Discussion of Constituency programme

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Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

06 July 2021
Chairperson: Ms F Muthambi (ANC)
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Meeting Summary

The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs convened to discuss the Committee’s scheduled programme for Parliament’s recess period as a result of a complaint from an anonymous Member. Prior to the recess period, it had been agreed by the Committee that two meetings would take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings every week during the recess period – this would allow the Committee to get through important business and Members would have time for their constituencies during the day. As a result of the complaint, which said the programme was too taxing, the House Chairperson ordered the Committee to suspend all its scheduled recess meetings with immediate effect.

During the discussion, Members unanimously supported the option for the original agreed upon recess programme to go ahead. Members said the Committee’s oversight of the local government sphere was critical. Members condemned the anonymous complainant as it deterred the Committee from holding officials accountable. Members suggested that whilst programme meeting times could be adjusted, time limit could be imposed on each Member’s speaking time in the meetings. None of the Members supported scaling down of the programme

Members who were present at the meeting all categorically stated that they did not make the complaint and urged the Committee Chairperson to write to the House Chairperson for immediate removal of the programme suspension.

Meeting report

The Portfolio Committee convened to discuss the Committee’s programme for the recess as a result of a complaint from a Member to the House Chairperson that the Committee programme’s are too taxing. The House Chairperson subsequently sent a directive to the Committee to immediately suspend all meetings scheduled for the recess period.

The Chairperson recalled that the Committee had agreed to have its Committee meetings twice a week during the constituency period instead of three to four times a week, as during the term. It was further agreed that Tuesday and Thursday evenings would be for Committee meetings as members would need the daytime to do their constituency work.

Following that agreement, the Chairperson had requested permission from the House Chairperson for recess meetings and the permission was given. However, the Chairperson received a directive from the House Chairperson on an urgent notice today to suspend all of its scheduled meetings as a result of a Member who had submitted a complaint about the scheduled programmes. The complaint entailed dissatisfaction of excessive meetings as well as the late hours of those meetings. Hence, the Chairperson thought that that the complaint needed to be brought to the attention of Committee Members. She proposed two options. The first option was for the Committee either to completely suspend its constituency programmes during the recess. The second option was to continue the programme as planned. The Chairperson expressed disappointment because the programmes had been agreed to and she did not understand why the issue could not have been addressed within the Committee. She opened the floor and asked Members to make inputs.

According to the directive from the House Chairperson, the meetings on 6, 8 and 13 July 2021, dealing with petitions, the AGSA and SUI reports on the PPE expenditure and the section 100 intervention in the North West, would be suspended.

Mr C Brink (DA) asked the Chairperson whether or not proper processes had been followed to obtain the House Chairperson’s permission because he did not understand how the complaint could have happened if all proper processes had been followed. He highlighted that the programmes for the recess period had been discussed and there was agreement from Members that the programme should not be as taxing as during the term, when the Committee met three times a week, twice a day. He personally thought that the programmes as presented had been scheduled in a fair manner and did not think that the Committee was taking on too much business.

The Chairperson assured Members that all due processes had been followed.

Mr Brink added that he was happy with how the programmes were scheduled for the recess period and indicated that changes should not happen at such extremely short notice.

Ms H Mkhaliphi (EFF) said that she was shocked to hear that one of Members of the Committee could still submit complaints after broad consultation of the programmes had taken place and had been agreed to.

Ms Mkhaliphi emphasised the importance of the scheduled programmes and highlighted the need for the Committee to receive the SIU briefing given the rampant corruption on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Additionally, the Committee needed to engage with municipalities.   

Ms Mkhaliphi proposed that the Committee should continue its scheduled recess meetings as was agreed upon unless there was a Member that can come forward and state publicly how the Committee can solve those outstanding issues. She proposed that the Chairperson should indicate to the House Chairperson that the Committee would continue with its recess programme.

Ms Mkhaliphi herself was on the National Assembly Programming Committee and also saw how other Committees carry on their work during the recess period. She did not see why this Committee could not carry on its scheduled meetings.

Ms Mkhaliphi said that it was disingenuous of the Member to have made that complaint to the House Chairperson.  

Ms D Direko (ANC) expressed her disappointment at the Member who had made the complaint. She believed and commended that the Chairperson had cultivated an open policy in the Committee in which every Member was allowed to raise their views irrespective of their political affiliations. Hence, she found it impossible to believe that a Member of this Committee would submit a complaint as such. Further, she indicated the absolute importance of the Committee carrying on with its work during the recess period. The recent AG’s report revealed the worrying state of local government and showed that there was a regression from the 33 clean audits to 27 in this financial year. Given the worsening state of local government, which is the level closest to people on the ground, she believed that the continuation of the Committee’s meetings was absolutely essential and needed. She herself also had engaged with the Chief Whip of the African National Congress (ANC) yesterday and it was indicated from that engagement that the complaint was specifically in reference to the manner in which meetings were conducted. The ANC Chief Whip advised Ms Direko that the Committee should re-apply to the House Chairperson for permission to conduct meetings during recess and state all the reasons why meetings should continue. She also believed that there might be need to adjust the meeting time to during the day.

Mr I Groenewald (FF Plus) agreed with his colleagues’ views.

Mr Groenewald warned the Committee against backtracking on its decision and insisted on the Committee carrying on with its decision and stick to its scheduled programme. Mr Groenewald further said that Members are not being victimised and that there is always a free environment that encourages open discussions on any issues in this Committee. Mr Groenewald said that recess meetings had to take place in the evenings since Members had to do their constituency work during the day.

Mr K Ceza (EFF) agreed with what Members had said so far. He acknowledged and emphasised the crucial and important work that this Committee was in charge of. He proposed that the Committee should rather focus on scaling down speaking time per Member instead of scaling down the programme. He recalled his experience of a meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) and noted the pointed questions and comments that Members on that Committee asked.

Mr Ceza described the state of the sphere of local government as alarming as there were about to be seven more municipalities in the North West Province that were to be dissolved today. Urgent interventions are needed immediately that also involve the oversight and accountability work that this Committee does. He asked everyone to bear in mind that Members only have five years to make sure that the 257 municipalities in the country are being covered by this Committee.

Ms Mkhaliphi expressed her doubt on the lengthy process for re-application of permission. Since the proposal to continue with the Committee’s scheduled programme was supported by every Member who was present at the meeting, she suggested the Chairperson emphasise, in her letter to the House Chairperson, Members’ wish to continue its schedule programme during the recess period. If the House Chairperson did not agree, she felt that the complainant then would have to step forward to help the Committee figure out a solution on how to address its outstanding business because the state of municipalities require urgent interventions. Engagement with state agencies, such as the SIU and HAWKS, are crucial for the Committee to know what steps had been taken to hold those corrupt officials accountable. Ms Mkhaliphi disagreed with Ms Direko’s suggestion saying that it would only delay the Committee’s work. She remarked that it almost looked like the complainant was colluding with thugs to deter the Committee from doing its oversight work because they did not want accountability.

Mr G Mpumza (ANC) described the challenge that was facing local government as immense which would need the Committee’s urgent intervention and closer monitoring. The sixth parliament adopted an activist stance so Members should put that into practice. He described the Committee’s oversight work as impactful and robust. He said that the scheduled programme adopted by the Committee was originally approved by both the Programming Committee and the House Chairperson. Thus, he suggested this programme carry on. Mr Mpumza said that he would support moving up some of the evening meetings to the next term but he did not support scaling back the programme because of the huge challenge within the local government sphere.

Mr Brink confirmed with the Chairperson that the Democratic Alliance did not make the complaint as he had checked with the party’s Chief Whip. He found it problematic that Committee meetings be cancelled with such a short notice and by an anonymous complainant. Mr Brink did not think that re-applying should be the next step since the Committee had followed a proper process to obtain the permission. Mr Brink supported the recommendation made by Ms Mkhaliphi that the Chairperson should write to the House Chairperson indicating that there was no problem after the Committee’s reassessment of the programme and request the House Chairperson to give urgent permission.

Ms E Spies (DA) did not appreciate the anonymous complaint as it undermined the trusting work relationship that had been cultivated in the Committee. She described it as the top form of cowardice.

The Chairperson asked the remaining Members to put on record if any of them had made the complaint to the House Chairperson.

Ms Mkhaliphi and Mr Ceza stated that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) did not complain as fighters are always willing to work for and serve the people regardless of weekends and night times.  

The Chairperson explained to Members that the reason the Committee meeting had to be scheduled for 7 to 10pm was because of Members’ constituency work during the day. She emphasised the importance of constituency work and stated that it would not be possible to swap constituency work for Committee business.  

The Chairperson confirmed that there would be no night meetings next term. The Committee was dealing with its backlog.

The meeting was adjourned.

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