The Democratic Alliance (DA) has proposed two significant measures in the National Assembly aimed at strengthening parliamentary oversight of the executive branch.
These proposals, supported by all parties present except the African National Congress (ANC) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), include the establishment of a separate oversight committee dedicated to the Presidency and the reintroduction of interpellations (questions) as an accountability mechanism.
DA Chief Whip George Michalakis stated, “These new rules will ensure that the President and the Department of the Presidency is accountable in full, and not only through occasional oral questions.”
He referenced Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s report into state capture, which highlighted the inadequacy of existing oversight mechanisms regarding the conduct of former president Jacob Zuma.
“It is not correct that everything for which the President is responsible is delegated to a minister or department outside of the Presidency. Our recent history also shows that the President’s conduct is not always subjected to adequate oversight by the existing portfolio committees.”
Currently, the Director General in the Presidency is the only DG in the country not accountable to a committee of Parliament. The proposed oversight committee aims to rectify this by ensuring comprehensive accountability.
ActionSA, parliamentary leader Athol Trollip also expressed support for the establishment of the Oversight Committee.
Trollip noted that ActionSA has been advocating for such oversight since 2009, asserting that the unchecked expansion of powers within the Presidency undermines parliamentary mandate.
“The establishment of the Oversight Committee represents a long overdue step forward in the fight for accountability and effective oversight in safeguarding democratic and transparent governance,” he said.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) welcomed the decision to create a portfolio committee for oversight over the Presidency.
EFF spokesperson Leigh-Anne Mathys stated that this move would strengthen parliamentary mechanisms to hold the executive accountable, particularly the President.
She highlighted that, “This committee will also evaluate the president's budget as it has thus far been passed without any interrogation.”
However, Mathys criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa's administration for expanding the powers of the Presidency, which now oversees multiple ministries and state-owned entities.
She noted the detrimental impacts of this expansion, particularly regarding the school sanitation program in the Eastern Cape, where children have faced tragic accidents due to inadequate facilities.
IOL Politics