Parliamentary committee to focus on Gigaba
The parliamentary portfolio committee on home affairs will sit on Tuesday to discuss the terms of reference of its inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the naturalisation of Gupta family members as well as consider a letter from Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba about amending section 34 of the Immigration Act.
The parliamentary portfolio committee on home affairs will sit on Tuesday to discuss the terms of reference of its inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the naturalisation of Gupta family members, as well as consider a letter from Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba about amending section 34 of the Immigration Act.
Gigaba’s return to the Department of Home Affairs, following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first cabinet reshuffle, has been marred by the Gupta naturalisation issue.
The committee has indicated there will be no let up until it gets to the bottom of the issue.
Also on Tuesday, embattled national carrier South African Airways (SAA) will appear before the standing committee on public accounts to talk about its annual report, its annual financial statements, and irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred in the 2016-17 financial year.
Deputy President David Mabuza will be in the National Assembly on Wednesday to answer questions from the opposition on a range of issues, including investors’ sentiments about SA and recalcitrant stateowned entities.
The latter is one of Mabuza’s core areas of focus as the leader of government business.
SAA was among the stateowned entities that initially failed to submit their 2016-17 financial statements to the auditor-general during the prescribed time. Auditorgeneral Kimi Makwetu then went ahead and tabled a damning audit report on SAA in March, which was time-tabled separately from the annual report, as it was late.
Makwetu said SAA had posted a net loss of R5.6bn for the year and at the end of the period its liabilities exceeded its assets by R17.8bn.
The report indicated there was a “material uncertainty” about the ability of the airline to continue “as a going concern”. In late 2017, the government injected R10bn into the national carrier and, in addition, extended R19bn in guarantees to the airline.
Makwetu gave a qualified audit opinion for SAA and its subsidiary, Mango.
Labour union Solidarity has indicated it will approach the courts to have SAA placed under administration.
When Mabuza takes to the podium in the National Assembly on Wednesday, the African Christian Democratic Party will ask him if he has taken any steps to improve the lack of accountability and enforcement of sanctions against board directors and management of state-owned enterprises, “given their failure to comply with laws, codes and internal processes”.
These issues have been highlighted in various reports, including the State of Capture report, as well as various parliamentary inquiries, including those of the portfolio committee on public enterprises and the ad hoc committee probing the fitness to hold office of the board of the state-owned South African Broadcasting Corporation.
He will also be asked about the sentiment of international investors with regard to SA.
On the party political front, the ANC’s national working committee is expected to deal with the North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo matter on Monday, when it holds its regular meeting.