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The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe’s call for the establishment of a parliamentary portfolio committee to oversee the activities of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).

In response to a question by DA MP Denise Robinson in the House this week, asking the Deputy President to back such a committee, Deputy President Mothlantle replied:

“That is a matter for this august house to take forward. We would not oppose that in any way. I believe the ANC benches would be very happy to establish such a structure.”

This support of the establishment of a presidential portfolio committee by the Deputy President is encouraging and we trust that it implies the ANC will support it as well.

I will ask that this matter again be brought onto the agenda of the Chief Whips Forum, and that, with renewed ANC support, we will be able to proceed with the multiparty meetings required to initiate the process of establishing such a committee.

In April last year, we proposed the establishment of a presidential portfolio committee which would oversee the work and budget of the Presidency. At the first meeting of the Chief Whips Forum to discuss the proposal, held on 21 April 2010, there appeared to be general agreement from all political parties regarding the establishment of such a body. The first meeting of the multiparty team tasked with investigating the committee’s formation was scheduled to be held on Thursday 3 June 2010. However, the ANC saw to it that the meeting was cancelled, and no further meetings have been held on the subject.

This is the first sign that this important proposal may now be reconsidered.

Like any other national department, the Presidency, its ministries, and other entities that fall within its ambit – the NYDA, for instance – are required to go through a budgetary process, formulate and implement a strategic plan and then carry out their business in an open and transparent manner. The Constitution recognises that parliamentary committees are the best mechanism through which to achieve these ends. The same principles that apply to other government departments should be applied to the Presidency. The Presidency should not be exempt from such principles; indeed, it should epitomise them, and the President and the two ministers in the Presidency have a duty to lead in this regard.

The DA remains committed to ensuring that a presidential portfolio committee is established and will use all available avenues to push for such a body to be established as a matter of urgency.