Rise up, Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi. (Photo by Deaan Vivier/Beeld/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has been elected chair of parliament's watchdog Standing Committee on Public Accounts, continuing the tradition of giving the post to an opposition politician.
The position was previously held by Mukuleko Hlengwa of the Inkatha Freedom Party, who is currently deputy minister of transport in the Government of National Unity.
It was widely expected that Rise Mzansi would not be given any executive role in return for joining the broader coalition government and that her party, which won two seats in parliament, would instead head key parliamentary committees.
In a statement, Rise Mzansi said Scopa was “best described as a super watchdog committee” that would investigate how taxpayers' money was being spent.
“SCOPA now has new leadership working with and for South Africans to ensure that resources are spent and accountable to build a safe, prosperous, equal and united South Africa,” it added.
The Democratic Alliance chairs five of the parliament's 30 committees.
The DA's Jan Naude de Villiers will chair the public administration portfolio committee and Leon Basson will chair water affairs. Former ANC floor whip Pemi Majodina will be the new minister for water affairs.
New DA councillor Ian Cameron has been elected chair of the police portfolio committee.
Joe McGluwa will become chair of the portfolio committee on sport, arts and culture, while Bridget Masango will become chair of the portfolio committee on social development. Both have been party spokespeople in the portfolios for many years.
The 29 chairpersons were elected on Tuesday and Wednesday, with only the portfolio committee on science, technology and innovation postponing voting to a later date.
Build One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane chairs the standing committee on appropriations but his party has not committed to joining the 11-party coalition government.
Three-quarters of the provincial committees will be led by ANC members, with five of them overseeing ministries currently headed by DA members.
New ANC MP Homotyo Maimela has been elected chair of the basic education committee, while fellow newcomer Motha Chabane will chair the home affairs committee. The DA's Siviwe Gwalbe and Leon Schreiber will be ministers of health and home affairs respectively.
Former communications minister Dina Phule will chair the portfolio committee on agriculture, overseeing the ministry currently held by Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhausen.
The ANC's Ngabisa Gantso has been elected chair of the portfolio committee on environment, forestry and fisheries, while new ANC MP Khusela Sangone will chair the communications committee – ministries headed by the DA's Dion George and Solly Malatsi respectively.
Sangoni, better known by his married surname, Diko, served as press secretary to President Cyril Ramaphosa but was sidelined in that role in 2021 after he was embroiled in a Covid-19 protective equipment procurement scandal.
The ANC's Anthea Ramolobhengu will chair a new committee on corrective services, created after President Ramaphosa separated the departments of corrections and justice and appointed Freedom Front Plus leader Peter Mulder to a cabinet post.
Former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo has been elected for another term as chair of the portfolio committee on international relations, overseeing the ministry currently headed by Ronald Lamola.
Dakota Legoethe, a former ANC North West chairperson and an ally of Mahumapelo, is the new chairperson of the portfolio committee on defence and veterans' affairs.
The ANC's Sibongiseni Dhlomo was elected chair of the committee responsible for health, a position that was replaced by Aaron Motsoaledi in the new coalition government.
Shola Nkola, who co-chaired the joint constitutional review committee, will take over as justice committee chair from his party's Gratitude Mgwanishe, who was praised for building cross-party cooperation and calling for thorough oversight of Lamola's former ministry.
The ANC's Joseph Maswangani was elected chair of the standing committee on finance, while Nomkosi Mvana was elected chair of the energy and power portfolio committee.
FF Plus MP Wouter Wessels chairs the Standing Committee on the Auditor General.
Zweli Mkhize, who was forced to resign as health minister in 2021 amid the digital vibes scandal, has been elected chair of the portfolio committee on cooperative governance.
