MPs let energy minister off the hook

Energy Minister Mmamaloko Kubayi is off the hook after Tuesday's parliamentary portfolio committee oversight meeting to hold her accountable on events at PetroSA and the Central Energy Fund was postponed indefinitely at short notice.

PetroSA has posted the worst single loss yet by a state-owned entity and the directors of the Central Energy Fund were recently suspended.

Kubayi would also have had to answer several questions from Democratic Alliance MP Gordon Mackay on the recent suspension of her department's director general for policy‚ planning and clean energy‚ Ompi Aphane.

After being on the parliamentary programme for some time‚ the meeting was suddenly cancelled on Monday afternoon with no reasons given.

Some MPs had already travelled from across the country to attend the meeting.

In reaction‚ Mackay pointed out that several of the oversight committee's meetings have been cancelled‚ to the extent that it has now not met for almost three months.

"(The) cancellation of a meeting - in which the minister was supposed to be held to account for the shambolic management of her department‚ the spree of suspensions and her political cover-up of the strategic fuel stock sale - is a clear indication that Minister Kubayi and the ANC are running scared. The minister can run‚ but the DA will not let her hide‚" said Mackay.

Senior African National Congress MP Slovo Majola‚ who cancelled the meeting‚ did not respond to phone calls and SMS questions as to why another oversight committee was cancelled.

Kubayi's spokesperson‚ Nomvula Khalo‚ did not respond to whether the minister requested the postponement of the oversight meeting.