Set aside differences DA tells Home Affairs

Home affairs' provincial managers are being bloacked from appearing before Parliament

The Democratic Alliance today urged the Home Affairs deputy general and Portfolio Committee chairperson to put their differences aside and focus on the department. Spokesperson Mark Lowe said that in light of the growing dispute between the Home Affairs Director General, Mavuso Msimang, and portfolio committee chairman Patrick Chauke, the two parties must settle their personal differences and put the interests of the department first.

"Today's events, in which nine department provincial managers failed to brief the portfolio committee after they were instructed to do so by Msimang, undermines the democratic principles of transparency and oversight.” While Msimang maintains that he is better suited to brief the committee on the status of the provinces as the department's accounting officer, the committee is within its rights to demand such a briefing," Lowe said. Msimang's decision to prevent provincial managers from briefing the committee was indicative of the broader power struggle between himself and the committee chairperson.

Valuable time being wasted
Valuable time was being wasted concentrating on this struggle rather than resolving the department's challenges. Lowe said it was indisputable that Msimang has done a great job turning around the fortunes of Home Affairs since he took over, but his decision to keep the provincial managers from briefing the committee was unacceptable.

An email from the office of the Msimang instructed provincial managers not to appear before Parliament until they were given the go-ahead. Msimang was reported to have said last week that provincial managers should not appear before Parliament. But the department says the
e-mail does not reflect the DG's instructions. Msimang earlier alleged that members of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs were colluding with suspended officials. Chauke said there was an open defiance of Parliament by civil servants, because they believed they were right and that Parliament had no role in calling them to account at any level.

"This is an attempt by the executive to instruct Parliament how to carry out its oversight role," Chauke said. Committee members have called on the minister to clarify her position. - Sapa