ANC is constantly thwarting attempts to hold executive authority accountable
2 June 2022
Members of Parliament have a constitutional duty to ensure that the executive authority is held accountable. However, the ANC is doing its utmost best to prevent it from happening.
Section 92(2) of the Constitution stipulates that Cabinet Members are individually and jointly accountable to Parliament.
This does not mean that Parliament can sit back and wait for the executive authority to take action regarding important matters. They must see to it that action is taken.
Last year, the former Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Thandi Modise, apologised to the people of South Africa before the Zondo Commission for Parliament's failure to take action after allegations of state capture.
Likewise, the ANC voted against the Private Member’s Bill on the Disaster Management Act that the FF Plus (Dr Pieter Groenewald) tabled in 2020.
The main aim of the Bill was to restrict the powers of the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to extend the state of disaster indefinitely.
It would have required the Minister to obtain approval from the NA to extend the state of disaster beyond 21 days, as is the case with a state of emergency.
The NA would also have had to discuss new regulations for the state of disaster before making a decision.
Other countries do not even have specific laws to govern actions relating to a state of disaster. State of emergency legislation is used for that purpose.
The ANC argued that the Bill is not "ideal" and, thus, gave the Minister free rein to make decisions about the state of disaster.
And so, the ANC demonstrated that it sees no need to hold the executive authority accountable.
With the Private Member’s Bill, the FF Plus wanted to fulfil its constitutional duty of holding the executive authority accountable.
The ANC thwarted the attempt. The ruling party is failing the people of South Africa again and again and again. The country deserves better than the ANC.
Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 2 June 2022
