The EFF has written to National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza requesting action be taken against defence and military veterans minister Angie Motshekga and finance minister Enoch Godongwana after they failed to appear before a parliamentary portfolio committee.
In a letter written by its parliamentary chief whip Nontando Nolutshungu, the EFF criticised Motshekga for being a repeat offender who had disregard for parliament.
“Motshekga has previously failed to attend portfolio committee and joint standing committee meetings, forcing committees to repeatedly register their displeasure. Their absence demonstrates not a scheduling conflict but a pattern of disregard for parliament’s oversight work, in clear violation of their constitutional and parliamentary obligations,” it said.
Parliament is empowered to scrutinise executive organs of state. The constitution requires the speaker to communicate resolutions affecting the executive to the leader of government business.
Nolutshungu said the EFF has called on Didiza to formally write to Deputy President Paul Mashatile to attend to the matter.
“Ministers cannot be permitted to ignore parliament’s authority while the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) collapses into dysfunction. We further request your communication and any response be published in the announcements, tablings and committee reports for transparency. Parliament cannot allow this pattern of executive disregard to persist. It undermines the separation of powers, weakens democratic accountability and leaves our nation’s defence unprotected,” she said.
Motshekga and Godongwana were scheduled to appear before the committee this week to discuss the state of South Africa’s defence.
Godongwana had been called to respond to allegations that the National Treasury was frustrating the department.
Despite repeated reminders and adequate notice, Motshekga informed the committee at the last hour of her unavailability due to overseas travel, and Godongwana followed with a similar refusal to attend, the EFF said.
“The SANDF continues to face historic over-expenditure on the cost of employment, an ageing force and declining operational readiness. This reality poses a direct threat to South Africa’s sovereignty and ability to respond to security challenges.”
In October last year, deputy minister of defence and military veterans Bantu Holomisa penned a scathing diagnostic report on the state of the department, exposing the scale of the rot, some of which was flagged by the auditor-general.
The department has been the biggest offender in fruitless and wasteful expenditure, constituting 97% for the year, with R441.82m reported, including R271m from cancelled and renewed contracts, and R108.2m from unoccupied office buildings.
Holomisa detailed how the department reported R338.49m in breaches, including R183.6m tied to Project Thusano with Cuba, where South African procurement laws were not followed.
Holomisa said the issue of fairness was violated in the R81.34m contract for aircraft fuel and airport services, where the winning bidder did not meet the mandatory criteria.
“Transparency was lacking in a R46.79m lease agreement for St George’s Hotel, where the procurement process was not properly followed. Other non-compliances in the department of defence and military veterans amounted to millions more.”
TimesLIVE
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