ANC appoints new committee chairpersons and whips

The ANC has appointed several new chairpersons of portfolio committees in Parliament following the promotion of some MPs to the national executive and the deaths of some.

The changes were announced by ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu in a statement on Wednesday.

The reshuffling of portfolio committee chairpersons will see former transport minister Joe Maswanganyi being responsible for leading the oversight committee on public service and administration‚ which was previously under the stewardship of former Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale who has since been appointed the deputy minister of small business development.

Another notable redeployment is that of ANC MP Hlomane Chauke from the North West‚ who is the new chairperson of the home affairs portfolio committee‚ a position he had occupied several years ago under the administration of former president Thabo Mbeki.

Chauke takes over from Lemias Mashile who has been reassigned as chair of the labour portfolio committee.

All eyes will be on Chauke to see how he tackles the home affairs committee's probe into the naturalisation of the controversial Gupta family‚ following concern within Parliament’s corridors that the committee has thus far dilly-dallied on this matter.

Mashile replaces Fezeka Loliwe while Sharon Makhubele-Mashele is taking over the reins of the tourism portfolio committee. Mashile and Makhubele-Mashele respectively replaced Loliwe and Beatrice Ngcobo who both died earlier this year.