Khoza cracks whip at Muthambi

No-nonsense rebel ANC MP Makhosi Khoza, who heads the parliamentary committee on public service and administration, monitoring and evaluation, intends to make Minister of Public Service and Administration Faith Muthambi account for her no-show at a meeting to which she was summoned.

Khoza said the minister and her departmental officials must account for why they allegedly undermined the work of the legislature and that they will pay for the wasted costs due to Muthambi’s failure to attend Tuesday’s committee meeting at which she had been scheduled to explain alleged irregular expenditure.

Khoza said she will engage parliament’s legal services for advice on the procedure to be followed in this regard.

Muthambi and her depart- ment officials, including head of department, Mashwahle Diphofa, have been subpoenaed to appear before the committee next week.

Khoza was also adamant that Muthambi has to account for every cent spent on a trip she arranged for family and friends to the opening of parliament and for her and her officials to pay for the cost of the committee sitting.

She said she would also ask the house committee chairperson, Cedric Frolick, about the process to be followed in implementing this committee decision. The decision was supported by all members of the committee who attended on Tuesday, with the EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi adding that if Muthambi failed to come next week she must be arrested.

DA’s Mike Waters said Muthambi’s failure to attend was a dereliction of duty.

The ANC’s Mnyamezeli Booi also said Muthambi must pay back all the money spent on the committee meeting, including travel costs, catering and accommodation for those who attended.

Khoza said the committee was disappointed that the minister did not honour the invitation to attend the meeting as scheduled.

“The decision to summon her was a result of her disregard for the committee, which borders on undermining the work of the committee and parliament as a whole,” she said.

She said the committee reiterated its “principled view” that oversight and accountability formed the bedrock of South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said the party was contemplating disciplinary action against the five ANC MPs who boycotted the committee sitting in protest against Khoza. These MPs are believed to be Zuma supporters who are annoyed by Khoza’s call for the president to step down.