Mr Xitlhangoma Mabasa (ANC)

mabasa

How did you get involved in politics and what attracted you to your political party? My involvement in politics started when I was an employee at the then Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services and the segregation of black people prompted me to take a stand against the system, as ...

The week ahead: Mini-budget, President's Q&A session top the agenda…

It's a busy week in the main chambers and committee corridor. Everything from the mini-budget speech, to the President and Ministerial question times, to debates, to legislative business, to motions and members' and ministerial statements dominate the plenary agenda.

All eyes will be on the Minister of Finance when he ...

Ms Ruth Bhengu (ANC)

Bhengu

What is your political background and what attracted you to your political party? My political interest was sparked in high school in 1963 when I started to understand the language differences in black and white schools during the apartheid regime. I did not understand why I was being taught in ...

Mr Moses Mbatha (EFF)

moses

What is your political background? I joined the struggle at an early age. I was age 10 years old when I first attended a community meeting to discuss a rent and bus boycott in 1980 in the township of Umlazi in the south of Durban. As one of the youngest ...

The Week Ahead: Budget debates and 'Taking Parliament to the People' dominate

For the past two weeks committees have been meeting with departments and entities to pore over their strategic and annual performance plans, budgets and performance targets and prepare reports for consideration by the House.

The focus now shifts to the budget vote debates that commence tomorrow and run until 12 ...

IJR Seminars: Snapshots of South Africa's democracy at 21

In line with South Africa's State of the Nation Address and the Budget Speech, IJR will be hosting a series of dialogues and seminars on various current affairs topics ranging from racism to economic transformation. There will be seven events over a four week period. Attend one, or attend all, ...

SONA: Go for the Big Five, President Zuma, you have nothing to lose

By Judith February.

The President should focus on the multi-dimensional nature of South Africa’s crisis: from the economy, to racial polarisation, securitisation of the state, dysfunction and maladministration at local government, the problems are easily identifiable. The SONA should be easy to write. Go for the Big Five, and you’re ...

Review of Parliament 2015

The 2015 parliamentary year will be remembered as one of the most dramatic and eventful. The legislature had a bumper year of court battles, internal squabbles, brinkmanship, attempts to impeach the President, riot police batting with protesters and MPs and strike action. Despite all the sideshows and distractions, Parliament still ...

The Week Ahead: Spotlight on President, rules and Nkandla Committee

After a low key week, the National Assembly chamber has shifted gears and arranged a busy programme, which includes ministerial statements, policy debates, oral questions and the processing of assorted bills and statutory instruments. It’s rather quieter in the NCOP chamber, where internal work dominates and any kind of contested ...

Read President Jacob Zuma's 2015 State of the Nation speech here:

State of the Nation Address by His Excellency Jacob G Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa on the occasion of the Joint Sitting Of Parliament Cape Town,

The Speaker of the National Assembly, The Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and ...