Parliament hard at work on state capture recommendations - S
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said Parliament remains committed to implementing the recommendations of the commission of inquiry into state capture, despite remarks to the contrary by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
Parliaments’ presiding officers gave feedback on their meeting with Zondo in Kempton Park on Thursday.
They also provided an update on the implementation of the commission’s recommendations.
READ: Parliament accuses Zondo of ‘undermining' separation of powers
Mapisa-Nqakula said of the 19 recommendations in the commission's report, pertaining specifically to the work of Parliament, 11 had been implemented while eight were still underway.
She said Parliament had developed an implementation plan, and 22 relevant parliamentary committees had been tasked with overseeing the executive’s actions regarding the recommendations.
According to the Mapisa-Nqakula, six lawmakers implicated in the commission’s report were referred to the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests, and an additional six were referred to an external entity. Of those, the committee found against three; cleared five, while two were still outstanding.
“At least two MPs have since resigned from Parliament and so fall outside the scope of the application of the ethics code,” she said.
Among them was House Chair Cedric Frolick, linked by the commission to the controversial facilities management company Bosasa, who was cleared by the committee last month.
Other cleared MPs include the late Tina Joemat-Pettersson, and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi.
READ:Parly: Engaging Mkhwebane claims 'insensitive' to bereaved Joemat-Pettersson family
On the commission’s recommendation for amendments to the Intelligence Service Oversight Act, to ensure that Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence provides a consolidated account of its work during its five-year term, Mapisa-Nqakula said the committee had concluded this was unnecessary.
The committee does not disclose its work to other members of parliament and the public.
“After careful consideration, the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence concluded that no amendments to current legislation are necessary as the existing law already addresses the commission’s concern.”
She also said that while the commission emphasised the importance of high-level public scrutiny when appointing heads of state institutions, it was of the view that laws concerning the selection process for such positions were already in place.
“To enhance the integrity of these appointments, Parliament will develop guidelines that incorporate relevant laws and best practices, as appropriate,” added the Speaker.
Mapisa-Nqakula denied that Parliament had rejected any of the commission’s recommendations while stressing that there was never any directive in the report that compelled the government to give progress reports on their implementation.
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