Ex-ministers head committees
FORMER ministers dropped from President Jacob Zuma's cabinet have been redeployed by the ANC as powerful chairs of parliament portfolio committees.
Axed communications minister Yunus Carrim is the new chairman of the important standing committee on finance, responsible for overseeing adherence to the national budget and the running of the national treasury, the finance ministry and the SA Revenue Service. The new leadership of oversight committees was announced yesterday by ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe following a caucus meeting in Cape Town.
Gauteng ANC chairman Paul Mashatile, the former arts and culture minister, who was part of the forces for change in 2012 that launched an unsuccessful bid to topple Zuma, has been assigned as the new chairman of the standing committee on appropriations, which deals with the spending plans of all government departments but has little political clout.
Ben Martins, a member of the SACP central executive committee who wasremoved by Zuma as energy minister, now chairs the troubled public works portfolio committee.
Jackson Mthembu, the ex- ANC national spokesman, will now chair the environment affairs committee.
Mathole Motshekga, reduced to a backbencher after being dropped as chief whip last year, returns to a position of power as chairman of the critical justice and correctional services committee.
The former general-secretary of Nehawu, Fikile Majola, is the new chairman of the energy committee.
Lumka Yengeni returns to lead the labour portfolio committee after being fired from that position in 2010.
Former public works minister Thoko Didiza is the new chairwoman responsible for logistics and facilities and will also represent the house at the Judicial Service Commission, which is in charge of appointing judges.
Former Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo replaces Ben Turok as chairman of the ethics committee.
African People's Convention leader Themba Godi stays on as chairmanof the standing committee on public accounts. - Thabo Mokone
