Defence Committee Chair Blocks Meeting on SANDF

Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent actions by the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans who, over the last few days, has wilfully stifled the committee in their constitutionally protected oversight role. This, in the middle of an existential military crisis facing members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence has now attempted to reschedule, and then suddenly postponed, a critically important meeting of the committee, which was slated to take place on Wednesday, 29 January 2025.

This was done without any consultation or input from members of the committee, whatsoever.

We will immediately write to Hon. Cedric Frolick, MP, House Chairperson: Committees, to investigate and take action against this gross overreach.

On Monday, the Chairperson first attempted to reschedule the meeting to a later date, ironically as a result of the ongoing crisis in the DRC – the very item which members of the committee were intending to raise. Faced with scathing backlash from members of his committee, across parties, the meeting was kept on the books.

In his latest stunt, just last night, the Chairperson circulated a WhatsApp message to the committee members, a mere 12 hours before the meeting was scheduled to start, informing them that he has again dropped the long-scheduled engagement – this time postponing the meeting to next week. With the meeting intended to be an in-person event, most of the committee members were already on making their way to parliamentary grounds when they received word of the Chairperson’s unilateral move.

This, while the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, who has been silent on the death of 13 troops in the DRC, may or may not – on conflicting reports – address the nation today. The President, on the other hand, as Commander in Chief, has covered himself in a deafening silence, while South Africans die on the front line.

With our troops surrounded in a hot conflict zone, ill-equipped and unprepared for their mission and lacking critical support, the Chairperson’s brazen attempts at gagging his committee in their oversight duties are damaging the democratic fabric that holds Parliament together. If the Committee only meets a week from today, there is no telling how far the situation in the DRC may deteriorate without Parliament having had a singular opportunity to raise its voice.

The Chairperson’s conduct is nothing short of disgraceful. Parliament has a constitutional obligation to have oversight over executive actions – no matter the topic, and regardless of the Chairperson’s own feelings on the issues of the day.

By refusing members of Parliament the opportunity to scrutinise executive conduct in the middle of a crisis such as this is grossly irresponsible, smacks of political interference with Parliamentary business, and displays a reckless disregard for parliamentary rights and privileges.

Regards

Chris Hattingh MP
DA Spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans