The National Assembly (NA) has elected three House Chairpersons as well as members to represent Parliament in the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Mr Cedric Frolick of the African National Congress, Mr Werner Horn of the Democratic Alliance and Ms Zandile Majozi from the Inkatha Freedom Party were unanimously elected to serve as House Chairpersons of the NA in the seventh Parliament.
The rules of the NA provide for the election of three House Chairpersons for the duration of the parliamentary term. The rules further provide that the Speaker will in due course allocate functions and responsibilities to each House Chairperson and announces such allocations in the Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports. The roles to be divided among the three are internal arrangements, international relations, and committees and oversight.
The House Chairperson for Internal Arrangements will be responsible for wellbeing and interests of Members, for monitoring policies on travel privileges for MPs, for monitoring reports on the implementation of Members’ facilities, and for the implementation of policies in respect of Members’ leave.
The Internal Arrangements House Chairperson also oversees the implementation of internal household services for members of the National Assembly, and fosters and facilitates a working relationship between the Members of Parliament and the parliamentary administration.
This House Chairperson also sits on various parliamentary committees, such as the National Assembly Programme Committee, the Chief Whips’ Forum, the National Assembly Rules Committee, the Joint Rules Committee and the Joint Parliamentary Budget Forum, among others.
The functions of the House Chairperson for International Relations include the implementation and monitoring of Parliament’s international relations strategy and the travel policy for parliamentary delegations. This person also attends to parliamentary international obligations on behalf of the Speaker.
The House Chair is also responsible for relations with United Nations’ agencies and other international bodies in South Africa, and for upholding South Africa’s bilateral agreements in parliamentary committees. This person also determines priorities on multilateral bodies, coordinates South African branches of multilateral bodies, and oversees the development of material and content support for issues to be discussed at multilateral bodies.
The House Chairperson for Committees and Oversight is responsible for the implementation and coordination of the parliamentary oversight model and the development and implementation of a public participation model for Parliament.
The duties of the House Chair Committees also include the implementation of the information and communication policy, represents Parliament in the Global Centre for Information and Communication Technologies, and also collaborates with other parliaments and international bodies in the pursuit of an e-strategy for parliaments to ensure MPs use ICT effectively when doing their work.
The following members were elected to represent Parliament in the PAP: Mr Mdumiseni Ntuli (the Chief Whip of the African National Congress/ANC), Mr Mergan Chetty (Democratic Alliance/DA), Ms Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla (Umkhonto Wesizwe Party/MK) and Mr Vuyani Pambo (Economic Freedom Fighters/EFF).
The NA also resolved to elect the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, as the fifth member to represent Parliament at the PAP.
Speaker Thoko Didiza, Ms Sylvia Lucas (ANC), Mr Kenny Mmoiemang (ANC – NCOP), Mr Bonginkosi Madikizela (DA), Mr David Skosana (MK) and Ms Ntombovuyo Mente-Nkuna (EFF) will represent Parliament at the SADC-PF.
The House also approved the names of Mr Soviet Lekganyane (ANC), Ms Fasiha Hassan (ANC), Adv Glynnis Breytenbach (DA), Dr Mandlakayise Hlophe (MK), Mr Julius Malema (EFF) and Mr Athol Trollip (Action SA) to serve in the JSC.
The House was divided on the nomination of Dr Hlophe, after the DA raised an objection questioning his suitability to serve in the JSC following his impeachment that led to his removal from his position as Judge President of the Western Cape but his name was approved nonetheless.
Sakhile Mokoena
9 July 2024
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