ActionSA made a commitment on Monday to punch above its weight with their six-member caucus when it plays its oversight role in Parliament.

Addressing their first parliamentary briefing, the party’s chief whip Lerato Ngobeni said they were not to play politics as usual.

“Our party stands firm to hold this government accountable to push for solutions that genuinely serve our country and challenges any failure to change the people’s lives.

“The Government of National Unity has shown signs of falling in the same patterns of inefficiencies, lack of transparency and failing to be robust to put South Africans first.”

Parliamentary leader Athol Trollip said his party was committed to being a constructive opposition.

However, Trollip said they have made a number of key observations about the work of Parliament and the need for urgent reforms to improve its functions as the bastion of democracy.

“Of concern is the urgent need for the Deputy President, as the Leader of Government Business, to hold him to account and to make sure Ministers come and answer questions in Parliament, come properly prepared and give us proper answers.

“Unfortunately, we see the bad habit of simply giving rudimentary and cursory responses continuing even in the seventh dispensation.”

He also said his party has shown a fierce appetite for holding the grand coalition to account.

“This includes leading the charge to hold the Minister of Justice (Thembi Simelane) accountable, writing numerous letters to the President, Public Protector and speaker.”

“We will hold the Minister accountable to the very last opportunity that we have.”

He said apart from laying criminal charges against the minister and writing letters to the authorities, Trollip will ask President Cyril Ramaphosa what he is going to do with Simelane who has a cloud of controversy hanging over her head, during a question and answer session on Thursday.

“We expect at the very least a resignation or a suspension or that she gets fired. She should step aside if the President does not have the courage to deal with her.”

Trollip added that the Phala-Phala scandal would not be swept ‘under the couch’.

“The NPA may believe there is no prima facie. We believe there is prima facie. There is contravention of the Foreign Exchanges Act and the President must account for it.”

The party’s immediate priority in Parliament was ethics and accountability.

“We will look into updating the Ministerial Handbook that is related to our bloated cabinet that costs in excess of a billion rand. We will make sure the necessary changes are brought to that.”

Trollip said they can’t continue with a Ministerial Handbook that allows some people to live lavish lifestyles when the rest of society lives in poverty and unsafe communities.

Asked how they would achieve their feat as a team of six MPs, Trollip said they could box way above their weight.

“I have no doubt the six of us will make a difference and if we use every lever to influence people by encouraging them to do the right thing and expose them for their reluctance to do the right thing.”

Cape Times

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ActionSA commits to punch above its weight on parliamentary oversight