CAPE TOWN - Forty-three parliamentary portfolio and select committees have opened twitter accounts to enhance direct engagement with citizens, the house chairmen for the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces committees said on Wednesday.
"The twitter accounts will enable members of the public to participate in the business of the committees by responding to invitations for public comments, in writing, for bills or any matters before the committees. The accounts can also be used to make representations or recommendations to the committees on bills or any other matters before the committees," Cedric Frolick and Jomo Nyambi said in a joint statement.
They said taking to social media in this manner was also an attempt to reach young citizens.
“This is one of the mechanisms of reaching out to South Africans in the spirit of participatory democracy to enhance active participation, more so the young people who are techno-savvy, in the business Parliament."
The twitter handle for the joint constitutional review committee, tasked with drafting a constitutional amendment on land expropriation, is @JointCRC and that for the committee on public enterprises is @PConPubEnt. The standing committee on finance will tweet as @SConFinance.