Parties demand parliamentary committee to oversee Ramaphosa’s ballooning Presidency

Political parties are pressing for the establishment of a parliamentary committee that will hold the president and Presidency to account.

Most of the parties that participated in the Presidency budget debate, including those in the government of national unity (GNU) with the exception of the ANC, repeated the call first made during former president Thabo Mbeki’s tenure.

The state capture inquiry also called for the establishment of such a committee to which the president and Presidency would account.

Leading the charge on Tuesday was MK Party parliamentary leader John Hlophe, who said despite programmes and task teams based in the Presidency, including state departments, parliament had no meaningful oversight over these.

Hlophe said the difficulty with endorsing the Presidency budget vote was that they had not seen the annual performance plans.

“It’s very difficult to approve of something in the dark. The most critical aspect of the GNU cabinet is that you, Mr President, can act unilaterally with state-owned companies (SOCs) bypassing parliamentary oversight.”

The role played by portfolio committees is critical as they are responsible for overseeing government ministries. However, a portfolio committee has not been established for the Presidency.

“That is a serious lacuna [gap],” said Hlophe.

With the dissolution of the department of public enterprises, SOCs will fall under the Presidency, which means they will no longer be accountable to parliament.

The president only answers to parliament during quarterly question and answer sessions often marred by bias and a lack of transparency, said Hlophe.

He said the DA had previously called for a portfolio committee for the Presidency, citing Phala Phala as an example of its necessity. He wondered whether the DA, as part of the executive, would reiterate the call.

Hlophe said the state capture inquiry report also recommended establishing a portfolio committee for the Presidency, “but will [chief justice Raymond] Zondo emphasise this recommendation again? It’s highly unlikely he will”.

He said accountability is very important as the SOCs under the Presidency contribute significantly to the economy.

“They are responsible for 27% of the GDP, surpassing the Johannesburg Stock Exchange,  which has a contribution of 23%.

“The question is can we trust President Cyril Ramaphosa to manage the companies without parliamentary oversight?”

DA MP Kevin Mileham said the party will not absolve the Presidency of its responsibility to account to parliament. 

“Not on our watch,” he said.

Mileham referenced Zondo’s findings and recommendation that “parliament has a constitutional duty to exercise oversight over the executive branch of government, including organs of state such as state-owned entities, and the executive is accountable to parliament”.

He said: “The state capture inquiry report identifies a lack of oversight over the executive, and in particular the Presidency, as one of the key factors permitting state capture and corruption to flourish. 

“The report recommended  a dedicated portfolio committee be established to oversee the actions and omissions of the president and ministers in the Presidency.”

Corné Mulder of the FF Plus reiterated the “great void” in terms of oversight when it comes to the Presidency. “It has to be rectified. This subject has already been broached by the state capture inquiry,” he said.

Mulder said the GNU's highest priority is economic growth. “The whole of South Africa is needed to achieve this, and an oversight body over the Presidency would play a key role in it.”

Mulder said in Britain such a structure is made up of the chairpersons of the respective portfolio committees with the aim of discussing policies and policy directions with the prime minister.

He said an oversight mechanism over the Presidency may not be used to fuel feuds or carry out personal vendettas against the president.

“It is not a political platform and its main aim is to sincerely seek solutions to specific problems. It could, and should, be implemented in the sincere pursuit of helping South Africa on the road to recovery.”

Rise Mzansi’s Songezo Zibi said the South African system gives enormous discretionary powers to the president, and the exercise of that discretion can determine the extent to which parliament is able to exercise meaningful oversight.

Over the years the size and scope of the Presidency has expanded significantly.

“The agenda you have set out in the opening of parliament address, and in your response yesterday, is sprawling. It covers everything from the reform of executive oversight over SOCs to climate change and foreign policy,” Zibi said.

“However, the growth of the Presidency has not been matched by efforts to ensure the many issues that previously fell to ministries continue to be subject to parliamentary oversight. This situation must not continue.”

Zibi said at the heart of South Africans’ despair about democracy was a sense that government leaders are not accountable.

“There is no one more obligated to set an example than you, Mr President, by working with parliament to create an appropriate mechanism for this body to provide oversight over this work.”

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