Will PCs be clustered or will they mirror departments?

Last week the Rules Committee created a sub committee to discuss clustering / reducing the number of portfolio committees as a means of coping with oversight over an enlarged Executive. They met yesterday and voted to maintain the status quo i.e. that Portfolio Committees (PCs) would continue to mirror cabinet and that there will be one PC per government department. The sub committee’s decision will be ratified when they will report back to the Rules Committee tomorrow - much to the relief of certain organisations who released a press statement last week expressing their alarm at the proposal.

Last week People’s Assembly reported that during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Rules Committee, the ANC proposed reducing the number of the NA’s current portfolio committees, to the chagrin of opposition parties and civil society organisations.

On the one hand the ANC felt fewer Portfolio Committees (PCs) would be more efficient and clustering would allow members to be on less committees to enhance subject specialisation and attendance, while on the other hand the DA and civil society organisations wanted PCs to remain the same, mirroring the current ministries in order to maximise oversight and accountability. President Jacob Zuma’s new Cabinet includes 35 ministers.

Section 27 is part of the group of civil society organisations that released the press statement concerning the clustering of committees. People's Assembly asked Section 27's Thoko Madonko what she thought of the sub committee's decision not to reduce the number of PCs.

"Section 27 welcomes the decision. Portfolio Committees need time to do site visits so they can check up on services on the ground. Section 27 also believes committees need more research support to be able to exercise their oversight role," Madonko said.

According to a discussion document on ‘Options For Possible Reconfiguration of Portfolio Committees National Assembly’ prepared by the NA Table, after a similar discussion in the Fourth Parliament, parties opted for establishing portfolio committees that mirrored government departments, excluding State Security and the Presidency with 13 members each.

The discussion document presented three new models as options for reconfiguring PCs as well as pointing out that the fourth option is to reflect the new expanded cabinet.

Model 1 A highly integrated cluster system used by the national executive, making use of five cabinet clusters around themes and cross-cutting areas of jurisdiction as a guide for the configuration of PCs. Some of the government portfolios would overlap. As well as the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Appropriations that exist in terms of law, the five committees would include:

• PC on Economic Sectors, Employment and Infrastructure Development

• PC on Social Protection, Community and Human Development

• PC on Governance and Administration

• PC on Justice, Crime Prevention and Security

• PC on International Cooperation, Trade and Security

Model 2 This model is similar to the 11 committees used by the NCOP. According to the discussion document, the NCOP has arranged its select committees around the Cabinet clusters, but has isolated certain portfolios. “Bear in mind that one of the reasons for the limited number of select committees is the small number of provincial delegates compared to the NA. As well as the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Appropriations, the seven committees would include:

• PC on Education and Recreation

• PC on Security and Constitutional Affairs

• PC On Social Services

• PC on Land and Environmental Affairs

• PC on Economic and Foreign Affairs

• PC on Labour and Public Enterprise

• PC on Local Government and Administration

Model 3 This integrates certain portfolio committees according to their respective mandates and workload. Of the three new options it is the least integrated model but still serves to reduce the number of PCs. As well as the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Appropriations, the twenty committees would include:

• Home Affairs

• International Relations and Cooperation

• Public Works

• Public Service and Administration

• Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

• Basic Education; Higher Education and Training; Sport and Recreation

• Tourism; Arts and Culture

• Health; Social Development; Ministry of Women in the Presidency

• Labour

• Defence and Military Veterans

• Justice and Correctional Services

• Police

• Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Rural Development and Land Affairs

• Human Settlements; Water & Sanitation

• Environmental Affairs; Mineral Resources; Energy

• Trade and Industry, Small Business Development, Economic Development

• Science and Technology

• Transport

• Telecommunications and Postal Services; Public Enterprises

• Communications