IMPRESSION THAT MINISTER SISULU SNUBBED SCOPA MEETINGS

21 April 2010

The Office of the Chief Whip regrets the impression created in the media that the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, has been snubbing the meetings of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa).

The Chief Whip yesterday held separate meetings with the Minister, the Chairperson of Scopa Temba Godi and the Chairperson of Defence and Military Veterans Mnyamezeli Booi, with an objective to clear any issue that may have brought about this situation.

The parties agreed that the lines of communication between the committee and the Ministry needed to be enhanced to ensure that this challenge does not arise in future.

It is a long standing practice that in arrangements of parliamentary meetings, committees and Ministries take into account each other's schedules for a date that suits both parties. We note that the last two occasions that the Minister was unable to appear before Scopa were regrettably due to reasons beyond her and the committee's control. She had to form part of the President led delegation on important international visits.

It is clear that a misunderstanding resulted in the postponement of yesterday's meeting of Scopa. The Minister had requested a bilateral meeting with Mr Godi, ahead of her appearance before the full committee, to discuss some of the issues raised by the committee relating to her department. It is unfortunate that this requested meeting was understood to be a meeting with the whole committee.

We are satisfied that the Minister remains fully committed and submissive to the oversight authority of Parliament. Both the chairperson and the Minister will agree on a date in which the committee would meet with the Minister.

Statement issued by The Office of the ANC Chief Whip, ANC Parliamentary Caucus, April 21 2010

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