Establishment of Ad Hoc Committee to consider submissions by the President in response to the Public Protector's report

On 19 March 2014, the Public Protector published her report on an Investigation into Allegations of Impropriety and Unethical Conduct relating to the Installation and Implementation of Security Measures by the Department of Public Works at and in respect of the Private Residence of President Jacob Zuma at Nkandla in the KwaZulu-Natal province which is now in the public domain.

In her report she requested the President of the Republic of South Africa to submit his comments to the Report to the National Assembly within 14 days.

On 2 April 2014, the Speaker, Mr Max Sisulu, received from the President the following documents:

1. Letter in response to Public Protector’s Report [Report No. 25 of 2013/14];
2. Proclamation by the President of the Republic of South Africa; (Proclamation No.R.59, 2013); and
3. Copy of the Public Protector’s Report.

The documents were tabled in the Parliamentary papers on the same day.

After consultation with the Chief Whip of the Majority Party and senior whips of other parties in the Assembly, the Speaker has decided to establish an ad hoc committee in terms of the Rules of the National Assembly (NA Rule 214(1)(b)) which empowers the Speaker to establish an ad hoc committee during Parliamentary recess.

In terms of the Rules, an ad hoc committee may only be established for the performance of a specific task. The mandate of the ad hoc committee is to consider the submissions by the President in response to the Public Protector’s Report and make recommendations, where applicable. The composition will be 12 members: ANC 7, DA 2, Cope 1, IFP 1 and other parties 1. The committee is to report no later than 30 April 2014.

The ad hoc committee in its functioning will exercise those powers as set out in National Assembly Rule 138 that are necessary in carrying out its task. These include determining its own procedure, frequency and time of its meetings.

Once the ad hoc committee has completed its task, it will submit its report and this will be published in the parliamentary papers and on Parliament’s website for public access.