Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma should account and answer questions in the National Assembly more than the stipulated four times a year “to cover lost ground”, MPs say.
The suggestion was put forward during Thursday’s programme committee, which is chaired by Speaker Baleka Mbete.
Rule 111(1)(a) of the National Assembly requires the president to appear before the House at least once every term to answer questions from members, or four times a year.
Indications are also that the start to the new parliamentary programme for the year will be busy, with MPs agreeing to find ways to have Zuma answer questions more than the stipulated number of times.
A motion of no confidence in Zuma brought by AgangSA is one of the first orders of business on the parliamentary agenda.
Zuma will face his second motion of no confidence in his leadership on February 24, following a failed DA motion previously.
Opposition MPs are adamant that Zuma must answer his outstanding questions from last year.
IFP MP Narend Singh said they appreciated that Mbete was going to “deal positively” with unanswered questions from last year.
“The operative in Rule 111 stipulates ‘at least’ once per term. But nothing prevents the president appearing in the House four or five times until the end of the year,” Singh added.
It should form part of the discussions moving forward “so that we can make up for lost time”.
MPs from all parties were in agreement with the proposal.
National Freedom Party MP and chief whip Nhlanhlakayise Khubisa said the matter should also come before the chief whips’ forum.
“We accept the president getting more time on March 11, but this matter has been in the public domain for some time.”
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen thanked Mbete for providing the date upfront for the annual programme.
EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu told the committee that Parliament needed to conclude the “pay back the money question” on the same day as the State of the Nation Address if possible.
Political Bureau