What is the Fisheries Department trying to hide?
The late cancellation of a meeting between Democratic Alliance (DA) representatives and the Deputy Director General (DGG) of Fisheries suggests purposeful obstruction of the DA's oversight role.
The DA shadow ministers for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the DDG of Fisheries, Ms Sue Middleton, had set tomorrow morning aside to discuss various issues plaguing the Department. Ms Middleton had indicated that she would be "delighted" to meet with me.
On Friday, I received a note from Ms Middleton. She wrote that she "had been advised that our meeting scheduled for Tuesday 20 March 2012 cannot proceed as the necessary protocol procedure has not been followed in requesting this meeting."
The DA is unaware that such a "protocol" exists. Members of Parliament should not be barred from conducting oversight and meeting with stakeholders on any grounds. We should have free and unfettered access to representatives of the state, whether they are elected or appointed.
It is obvious that the DDG was instructed to call off the meeting. The question then is: why the secrecy? What is the Department trying to hide?
I will be submitting parliamentary questions at the first possible opportunity to ask what "protocol" is being referred to, on what grounds it was established (given the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association) and how the prevention of meetings between colleagues could possibly contribute to a mutually productive relationship?
The meeting with Ms Middleton was scheduled to discuss a number of critical issues currently jeopardising the sustainability of South Africa's fishing industry, including:
- Policy and legislation coordination and updating;
- international policy adherence;
- developing a compliance strategy for illegal, unregulated and unreported (ILL) fishing;
- the apparent administrative inability of the Department to issue invoices for levies, harbour fees and rental contracts; and
- the management of small harbours in general.
The DA has offered its support in addressing these matters in the interest of all South Africans.
Our oversight role is not, and should not be, confined to the realm of portfolio committee meetings. The Department's current secretive and defensive behaviour suggests that they have something to hide. The DA would like to know why they are purposefully obstructing our oversight role.
Statement issued by Pieter van Dalen MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, March 19 2012
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