Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Des Erasmus
Published on 2024-03-18 05:00:00
The attendance of members of parliament at the National Assembly’s portfolio committees has been a topic of concern, with a recent analysis showing that attendance during the first session of 2024 was worse than in the previous year. Of the 32 committees in the assembly, 18 showed a decline in attendance, while 12 improved and two remained the same.
While plenary sessions of parliament receive a lot of attention, it is in the committees where the real work of drafting legislation and holding members of the executive accountable takes place. The trade and industry, forestry, fisheries, environment, women, youth, persons with disabilities, and public service and administration committees all showed improvements in attendance levels.
The minerals and energy committee was the busiest, holding 16 meetings, but only recorded a 61% attendance rate, down from the previous year. Other active committees included sports, arts and culture, and finance, with attendance rates of 73% and 69% respectively. Finance committee chairperson Joseph Maswanganyi achieved a perfect attendance rate for the first quarter of 2024.
On the other hand, the rules of the national assembly committee remained one of the least attended, with only 44% participation. However, this was an improvement from the previous year. The international relations and cooperation committee also saw a decline in attendance, as did the standing committee on the auditor general.
Among individual MPs, there were notable differences in attendance. ANC’s Dipuo Peters, who is serving a one-month suspension, did not attend any committee meetings before her sanction. In comparison, ANC’s Zet Luzipho chaired 16 meetings of the minerals and energy committee, while other MPs like Kevin MIleham and Matthews Wolmarans also had high attendance rates.
The analysis highlights the importance of committee attendance in the parliamentary process, as this is where key decisions are made and oversight is carried out. The trends in attendance show that there is room for improvement in ensuring that MPs fulfill their duties and responsibilities in holding the government accountable and shaping legislation.
Overall, the analysis serves as a reminder of the critical role that committees play in the functioning of parliament and the need for MPs to prioritize their attendance to fulfill their duties effectively.
Read the original article on Mail & Guardian
