Please scroll down for an Afrikaans version of this statement.
Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Adrian Roos MP.
The DA will call on Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, to account for failing to establish the Electoral Reform Panel as required by the law.
In terms of the Electoral Amendment Act 1 of 2023 the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel must be established within 4 months of commencement of the Act, in consultation with the Electoral Commission and after approval by the National Assembly. The Act commenced 19 June 2023 and the deadline is therefore 19 October 2023.
As the deadline passes there is no indication that the Electoral Commission has been consulted and no names have been tabled with the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs for consideration despite the call for nominations being published as far back as 19 May 2023.
The DA raised the alarm bell on 19 September 2023, indicating the urgency of the matter to Minister Motsoaledi after he had advised the committee on Home Affairs that the Electoral Reform Advisory Committee may be finalised in November.
This is the latest in a series of stalling tactics on Electoral Reform by the ANC government. From the Electoral Amendment Bill to the consequential amendments on the Bill and now the Electoral Reform Panel, Minister Motsoaledi has delayed electoral reform every step of the way. The Minister was advised as far back as February of the urgency of consequential amendments and has since assured the committee on Home Affairs that his department would produce relevant legislative amendments as a matter of urgency.
It is clear from the public participation on the Electoral Amendment Bill that South Africans wants a more accountable government. South Africans want public representatives that care for them and fight for them. As part of Electoral Amendment Bill deliberations the DA pushed for a sunset clause to allow for a full electoral reform process, and establishing an Electoral Reform Panel to drive this process was agreed as a compromise.
It is clear that the ANC does not want an accountable government at all. To quote Kgalema Motlante, the ANC “has no appetite for a (electoral) system that creates accountability.” A 2013 bill by the DA’s James Selfe all called for such a system to strengthen accountability and improve Parliament’s ability to exercise its oversight mandate. The ANC rejected the bill.
The failure by Minister Motsoaledi to establish the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel in the time frame prescribed by law has a direct impact on its effectiveness. In terms of the law the deadline for the Panel to complete its report is 12 months after the 2024 election and so every day its appointment is delayed is a day less to consider electoral reform options, consult with stakeholders and undertake meaningful public participation.
We need an accountable government. The DA will call the Minister to account to Parliament on this blatant disregard for the rule of law and the will of the people of South Africa.
Motsoaledi versuim om die Verkiesing-hervormingspaneel te stig
Die DA sal Minister van Binnelandse Sake, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, tot verantwoording roep oor sy versuim om die Verkiesingshervormingspaneel te stig soos deur die wet vereis word.
Ingevolge die Verkiesingswysigingswet 1 van 2023 moet die Verkiesingshervorming-konsultasiepaneel binne 4 maande na die inwerkingtreding van die Wet ingestel word, in oorleg met die Verkiesingskommissie en na goedkeuring deur die Nasionale Wetgewer. Die Wet het 19 Junie 2023 in werking getree en die sperdatum is dus 19 Oktober 2023.
Daar is geen aanduiding dat die Verkiesingskommissie geraadpleeg is nie en geen name is by die Portefeuljekomitee oor Binnelandse Sake vir oorweging ter tafel gelê nie, ondanks die versoek om nominasies wat so ver terug as 19 Mei 2023 gepubliseer is.
Die DA het op 19 September 2023, die dringendheid van die saak aan minister Motsoaledi aangedui nadat hy die komitee oor binnelandse sake in kennis gestel het dat die Verkiesingshervorming-advieskomitee in November afgehandel kan word. Dit is die jongste in ‘n reeks stilstandtaktieke oor verkiesingshervorming deur die ANC-regering.
Van die Verkiesingswysigingswetsontwerp, tot die gevolglike wysigings op die Wetsontwerp en nou die Verkiesingshervormingspaneel, het Minister Motsoaledi verkiesingshervorming elke stap van die pad vertraag. Die Minister is so ver terug as Februarie in kennis gestel van die dringendheid van gevolglike wysigings en het sedertdien die komitee oor Binnelandse Sake verseker dat sy departement relevante wetswysigings dringend sal voorstel.
Dit is duidelik uit die openbare deelname aan die Verkiesingswysigingswetsontwerp dat Suid-Afrikaners ‘n meer verantwoordbare regering wil hê. Suid-Afrikaners wil openbare verteenwoordigers hê wat vir hulle omgee en vir hulle veg. As deel van beraadslaging oor die Verkiesingswysigingswetsontwerp het die DA aangedring op ‘n sonsondergangklousule om voorsiening te maak vir ‘n volledige verkiesingshervormingsproses, en die instelling van ‘n Verkiesingshervorming-paneel om hierdie proses te dryf, is as ‘n kompromie ooreengekom.
Dit is duidelik dat die ANC glad nie ’n verantwoordbare regering wil hê nie. Om Kgalema Motlante aan te haal, die ANC “het geen aptyt vir ‘n (verkiesings) stelsel wat aanspreeklikheid skep nie.” ’n Wetsontwerp van 2013 deur die DA se James Selfe het so ’n stelsel om aanspreeklikheid te versterk op die tafel gesit. Die wetsontwerp is deur die ANC verwerp.
Die versuim deur minister Motsoaledi om die Verkiesingshervorming-konsultasiepaneel te stig binne die tydsraamwerk wat deur die wet voorgeskryf word, het ‘n direkte impak op die doeltreffendheid daarvan. Ingevolge die wet is die sperdatum vir die Paneel om sy verslag te voltooi 12 maande na die 2024-verkiesing en dus is elke dag wat sy aanstelling vertraag word ‘n dag minder om verkiesingshervormingsopsies te oorweeg, met belanghebbendes te konsulteer en betekenisvolle openbare deelname te onderneem.
Ons het ‘n verantwoordelike regering nodig. Die DA sal die Minister tot verantwoording roep aan die Parlement oor hierdie blatante miskenning van die oppergesag van die reg en die wil van die mense van Suid-Afrika.