Parliamentary speaker names and shames tardy ministers

National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has named and shamed ministers who ignore written parliamentary questions, with defence minister Thandi Modise emerging as the chief culprit with 27 outstanding replies.

Hot on Modise’s heels is former transport minister Fikile Mbalula, who resigned this week to focus on his full-time job as ANC secretary-general, with 18 questions unaddressed.

Next in line is department of co-operative governance & traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who this week was moved to the position of minister of women, youth and persons with disabilities, with 12 outstanding written replies.

Lindiwe Sisulu, who was fired as tourism minister by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday during his cabinet shake-up, is the fourth-tardiest minister, with Mapisa-Nqakula telling MPs she left office with nine outstanding replies.

Mapisa-Nqakula embarked on the naming and shaming exercise just before ministers in the cabinet’s social cluster were about to take oral questions in the National Assembly, saying from now on she will throw the rule book at wayward ministers.

She said it is astounding that one of the written questions that remained unanswered by the end of the parliamentary term in December 2022 had been put on the question paper in March 2022. 

This is despite parliamentary rules making it compulsory for ministers to respond to written questions from MPs within 10 working days.

Written and oral questions are an important tool MPs use to hold members of the national executive accountable on their spending and policy implementations. Ignoring them undermines this constitutional mandate of parliament.

“It causes concern when the rules that provide for the timeline within which replies must be provided, are ignored and questions remain unanswered,” said Mapisa-Nqakula during her censuring of ministers.

“For instance, one of the questions that remain[s] unanswered and subsequently lapsed appeared for the first time on the question paper on March 11 2022. This is totally unacceptable.”

Other ministers turning a blind eye to written parliamentary questions are health minister Joe Phaahla with six, Ronald Lamola of justice with five, and small business minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams with three.

Blade Nzimande of higher education; Gwede Mantashe of mineral resources & energy; and former minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele are accountable for one outstanding reply apiece.

Mapisa-Nqakula said that due to this week’s changes in the cabinet makeup, ministers expect her to do away with parliamentary questions.

“Noncompliance by members of cabinet with the specified rules of the National Assembly is a huge setback in ensuring a government of the people.

“As members would be aware, step four of the system of monitoring replies provides for the speaker to reprimand in the event of continuous noncompliance or lack of improvement. This step has not been invoked since the introduction of this system. Should there be no improvement with regard to adherence to the rules applicable to replies, I will be obliged to invoke step four of the system and reprimand the responsible cabinet members.

She will keep bringing these matters to the attention of the leader of government business, deputy president Paul Mashatile.

Mapisa-Nqakula appealed to the members of the executive, “including the minister who recently joined cabinet, to take note of this statement”.