Publication	The Natal Witness
Date	2005-10-21
Reporter	Sue Segar
Web Link	www.witness.co.za

"Put Scopa back to work." This was the plea issued to the African National Congress by the Democratic Alliance when it voiced concern that Parliament's vital oversight committee, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) is in a state of disarray.

DA Scopa member Anchen Dreyer said that, as a result of the resignation of former committee chairman Francois Beukman, the committee has not met in five weeks.

"There are several vital issues which Scopa urgently needs to address this parliamentary term, but these are all being put on hold while the ANC decides who it should appoint as chairperson," Dreyer said.

Beukman announced his resignation as chairman in the middle of September, prompting the DA to declare that his resignation was an admission of the need for an opposition chair of the committee.

Beukman, formerly of the New National Party, formally joined the African National Congress at the start of the floor-crossing season for National Assembly members.

At the time of his resignation, he said his crossing from an opposition party to the ruling party had "a direct impact" on the chairmanship of the committee, which has oversight over public accounts, since he is no longer a member of an opposition party.

The chair of Scopa has, traditionally, been drawn from opposition ranks.

The former chairman, Dr Gavin Woods, resigned from the position in 2002, after disagreement with the ANC over the handling of the arms deal investigation. At the time, Woods was a member of the Inkatha Freedom Party, but he crossed the floor to join Ziba Jiyane's National Democratic Convention during the recent floor-crossing window.

Beukman was one of five New National Party members out of seven to join the African National Congress during floor-crossing.

Dreyer said some of the key issues scheduled to be discussed by Scopa are the PetroSA hearing and the resultant submissions on the "Oilgate" scandal, a requested investigation into the international business practice of Denel, and a requested investigation into the government decision to write off a R6 billion obligation to Sasol. She said the DA officially nominated its spokesman on Scopa, Eddie Trent, for the position of chairman, while Woods agreed to second Trent.