Cape Town - Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi is still under fire from MPs to account for allegedly spending thousands of rand flying her friends and family to Cape Town for a Budget speech.
The demand for Muthambi to come to Parliament comes three weeks after she boycotted a meeting of the portfolio committee on public service and administration, when it was still chaired by Makhosi Khoza.
Khoza has since been fired from her job in what the ANC described as a breakdown in relations with her ANC colleagues in the committee.
MPs said the removal of Khoza from the committee did not make the problem disappear, and they still wanted Muthambi to account.
In addition, this was a resolution of the committee to call the minister to account for her conduct.
This past week members of the programming committee demanded that Muthambi be called again to Parliament to account for her expenditure.
DA deputy chief whip Mike Waters told the programming committee that they still wanted answers from Muthambi. He said the fact that she did not come to the committee three weeks ago did not mean she was off the hook.
House chairperson in the National Assembly Cedric Frolick said the discussion for that meeting was not approved by him. It was an informal discussion outside of the approved agenda.
“The agenda for that meeting was not an approved item for that meeting. I am on record on that. It was an informal communication,” he said.
“The fact that it was the former chairperson who called the meeting does not make the meeting with Muthambi disappear. It was a resolution of the committee,” said Ntombovuyo Mente of the EFF.
Waters also agreed that it was a resolution of the committee to call Muthambi, and it should be implemented.
“The committee took a decision and it must be implemented. Why has the minister not been subpoenaed. When is the minister going to be subpoenaed?” said Waters.
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said Frolick must look at the matter and report back to the programming committee. He was supported by deputy speaker Lechesa Tsenoli that he must report back.