Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, says a service provider has been appointed to conduct an impact study into the proposal to move Parliament to Pretoria.
The proposed move has been on the cards for a number of years.
Mbete delivered Parliament’s budget vote on Tuesday. The national legislature has a budget of R2.4 billion for the current financial year.
The proposed move of Parliament to Pretoria has been on the cards for a number of years. The fifth parliament has finally appointed a company to look into the viability of this.
“An external provider, Pamoja, has been appointed to conduct six months socio-economic and impact study commencing this month. Hand over to sixth parliament.”
Mbete says the institution will function with less than what it needs. “We requested an amount of R2.8 billion to Treasury as budget estimates. We thus have a shortfall of R476 million. Honourable Members must be mindful that the budget also includes medical aid, and salaries of members, amongst others. Parliament has a direct charge to the National Revenue Fund, as a provision for Member’s remuneration, which is a total of just over R493 million.”
The deputy chief whip of the DA, Mike Waters, says budgetary constraints have far reaching implications.
“It is little wonder that many committees find themselves under-capacitated with content adviser and researchers, negatively affecting our ability as Parliament to hold the executive to account. In fact, the sluggish manner in which some portfolio committees have dealt with the State Capture issue has been blamed on the lack of resources of committees.”
Members from the UDM and IFP added their voices to how a tight budget affects the work of parliament.
“These budgetary constraints affect oversight role. Committees are not as well-equiped as departments. Sometimes not even researchers, Admin support to smaller parties; we don’t have resources to employ researchers.”
EFF chief whip, Floyd Shivambu, says they cannot support the budget because of weak internal oversight systems. “We think internal parly systems are very weak.”
Mbete also expressed the hope that the incidents of disruption in the House is a thing of the past. The fifth Parliament has been fraught by several disruptions, at times leading to members being removed by force.
” At times during this term, the House experienced unprecedented instances of disorder. It is our hope that this will stay firmly in the past. Since adoption, the new rules have since been applied, and proven beneficial. Thankfully, the quality of debate and order in our proceedings has certainly been improved.”
But the FF Plus MP, Anton Alberts, thinks the institution is on a downward spiral.
“Now outright name calling, overt racism…this can not be condoned, mutual respect brought back.”
