The Democratic Alliance (DA) has rejected the auditor general’s allegations against one of its members of Parliament (MPs) — and repeated its call on the South African Parliament to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the allegations surrounding the arms deal.
DA chief whip Douglas Gibson called on the National Assembly to reject auditor general Shauket Fakie’s criticism of DA finance spokesperson Raenette Taljaard and instead appoint an ad hoc committee representative of all parties in Parliament and with representatives of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), defence, trade and industry and other appropriate portfolio committees.
This, he suggested, could examine the allegations around the arms deal — involving contracts and subcontracts for the re-equipping of the air force and the navy — and “the editing of the joint investigation team’s (JIT) report by the auditor general either on his own initiative or at the instance of anyone else”.
Taljaard — and her Inkatha Freedom Party counterpart Dr Gavin Woods — both came under fire this week in a special report by the auditor general “pertaining to allegations on the joint investigation team arms deal report”.
In the report he said based on certain of the statements and motions made in Parliament, “I am of the view that there may have been a transgression of Rule 66 of Parliament. Inaccurate statements were also made that may be misleading members of Parliament.”
He noted that Rule 66 read: “No member shall reflect on the competence or honour of… the holder of an office whose removal from such office is dependent upon a decision of this House, except upon a substantive motion in this House alleging facts which if true would in the opinion of the Speaker prima facie warrant such a decision.”
Taljaard, in a motion on June 12, called on such an ad hoc committee to investigate “the JIT report relating to the arms deal scandal” and also called on the national assembly to affirm that it was “entirely proper for Scopa to investigate whether it was misled by the auditor general”.
This was amid allegations that the auditor general edited the final report after consultations with the cabinet.
Fakie said in his report that although legislation required him to consult with the president and responsible ministers, he had never said the document had been limited as a result of the consultation process. – I-Net Bridge