Deputy President Paul Mashatile has expressed his readiness to appear before the newly proposed oversight committee on the Presidency.

Speaking at a Press Gallery Association breakfast on Thursday, Mashatile also addressed concerns about ministers failing to attend portfolio committee meetings, promising to tackle non-compliance.

This commitment comes in light of Parliament’s recent resolution to form a committee primarily focused on monitoring the budget and administration of the Presidency, with the ability to summon the appointed ministers at will.

The decision represents a vital step forward in answering long-standing calls from opposition parties and recommendations from the Zondo Commission for greater scrutiny of South Africa’s highest office.

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

Currently, the President and his deputy are held accountable by MPs when they appear in Parliament to answer oral questions in person or reply to written questions, while the director-general in the Presidency does not appear before any committee.

Mashatile said he and President Cyril Ramaphosa are in full agreement with the committee’s establishment.

“We will subject ourselves to that,” he said.

“Members of Parliament have the right to ask us about issues that they think are of public interest. I agree that they can ask everything they want to ask, even about homes, but that committee is still finalising its operations,” said the deputy president.

The committee’s role and the extent of its reach have been the subject of extensive debate, specifically regarding whether the President himself should appear or if the responsibility would fall on the director-general.

Mashatile noted that Ramaphosa welcomed the opportunity to address the committee, reinforcing the administration’s commitment to transparency.

“If he decides to come, he will come, and in some instances, I will go and represent the President. They can ask us any question they want to,” he added.

Mashatile’s financial interests often come under scrutiny when Parliament publishes the register of financial interest disclosed by MPs.

The Ethics Committee recently found that he failed to declare a diamond gift by diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg to his wife.

Addressing recent concerns over ministers’ attendance at portfolio committee meetings, Mashatile remarked on the troubling trend of some Cabinet members failing to fulfil this obligation, only to later attend different events within Parliament’s precincts. 

His comments come in the wake of the Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development expressing outrage after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana declined their request to present on land reform funding expenditure.

Mashatile said ministers were expected to honour their commitments to portfolio committees.

“This problem has reached us. As a leader of Government Business, I have received this complaint and I have written to all ministers to urge them to attend the portfolio committees,” he said.

Mashatile also said he has proactively addressed the attendance issues with all ministers when he reports to Cabinet on their work in Parliament.

“One of the things we look at is this issue of attendance of ministers in portfolio committees and answering questions. The ministers who are behind in answering questions get reminded that they must do so.”

He said there was a great improvement because those that were non-compliant were exposed.

“Many people don’t want to be exposed that way. Ministers are now making sure nobody should have more than 10 questions outstanding in Parliament.”

Mashatile added that he would take up the issue of non-attendance at meetings of portfolio committees by ministers with the presiding officers.

“We will discuss this matter of ministers not attending, or they are not even attending when they are in the (parliamentary) precinct, but doing something else. Once we get those names of those ministers, I will immediately attend to them.”

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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