Cape Town - The ANC legislature caucus has called out the provincial government on its failure to appoint an environmental commissioner, and said it would take up the cause in the new year.
In its review of the six months since elections, the party said: “While we welcome the progress made thus far in the process of appointing a commissioner for children, which is now at the short-listing stage, we remain concerned with the provincial government’s refusal to initiate the process of appointing the environmental commissioner.”
Leader of the opposition Cameron Dugmore, said: “Both offices are constitutional requirements which the (DA) has refused to adhere to since 2009.
“Through a relentless push by the ANC working with civil society, which started in the fifth administration, provincial parliament was forced to initiate the process of appointing the children’s commissioner, which will be finalised early next year.”
At the same time, in her report card for the last six months, DA chief whip Mireille Wenger said one of the highlights of the legislature was the enacting of the Western Cape Commissioner for Children Act.
Wenger said: “The Western Cape was the only province in South Africa which provides for a children’s commissioner. As part of enacting this unique piece of legislation, the Western Cape provincial parliament received a total of 59 nominations for the post shortlisted to 15 eligible candidates.
“A rigorous interview process is scheduled to take place in February 2020, where the committee will deliberate and make its recommendations to the premier for the final appointment process.”
Wenger said the legislature “has been hard at work exercising its oversight role over the provincial government following the 2019 general elections”. “The committees have focused on Eskom, crime and trains.”
Some of the other highlights of the legislative year according to Wenger were “calling the (chief operations officer) of Eskom to appear before the standing committee of finance on the state of power production and being the only legislature that has used its constitutional oversight mandate to have SAPS present their provincial annual report to committee”.
Wenger also highlighted the adoption of a parental leave policy for parliamentarians.
“A first non-gendered policy for a legislature in South Africa, which takes steps to ensure rights for parliamentarian parents for maternity, paternity, adoption, and surrogacy leave,” said Wenger.
Meanwhile, the ANC took credit for chairing the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa).
“We have been fortunate to have member Lulama Mvimbi who has managed to separate party politics from his responsibility as Scopa chairperson,” said Dugmore.
However, Wenger said: “The chairpersonship of Scopa was given to the official opposition, as we believe this is in the best interests of good democratic practice.
“No other province has done so.
“In fact, in the vast majority of ANC-led legislatures, the ANC chairs this crucial oversight committee.”
@MwangiGithahu