The Speaker of the National Assembly, Frene Ginwala, had taken the lead in unjustifiably challenging Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), its chair, Gavin Woods, said this week.

As both the chair of the committee and as a member of Parliament I see it as a constitutional responsibility that I defend the committee and its role,” he wrote in a letter to Ginwala.

“While I believe you as speaker ought to support me in this regard, it would seem that the opposite has been the case.

“In fact, not only did you take the lead in unjustifiably challenging the committee’s work, you also imposed your will in ways which have weakened the committee in its arms deal-related work.”

Woods said that apart from a weakly directed letter to Deputy President Jacob Zuma, Ginwala had chosen to ignore the attacks launched by various members of the Cabinet on the work and intentions of the committee, notwithstanding the constitutional questions these attacks had raised.

She has also adopted an “unfounded view” that he was propagating an unconstitutional position that the investigating agencies into the arms deal should report to the committee, but he told her he did not take up this issue with his committee, nor would he apologise to her.

Criticisms of him, particularly by Zuma, who had accused him of acting ultra vires, had led to the majority component on Scopa being reshuffled, “seemingly in order to ensure they followed the then emergent party line on the issue”. This precipitated internal divisions within the committee that have hampered its work.

Woods also accused African National Congress members of Scopa of adopting an “abusive atttitude” towards him.

Ginwala has not yet responded to his letter.

With acknowledgment to Barry Streek and the Daily Mail & Guardian.