DA Motion: Parliament must mandate Zuma to account

04 November 2014

Today I will give notice of a motion asking the House to mandate that President Jacob Zuma account to Parliament before the end of the year. 

Rule 111(1)(a) requires the President to appear before the House at least once every term to answer questions from Members of Parliament. The President has failed to abide by this rule off his own accord and must therefore now be mandated to do so.

In addition, the Speaker has failed to respond to my request for a debate of public importance on the matter and the Deputy President has also failed to give any indication as to if, or when, the President intends to appear before Parliament.

The time has now come for Parliament to assert its constitutional authority. We can no longer tip toe around the President and must mandate him to account to Parliament through a resolution of the House. 

I will this afternoon request the House to take the following decision: 

Noting that President Jacob Zuma has failed to comply with the Rules of Parliament in that he has not appeared for oral questions at least once per term during 2014, the House:

a) Censures President Zuma for failing to comply with the Rules of Parliament;

b) Orders the President to appear before the House in terms of the Rules to answer oral questions;

c) Requests the Deputy President, and Leader of Government Business, to provide Parliament with an explanation for why the President has failed to comply with the Rules in respect of oral questions for the year 2014, at its next sitting.

The DA will request that this decision be debated on 18 November as part of its pre-scheduled motion slot, and hopes that the governing ANC will support our motion on that day to mandate the President to Parliament. 

Issued by Mmusi Maimane MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, November 4 2014

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