometimes incoherent supply chain management systems and processes frustrated the service delivery chain.

There was a lack of availability of suitable and qualified personnel in technical areas, particularly for the heavy infrastructure grant departments.

Also, there was a need for application of effective internal controls, good planning and delivery, sound risk management and proper monitoring and evaluation practices.

Commenting on the MEC's reply, Stevenson said it was "alarming that this tendency continues to haunt the province with the adverse consequences for service delivery".

"It was "a disgrace that children should go hungry because of the lack of capacity to spend. The slow expenditure patterns have a negative impact on service delivery."