South Africa: Speaker Regrets Decline of Women Representation in 7th Parliament

The Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Ms Thoko Didiza, has expressed her disappointment with the decline of women representation in the NA in the 7th Parliament when compared to the previous parliaments. Ms Didiza was delivering opening remarks at the beginning of a two-day induction programme for NA-based portfolio committee chairpersons in Sandton in Johannesburg yesterday.

Ms Didiza said the induction programme took place at a time when the country commemorates the heroic struggles of women that culminated in the liberation of South Africa in April 1994 and the creation of a democratic system of government. Ms Didiza paid tribute to the women who fought for democracy in those struggles, who she said faced formidable, merciless and vicious oppressors.

South Africans should draw lessons from that painful history of struggle to deal with the current challenges, she said. Ms Didiza also called for the current MPs to emulate the example set by those women to fight all forms of injustice. In acknowledging the progress that has been made by progressive democratic governments since the dawn of democracy in 1994, Ms Didiza said laws and policies currently in place have improved people's lives.

Ms Didiza then went on to talk about the women who occupy senior positions of leadership in South Africa. She highlighted the appointment of Justice Mandisa Maya as the first Chief Justice of the South African Constitutional Court and the other women justices in the Constitutional Court. However, more can still be done to promote women's roles in South African society to make it more inclusive, she said.

Ms Didiza also encouraged the committee chairpersons to ensure that they understand the Opening of Parliament and the State of the Nation addresses delivered by the President at Parliament. This understanding is important, she noted, as government priorities and commitments are enumerated in those addresses and create a solid basis for Parliament to play its oversight role over the executive.

Ms Didiza called on committee chairpersons to make the planning of committee work the alpha and omega of their work. She said committee chairs must always ensure that there is space for their committees in the NA programming. "Organisation and planning are very critical skills you require as a committee chairperson," stressed Ms Dididza. She also urged them to become more informed about the entire portfolio they oversee.

Ms Didiza also noted that committee chairs should liaise with the provinces if the department the committee oversees is a concurrent department. In addition, the chairperson must be familiar with the work of the department in the provinces and have knowledge of its plans and reports. "Don't say you are not involved. Be curious about the department and its entities you oversee," emphasised Ms Didiza.

Chairpersons must also be aware that they are leading a multiparty committee. "Uphold the rules of the National Assembly. Always understand that the committee is a reflection of the NA," Ms Didiza said. "Take your members along. Manage the unity and the coherence of the committee," she urged.

In addition to these comments, committee chairpersons were also informed about the role of the leader of government business in Parliament, who they should consult in the event that a departmental minister fails to account to the committee. This consultation with the leader of government business should be their first step in resolving the problem, rather than immediately resorting to exercising their right to summons the Minister as a first step when demanding the presence of the minister before the committee.

This article originally appeared on the Parliament of South Africa