The ANC has re-affirmed its position that it is committed to President Cyril Ramaphosa and other principals in the Presidency being held accountable in Parliament.
This comes as the party has taken a definitive stand regarding accountability within the Presidency, bolstering its support for Ramaphosa and committed to ensuring that all officials in the executive are held answerable.
Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli expressed the party’s stance in Parliament, asserting that existing oversight mechanisms are sufficient to maintain accountability without the need for an additional committee.
Ntuli stated that all departments operating under the president’s office are subject to scrutiny through various parliamentary structures.
This includes the portfolio committee on planning, monitoring and evaluation, which oversees not only the Presidency but also entities like Statistics South Africa and the Department of Minerals and Energy.
Additionally, he mentioned that state security accountability falls under the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence and that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has jurisdiction through the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa).
The ANC’s declaration comes in response to a recent wave of calls from various opposition parties, including the EFF, MK Party, ATM, and the DA, advocating for the establishment of a dedicated ad hoc committee to ensure accountability among departments within the Presidency.
“All functions within the department, the Presidency, and the broader Presidency family, are already accountable through the delegated principals and properly appointed executive authorities to oversight committees,” Ntuli said.
“On the contrary, the ANC remains fully committed to holding the president, the deputy president, and all members of the executive accountable to the people of South Africa through Parliament. It is a fact that the presidency has always accounted to Parliament under the rules and structures in place.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed the proposals discussed in the National Assembly Rules Committee, evaluating them as preliminary steps towards holding the executive accountable.
DA’s chief whip George Michalakis underscored the necessity of creating a dedicated oversight committee for the Presidency, which he claims is currently the only directorate in government lacking direct accountability to a parliamentary committee.
Michalakis further emphasised that the reintroduction of interpellations — which were part of parliamentary regulations until 2000 — would allow for deeper engagement between the executive and members of Parliament.
He argued that the establishment of new rules would ensure that both the president and the entire department of the Presidency are subjected to rigorous accountability, rather than being evaluated solely through infrequent oral questions.
Ntuli further stated that the president has a prescribed number of appearances in the National Assembly where he is held to account, including the budget vote and a number of written replies as part of the commitment to scrutiny.
The Star