Cape Town - Parliament has slammed the Department of Energy for undermining it after it failed to show up for a meeting on Tuesday to discuss escalating fuel prices.
Minister of Energy Jeff Radebe was also not spared by MPs as they warned he must return to the institution next week.
Radebe is currently attending a Southern Africa Development Community meeting in Namibia, but his officials did not show up in the national legislature.
Chairperson of the portfolio committee on energy Fikile Majola said they were unhappy that the department snubbed Parliament.
He said the fact that Radebe was away on business did not prevent the officials from attending the meeting.
“I am totally not impressed. I haven’t seen this before. We are going to have a problem,” said Majola.
He said the meeting was called two weeks ago and the department did not tell them why they failed to attend Tuesday’s meeting.
Infuriated MPs said Radebe and the department must be summoned to appear before the committee.
The public, parties in Parliament and civil society have been up in arms over the increase in fuel prices in recent times.
They called on the government to intervene.
Jan Esterhuizen of the IFP said Radebe has been promising to get the bottom of the matter since July but nothing has happened.