Executive accountability is once again a flashpoint in Parliament and a war of words erupted between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the government this week over ministers’ perceived failure to answer parliamentary questions.
Earlier this week government spokesperson Jimmy Manyi released a statement furiously denying weekend reports that the government is not carrying out its parliamentary duty to answer opposition questions.
The DA has charged that questions are either not answered at all or that replies are inadequate, vague or received late.
Manyi said that many questions were no more than cheap political point-scoring.
This week the DA backed up its claims by providing a list of questions for written reply that have been submitted to Parliament’s questions office but have yet to be answered.
Generally dealing with sensitive topics, they include:
- A question to President Jacob Zuma, published six months ago, on February 10, asking whether he was aware of reports that diamonds mined at Zimbabwe’s Marange and Chiadzwa diamond fields were being sold outside the Kimberley Process to fund Zanu-PF, and the government’s position on such sales. Zuma was also asked about the government’s official stance on human rights abuses at Marange and Chiadzwa.
- A question to Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde, published more than five months ago, on March 7, about the cost of renovating Zuma’s Tuynhuys residence and office, including the total cost of furniture and interior designers used for the office.
- A question to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, published four months ago, on April 21, about when the report into the baby deaths at the East London Hospital Complex would be finalised and released.
- A question to Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, published on July 29, about the status of the police investigation into the Special Investigating Unit and its head, Willie Hofmeyr, as well as the case number, when the case was opened and the police station at which it was registered, the identity of the complainant and the charges.
- A question to International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, also published on July 29, on whether the government supported the issuing of a warrant for the arrest of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi by the International Criminal Court, and if not, why not.
DA chief whip Ian Davidson said that by the end of last year more than 175 written questions remained unanswered, resulting in them being considered to have “lapsed”.
This year, more than 360 DA questions had gone unanswered within the prescribed time-frame of 10 working days, he said. Another 224 questions asked in the first six months of the year remained unanswered, 33 of them dating back to February.
Manyi told the Mail & Guardian that many questions appeared to be little more than attempts to “keep the executive busy”. “They often relate to information that is freely available in annual reports and in the public domain,” he said.
“Questions on things like the hiring of cars by ministers are often unrelated to the work they do or the constituencies they visit, and their answers are reported on without this being given as context,” he said.
He also said that questions relating to government agencies often required ministers to source information from different arms of government, leading to delays.
“Ministers want to give a well-considered response and these things take time,” he said.
Manyi confirmed that the issue of parliamentary questions was a standard agenda item at Cabinet meetings. “The deputy president does raise the matter and the ministers do report to him,” he said.
Thabo Masebe, spokesperson for Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, the leader of government business in Parliament, said questions were routinely responded to. He agreed that Cabinet ministers must answer questions put to them and insisted that “no member of Cabinet would take an unprincipled decision not to reply”.
Smaller opposition parties have also experienced difficulties with unanswered questions. Steve Swart of the African Christian Democratic Party said his party “is often crowded out when it comes to questions” as a result of its smaller representation in the National Assembly. This made it very difficult to hold ministers to account, he said.