In our country government officials or the executive authority that are expected to appear before committees of Parliament have to travel long distances for a three- or four-hour-long meeting. The cost to the national fiscus for flights and accommodation is astronomical and could be put to better use in more pressing service delivery priorities.
The project of transforming Parliament must remain a work in progress, and the focal point of this project must continue to be increasing citizen participation and appropriately capacitating the institution and Members of Parliament so that we improve the quality of oversight and the productivity levels of this arm of the state. I thank you, Deputy Speaker. [Applause.]
USOTSWEBHU OMKHULU WEQEMBU ELIPHIKISAYO: Ngiyakubingelela Sekela Somlomo, selokhu kwathi nhlo, akunandawo lapho kungekho izinkinga khona kodwa siyazi ukuthi wena Somlomo nalabo oqhuba nabo nisebenze kakhulu kulo nyaka ophelile. Sithokoza kanye nani nonke. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: I greet you, Deputy Speaker. It is a well-known fact that since the beginning of time, there has never been a place that does not experience problems, but we know that you and those who are working with you have worked very hard this past year. We are grateful to all of you.]
Deputy Speaker, when we consider the budget before us today, a budget of over R1,3 billion, the most important thing is whether it accurately captures the needs of the institution, whether it accurately focuses on improving the institutional functionality of this institution, and whether it accurately reflects what the institution is meant to be for our democracy.
The National Assembly is the heart of our democracy. It gives expression to the nation's will by the laws that are made here and by ensuring sufficient oversight of their implementation. As an institution, it is meant to give life to the individual hopes and objectives of the people who voted for us and who are asking us, on the daily basis, to use all the authoritative tools available to us to enable them to live their lives freely and fairly; indeed, to facilitate progressive social justice.
But we must concede that the National Assembly's arteries are clogged. Its processes and procedures stifle free-flowing engagement, not only between us and the government, but between us as nonexecutive members and, most importantly, between us and the people of South Africa.
The parliamentary mechanism of holding regular debates on topical issues that we know are important to the people we represent is one of the institution's most vital functions. This mechanism allows us to be seen engaging with and responding to the critical issues that face our society on a daily basis; it allows us to be seen talking to these issues and talking to each other openly on these issues; it allows Members of Parliament to bring the voices of the people to the House, empathising with the challenges that our people face and the very serious challenges that our fragile democracy is facing.
In short, Parliament should be the centre of debate in the country, because that is what truly makes it a people's Parliament. But sadly - very sadly - the bitter truth is that during 2011 this parliamentary procedure was used on only four occasions in the entire year. Only 14 of the political parties elected to Parliament were able to debate a subject for discussion that they had proposed. Isn't that an utter disgrace?
However, ample time was made available for members to give one-way two- minute sound bites and lectures. We had countless notices of motion being read aloud and no less than 229 motions without notice were given, taking the precious time of the House. On top of this, innumerable members' statements were regularly addressed to the executive in this Chamber. But, alas, their total disregard for Parliament is regularly displayed by the utterly poor attendance of Ministers who, in terms of our Rules, should be present to reply to those statements.
At last week's session, the ongoing pattern was, yet again, confirmed when, sadly, only one Minister and five Deputies were present in the House for responses to statements. This is not a people's Parliament at work. Asking the executive to provide us with information is another critical source of the National Assembly's life and legitimacy. However, this mechanism is also not working.
As of Friday, 11 May, no less than 505 questions remained unanswered. Only six of those unanswered questions were put by the members of the governing party. We, in opposition, with the greatest role to play in holding the government to account, are waiting for answers to the remaining 496 questions. And, just so you know, nearly 400 of those were put by the DA.
As I recently wrote to the Speaker, being able to ask regular questions to a Minister is Parliament's right. Answering them is not a choice; it is the Minister's constitutional duty and obligation. I acknowledge your efforts and undertakings thus far, hon Speaker, but I regret to say that you will not stop hearing from me until this matter has properly improved.
Ek doen dus 'n ernstige beroep op u, mnr die Speaker, om vas te staan. Beskerm asseblief die meganismes met al die mag en gesag wat in u amp gevestig is. As die meganismes nie meer behoorlik funksioneer nie, sal die konstitusionele funksies van die Parlement en Suid-Afrika se demokrasie self ernstig ondermyn word. Die mandaat van die Kantoor van die Speaker is immers en allereers om die gladde werking van die Parlement te verseker en om toe te sien dat die rels en prosedures van die Parlement gehandhaaf word om lewe te gee aan die Nasionale Vergadering se mandaat. Die Parlement het die afgelope jaar R44 miljoen aan hierdie taak bestee en ons as Parlement vra nou weer vir R38 miljoen. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[I therefore urgently appeal to you, Mr Speaker, to stand firm. Please protect the mechanisms with all the power and authority that is vested in your office. If the mechanisms are no longer functioning properly, the constitutional functions of Parliament and even South Africa's democracy will be seriously undermined. Indeed, the mandate of the Office of the Speaker is, first and foremost, to ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament and to make sure that the rules and procedures of Parliament are adhered to in order for the National Assembly to carry out its mandate. During the past year, Parliament has spent R44 million on this task and now we, as Parliament, are asking for another R38 million.]
Ke re ka mosebetsi oo se ba ntshitse dimilione tse R44 ngwahola, empa jwale ba kopa dimilione tse R38 ka hodimo. [They have given out R44 million last year for this work, but they are now requesting an additional R38 million.]
Looking at the internal malfunctioning of Parliament, I ask myself: Have the South African people got their money's worth? I think not.
Laat ek dus een ding baie duidelik maak. As die DA ooit daarvan beskuldig word dat dit 'n bottelnek in die stelsels van die Parlement veroorsaak as gevolg van die talle briewe wat ek aan die Speaker skryf om sy hulp en verduideliking te versoek, dan kan ek die wreld werklik met trots in die o kyk. Ek glo stellig dat dit my plig is om te help om toe te sien dat die mense van hierdie land kry wat hulle toekom, dat hulle kry waarvoor hulle betaal en dat hulle kry waarvoor hulle geveg het. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Let me, therefore, make one thing very clear. If the DA is ever accused of causing a bottleneck in Parliament's systems due to the numerous letters that I am writing to the Speaker requesting his assistance and clarifications, then I can truly look the world in the eye with pride. I certainly believe that it is my duty to help ensure that the people of this country receive what they deserve, that they receive what they pay for and that they receive what they have fought for.] But there are some things in Parliament's budget that we, as members, also seem to have no control over.
Last year Parliament spent over R100 million on telling the people that we are their Parliament. It did this through nonauthoritative promotional programmes and initiatives that we, as members of this House, have never even had the opportunity to mandate.
In this budget, we are now asked to approve R118 million for this purpose. But after all this expense, only one thing remains clear: the status of a people's Parliament cannot be bought. A Parliament cannot belong to the people if the people have no faith in the institution, if the people bypass the institution, if the people go elsewhere.
It is no surprise, therefore, that the South African people turn to the courts to uphold their rights and freedoms. It is no surprise that they ask others to intervene and to take action before they ask Parliament. It is no surprise that alternative avenues for engagement with the executive are preferred when the people see but rare glimpses of true deliberation in this House.
Hon Speaker, let me be clear: for Parliament to live up to its constitutional obligations, for Parliament to be a Parliament of the people, we must invest all our resources and all our energy into fixing this institution from the inside out. We must rebuild its internal mechanisms. We must reflect long and hard on the rules of this House. We must establish effective and efficient operating practices and procedures. And we must, above all, demand of it and of ourselves a performance that will make true the notion that we are indeed a people's Parliament.
So, let us be reminded that this powerful concept of a people's Parliament, so aptly captured in the emblem above this Chamber, hangs over our consciences, and we should all feel ashamed. I therefore not only call on you, hon Speaker, but also on my fellow members of this House: Come work with me and let us work together to ensure that Parliament works for all the people. Ke a leboga. [Thank you.] [Applause.]