The power play that unfolded at parliament's tourism committee meeting was cringeworthy. It was one of the worst examples of how public representatives are supposed to exercise their various stewardship roles.
Parliamentary committees play an important oversight role to ensure that members of the executive use the enormous powers at their disposal for the best interests of the country. For that reason, they must be respected by all, including members of the executive.
That, however, does not mean that such bodies must treat themselves as above the law. They should at all times ensure that their actions and decisions are objectively in the best interest of the country.
News of SA Tourism’s plans to sponsor English football club Tottenham Hotspur to the tune of almost a R1bn over three years succeeded where many had failed. It gave SA a rare chance of having a public issue supported from virtually every sector of our painfully polarised society.
It therefore made sense and was to be expected that the tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu was never going to have it easy when she appeared before that committee. It did not help that Sisulu arrived late.
Instead of leading from the front to ensure that the meeting was businesslike, chairperson Tandi Mahambehlala pushed the matter beyond what seems at face value to be an overreach on the side of the committee when she ordered Sisulu to immediately terminate the deal with Spurs.
It is doubtful that a parliamentary committee has the power to order a state-owned business entity how to conduct its core business. It is does not matter how unpopular the business decision is.
The idea of parliamentary committees being able to make executive decisions is just too ghastly to contemplate. If that were to be allowed, then it would be futile and pointless for state-owned entities to have executives or even board members.
Our fervent disapproval of state-owned decisions should not mean that all rules are then set aside.
Regardless of how irritated or appalled we might be, our legislative houses and committees must remain rules-based. To allow the committee to bend the rules because we agree with it on the subject on the table would be to set a terrible precedent.
While we agree that the Spurs deal must be terminated, it is not for the tourism committee to pull the plug. Committees must know their limits and be careful not to overreach their mandate and powers.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.