The majority of political parties in Parliament say in 2017 the institution was rigorous in holding the executive accountable.
They mention the inquiry into Eskom’s governance affairs, the South African Social Security Agency and Post Office grants payment debacle and the secret ballot in voting for a motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma.
African National Congress Chief Whip Jackon Mthembu says again this year Parliament showed that it is serious in fighting corruption.
“We pride ourselves that we have a Parliament that says we cannot be complicit in the wake of a corruption that is so evident in our SOEs.”
The Democratic Alliance, Congress of the People, Freedom Front Plus and Economic Freedom Fighters say pushing for a secret ballot during the motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma, indicates that this institution is firm in its oversight role over the executive.
Although President Zuma survived, the motion which was the 8th and a number of ANC MPs voted in favour of it.
DA Chief Whip John Steenhuissen, EFF’s Hlengiwe Hlophe, Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder and COPE leader Mosioua Lekota say the secret ballot was a defining moment for Parliament.
Steenhuissen says, “A sizeable chunk of votes from the ANC bench voted against their own sitting president and that’s what started to put blood on the water for a lot of events that started to happen after the leaks … state capture all that started to emerge after that. I think it was the unlocking of a key stone to be able to start driving those issues and people realise that President Zuma was vulnerable and not as powerful as he made himself out to be.”
Hlophe elaborates, “Where by we told the Speaker that she must use the secret ballot and she refused and we took her to court and the court agreed with us that no she can, because she had powers to grant the secret ballot.”
Mulder says, “For us, the highlight was surely the decision by the Speaker to decide the motion of no confidence and the voting thereof should be in secret. Remember that the court said she has the discretion to do so and she took the right decision and I think with that decision she restored the integrity of Parliament specifically as far as the people of SA are concerned.”
United Democratic Movement Chief Whip Nqabayomzi Kwankwa and African People’s Convention leader Themba Godi say committees of Parliament didn’t play around in seeking answers from ministers and from the various entities that they oversee.
Inkatha Freedom Party Chief Whip Narend Singh talks about legislation that has been passed this year.
“And the medical bill council who is now using regulation to allow people to grow marijuana for medical purposes, I think that was a great achievement that the IFP made.”
Some says the death of three MPs was a low light, while others say there’s still room for improvement even on the achievements.
