National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says Parliament is currently working on implementing some of the recommendations of the State Capture report. She was briefing the media on the work being done by Parliament following a two day meeting with Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
This follows Zondo’s criticism of Parliament’s that it would not be able to stop another State Capture from taking place. A year after the handing over of the final State Capture report, Zondo said it was disappointing that little had been done by Parliament in relation to the recommendations.
The report recommended that Parliament develop mechanisms to hold the Executive accountable.
Mapisa-Nqakula explained some of the work currently being done.
“Thus far, of the 19 recommendations relating specifically to the work of parliament, 11 have been implemented and eight are under way. As part of the implementation plan, at least 22 relevant parliamentary committees have been assigned to oversee executive action regarding the commission’s recommendations. These committees are required to provide quarterly reports on oversight matters related to the implementation of the commission’s recommendations.”
Parliament rejects suggestion it will not be able to prevent State Capture in the future:
The Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Sylvia Lucas says parties in Parliament have a mandate to effect the wishes of the electorate. She was responding to claims by Chief Justice that parliament was not implementing some of the recommendations in the State Capture report and would fail to prevent another capture of the state.
The report criticised the governing African National Congress (ANC) for using its majority in Parliament to shield its leaders from accountability after former President, Jacob Zuma faced eight motions of no confidence.
Last year, most ANC MPs voted against the adoption of the Section 89 independent panel report that found that President Cyril Ramaphosa has a prima facie case to answer in relation to the theft that occurred at his Phala Phala farm.
Lucas says Parliament cannot stop a democratic process.
“Parliament is made up of parties that have been elected into Parliament and parties when they are voting with their parties mandate, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Parliament is the one that should take responsibility for how parties exercise their democratic right within the sphere of Parliament. We should respond to that because it can come to a point that we question the mere fact of a electoral mandate because the electorate gives a mandate to the parties and members have got a responsibility to exercise the mandate of their party.”
DISCUSSION | Parliament’s response following meeting over future of state capture:
