Last month, Parliament failed to pass the controversial Labour Relations Amendment Bill – which deals with labour brokers, among other things – because there were not enough MPs to do so.
House chairperson Cedric Frolick (ANC) had to postpone the passing of the Bill because the National Assembly was 34 MPs short of the required 50% plus one (201 MPs) to vote on the Bill during the last sitting of the House on June 20.
Democratic Alliance MPs walked out in protest against the Bill. The DA has 71 MPs in the 400-member National Assembly but the ANC, with its overwhelming majority of 264 MPs, could have achieved the quorum easily even without the opposition.
It was not the first time that Parliament has failed to pass a Bill because of truant MPs and the ANC has repeatedly threatened to discipline its absent members.
Both the ruling party and Parliament are working on leave and attendance policies for MPs, which they hope will improve attendance at sittings of Parliament and portfolio committee meetings.
The ANC's document shows the party wants more stringent sanctions for absenteeism.
Although Parliament proposes salary deductions from MPs absent for 15 consecutive days or 30 days a year without leave, the ANC wants the deductions from those absent for 10 consecutive days or 15 days a year without leave. Parliament also proposes a R500 deduction from the salary of an MP for each day in excess of the 15 days or 30 days of absence. The ANC proposes a full-day pensionable salary deduction. The lowest-paid MP earns R889?383 aAndisiwe Makinana
Two technologies
Although Parliament proposes that a member who is absent for 30 to 60 consecutive days without leave while the National Assembly is sitting should lose his or her seat, the ANC proposes this should be set at 15 consecutive days without leave, or 20 days a year.
Parliament also wants to introduce an electronic recording system that "accurately captures and records the coming and leaving of MPs at both chambers and committee rooms".
The legislature proposes two types of technologies: radio frequency identification (RFID) and/or a biometric system, which will accurately record the members' movements and eliminate human error. RFID wirelessly records the presence of tags, which can be detected when an MP enters or exits a chamber. Biometrics will be limited to fingerprint recognition.
In Parliament it is proposed that a combination of the two technologies be used, which will see committee rooms fitted with scanners. It is envisaged that the RFID will be used as an interim measure in the National Assembly and the biometric system will be implemented later. Parliament wants the system operational by the beginning of the fifth sitting of Parliament – after next year's general elections. The parliamentary document envisages that the proposed systems will not cost more than R500 000.
"The system will be configured according to the rules of Parliament. For example, the chief whip of a party would be able to see the attendance information of members from his or her party only," according to Parliament's document.
The speaker of the National Assembly and the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces will have access to all members' time and attendance information.
The DA is opposing the proposed policy. The DA chief whip Watty Watson said parliamentary officials had failed to demonstrate how such an expensive system would be any more effective than their own internal policy, which was free. Watson said the DA had an advanced "performance-development management system" that ensured its MPs attended committee meetings and House sittings.
Consecutive days
"The ANC, of course, want this system because they cannot manage the attendance of their own members. A snapshot of the House on any given sitting demonstrates that, more often than not, the majority benches are sparsely occupied," Watson said.
The ANC supports the proposed policy, saying it will go a long way towards addressing absenteeism in Parliament. year, or R74 115.25 a month.
"The system will be configured according to the rules of Parliament. For example, the chief whip of a party would be able to see the attendance information of members from his or her party only," according to Parliament's document.
The speaker of the National Assembly and the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces will have access to all members' time and attendance information.
The DA is opposing the proposed policy. The DA chief whip Watty Watson said parliamentary officials had failed to demonstrate how such an expensive system would be any more effective than their own internal policy, which was free. Watson said the DA had an advanced "performance-development management system" that ensured its MPs attended committee meetings and House sittings.