ActionSA’s parliamentary leader Athol Trollip says legal action is being considered to address the government’s evasion of important questions and accountability in parliament.
Image: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers
ActionSA has condemned the ongoing failure of government ministers to respond to Parliamentary Questions, asserting that the persistent evasion of accountability undermines parliamentary oversight.
The party claims this disregard for proper governance, whether through poor-quality answers, malicious compliance, or outright silence, represents a deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny.
ActionSA Parliamentary Leader, Athol Trollip stated: "The chronic failure to respond to Parliamentary Questions, even when they have been formally resubmitted, reflects a worrying contempt for parliamentary oversight and accountability."
ActionSA has submitted 121 Written Parliamentary Questions this year alone, with an alarming 86 remaining unanswered.
This equates to over 70% of their efforts to hold the government accountable being met with silence, said Trollip.
Trollip said: “These questions are not rhetorical exercises, they are submitted weekly on behalf of our constituents and pertain to the real, everyday impact of government action (or inaction) on ordinary South Africans.”
The party has raised these concerns with the Speaker and Ministers like Barbara Creecy in the past and is particularly focused on issues such as government waste.
They highlighted excessive luxury travel costs incurred by Ministers.
Trollip pointed out, “Both John Steenhuisen and Gayton Mckenzie have dodged answering our questions on the matter since February of this year, refusing to furnish details of their travel expenses. What do these ministers have to hide?”
ActionSA recently exposed wasteful spending on travel by ministers, with reports showing almost R180 million spent in just six months.
In response to the ongoing non-compliance, Trollip said ActionSA is preparing to take legal action to challenge the government's failure to uphold its constitutional responsibilities.
Trollip emphasised, "We will no longer stand idly by while the critical work of Parliament is systematically undermined.''
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
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