A first for SA: Parliament votes for committee to oversee Presidency’s functions

For the first time in Democratic South Africa, the President and Deputy President of the country will be held directly accountable before a portfolio committee.

This comes after Parliament on Thursday voted on a proposal to establish a Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to oversee the Presidency’s functions.

Previously the presidents’ functions were scrutinised by ministers in other committees.

Obligations

The African National Congress (ANC) historically resisted such oversight but now supports the proposal.

The vote was supported by the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Thursday night.

In June 2022, a proposal from former  Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) chief whip Narend Singh to establish a committee to oversee the Presidency was put before the National Assembly Rules Committee.

DA Member of Parliament (MP) and Parliamentary Chief Whip George Michalakis said the proposals are the first step in ensuring “a Parliament that can fulfil its constitutional obligation of executive oversight, robustly.”

“The DA, supported by all other parties present with the exception of the ANC and IFP, made the following proposals: That a separate oversight committee over the Presidency be established.

“That interpellations be deemed desirable as an accountability mechanism and that the sub-committee on the rules be tasked with formulating rules to implement it,” Michalakis said.

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Oversight committee

In his report into state capture, then Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, stated there must be an oversight of the President.

“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”.

Michalakis said the new rules will ensure that the President and the department of the Presidency are accountable in full, and not only through occasional oral questions and functions delegated to other members of the executive.

“The DA believes that for our democracy to function effectively, all spheres of government must work. In the parliamentary context, it requires robust debate and executive oversight, to ensure that the government fulfils its functions and obligations in the interest of the public.

“Parties within the GNU should be confident in the effectiveness and transparency with which they govern so that all forms of scrutiny can and should be welcomed,” Michalakis said.

‘Democracy won’

ActionSA Lerato Ngobeni welcomed the move by Parliament.

“Moments ago, I was proud to cast ActionSA’s deciding vote for the establishment of an oversight committee on the bloated Presidency!  Democracy won, a win for accountability.

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