The hard-earned image of parliament's public accounts committee as a non-partisan watchdog lies in tatters, torn asunder by the no-holds-barred political contest over the arms-deal probe. 

This week, the committee will debate the report of its multiparty sub-group, which has attempted to weld a consensus from the deeply divergent interpretations of the committee's landmark November resolution on how the probe should be handled. 

But the credibility of the committee itself has been crippled by the clear intention of using it as a political blunt instrument to shape the handling of the probe. 

On SABC's Newsmaker programme on Sunday, African National Congress chief whip Tony Yengeni underlined that ANC members of the committee were not above party-political discipline, and were expected to implement party policy. 

The credibility of the committee has been crippled 

In public pronouncements in the past few days, the ANC has dismissed the notion that there is substance to allegations of irregularities surrounding the R43-billion deal. 

Yengeni said last week's redeployments involving the committee, including the controversial dismissal of Andrew Feinstein as party leader in the committee, were aimed at strengthening the committee rather than attempting a cover-up. 

To the notion that the non-partisan nature of the committee was at risk, Yengeni said: "I know of no committee in respect of the ANC which is above party-political discipline". 

Yengeni, the subject of allegations of involvement in irregularities - which he denies and of which Speaker Frene Ginwala says she has found no proof to substantiate - said he had steered clear of any act in respect of the committee which could appear as representing a conflict of interests. "I don't want to do anything that is going to suggest that I am interfering or manipulating the situation to my advantage - far from it. 

"I think the integrity of the process should be unquestionable. People should see that this is a real process and will lead to real results," Yengeni said. 

'I think the integrity of the process should be unquestionable' 

The Democratic Alliance said statements by Yengeni reaffirmed that the non-partisan consensual style of the committee established in the past seven years was at risk. 

Raenette Taljaard, DA public accounts spokesperson, said the committee was trying to retain its "treasured resistance to the politicisation of its work" but Yengeni's inflammatory statements flew in the face of those attempts. 

With acknowledgement to Clive Sawyer and The Star.