Capture probe funding ‘addressed’
PARLIAMENT has confirmed to MPs that it is dealing with the issue of funding portfolio committees investigating allegations of state capture.
House chairperson Cedric Frolick told parties in the meeting of the programming committee yesterday that they would deal with the question of funding committees to investigate state capture.
The intervention of Frolick came after the portfolio committee on public enterprises and the mineral resources committee complained about lack of resources to deal with the matter.
The IFP and DA said in the meeting that there is a need for extra funds to investigate state capture.
“We need to recognise that the committees should be resourced financially to deal with this matter,” said IFP chief whip Narend Singh.
DA deputy chief whip Mike Waters said Frolick and other leaders of Parliament had to empower the committees. He said this had been made clear by the committees when they met to discuss the scope of their work on state capture.
Frolick said there was a process to deal with the matter, and he would discuss it with the relevant committees probing state capture.
He said there was no need to panic as the matter was receiving attention from Parliament: he had instructed four committees in Parliament to investigate allegations of state capture. The committees are public enterprises, mineral resources, transport and home affairs.
Yesterday he told the meeting they were committed to dealing with the matter of the resources for the committees.
“I must re-affirm our commitment to deal with the matter in a transparent manner to ensure the executive is held accountable,” said Frolick.
He said he had written to the committees and there would be no duplication on the work done by the committees.
The public enterprises committee, chaired by Zukiswa Rantho, appointed three MPs, including Rantho, to meet Speaker Baleka Mbete and other senior leaders of Parliament to discuss the funding of the committees.
Committees should be resourced financially to deal with this