Former Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has been elected as one of the chairpersons of Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence.

Gigaba is implicated in crimes in the Zondo Commission report.

When Gigaba was Public Enterprises Minister in 2012, overseeing the affairs of State-owned enterprises such as Denel, he allegedly introduced the company’s executives to members of the Gupta family at their Saxonwold home.

Phiroene Phala is elected as co-chairperson.

Parliament pointed out that it was resolved that the committee would consist of 17 members – 11 National Assembly members and six National Council of Provinces permanent delegates.

It explained that the committee was constitutionally mandated to exercise oversight over the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and its subsidiaries by investigating and making recommendations on the budget, functioning, organisation, armaments, policy, morale and state of preparedness of the SANDF.

“Determining membership of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence is guided by Section 228(3)(a) of the Interim Constitution, which provides that a Joint Standing Committee on Defence shall be established, consisting of members of all political parties holding more than ten seats in the National Assembly and willing to participate in the committee. Section 228(3)(c) provides the formula for determining membership,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Review Committee elected Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach and Mtikeni Patrick Sibande as its co-chairpersons.

Parliament highlighted that the co-chairpersons or the chairperson of a joint committee preside at committee meetings except when one takes the chair by agreement between them.

“…they have the power to act in any matter on behalf of and in the best interests of the committee when it is not practical to arrange a committee meeting to discuss that matter.”

The Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament is expected to elect chairpersons on Friday, after it did not reach a quorum to proceed on Tuesday.

The Multi-Party Women’s Caucus is expected to elect chairpersons on Wednesday.