Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula was accused of unilaterally increasing Mgidlana’s successor Xolile George’s salary by 70% following his appointment in 2022. Picture: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers Archive
The country’s sixth Parliament, whose term expired at midnight on Tuesday, has been unprecedented, historical, and foundational.
“It’s also been a mixed bag with moments of progress, turbulence, controversy, and setbacks.”
This is according to a review compiled by the Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG), an information service that provides information on all parliamentary committee proceedings.
In their report, the PMG’s project manager Monique Doyle and executive director Rashaad Alli said the sixth national legislature found itself contending with Covid-19 at the start of the term and faced criticism for seemingly relinquishing its oversight duty of Cabinet.
“Parliament should be commended for adopting as it did, even amending rules to accommodate the ‘new reality’.
“Besides obvious drawbacks, virtual/hybrid sittings and meetings have many positive attributes.
“These include cost saving, greater participation, ease of organising meetings, ease of ministerial attendance and live streaming.”
Doyle and Alli noted that Parliament marked a historical first when it impeached judges John Hlophe and Nkola Motata in February 2024.
“The sixth Parliament will be remembered for taking this historic step and enforcing accountability to act against gross misconduct of judges.”
Another first was removing a Chapter 9 institution head, former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane in September 2023 after a motion was tabled in September 2019.
“Rightly so, the process was gruelling but ultimately proved legitimate and instructive for similar processes in the future.”
On lowlights and controversies, the PMG report highlighted the fire that gutted the parliamentary buildings that stalled Parliament’s plan to return to in-person sittings and meetings post Covid-19.
“The end of the sixth Parliament saw another ominous conclusion with the resignation of the Speaker of the National Assembly (Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula) due to bribery allegations.
“This development was shocking even in a country used to daily corruption allegations involving public officials.”
The report also noted that the ANC majority voted against adopting the Section 89 independent panel report that found the president had a case to answer on the Phala-Phala scandal.
The EFF wants the Constitutional Court to declare the National Assembly decision irrational and unlawful.
“It remains to be seen if this will result in another Nkandla-like judgment against the legislature,” said Doyle and Alli. They noted that the courts rebuked the sixth Parliament in two notable court judgments concerning public participation.
“The court ruled that impracticalities or the cumbersome nature of the facilitation of public participation at numerous or late stages of the parliamentary legislative process were not a justification for Parliament not to meet its constitutional obligation.”
The PMG observed that there were moments when Parliament asserted its powers and demanded answers.
“It summoned the Minister of Tourism; it forced the Minister of Higher Education to table a report; and pressured the Minister of Public Enterprises to reveal information on the sale of SAA.”
In terms of internal developments, former secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana was dismissed after being found guilty of serious misconduct in 2019.
Last year, Mapisa-Nqakula was accused of unilaterally increasing Mgidlana’s successor Xolile George’s salary by 70% following his appointment in 2022.
The PMG also noted that Parliament had been poor at filling vacancies, especially in key posts.
The report showed that a total of 19 282 written questions were posed to Ramaphosa and his Cabinet.
“Sixty percent of the questions were asked by the DA alone followed by the EFF at 21%. Only 2% of the questions were posed by the ANC.”
Police Minister Bheki Cele was asked the most questions, followed by the health ministry with 1 181, basic education at 808, social development with 752 and forestry, fisheries and the environment 722.
Cape Times