Parliament, Wednesday, 14 October 2026 – The Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade has lambasted the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) for the late submission of presentations, saying it undermines Members’ ability to prepare adequately and conduct effective parliamentary oversight.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Ms Sonja Boshoff, reminded departmental officials that the Committee exercises oversight over six additional departments and their respective entities. She emphasised that Members require sufficient time to scrutinise presentations and other relevant documentation ahead of scheduled meetings.
“I want to express my serious disappointment and concern regarding the manner in which this Committee has been treated through the late submission of the Department’s presentation. I find it unacceptable that I had to personally request the Minister to intervene before the presentation was submitted.
“What has happened to mutual respect between the Department and Parliament? When this Committee requests documentation by a particular deadline, we expect that request to be respected and honoured,” said Ms Boshoff.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mr Solly Malatsi, apologised for the late submission, stating that the matter should not have required discussion, as there was no justification for officials failing to comply with established parliamentary requirements. Minister Malatsi led a senior departmental delegation to brief the Committee on the Department’s Annual Performance Plan.
Ms Boshoff further reminded officials that, unlike portfolio committees in the National Assembly, which generally focus on a single department and its entities, select committees in the National Council of Provinces exercise oversight across several departments and numerous entities.
“Our workload is extensive, and Members need sufficient time to study presentations, interrogate the information and prepare meaningful questions. Late submissions undermine our ability to exercise effective parliamentary oversight. They also demonstrate a lack of consideration for the responsibilities of this Committee. I want to make it absolutely clear that I do not expect to see a repeat of this. We are all professionals, and mutual respect, accountability and adherence to agreed deadlines are not unreasonable expectations,” concluded Ms Boshoff.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE, MS SONJA BOSHOFF.
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