Sizani’s unquestioning caucus is letting Cabinet off the hook

23 November 2015

The DA can reveal that the entire African National Congress (ANC) National Assembly (NA) caucus has only submitted a meagre 39 written questions to the Executive this year.

Closer examination reveals that only 16 of the ANC’s  249 member caucus – a minute 6.4% – were responsible for asking those questions. 

In comparison, every Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament (MP) has submitted a written question to a Minister this year. In total the DA caucus asked more than 3,300 questions – approximately 86 times more questions than the ANC has asked. 

MPs are responsible for ensuring that the executive is held to account and that issues which matter to South Africans are taken up in their elected assembly. Often DA MPs have used the written questions system to obtain answers to issues within their constituencies that happen to be national competencies.

At last count the DA had submitted:

- 130 questions to the Minister of Health

- 272 questions to the Minister of Basic Education

- 117 questions to the Minister of Finance

- 206 questions to the Minister of Social Development

- 150 questions to the Minister of Water and Sanitation

- 197 questions to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Considering the numerous social, economic and environmental crises currently facing South Africa, one cannot imagine a suitable excuse for the ANC’s poor scrutiny of the executive over the past year.

MPs are paid a sizeable salary, and the ANC’s poor performance is the clearest indication yet that they do not take their responsibilities or oath to Parliament seriously, only their pay cheques. 

The ANC Chief Whip, Stone Sizani, owes South Africa an explanation for his caucus’s dismal performance in the NA over the last year.

Issued by John Steenhuisen, DA Chief Whip, 23 November 2015