Last week a committee meeting was held in camera in a bid to thrash out the problems, but Woods was disappointed saying the ANC had spent most of the time "voicing criticism of me in one way or another". The committee therefore faced another year of possible dysfunction and failed oversight, said Woods.

He felt that the politicisation of the committee and the undermining of his role as chairman by the ANC had severely compromised the body's oversight role and drastically reduced its productivity.

"My resignation must be seen as being both in protest of that which has undermined the committee's oversight role and compromised constitutional accountability arrangements, and also the committee's refusal to take positive action towards restoring its effectiveness," he said.

Woods warned of the dangers of a weak and underperforming public accounts committee, which he said could "prove very costly" for SA. Already, he said, the committee had lost the respect of government officials and the confidence of the public. He hoped his resignation would create the space for the committee to be re-established.

ANC public accounts spokesman Vincent Smith denied the ANC had failed to respond to Woods's comments. He said that the ANC was "dismayed and shocked" by the manner of his resignation as the agreement was that members would table their response to his proposals today.

Smith said that, while the ANC supported the idea of the committee being chaired by a member of an opposition party in principle, this was for the party's chief whip to decide.

Democratic Alliance public accounts spokeswoman Raenette Taljaard said Woods's resignation was a "tragic day for democratic accountability. It signals yet another blow to Parliament's oversight role. Parliament has also lost its last fiercely independent chairperson from an opposition party."

She blamed the resignation on the "extreme pressure which the ANC's political control of the committee has placed on the committee".

The ANC had set out "through systematic and obstructive means" to sideline and eventually remove Feinstein and undermine Woods.

"The ANC's iron fist control over (the committee) and its three subcommittees gave them de facto control over the agenda of the committee and left the chairperson with little power."

The New National Party's (NNP's) Francois Beukman said Woods's departure was unfortunate. The arms probe had divided the committee along party political lines so that its oversight and monitoring role had suffered a setback.

Speculation yesterday was that, instead of giving the post again to the IFP, the ANC would reward its new ally, the NNP, with the post in line with their recent co-operation pact.