French
DeutschStanding Committee on Public Accounts
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA; Afrikaans: Staande Komitee oor Openbare Rekeninge) is a standing committee of the National Assembly of South Africa, the lower house of the Parliament of South Africa. It oversees the financial statements of all government departments and state institutions, any audit reports issued on those statements, reports compiled by the Auditor-General on government departments and state institutions, as well as any other financial statements or reports referred to by the committee.[1]
From 1994 until 2024 the practice has been that Parliament elects an opposition party member as chairperson. In July 2024 the Parliament elected Songezi Zibi from Rise Mzansi, a member of the Government of National Unity (NGU) as chairperson.ActionSA, an opposition party that has not joined the GNU, criticised his election saying that the position has been "gifted to a member of the multi-party government/'GNU' which already commands a 70% majority in Parliament [which] serves to potentially neuter effective oversight over government expenditure and outcomes related performance. ... Strong government needs a counter balancing force in opposition that uses the considerable powers afforded to a SCOPA Chairperson to hold government to account."[2]
Membership
[edit]The membership of the committee is as follows:[3]
| Party | Member | |
|---|---|---|
| IFP | Mkhuleko Hlengwa (chairperson) | |
| ANC | Alexandra Beukes | |
| ANC | Bheki Hadebe | |
| DA | Alf Lees | |
| EFF | Veronica Mente | |
| ANC | Sakhumzi Somyo | |
| ANC | Nokuzola Tolashe | |
| DA | Benedicta van Minnen | |
| ANC | Beauty Zibula | |
The following people serve as alternate members of the committee:
- Ganief Hendricks (Al Jama-ah)
- Marubini Lubengo (African National Congress)
- Thandiswa Marawu (African Transformation Movement)
- Constance Mkhonto (Economic Freedom Fighters)
List of chairpersons
[edit]It is customary for a member of an opposition party to serve as chairperson of the committee.[4] However, in 2024 Songezi Zibi, the leader of Rise Mzansi, a member of the GNU, was elected chairperson.
| Chairperson | Party | Term Start | Term End | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Andrew | Democratic Party | 1994 | 1999 | |
| Gavin Woods | Inkatha Freedom Party | 1999 | 2002[5] | |
| Francois Beukman | New National Party | 2002[6] | 2005[7][8] | |
| Themba Godi | Pan Africanist Congress | 2005[9] | 2007 | |
| African People's Convention | 2007 | 2019 | ||
| Mkhuleko Hlengwa | Inkatha Freedom Party | 2019[10] | 2024 | |
| Songezo Zibi | Rise Mzansi | 2024 | Incumbent | |
References
[edit]- ^ "Role of Parliamentary Committees". Parliament of South Africa. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ Athol Trollip (10 July 2024). "Election of Grand Coalition Member to SCOPA Chair a Cynical Plot to Paralyze Government Oversight". ActionSA Parliamentary Caucus. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Public Accounts (SCOPA)". Parliamentary Monitoring Group. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
- ^ "How Are SCOPA Chairpersons Elected Nationally and Provincially?". People's Assembly. 2022-07-29. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
- ^ "Gavin Woods resigns". News24. 25 February 2002. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
- ^ "New Scopa chair a 'lackey'". News24. 25 April 2002. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
- ^ "NNP to chair Scopa – for now". IOL. 2 June 2004. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "Scopa chairperson resigns after switching parties". The Mail & Guardian. 2005-09-07. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
- ^ "DA criticises ANC choice for Scopa chair". The Mail & Guardian. 2005-10-24. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
- ^ "IFP's Mkhuleko Hlengwa is new chair of watchdog Scopa". Sunday Times. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 2023-06-10.