National Assembly committees elected their chairs this week
10 July 2024 - 20:01
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Bosa leader Mmusi Maimane is chairperson of parliament's appropriation committee. Picture: THABO TSHABALALA
The DA has obtained top posts in five of the 30 portfolio committees in the National Assembly and three of the nine select committees in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in negotiations over the distribution of positions in parliament.
Committees have been electing their chairs over the past two days.
Former health minister Zweli Mkhize (ANC), who resigned over the Digital Vibes scandal, is chair of the co-operative governance and traditional affairs committee and Dina Pule (ANC) is chair of the agriculture committee. Pule was found to have contravened the parliamentary code of ethics in 2013.
The DA obtained the chairs of the portfolio committees of water and sanitation (Leon Basson), public service and administration (Jan de Villiers), police (Ian Cameron), sports, art and culture (Joe McGluwa) and social development (Bridget Masango).
DA chief whip George Michalakis said in an interview that while the party would have liked more chairs, it was happy to have obtained key ones where it could make a difference and hold the executive to account.
“We are particularly very pleased with police and social development, as well as water and sanitation. It is a question of trade-offs and sharing,” Michalakis said.
The DA is also expected to get some of the chairs of the joint standing committees, which include the standing committees of intelligence, defence, ethics, financial management of parliament and constitutional review. The details of the distribution and whether the chairs will come from the National Assembly or the NCOP will be announced later.
The DA has also secured the National Assembly deputy speaker position and one of the three house chairs. In the NCOP it holds the position of chair of chairs, which is responsible for all the committees.
At the level of the executive, of the 32 ministerial posts and 43 deputy minister posts the DA got six ministers and six deputy ministers, the IFP two ministers and one deputy minister, FF+ one minister, PAC one minister, GOOD one minister, Al Jama-ah one deputy minister and the UDM one deputy minister.
The election of the committee chairs paves the way for MPs to start deliberating on budget votes, which begin on Thursday.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
DA secures five portfolio committee chairs
National Assembly committees elected their chairs this week
The DA has obtained top posts in five of the 30 portfolio committees in the National Assembly and three of the nine select committees in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in negotiations over the distribution of positions in parliament.
Committees have been electing their chairs over the past two days.
Of the members of the opposition, Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi is chair of the standing committee of public accounts, Build One SA leader Mmusi Maimane chair of the appropriations committee and Freedom Front Plus (FF+) MP Wouter Wessels chair of the standing committee on the auditor-general.
Former health minister Zweli Mkhize (ANC), who resigned over the Digital Vibes scandal, is chair of the co-operative governance and traditional affairs committee and Dina Pule (ANC) is chair of the agriculture committee. Pule was found to have contravened the parliamentary code of ethics in 2013.
The DA obtained the chairs of the portfolio committees of water and sanitation (Leon Basson), public service and administration (Jan de Villiers), police (Ian Cameron), sports, art and culture (Joe McGluwa) and social development (Bridget Masango).
DA chief whip George Michalakis said in an interview that while the party would have liked more chairs, it was happy to have obtained key ones where it could make a difference and hold the executive to account.
“We are particularly very pleased with police and social development, as well as water and sanitation. It is a question of trade-offs and sharing,” Michalakis said.
The DA is also expected to get some of the chairs of the joint standing committees, which include the standing committees of intelligence, defence, ethics, financial management of parliament and constitutional review. The details of the distribution and whether the chairs will come from the National Assembly or the NCOP will be announced later.
The DA has also secured the National Assembly deputy speaker position and one of the three house chairs. In the NCOP it holds the position of chair of chairs, which is responsible for all the committees.
At the level of the executive, of the 32 ministerial posts and 43 deputy minister posts the DA got six ministers and six deputy ministers, the IFP two ministers and one deputy minister, FF+ one minister, PAC one minister, GOOD one minister, Al Jama-ah one deputy minister and the UDM one deputy minister.
The election of the committee chairs paves the way for MPs to start deliberating on budget votes, which begin on Thursday.
ensorl@businesslive.co.za
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