This follows the decision by an ANC majority to force through its response to the joint investigating team report and ignore the opposition parties call for a continuation of Scopas inquiry Barry Streek In the wake of the row over the governments accountability to Parliament on the controversial R66-billion arms deal, the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), Gavin Woods, is considering resigning his Scopa position. The African National Congress says the seven parliamentary committees that considered the joint investigating teams report into the arms deal will ensure that the government remains accountable to Parliament, but opposition parties counter that ANC majorities on these committees have effectively closed down Scopas inquiry into the deal. Woods, an Inkatha Freedom Party MP, told the Mail & Guardian: “I am reconsidering my position. If you dont have the confidence of the majority of the committee and they are suspicious about everything you do and they are hostile and insulting, it would be arrogant of me to ignore that. “But the decision will largely be about whether I can take the committee forward or whether, if I am isolated, it will have the opposite effect. “During the recess I will think through things, but it could be seen that I am being a useful fool. On the other hand, with my qualifications and experience, if allowed, I could take the committee to new levels of effectiveness.”
Woods also said he would have to consult his party leader, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, before making a decision but he was fairly confident Buthelezi would back his decision to resign as chairperson if it was well reasoned. Another member of the committee, the Democratic Alliances Raenette Taljaard, said her party might deploy her back to the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises but she would remain as an alternative member of Scopa so that she could pursue issues that had been raised in the arms deal investigation. Woodss possible resignation and Taljaards probable move follow the decision of the ANC majority on Scopa to force through its response to the joint investigating team report and ignore the opposition parties call for a continuation of its inquiry. Woods said that only two of the 29 issues identified in Scopas original report had been totally dealt with and on a further 12 the committee was close to taking them as far as it could go. However, the remaining 15 issues were completely unresolved and the ANC decision to vote its report through the committee had effectively closed down further investigation by Scopa. The leader of the ANC team on the committee, Vincent Smith, rejected opposition claims that parliamentary supervision over the arms deal had ended, although the report of the committees into the joint investigating teams report had now been finalised. “The oversight role by Scopa and the other six committees will definitely continue.”
Smith said the justice committee had requested a report from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions by February and the defence committee had asked for a report-back, and this demonstrated their continuing oversight role. Smith said the major difference between the ANC and the other parties was that it did not see the need to call the executive to Scopa at this stage. Asked whether members of the Cabinet would be called to the committee in the future if it became necessary, he replied: “Absolutely.” Woods said major issues remained unresolved, such as the full cost of the deal. Although it was initially stated the arms deal would cost R30-billion, this excluded price escalation as provided in the contracts, exchange rates, the equivalent of inflation in the host countries, debt costs and interest, and “functionalities” of between R1-billion and R2-billion. “What is it going to cost? The government has not answered this, nor has the joint investigating team. How much do the public have to pay? How will it be paid?” Woods asked. Taljaard said it was quite clear the ANC decision on Scopa had closed down its supervisory functions and that despite what the ANC said, it regarded the report as a final report into the deal. The report forced through Scopa was the clearest indication that the ANC wanted to kill off any further investigation into the deal, Taljaard said.