The chairperson of the watchdog standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), Francois Beukman, has resigned, he announced on Wednesday.
Beukman formally joined the African National Congress at the start of the defection period for National Assembly members. The defection window opened on September 1 and runs until September 15.
In a statement, Beukman said his resignation takes effect on September 30. He said his crossing from an opposition party to the ruling party had ”a direct impact” on the chairpersonship of the committee — which oversees public accounts — ”since I am not any more a member of an opposition party”.
It is traditional for the chairperson of Scopa to be drawn from opposition ranks. The former chairperson, Dr Gavin Woods, also resigned the position in 2002 — after a tussle with the ANC over the handling of the arms deal. Woods was at the time a member of the Inkatha Freedom Party, but he joined the new National Democratic Convention on Tuesday.
Beukman was one of five New National Party members out of seven to join the African National Congress last week.
Beukman said on Wednesday that he will chair the plenary session of the committee next Wednesday ”for the last time”. During the coming three weeks, he will finalise outstanding administrative matters with the secretariat to ensure that the new chairperson can start in October ”with a clean slate”.
”I will make at next Wednesday’s plenary a few more substantial remarks, but I want to place on record my sincere appreciation to the members of Scopa for their support and good working relationship during the last three years.”
He extended ”a special word of thanks to the Scopa secretariat for their hard work, professionalism and dedication to get things done”.
The first chairperson of Scopa in the first democratic Parliament was the then opposition Democratic Party’s Ken Andrew. Woods took over the role in 1999. — I-Net Bridge