SCOPA must summon Presidency for briefing on Presidential Handbook

I have today written to the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Themba Godi, to request that the Presidency be summoned to brief MPs on the ‘Presidential Handbook' and that it hands over all related documents to Parliament.

Parliament is empowered to gain access to these documents through Rule 138 of the National Assembly rules, which states that‘committees have the power to summon any person to appear before it and to give evidence on oath or affirmation, or to produce documents.'

According to a parliamentary  reply received by the DA yesterday, the Presidency has developed a' Policy on Administrative, Logistical and General Support Services Pertaining to a Serving President, Deputy President and their Dependents which governs the travel and accommodation of the President and Deputy President'

This document was apparently approved by Cabinet in 2007 but cannot be made public due to the fact that it is a Cabinet document which is governed by Cabinet security prescripts.

This excuse is unacceptable. Under no circumstances can Parliament be kept in the dark about public expenditure. To do so would fundamentally undermine Parliament's constitutional mandated responsibility to hold the executive to account.

The presidency must come before SCOPA to explain where this money is going and how it is spent and furnish all the necessary documentation to the committee.

There cannot be one set of rules for President Zuma's expenses and another set of rules for the rest of government.

It is time to put an end to the growing culture of secrecy in the Presidency. Parliament must assert its oversight role to gain access to all of this information and the DA will do everything possible to ensure that this happens.

Statement issued by Lindiwe Mazibuko MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, April 17 2013

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