The Week Ahead: MPs criss-crossing the country

It's the penultimate week for the third term and an unusual programme looms; with no sittings in the main chambers, a few meetings scheduled and lawmakers devoting most of their time to oversight work across the country.

Permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will embark on a ...

Parliamentary oversight: Few consequences

By Troye Lund

PUBLIC protector Thuli Madonsela’s revelations of widespread corruption, nepotism and maladministration at the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) did not come as a surprise to members of parliament who are charged with overseeing the state entity.

In 2013 the auditor-general (AG) was warning MPs on parliamentary ...

Op-Ed: Transparency, the missing link in political party funding

By Judith February and Lindsay Ferris

South Africa has no legislation regulating private donations to political parties private individuals and companies are able to donate as much in secret as they wish leaving the door wide open for corruption and the buying of influence. In a country already divided by ...

Representation: can we question the legitimacy of parliament?

By Raymond Suttner

In its opening words, phrased as a declaration and making known to all, the Freedom Charter embraces a claim to popular sovereignty and democratic rule, in the name of the people of South Africa. It immediately attacks the legitimacy of apartheid South Africa and simultaneously calls for ...

Parliament, democracy and the failure of collective leadership

By Lebo Keswa and Dumisani Hlophe

The endless chaos in Parliament is symptomatic of a failure in responsible collective leadership, and is not limited to the ruling party, but extends to all parties represented in the National Assembly. Naked pursuit of political power at all costs, regardless of the outcomes, ...

Live Magazine SA: VIP Debate Club Cape Town - Party People Edition

LiveMagSA

After hosting a successful festival in Cape Town and Joburg, Live Mag SA looked at some of the points that surfaced in the numerous discussions and realised that one topic stood out – Youth Unemployment.

As part of their ongoing debate series, they are inviting Members of Parliament (MPs), ...

EFF tactics have become somewhat tired

By Judith February

It’s becoming a matter of routine for presidential question time to be disrupted. Last week’s scenes in the National Assembly left little room for doubt - as if there was any, after the chaos of the State of the Nation address in February - that Parliament is ...

The week ahead: The legislature's budget vote, Nkandla, committee meetings and more

Parliament has scheduled a broad and busy programme in the main chambers as well as in the committee corridor this week.

The Legislature's budget vote is the main plenary event. During their speeches last year, the presiding officers (read here and here) focused largely on the legacy of the ...

Parliament: The good, the bad and the fair to middling

By Thulani Gqirana, Qaanitah Hunter

On March 12, Parliament failed to approve the R1.3-trillion government budget because MPs who attended the sitting did not form the necessary quorum for the vote. That budget – tabled by Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene in February – was only passed five days later, on ...

Constituency system is no cure for our voting shortfalls

By Mosotho Moepya

Over the past few months, we have witnessed a resurgence of debate and discussion about the appropriateness of SA’s electoral system. Commentators, academics and politicians have asked whether the proportional representation system is relevant, effective and appropriate 20 years into our democracy.

Those questioning the effectiveness of ...