Today, Democratic Alliance Deputy Chief Whip Mike Ellis will be proposing a notice of motion in the National Assembly (NA) that firstly, calls for a debate on the Donen Commission and the findings it made in its report and, secondly, proposes a resolution that the House resolves to call on President Zuma to reconstitute a commission of inquiry into the role of South African stakeholders in the UN oil-for-food programme.
A copy of the notice of motion follows below.
Parliament is constitutionally obligated not only to scrutinise and oversee executive action, and in this way hold cabinet members accountable at all times, but also to ensure that issue of national importance are publicly debated and considered.
The DA believes that it is therefore vital that Parliament debate this issue as a matter of urgency especially in light of recent reports that the Donen Commission Report has implicated several cabinet members in possible corruption and also that the integrity of this report was compromised by the fact that it could not issue subpoenas. In this regard, we look forward to the ANC's support on this matter.
Despite the fact that the Donen Commission finalised its report in 2006, this report has never been made public nor has it been debated by Parliament. Rather, the ANC government has kept this report under wraps and as a result the findings of this report have remained shrouded in secrecy.
I will therefore be requesting during my meeting on Thursday with President Zuma that he makes this report publicly available so that Members of Parliament can scrutinise and consider the findings contained in this report and can decide what action needs to be taken as a result of these findings.
Furthermore, the failure of the ANC government to properly investigate and take action against South African companies implicated in wrongdoing by the United Nations and the fact that members of the executive have now also been implicated in this wrongdoing has severely damaged South Africa's international reputation when it comes to rooting out corruption.
The DA therefore believes that Parliament should also resolve to call on President Zuma to reconstitute the commission that must be headed by a judge and must also have the power to subpoena.
The DA believes that by doing so Parliament will not only be fulfilling its constitutional responsibility of ensuring openness, transparency and accountability at all times but will also help remove the black mark against South Africa's name when it comes to dealing with this issue.
NOTICE OF MOTION
Date: 25 August 2009
I hereby give notice that I intend moving the following motion:
1) That the House debates the Donen Commission report and its findings with regard to the role played by South African stakeholder's in alleged corruption in the United Nations oil-for-food programme;
2) That the House resolves to call on President Jacob Zuma to appoint an independent commission of inquiry, headed by a retired judge, and that has the power to issue subpoenas to investigate whether any abuse of power, and/or corruption, and/or any other irregularities was committed by South African stakeholders during the United Nations oil-for-food programme
MIKE ELLIS
DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP OF DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE
Statement issued by Athol Trollip, MP, Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader, August 25 2009
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