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DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko says many of the party's questions in the National Assembly have gone unanswered this year. Photo: Matthew Jordaan
Cape Town - Hundreds of parliamentary questions posed during the course of the year remain unanswered, DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said on Wednesday.
MPs in her party had asked 2 487 questions in the National Assembly during 2011, she said in a statement.
“This represents 67 percent of the 3 683 questions submitted by MPs.”
In the National Council of Provinces, the Democratic Alliance's 10 delegates had asked 265 questions.
Mazibuko said the DA had also submitted 212 oral questions during the year, 44 percent of the 478 oral questions published.
One of the main ways the opposition could hold the government to account was through posing questions.
“But in 2011, members of the executive have continuously shied away from their responsibilities in this regard, either by failing to answer questions completely or not answering them at all.”
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe had said that all questions would be answered before they lapsed on December 13.
“However, as of close of day (on December 13), 267 written questions asked by members of the National Assembly remain unanswered... In the NCOP, a total of 128 questions remain unanswered.”
In this regard, the worst performers included correctional services (54 unanswered), social development (44) and co-operative governance (42).
“I have requested a meeting with Motlanthe, as the Leader of Government Business, to discuss the continued problem of unanswered questions in Parliament.
“The Chief Whip of the Official Opposition, Watty Watson, has requested a meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly, Max Sisulu, to discuss the role that his office must play in ensuring that all MPs' questions are answered completely and punctually.”
Mazibuko said the DA would submit proposed changes to the rules to ensure that all loopholes which ministers used to avoid answering questions were removed. - Sapa
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Brasco, wrote
aNON, wrote
Russell Travers....i really enjoy your comments, great diction, really good. keep it going mate it is such a welcome relief from the usual drivel dished up by commentators on these sites!
More questions than answers, wrote
The ANC don't provide answers, because they are in the wrong, and they know it. They play the "innocent until proven guilty" and the "right to remain silent" cards as well as the "racist" card at any opportunity. They have a deck of cards full of jokers.
Anonymous, wrote
@Anonymous 4:33am - the DA is doing exactly what any opposition is supposed to do - question the official government when it sees it is not delivering on its promises to the people and when it sees corruption and thievery in place. In effect the DA's hands are tied to any action, as it is the ANC who is in charge and has been put in power to "act" - something they are clearly not doing here. If they have nothing to hide, why do they continually not answer questions posed? Avoiding questions or using outdated laws to avoid answering questions to me just stinks of a government who has something to hide. 90% of this country is far worse off now than it was 20 years ago - one can no longer blame the "old" government....that is a stupid and old excuse that no longer holds water.
jandr0, wrote
What a deluded first comment by "anonymous!" Saying that "We need less question and more work done for this country" is already a contradiction. A lot of the questions are asked because the work is NOT being done. I will not be an unthinking, sycophantic fool and just "unite behind our government to make a difference" because somebody says so. I will support a government that actually proves, thorough their hard work and actions, that they deserve my support. "Anonymous" approach on first giving support without reservation is why heshe is being taken advantage of, and why heshe is not seeing good service delivery. Heshe is the cause of hisher own problem, but too blinded by stone age "blind loyalty" to see it.
cad, wrote
i sometimes watch the parliamentary sessions and yes on numerous occasions the anc ducks and dives the questions and in many instances the imbeciles are not there .they were supoosed action against the deliquent anc memebers for awol the sessions .this government has not a freaking clue of how to serve our people but bloody hell they sure now how to serve them selves .
Russell Travers, wrote
There is no such thing as Azania. It is another deluded Africanist manipulation of the truth, like so much of the brainless nonsense dribbled out by people who should know better. It is an empty idea served up cold on a dirty plate of tired African politics. If you could put it in your mouth and chew it the stone-like lies would break your teeth and you would get sick from the toxic preparation of the same sort of rubbish that people who need answers, people who think in our country is expected to swallow daily. The lazy and irresponsible lack of response to questions that need answers by the governing group of anti-democratic ethnocrats posing as leaders in the anc is a further reflection of the rising tide of idiocy strangling our country. What hope do we have? How are the poor, those denied voices, education, work and a choice for a productive future going to rise above the garbage served up as just, equitable democratic governance? How are we going to survive the lies, thievery and poverty of intellect parading shamefully as due government process in South Africa today? How indeed. And what, just what will future generations make of this mess, this indiscriminate waste and unthinking selfish orgy of denial in the failure we have made of lifting ourselves above blind greedy barbarism? Tell me about Azania. Tell me about democracy, the anc, the future, law, justice, corruption, crime and violence... just work your jaw, make the noises and move on. Its all just rubbish now anyway - grab what you can, steal what you want and remember to lie, lie, lie. This is what we have become.
Anonymous, wrote
We need less question and more work done for this country. The DA is an unfortunate situation of working hard to be seen busy but delivering nothing in the process. No amount of window dressing is needed in Azania, our history is still very fresh and we can never trust you. Let us all unite behind our government to make a difference to ou nation and generations to come.
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