Parliament has established an oversight committee that will, for the first time since the dawn of democracy, hold the Presidency accountable for its operations.

The report from the Rules Committee was adopted, paving the way for an 11-member body that is expected to enhance parliamentary scrutiny of the executive branch.

The newly formed committee will primarily be tasked with overseeing the budget and administration of the Presidency, with the power to summon the designated minister appointed by the president.

The ANC will be represented by four MPs, the DA by two, and the MK Party and EFF by one each, with smaller parties represented by three.

The President and Deputy President will be required to appear before the committee annually to discuss policy matters of national and international significance.

This oversight effort follows years of calls from opposition parties and recommendations from the Zondo Commission, which highlighted the need for enhanced scrutiny of the country’s highest office.

Tabling the report, ANC Deputy Chief Whip Doris Dlakude said the National Assembly has been considering the possibility of a committee to oversee the operations of the Presidency for some time.

“The argument first arose in the sixth Parliament and later found expression in the State Capture Commission report.

“It is nevertheless important that committees of this kind, those that can scrutinise the office of the head of state, are not a common feature of Parliaments elsewhere,” Dlakude said.

DA Chief Whip George Michalakis said the resolution on the committee took place after years of debate.

“It is long overdue, but better late than never, and I’m convinced that these procedural developments will go a long way in ensuring a more effective, more robust and better Parliament,” Michalakis said.

MK Party said it supported the establishment of the committee because South Africa desperately needed stronger oversight over the most powerful office in the republic.

The MK Party’s MP said their support was not automatic, and then complained that the proposed composition of the committee undermined its very purpose as it was dominated by the Government of National Unity partners.

Nolutshungu said her party had in 2023 asked that a permanent committee be established to provide oversight on the work of the Presidency due to growing concentration of key state functions in the Office of the President, without a parliamentary mechanism to hold the Presidency to account in relation to functions in the Presidency.

 “We fully support the recommendations of the Rules Sub-committee for the establishment of a separate portfolio committee on the Presidency. The establishment of a separate committee over the Presidency marks decisive and consequential victory for constitutional democracy in the country,” she said.

IFP Chief Whip Nhlanhla Hadebe said the report reflected meaningful progress towards strengthening accountability and improving parliamentary efficiency.

“Our rules evolve with the needs of a modern democracy. We support the introduction of a dedicated committee on the Presidency, a long overdue mechanism that will enhance oversight and ensure structured engagement with the President and Deputy President,” Hadebe said.

Freedom Front Plus MP Wouter Wessels said it was not convention in most jurisdictions to have an oversight committee on the head of state.

“But over the last few years, our Presidency has become a fully fledged department where many functions reside, and with those functions are all the normal workings of a department,” he said.

ActionSA MP Lorato Ngobeni said the Presidency has operated as a centre of concentrated authority while Parliament is limited to written and oral questions as its primary tools of scrutiny.

Ngobeni said the establishment of the committee finally restored the constitutional level that no public office, including the highest office in the land, can operate without proper reach of Parliament.

“This committee will ensure the structured appearance of the President and the Deputy President. It will enhance scrutiny of the administration of the Presidency, and it will empower Parliament to call upon the necessary executive authorities with clarity and authority,” Ngobeni said.

Only the MK Party objected to the report when it was adopted while the rest of other parties were in support.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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