Despite thousands and thousands in taxpayers’ cash being spent on MPs “doing constituency work” throughout the parliamentary recess, the system meant to bring politicians closer to the people has failed, in accordance to specialists.
While in nations like the UK, MPs dedicate their time to constituencies which elected them, listening to neighborhood considerations earlier than they blow up right into a disaster, native politicians have satirically continued to react after the reality.
This has turn out to be obvious by means of messages of condolences after the Enyobeni Tavern deaths and the tragic fall right into a Soweto manhole of six-year-old Khayalethu Magadla.
Parliament’s annual efficiency plan for 2021-22 recorded that R510.1 million was budgeted to political events, with the annual report for 2019-20, exhibiting a switch of R470.7 million, together with a R338.4 million “constituency allowance”.
While MPs have been at the moment on a constituency interval till August, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse chief govt Wayne Duvenage, University of South Africa political science professor Dirk Kotze and University of Pretoria politics lecturer Roland Henwood conceded that the programme didn’t work.
Said Duvenage: “We don’t consider the political celebration constituency workplace programme is working – unable to set up the place these places of work are positioned. There can also be no means of creating if MPs can be found for engagements with the public at these ‘offices’.
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“There can also be little proof of economic statements and accountability for the use of the parliamentary allocations to political events – supposed to be used for constituency workplace administration and administration by political events.
“Without a doubt, if MPs did return to constituency offices around the country and were available for meaningful engagement with the public, many localised issues could be raised with them, which they could take back to parliament for discussion, on matters relating to accountability at provincial and local government levels.”
Parliament, mentioned Duvenage, did “nothing to hold MPs to account for constituency work”.
“There is not any means of proving that MPs are utilizing this time constructively or to avail themselves to the public at these so-called constituency places of work.
“Quite frankly, this time off for constituency work is a farce and most MPs treat this as a holiday or official paid time off. It should be scrapped, unless the system is improved for MPs and parliament to provide a public register of which constituency offices, they will be manning every day,” mentioned Duvenage.
Kotze agreed: “Most MPs regard the constituency interval as free time to do what they need. The incontrovertible fact that a lot time is allotted to this in the parliamentary schedule, doesn’t justify the method through which they strategy it.
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“Unfortunately, the finances is abused as a result of constituency places of work turn out to be places of work of political events. It turns into a party-political level of contact, as an alternative of a constituency one.
“Without generalising, it seldom happens during constituency week, that you will find MPs in their constituency offices on the Monday, set for the start of that work.”
Kotze mentioned the transfer to amend the Electoral Act, permitting impartial candidates to contest elections, was “a confirmation that the constituency work system is not working”.
Henwood mentioned few residents knew who their public representatives have been and there was “no access to MPs”. “Parliament can do rather more to maintain MPs to account, although that is tough as a result of MPs account to themselves.
“Another challenge is that this is a party-political responsibility – each party having its own approach and requirements. The party leadership has a far greater responsibility and role to play, with problems exacerbated by the very elitist nature of our politics,” mentioned Henwood.
– brians@citizen.co.za
