EFF, MK Party support proposal from DA for parliamentary oversight body over Presidency
It’s a hangover from the fifth Parliament, which was never concluded in the sixth administration, despite a study tour and several meetings of robust debate over the years for a parliamentary mechanism to interrogate the Office of the President.
President Cyril Ramaphosa at the national results operations centre after the announcement of the 2024 election results. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - In a rare display of collaboration with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the new Parliament, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party have supported a proposal from the party for a parliamentary oversight body over the Presidency.
It’s a hangover from the fifth Parliament, which was never concluded in the sixth administration, despite a study tour and several meetings of robust debate over the years for a parliamentary mechanism to interrogate the Office of the President.
On Thursday night, DA Chief Whip, George Michalakis set the cat among the pigeons by putting the matter back on the table.
It garnered just enough votes to push his proposal over the line.
Michalakis said a Presidency oversight committee will ensure the president and his department are accountable in full, and not only through questions from Members of Parliament (MPs).
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Currently, the Director General of the Presidency is the only one across the state who is not accountable to a committee of Parliament.
“I’m of the opinion that we need a separate committee over the Presidency. Its scrutinisation function should not be limited to the budget and the spending of the vote on the Presidency but that we establish such a committee.”
African National Congress (ANC) Chief Whip, Mdumiseni Ntuli, has questioned how such a committee would work since the president is not an MP.
However, the EFF's Mbuyiseni Ndlozi shot down a suggestion for Parliament to do further benchmarking, following a study tour to the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023.
“The chief whip of the DA has ministers in the executive. He doesn’t mind strengthening parliamentary oversight over the executive. I don’t know what other parties are doing in GNU [Government of National Unity], but this one does not mind a strong Parliament.”
The MK Party and Freedom Front Plus also added their votes for a sub-committee to determine exactly what form such a committee would take, and how it would work.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which made the proposal for an oversight committee for the Presidency in the previous Parliament sided with the ANC and voted against the DA's proposal.
The sub-committee will have to report back to the rules committee before a proposal is taken to the National Assembly for adoption.