Zondo commission shifts focus to Parliament’s oversight role

The Zondo commission will this week set its eyes on Parliament to scrutinise its oversight role. The inquiry will hear evidence from the former chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Themba Godi.

DA Chief Whip MP Natasha Mazzone, a former member of the Committee on Public Enterprises, will also take the stand at the commission, as will former chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, Zukiswa Rantho. On Tuesday, DA MP James Selfe, is expected to testify.

Mazzone and Rantho had served in the public enterprise committee while it held an inquiry into corruption allegations at the embattled monopoly power utility, Eskom. The state capture inquiry has heard evidence obtained from those hearings.

Chairperson of commission, deputy justice Raymond Zondo, has been particularly concerned about the role played by Parliament to best serve its oversight role while allegations of state capture were spreading.

Zondo often expressed dismay when witnesses related how their entreaty to Parliament over allegations of corruption were not taken seriously.

Former Prasa board chairperson Popo Molefe testified last year that he had written to Parliament and the ANC over dubious contracts awarded at the state-owned entity. He said he did not receive any satisfactory responses.

This prompted Zondo to reiterate the need for Parliament to account for its oversight role.
Justice Zondo said the issue of oversight was a crucial component of the inquiry’s work and that, as part of the recommendations of the final report, issues such as oversight would be emphasised.

“I think if we are to make a serious dent on corruption in this country, it’s going to be important that we have a very good dispensation on the protection of whistle-blowers.

“It will be very important that we look at the issue of parliamentary oversight to ensure that their oversight over the executive can ensure that corruption is brought to book and presented through oversight powers,” Justice Zondo said in December during a briefing.

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Source: eNCA

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