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The resignation of the current registrar of the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests, Ms Fazela Mohamed, signals another move in the right direction for this committee. A new registrar will hopefully work together with the reconstituted committee in giving a fresh start for this important Parliamentary Committee.

It was under the advice of Ms Fazela Mohamed that the committee was found by the Western Cape High Court on Thursday last week to have breached the Constitution. It was further our longstanding contention that her actions had added to the severe politicisation of the committee.

It is our sincere hope as the DA that both the members of the reconstituted committee and the new registrar will be committed to an unbiased and party-neutral approach to the oversight and accountability of all MP’s in this Parliament.

The Ethics Committee in the Fifth Parliament has operated like a kangaroo court in breach of the fundamental rules of procedural justice. We hope that such actions will no longer continue.

The DA looks forward to working together with the new committee and new registrar in returning the Ethics Committee to its rightful place within our Parliamentary system.

Issued by DA