The leader of the Rise Mzansi party, Songezo Zibi has been elected as the new chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA). This committee is the watchdog over the public purse. It looks at how government money is spent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe nominate the name of Songezo Zibi to be the chairperson of Scopa,\u201d says\u00a0 ANC MP Lusizo Makhubela-Mashele.<\/p>\n
Conventions in Parliament are shaken up. Traditionally the chairpersonship of SCOPA is allocated to a member of the opposition. However, this time around, it has gone to a party that is part of the Government of National Unity.<\/p>\n
While the majority of the parties in the committee welcomed the move, there was some opposition.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe reject this. Not reject you as a person but principle. The principle and convention of Parly is that the opposition must Chair Scopa. And as things stand, the decision to govern as GNU after May 29 which your party is part of, don\u2019t consider your party as opposition,\u201d argues EFF’s Veronica Mente.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy first loyalty is to mandate of this committee and expect all of us as members to do the same and work with staff so we can get to the accountability you\u2019re talking about,\u201d says Scopa Chairperson Songezo Zibi.<\/p>\n
And a promise that loyalty is to the committee first.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs much as I am a chairperson, I am also a servant of the committee and the people of SA. It\u2019s an honour and privilege,\u201d Zibi explains.<\/p>\n