DA calls on Deputy President Mabuza to intervene in Cabinet evading NCOP

Issued by Cathlene Labuschagne MP – DA Leader in the NCOP
12 Nov 2019 in News

Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni, has today at the last minute postponed an Oral Questions Session in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). This, despite the session having been on the programme for the past month.

Members of the NCOP were informed that Minister Mboweni will be needed at the Africa Investment Forum in Johannesburg and that the Deputy Minister of Finance is apparently overseas and unable to stand in for Minister Mboweni.

 This is the umpteenth time that a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet has withdrawn from an NCOP Oral Questions Session and is a clear indication of the disregard the ANC truly has for this very critical arm of the Legislature.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Leader of Government Business, Deputy President David Mabuza and the Chairperson of the NCOP, Amos Masondo on the matter, requesting them to find a solution and ensure that this trend does not further continue and impede on the work of the 6th Parliament. 

Clearly the ANC is lacking consequence management when it comes to ensuring Cabinet is accountable to Parliament. Ministers failing to account to the NCOP through Oral Questions Sessions has become a frequent trend.  This was prevalent during the 5th Parliament, especially with the likes of former Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini. 

Preparation for oral question sessions by NCOP opposition parties is a lengthy process to ensure that issues from South Africans across all nine provinces are elevated to the National Government. 

The very essence of our constitutional democracy is ensuring checks and balances among the spheres of government. This ill-habit of Cabinet needs to be left in the past. The DA will continue to hold Cabinet and government accountable in Parliament to ensure South Africans and their concerns are heard.