WE have sympathised with new cabinet ministers who have had to grapple with sometimes recalcitrant departments as they try to take hold of the machinery they need to implement their policies. So we are quite taken aback at Minister of Defence Joe Modise’s frank admission that he seeks no such control over his charge, the South African National Defence Force.
Faced with criticism this week of the SANDF’s court review of the Cameron Commission’s decision to release documents on South Africa’s arms trade, Modise said it was “unfair to to place political responsibility on me for the impasse”. Modise’s argument seems to be that he set up the Cameron Commission to sort this out and it is entirely up to the SANDF to decide how it will respond to it.
Oh, what a pleasant job you have, Mr Modise. Minister without Responsibility. Or is it Minister of Myopia?
There is an important principle of democracy at stake here. The notion of ministerial responsibility means that politicians take responsibility for the activities of their departments and the officials below them. If, for example, a senior official goes against government policy or performs an improper action, the responsible minister is expected to resign automatically — unless he or she can demonstrate clearly and unmistakeably that the necessary steps were taken in an effort to prevent such lapses.
Looking at Modise’s department, the priority is to reassert political control over an army that acted with dangerous independence and ill-discipline in previous years. Modise cannot shirk that responsibility.
The minister should welcome the Cameron Commission’s decision to release Armscor policy documents as one that is in keeping with the new constitution, in line with ANC policy and true to the spirit of an open democracy. He should instruct the SANDF to fall into line — or he will have to bear political responsibility for its attempt to obstruct the commission.