Mkhuleko Hlengwa, chairman of Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) indicated that allowing the meeting to go ahead when not a single government minister who is part of the IMTT was present, would be condoning actions that undermine the national legislature.

"That kind of nonsense goes no further," Hlengwa said. 

The IMTT consists of the ministers of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, finance, energy, water and sanitation, public enterprises, the president of the South African Local Government Association and the Eskom board chairman.

MPs decided not to accept apologies tendered late by Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan who is in Russia, and Eskom board chairman Jabu Mabuza, who is also out of the country. 

"We are used to this tendency of being undermined. It's not going to be sustainable any longer because, quite frankly, if we have to subpoena people we will, regardless of the office they hold," said Hlengwa.

Hlengwa also ordered officials to send the committee the costs of sending officials to the meeting by the close of business as the committee was considering "attaching costs to individuals".

The IMTT briefed MPs more than a year ago and indicated municipal debt to Eskom stood at R14.5 billion. That debt, according to the latest figure from Eskom, now tops R20 billion. 

MPs said it was critical they heard from Cabinet as the IMTT intervention was clearly not working.

African News Agency (ANA)