New Parliamentary committee prepared to break ground on Presidency oversight

Parliament’s recently established Committee on the Presidency says it will start its work with a strategic workshop to better understand the workings of the Presidency.

After years of lobbying from opposition parties, the committee was finally formed earlier this month after two attempts to elect a chairperson.

During a brief planning meeting on Wednesday, chairperson Doris Mpapane said a lot of work is happening behind the scenes to ensure the proper working of the committee.

Never before has the director-general of the presidency, unlike other state departments, reported directly to a Parliamentary oversight committee.

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Other than quarterly question time in the two houses or through written replies, a President or his deputy has never answered a committee either.

Presidency Committee chairperson, the African National Congress’s Doris Mpapane, says it’s necessary for MPs to be properly informed about the workings of the presidency before tackling their oversight responsibilities.

"We know nothing about the presidency, so it will assist us to have a better understanding and also assist us, after the strategic plan, to come up with a programme for the committee for the year."

The 16-member committee, comprising members from the major political parties and alternates from smaller parties, is set to map out the agenda for their work at a strategic workshop to be held in Johannesburg in early April.