Media barred from entering open PetroSA committee briefing

9 June 2015

The DA notes the cynical refusal to allow a member of the press into a meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Energy by PetroSA Acting CEO, Mapula Modipa, held at the offices of PetroSA today. On the agenda was the Central Energy Fund’s briefing on PetroSA’s proposed turnaround strategy. It must be noted that this was billed as an open meeting which afforded any member of the public access to the briefing, as is their right. 

Carol Paton and Trevor Sampson of the Business Day were denied access by PetroSA's security, apparently after they had not been cleared for entry. This is despite the journalists indicating in writing to the Committee Secretary of their proposed attendance. I then called a point of order and insisted the members of the press be given access.

The Chairperson of the Committee, Fikile Majola, called for an adjournment and later took the decision to continue with a closed Committee sitting.

Permitting closed parliamentary meetings is one step closer to making contempt for media access and transparency acceptable. 

As such I will appeal to the Chairperson of the Committee on Energy, Fikile Majola, requesting that he explain why this happened and provide the Committee with assurance that such an incident will not happen again. 

Reasons for the barring of journalists provided thus far lack credibility and must be dismissed because it is highly likely that they are inconsistent with Section 59(2) of the Constitution which clearly stipulates that Parliament “may not exclude the public, including the media, from a sitting of a committee unless it is reasonable and justifiable to do so in an open and democratic society.” 

A desire to conceal the internal turmoil at PetroSA is more likely the reason.

At present the PetroSA Acting head, Mapula Modipa, who circumvented the Committee’s authority by dictating who was allowed in the meeting, has been acting for quite some time which is a matter that needs to be probed and explained to the South African public in and of itself. 

PetroSA continues to bleed cash and was singled out by the Auditor-General last year for an irregular expenditure of R1,58 billion in 2014. PetroSA also continues to benefit from unspecified diesel contracts where some experts suggest that PetroSA is selling diesel at a significantly unfair mark-up.

Just last year Minister Joemat-Pettersson allegedly concealed her undue interference in Mr Tshepo Kgadima’s appointment as Chairperson of Petro SA. He has been accused of swindling more than 250 investors who allegedly put money into his company, LonthoCoal, between 2010 and 2012 for projects that turned out not to exist. This is just one such example of the political meddling that is taking place at this state entity and should not be kept from the public.

Freedom of the press is crucial to any healthy democracy. As South Africa moves towards finalising its biggest and most expensive procurement project – the R1 trillion Nuclear Build Programme (NBP) – the Energy Committee will, increasingly find itself in the spotlight. As this programme moves closer to being deliberated in Parliament, this committee must, more than ever, be open to the public and members of the media.

Statement issued by Gordon Mackay MP, DA Shadow Minister of Energy, June 9 2015

The petrosa acting ceo has blocked me from attending their meeting with parliament. Which is an open meeting. No explanation given

— Carol Paton (@politicsblahbla) June 9, 2015