ANC rejects DA calls for ad hoc committee on electricity ministry

The DA wants parliament to establish an ad hoc committee to provide oversight on the newly established ministry of electricity, but this has been rejected by the ANC.

The DA says minister of electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is not held accountable by any committee in parliament, meaning there is no oversight of his actions and decisions. This, the DA argues, is not acceptable, given the crisis the country is in.

The proposed establishment of an ad hoc committee, supported by most parties in parliament — except the ANC — aims to ensure there is a direct line of accountability to parliament for Ramokgopa.

Ramokgopa has been in office for more than a month but is yet to employ a full staff compliment as there is a tussle over the powers President Cyril Ramaphosa will assign to him.

During a debate on Thursday, the DA’s Kevin Mileham argued parliament needed to have the power to summon Ramokgopa to answer questions about his work.

“The committee would be tasked with ensuring that he’s acting in the best interest of the country and its citizens. It would provide a forum for public participation for the people of South Africa to share their views and concerns about the electricity sector and the minister’s performance or lack thereof,” said Mileham.

An ad hoc committee would not be out of the ordinary as parliament has created similar committees on the SABC board, funding of political parties and on amending section 25 of the constitution.

“South Africa cannot afford another 15 years of rolling blackouts simply because we as parliament have failed in our constitutional obligations,” he said. “I therefore call on all members of the National Assembly to prioritise parliamentary oversight and to work together to ensure that the executive is held accountable for its actions through the establishment of an ad hoc committee to oversee the function and role of the minister of electricity.

“Let us build a strong, transparent and accountable democracy, one that serves the people and upholds principles of good governance and the rule of law.”

The ANC, however, argued there were already adequate accountability mechanisms.

ANC MP Regina Lesoma said the party was not in support of the motion as there were at least seven instances in which Ramokgopa would be able to account to parliament.

“Accountability takes place under the state of the nation address debate, quarterly questions to the president, quarterly questions to the deputy president, regular reports from the presidency, the debate in terms of the budget. He answers questions once a term under the economic cluster of ministers, as well as debates on ministerial statements that he will [make] in the immediate future, hopefully,” she said.

“This therefore answers the misleading statements under clause 3 of the motion which states ‘it is impossible for the assembly to exercise its constitutional mandate oversight responsibilities over minister Ramokgopa and the office he holds’.”

Lesoma said to suggest there were no oversight mechanisms was misleading and the DA wanted Ramokgopa to be subjected to “double oversight”.

“We don’t support the establishment of the committee as the systems of oversight we have in parliament are adequate.”

Lesoma argued Ramokgopa’s office was not a fully fledged department but a ministry, adding it had no staff members, no annual plan and instead made use of personnel in the Presidency who are part of the national energy crisis team. 

The EFF said it supported the establishment of the ad hoc committee but called for broader oversight on the Presidency as a whole.

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