EFF welcomes the decision to establish a Portfolio Committee to oversee the Presidency in Parliament

24 May 2023

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) welcomes the long overdue decision by the National Assembly Speaker and the Rules Committee of Parliament, to establish a Portfolio Committee On Planning Monitoring and Evaluation whose purpose is to provide expanded accountability by the Presidency to Parliament.

The EFF has been a leading voice in calling for broader accountability by the Presidency on the work that it does, as Ramaphosa has adopted Departments under his office and created numerous task teams and envoys to address the social-ills confronting society which require funding.

As part of his efforts to centralize state functions in his office, Ramaphosa brought the State Security Agency into his office and has recently created a Ministry of Electricity which equally falls under his office.

This means that for the duration of Cyril Ramaphosa's term of office, there has been no comprehensive transparency and accountability regarding the work of the Presidency and the use of its budget for the numerous envoys, task teams and concerningly for the operations of the State Security Agency.

The EFF is therefore vindicated and affirmed that our consistent and logical call for a committee dedicated to providing oversight over the Presidency has now been accepted and adopted.

This Portfolio Committee will ensure that the deceitful and corrupt Ramaphosa is held accountable for his abuse of state agencies to serve his personal interests.

We reiterate that there is absolutely no need for a study tour to be undertaken by South African Parliament to Britain, to learn how to govern and hold a President accountable. Any attempt to seek guidance from those who colonized us on how to govern and run an African State represents a severe inferiority complex, and an infantile desire for guidance by those who conquered us.

Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 25 May 2023