We forecasted last week that the divisions between the ruling party and most opposition parties were set to widen in Parliament. What we did not anticipate was how quickly and devastatingly matters would escalate, resulting in the shameful scenes witnessed last Thursday when the public order policing unit entered the National Assembly chamber and caused a scuffle.
In the aftermath, both sides have done little to quell the tensions with the EFF threatening legal action and the DA laying charges against the police and warning that it would no longer recognise the authority of the Speaker. Conversely, the ANC has decried the behaviour of the EFF and other opposition parties. The Speaker also defended the action, saying she had a duty to protect Parliament as the opposition was trying to tarnish the legislature.
Meanwhile, the media and freedom of information advocates have expressed concern at interference with the audio and visual feed in Parliament whenever there are disruptions. SANEF has called on the “presiding officers in Parliament to ensure that there is no censorship of the debates in the House, irrespective of the content of those debates, and the need for presiding officers to protect the image of the House”.
The Deputy President, in his capacity as Leader of Government Business, is expected to meet with opposition parties on Tuesday. This meeting will be closely watched to see what steps will be taken to restore the acrimonious relationship and the credibility of the legislature.
While these controversies will dominate, the legislature still has business to conclude before its summer recess in two weeks. Here are the highlights in the plenary corridor:
On Tuesday, the NA will consider the Report of the Powers and Privileges Committee on allegations of conduct constituting contempt of Parliament by members of the EFF. This item will be a flash point given recent events.
The Deputy President and Ministers in the Governance cluster will give replies to oral questions in the NA on Wednesday. On the same day, the NCOP has scheduled a debate on creating an effective health care system in South Africa. The debate has been titled: “Continuing in our collective path to ensure a comprehensive healthcare system in South Africa”.
The NA and NCOP have arranged a joint sitting of Parliament on Friday to conduct a debate on the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.
The committee corridor is also packed with action this week. Here are the highlights:
On Tuesday, the Communications Committee will finally conduct its inquiry to allegations that the SABC Chairperson had misrepresented her qualifications. On the same day, there will be a briefing by ESKOM, SASOL, BHP Billiton, and Chemicals and Allied Industries Association on their air quality management initiatives.
On Wednesday, MPs will be briefed on the success and challenges of the Batho Pele Call Centre, Anti-Corruption Hotline cases and the Presidential Hotline complaints.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), Metro Police and Civilian Secretariat for Police will inform the Police committee about on their challenges faced in monitoring the implementation of recommendations made by IPID on disciplinary cases.
There will be a follow-up meeting with the Central Drug Authority on its annual report outlining its legal status, functions, the kind of work it does, programmes, their impact, comprehensive statistics on substance abuse, problematic areas in the provinces and programme of action to address them.
Click here for a list of all the committee meetings for this week.
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