DA bid to initiate Parliament inquiry into state capture
THE DA was yesterday convinced there should be a good prospect for the establishment of a parliamentary ad hoc committee into state capture.
“We believe rooting out state capture, fraud, corruption and racketeering can do no harm. It can only do good, (because) no harm can come from too much accountability,” said John Steenhuisen, DA chief whip.
He made told a media briefing his party was pushing for Parliament to form the committee when it sits for its last meet- ing of the term on Thursday.
The DA, through its party leader Mmusi Maimane, tabled a motion for the committee two weeks ago.
The Guptas, President Jacob Zuma and some cabinet ministers are at the centre of accusations on the capture of the state.
The leaked e-mails have further sparked calls in some quarters for an inquiry.
Parties need to reach consensus in the chief whips’ forum, so that the motion can be included in the programme committee before it is brought to the House for a vote.
Steenhuisen was hopeful that the chief whips’ forum would reach consensus, as had happened when the ANC recently sponsored a separate motion on party funding.
The DA was asked last week by the chief whips’ forum to circulate a draft resolution for a discussion for its meeting tomorrow. “The chief whips of all the parties will get to decide on the motion.
“We believe the chief whips’ forum will have an opportunity tomorrow to agree on the motion,” Steenhuisen said.
Parties were not immediately available for comment yesterday.
ANC caucus spokesperson Nonceba Mhlauli said the governing party had not pronounced on the matter.
“The ANC has not taken a position, but the DA has asked us to come up with the actual draft resolution,” Mhlauli said.
Gupta attorney Gert van der Merwe had been asked for his clients to comment, but had not commented at the time of going to press.
Steenhuisen urged all parties, regardless of their ideology, to support the DA motion and work alongside each other like they had done in the SABC inquiry. “We are to see on Thursday which party is committed to give this House its teeth back to hold the executive accountable.
“Any party opposed to the ad hoc committee with no reason will have to answer tough questions… not only to journalists, but to the people of South Africa.”
Steenhuisen said his party strongly believed that Parliament, in terms of the constitu- tion, had a duty to investigate and remedy the capture of the executive.
“We believe that the ad hoc committee of Parliament is the best placed to do so. What we can’t have is a situation where Parliament is once again found wanting in holding the executive accountable.”
The DA envisages the ad hoc committee investigating undue influence of the executive by the Guptas, and showing that it has the power to subpoena witnesses and compel persons to provide or show documents.