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The Portfolio Committees on Energy and on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) adjourned a meeting after the Inter-Ministerial Task Team (IMTT) failed to provide a progress report on the constitutional challenges of electricity reticulation.

Members of the Committees proposed an adjournment after the IMTT delegation said it could not answer their questions. This joint meeting was for the department to provide an update on its challenges and progress achieved, but this was not forthcoming.

The Committees were of the view that there was no political will to resolve the matter after the Minister of Cogta failed to attend the meeting. Members of the Committees said the Minister should have been present, as the Chairperson of the of the IMTT.

The Committees reprimanded the IMTT for making the same presentation it had given to the Portfolio Committee on Cogta. The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Energy, Mr Fikile Majola, said the challenge is political in nature and it needs to be addressed in that manner.

The Chairperson of Cogta, Mr Richard Mdakane, proposed that the Committees should meet again early in the 2018 parliamentary calendar. The Committees are determined that all affected Ministries (Energy, Water and Sanitation, Public Enterprises and Cogta) will be present.
 

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Energy Fikile Majola and the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Richard Mdakane