Durban – Parliament is expected to miss its own target to implement 11 recommendations made by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in the reports emanating from the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into allegations of state capture.
Parliament set its own deadline of May 23 to implement the recommendations but this now appears unlikely.
In February, Parliament said it was processing the key recommendations in the State Capture Commission report by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, mostly in relation to the national legislature’s oversight mandate.
This followed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s own 76-page state capture implementation plan, which he submitted to Parliament last year.
In its 16 main recommendations, the Zondo Commission found that Parliament failed in its oversight role to hold the executive to account after several state institutions were captured, costing the state billions.
The key recommendations included:
- To establish a committee to oversee the President and the Presidency, Parliament said the matter was receiving attention and was referred to a subcommittee of the Rules Committee and a report was expected shortly.
- To enhance the capacity of MPs and introduce a constituency-based electoral system, Parliament said it was currently processing the Electoral Laws Amendment Bill.
- The report recommended that there is a need for parliamentary reform to strengthen the core mandates of Parliament, particularly the oversight function was evident.
DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube said the recommendations have all been either put aside or rejected by the majority of ANC MPs in Parliament.
ANC MPs recently rejected a request from opposition parties for an oversight committee on the presidency, which includes the Minister of Electricity, governs the Ministerial Handbook and issues of state security.
Gwarube said ANC MPs had become hostile when discussing the Zondo recommendations to Parliament.
ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina has said that Parliament must ensure that committees finish with the state capture report.