Statement by George Michalakis MP – DA Chief Whip in Parliament:
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the establishment of a committee on the Presidency. This comes more than one year after the DA put the matter back on the agenda of the National Assembly Rules Committee in October 2024.
The National Assembly adopted new rules today that will establish such a committee where the budget of the Presidency can be scrutinised, the Director General in the Presidency can come and account, the President and Deputy President can account once per year on key policy matters and where any matter that gets referred to it by the Speaker or through a resolution of Parliament relating to the President or Presidency, can be investigated.
This is a major step forward in strengthening Parliament’s oversight role and was a key recommendation in the Zondo Commission on State Capture. The DA, who was constantly at the forefront of championing this development, is proud to see our efforts come to fruition today, in the interest of democracy and the public.
The DA also welcomes the two other procedural developments that were included in this report, with new rules for the House: i) the inclusion of rebuttal oral questions during weekly question sessions, which will ensure a more robust process of questioning Ministers; and ii) the re-establishment of a dedicated petitions committee for the first time since 2012, which will hopefully led to public petitions being dealt with more effectively.
Parliament is a cornerstone of our democratic process and strengthening its ability to hold the executive to account is paramount in safeguarding our democracy. The DA is proud to be at the forefront of this process.