STATEMENT PRESENTED BY ANC CHIEF WHIP, STONE SIZANI, AT MEDIA BRIEFING
HELD AT PARLIAMENT, 11 SEPTEMBER 2013

We have called you here this morning to articulate the position of the ANC in Parliament on a variety of recent developments:

City Power electricity disruptions

We have noted the recent power outages in certain parts of Johannesburg, which were allegedly linked to the unprotected strike by City Power workers.

We are relieved that the power has been restored in all the affected areas. There is no doubt that the power disruptions had adverse economic effects on business, endangered the lives of patients such as those who are on life support and caused serious financial and social inconvenience to many households. Johannesburg is Africa's economic heartbeat, and therefore electricity disruptions such as the one experienced last week is harmful to our economy and will negatively affect growth and investor confidence.

We welcome the investigation into the allegations of sabotage by disgruntled City Powers workers. We agree with the political leadership of the Gauteng province that indeed no stone should be left unturned in ensuring that those responsible face the full wrath of the law.

A strong message must be send out that such blatant acts of criminality in the course of a labour dispute, which in any case undermines workers' struggles and bargaining processes, cannot be condoned anywhere in this country. No one should sabotage our economy, put the lives of innocent people in danger and cause costly inconvenience to our people's ordinary course of live and get away with it.

While we welcome the investigation into allegations of sabotage, we believe that the possible culpability of City Power executive management around this unfortunate occurrence should also be looked at. Questions should be asked with regards to whether there was dereliction of duty on the part of the management; whether sufficient measures were put in place to lessen the impact of the strike on power distribution; and whether the management was caught napping by the strike. Such questions must be addressed to ensure that similar occurrences do not recur in future.

We are hopeful that as law enforcement agencies proceed with the investigation on the allegations of sabotage, internal probe into City Power's handling of the strike action would also be conducted.

The situation in Syria

We note with concern the belligerent, war mongering discourse emanating from the USA and other countries who are attempting to build a case for military intervention in Syria. We welcome the stance by the President of the Republic, Jacob Zuma, who has articulated the need for restraint to be exercised by the countries motivating for military intervention in Syria.

We also acknowledge the call for chemical weapons in Syria to be placed under international supervision and the subsequent change in the stance of the President of the USA to seek a diplomatic solution to the situation in Syria. We strongly believe that all efforts must be made to get the people of Syria to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict that is raging in their country.

We call upon the people of Syria to end the conflict, which has already claimed many innocent lives.

Constituency programme & Tlokwe elections

ANC MPs have been crisscrossing the length and breadth of the country listening and talking to the people, as part of our constituency programme aimed at reporting back to the people of South Africa on the performance of the African National Congress in the last 20 years within this Parliament.

The constituency report-back interaction includes community meetings, door-to-door visits and walkabouts in communities. As we have often said, the ANC, working together with the people, has bettered the material conditions of South Africans. It is our responsibility to communicate this to the voters.

Two weeks ago were deployed in the Western Cape as part of this constituency programme. Last weekmunicipality, where we had the misfortune of having to witness first hand the DA's desperate and dirty electioneering tactics.

The DA's publication and distribution of pamphlets purporting to be from the ANC and bearing our name, logo and colours, and yet carrying disparaging, anti-ANC rhetoric is illustrative of the lowest and dirtiest form of campaigning. The DA's national office's silence on this blatant violation of the Electoral Act by its Tlokwe representatives, who have publicly accepted responsibility and apologised, is curious.

It confirms the suspicion that this pamphlet was ordered from the top. We call to the party to publicly condemn such illegal acts and assure South Africans that they will play clean in the next year's elections.

The DA's conduct in Tlokwe is a sign of desperation by a party that is having difficulty selling its racially skewed policies and condescending lies regarding its history to the majority of South Africans. The IEC must swiftly investigate and punish this conduct.

Appointment process of Auditor General

We note parliament's Ad hoc committee's unanimous recommendation of Deputy Auditor-General Thembekile Kimi Makwetla for appointment as the next Auditor-General. The National Assembly will afternoon consider the recommendation and make a decision.

As the ANC, we support his appointment to this crucial position in one of the critical organisations of our constitutional democracy. His appointment will ensure continuity, having closely worked with the outgoing Auditor-General Terence Nombembe for many years.

Makwetu has served in the position of Deputy AG for six years, where he amongst others enhanced and created the office's good stakeholder relationships; managed the New York-based team that audited the United Nations - a project that got the AG's office international recognition for the sterling work done; and contributed immensely to the skills and talent building in the AG's office through the Trainee Accountants' training scheme.

Before joining the AG's office, Makwetu held senior management positions at various companies, including Deloitte & Touche (as director for forensics division), Liberty Life (as division director for finance), and Metropolitan Health (as senior manager for finance and administration). He is former vice chairman for SA Institute of Chartered Accountants; member of the Institute of Directors and board member for Accounting Standards Board.

We are confident that under his leadership, the AG's office will continue to excellently perform its statutory task of auditing the public sector to deliver on its mandate to taxpayers in a manner that is transparent, credible and independent.

We wish him and his team well. We also thank the outgoing Auditor General for his outstanding service to South Africa and wish him well ahead of his retirement from office in November.

 Ad Hoc Committee on Public Protector's Report on IEC

We once again welcome parliament's establishment of ad hoc committee on the report of the Public Protector's investigation into the procurement of the Independent Electoral Commission's head office. This gives Parliament an opportunity to independently process the findings of the Public Protector and determine its own conclusion and decision on the matter.

The ad hoc committee, which will deal with the Public Protector's report and make recommendations to the National Assembly for a decision, is made up of 12 Members of Parliament proportionally drawn from political parties represented in Parliament. As the majority party, the ANC has seven seats in the committee, two for the DA, one for Cope, one from IFP and the rest of other smaller parties are represented by one MP.

To ensure that the committee's process is dignified and fair, we reiterate our call to opposition parties not to forward to this committee those MPs who have already publicly pronounced judgment on the matter. Inclusion of such MPs, who regard parliammere formality and a rubber stamp of this report, will cast aspersions on the integrity and credibility of the entire process. MPs who, as part of this parliament, publicly make judgments on the matter without familiarising themseveles with the facts, makes a mockery of parliamentary processes and undermines the institution's role.

The task that confronts this parliamentary ad hoc committee should not be taken lightly as it involves the future of the head of one of the critical pillars of our constitutional democracy - the IEC. Therefore individuals who serve on this committee must have integrity, discipline and unquestionable conduct.

As ANC, we have recommended to the Office of the Speaker a list of capable men and women whom we are confident meet this criteria and will assist the ad hoc committee to competently execute its mandate.

The names of ANC MPs recommended for the membership of the Ad Hoc Committee are:

1. Buti Manamela (Labour portfolio committee Whip)

2. Johnny De Lange (Water & Environmental Affairs portfolio committee chairman)

3. Joyce Moloi-Moropa (Public Service & Administration committee chairperson)

4. Lindelwa Dunjwa (Science & Techolongy portfolio committee Whip)

5. Luwellyn Landers (Justice & Constitutional Development committee chairperson)

6. Maggie Maunye (Home Affairs portfolio committee chairperson)

7. Andre Gaum (Home Affairs portfolio committee Whip)

Luwellyn Landers has been recommended as the Ad Hoc Committee chairperson.

SABC Board appointment process

We welcome the excellent work that has been done by the portfolio committee on communications on the selection process of the new board for the SABC. The previous board was dissolved by Parliament on 19 March 2013 and an interim board was put in place while parliament finds new board members. About 36 candidates were short listed for interviews.

We are hopeful that Parliament will meet next week Thursday to decide on the recommended candidates for the SABC board.

Statement issued by Stone Sizani, ANC Chief Whip in Parliament, September 11 2013

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