Dear Editor
Songezo Zibi, chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), is stonewalling attempts to access crucial documents related to scandals at the Public Investment Corporation. This despite multiple requests from MPs spanning nearly a month.
Four weeks ago, Zibi’s office took possession of a stack of hard copy documents from the Public Investment Corporation. This dossier was sent in response to questions MPs asked the PIC three months ago already. Zibi bizarrely agreed to the documents being couriered instead of scanned. Now only Zibi is asking the PIC for electronic versions.
This all could have been an email – back in July.
This dossier may include various forensic reports related to the PIC’s disastrous investment and oversight of Daybreak Foods and updates into investigations related to former and current officials.
The first request by a DA MP for access to the documents was sent shortly after the 17th of September. There have since been further requests in person, over text and then email. Met initially with excuses and recently with silence.
Under Zibi as chair, Scopa is doing important and time-consuming work on the RAF. In general the public deserves to be spared the melodrama of parliamentary admin. However, when a chairperson turns into a gatekeeper impeding the ability of elected officials to scrutinise a three trillion Rand state entity – we should be concerned.
It is extremely problematic that Zibi, who is expected to set a strong example as chairperson of a powerful parliamentary committee is either neglecting or refusing to provide access to files that are not Zibi’s private property, but which belong to the public.
Regards
Dr Mark Burke MP
DA Spokesperson on Finance