The Democratic Alliance has proposed the establishment of a parliamentary portfolio committee on the Presidency.

The envisaged committee would provide oversight over the work of the presidency in general and the work of the two ministries— national planning, and performance monitoring and evaluation— which now also fell under the presidency, in particular, DA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip told a media briefing.

Since 1994, no such portfolio committee had existed, which had limited the constitutional imperative that the legislature provide oversight over the work of the executive.

“With the creation of two new ministries, this shortcoming has now become a substantial and serious blind spot,” Trollip said.

The presidency and its function formed a significant part of the work of the national government as a whole and, to exercise the vast power vested in it in an open and transparent manner, it was necessary that it account to the legislature in the same fashion every other national department was required to.

“The presidency should not be exempt from this principle; indeed, it should epitomise it; and the president and the two ministers in the presidency have a duty to lead in this regard,” he said.

At the next meeting of the National Assembly rules committee, the DA would propose such a committee be established.

Trollip said he would also send the DA’s detailed document on the matter, together with a letter requesting support for its proposals, to President Jacob Zuma and the two ministers in the presidency.

In similar fashion, a copy of the document would also be sent to the Speaker of the National Assembly, and the leadership of other political parties.

“There is no reason why this proposal should not meet with the full support of parliament and the presidency.

“Like any other national department, the presidency and those ministries in it are required to go through a budgetary process, the formulation and implementation of a strategic plan and then to carry out their business in an open and transparent manner,” he said.

Recently, the lack of proper oversight over the presidency had been brought to the fore by a number of practical problems that had not been properly interrogated in the public interest.

These included the conduct of the presidential VIP unit, the appointment of the Chief Justice and national director of public prosecutions, and the establishment, role and function of a national planning commission and a performance, monitoring and evaluation unit.

Others were the president’s role in the Zimbabwean impasse, the performance of the presidential hotline, wasteful expenditure of government, and presidential pardons.

“All of these are examples of issues that have taken place in a vacuum, without proper interrogation or oversight.

“Ultimately, as with every public office, the presidency is accountable to the public and a committee is the best mechanism to facilitate that interaction and oversight,” Trollip said.