By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Parliament says it depleted all its savings to keep the institution afloat and to meet its public participation obligations in the legislative process.
It has called for more funds to be allocated to the national legislature to be able fulfil its law-making process.
Secretary to Parliament Xolile George said on Friday, during the meeting of the joint standing committee on the financial management of Parliament,
In this financial year, Parliament will have to make do with R214 million less.
George said this cut would have a knock-on effect of almost R800 million being slashed in the coming three years.
While they understand there are fiscal challenges, with low revenue collection, the cuts undermine the constitutional mandate of Parliament.
He said Parliament found itself in a precarious situation.
“It leaves us with no option other than raiding various votes under each of the divisions, to be able to complement areas where public participation required more money, oversight required more money, international engagements required more money.”
He added that Parliament was increasingly facing legal challenges to the bills it passed, another indication that it needed to bolster its research and policy capacity, rather than scale back.
Parliament’s chief financial officer Jason O’Hara said National Treasury will cut almost R1 billion over the next three years and the institution needs more money.
He said this year R214 million was cut from the budget and between 2024/25 and 2026/27 financial years, National Treasury will cut R772m.
George said Parliament still has to continue to do its business.
He said the main business of Parliament was to pass laws, but in doing so, it has to meet certain Constitutional requirements. This includes conducting public hearings across the country.
Meanwhile the National Assembly’s powers and privileges committee has slapped Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) “repeat offenders” with another month-long suspension and hefty fines.
The committee said the nine EFF member of Parliament (MPs) who were found guilty of contempt of Parliament for another disruption two years ago should be suspended and fined up to a month’s salary.
The MPs include Naledi Chirwa and spokesperson Sinawo Thambo, who were found guilty after disrupting President Cyril Ramaphosa’s presidency budget on 9 and 10 June 2022.
The EFF MPs were given sanctions ranging from a 30-day suspension, a penalty equivalent to a 30-day salary, and a 15-day salary fine for other MPs.
The members also have to apologise to the president and Parliament.
“There are previous incidents involving a few of the members, I would mention them as repeat offenders,” said initiator Advocate Penelope Magona-Dano.
The EFF said, these sanctions once again prove how the ANC utilises its majority in Parliament to not only cover up corruption, but equally punish those who exercised their duties of holding the executive accountable on behalf of the people of South Africa.