Note to editors: the letter from the Speaker of the National Assembly can be accessed here.
Build One South Africa (BOSA) welcomes confirmation from the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, that our proposal to strengthen Presidential accountability has been formally referred to the Subcommittee on the Review of Assembly Rules.
This is an encouraging step in the pursuit of sharpening Parliament’s teeth to effect accountability over the Executive. For too long, the framework governing questions to the President – as set out in Rule 140 of the National Assembly Rules – has limited meaningful oversight. The President appears before Parliament only once per quarter for a tightly controlled and time-constrained session. In total, it is approximately 10 hours per year.
BOSA has called for this to be increased to twice per quarter, ensuring that the President is held accountable to Parliament eight times a year, in line with the urgency and scale of the challenges facing South Africa.
We welcome the Speaker’s responsiveness and the willingness of Parliament to consider reforms that strengthen oversight and enhance transparency. We must restore the central role of Parliament as a watchdog over the executive.
BOSA will actively engage in the subcommittee process to ensure that these reforms result in a more robust and effective system of executive accountability.
Media Enquiries:
Roger Solomons
BOSA Spokesperson
072 299 3551