Johannesburg – It will be the mandate of ANC MPs to take the lead in ensuring effective oversight over state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
However, senior ANC members Obed Bapela, Parks Tau and Andries Nel dodged a question on whether the sub-committee on governance and legislatures discussed the Guptas and its impact on the SOEs in the aftermath of Gupta leaks when they reported on the sub-committee's resolutions at the ANC conference on Wednesday.
Tau said one of the resolutions of the ANC conference was that the national executive committee (NEC) must establish an accountability framework so that their public representatives – councillors, members of provincial legislatures and members of Parliament – are held accountable to their responsibilities.
He said this would hold political representatives and the executive accountable.
"We need to ensure there is an objective way to do this," said Tau.
Nel said the sub-committee recognised the important and dynamic oversight role Parliament plays and that the oversight mechanisms over SOEs must be strengthened.
"The ANC must take the lead in that," he said.
The sub-committee also discussed the establishment of a speaker as head of Parliament.
Parliament consists of two houses - the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. Currently, the speaker is the head of the National Assembly and the chairperson of the NCOP is the head of that house. They are the joint heads of Parliament.
Nel said Parliament, as the bigger institution, requires overall coordination.
He also said the chief whip of the majority party plays a major role in the institution, and therefore Parliament must provide resources to that office.
Nel also said they have looked at the electoral system and decided that it should remain as is.
