POLITICS

ANC MPs' boycott of PSA committee meeting ill-discipline - Office of ANC Chief Whip

Jackson Mthembu says study groups do not have authority to suspend their work in this manner

BOYCOTT OF PSA PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE MEETING CONSTITUTES ILL-DISCIPLINE

15 August 2017

The Office of the ANC Chief Whip received a letter from members of the ANC Study Group on Public Service and Administration (PSA) stating that they have decided to suspend all study group and portfolio committee meetings until their grievance in relation to the committee chairperson, ANC MP Dr Makhosi Khoza, who they believe has bridged ANC discipline, has been addressed. This letter has since been leaked to various media houses.

The ANC Chief Whip has responded to the study group stating that study groups do not have the authority to suspect any work they are deployed to do as ANC deployees in parliament. This is inclusive of programmes of the study group and portfolio committee meetings. The suspension of any of these meetings and/or failure to attend meetings individually and collectively constitutes ill-discipline action on their part.

The ANC Chief Whip made it very clear that all ANC members were expected to attend today’s portfolio committee meeting on Public Service and Administration. Therefore the decision to boycott today’s portfolio committee meeting by some members amount to gross ill-discipline.

Whatever their grievance, real or imagined in relation to the chairperson of the committee is a matter to be dealt with by the organisation which has deployed all of us. The matter of Dr Makhosi Khoza is being dealt with at an organisational level through the constitutional processes of the organisation. We therefore condemn today’s behaviour with utmost contempt.

We caution all ANC study groups and ANC members of parliament not to engage on matters they have no authority over. All matters that relate to last week’s vote of no confidence are being dealt with by the national leadership of the ANC.

Only the ANC through its constitutional structures can remove an ANC deployee from any deployed position. No study group or any deployee of the ANC can remove another deployee from a position of Whip, Chairperson or Member of Parliament.

Those comrades who boycotted today’s meeting after clear instructions from the Chief Whip will be referred to the ANC Caucus Disciplinary Committee.

Statement issued by the Office of the ANC Chief Whip, 15 August 2017