State of Parliament and its MPs: Identifying Challenges to Oversight and Proposing Solutions

The report examines the nature of parliamentary oversight in South Africa, assessing how well the legislature scrutinises executive action and exploring ways to enhance accountability. It utilizes a variety of sources, including jurisprudence, Zondo Commission testimonies, and interviews with MPs and staff. The research specifically considers the implications of South Africa's 7th Parliament and the first grand coalition (GNU) on oversight and lawmaking, while drawing on lessons from previous parliaments to improve institutional effectiveness.

• Parliament is constitutionally mandated to scrutinise and oversee executive action as a core component of the separation of powers, ensuring that constitutional office bearers account for their service to the common good of the people.
• The transition to South Africa's 7th Parliament, characterized by the country's first grand coalition (GNU), introduces new uncertainties regarding whether there will be increased cooperation in lawmaking and oversight or a weakening of oversight by the opposition.
• Recent engagements with parliamentary office bearers and civil society have highlighted specific areas for institutional strengthening, including the budget process (appropriations), the effectiveness of portfolio committees for oversight, and the improvement of lawmaking.

APA

Pillay, D. (2023). State of Parliament and its MPs: Identifying Challenges to Oversight and Proposing Solutions. Public Affairs Research Institute. https://pari.org.za/report-state-of-parliament-and-its-mps-identifying-challenges-to-oversight-and-proposing-solutions/

Chicago

Pillay, Devi. State of Parliament and its MPs: Identifying Challenges to Oversight and Proposing Solutions. Public Affairs Research Institute, 2023. https://pari.org.za/report-state-of-parliament-and-its-mps-identifying-challenges-to-oversight-and-proposing-solutions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pillay |first1=Devi |title=State of Parliament and its MPs: Identifying Challenges to Oversight and Proposing Solutions |publisher=Public Affairs Research Institute |date=6 October 2023 |url=https://pari.org.za/report-state-of-parliament-and-its-mps-identifying-challenges-to-oversight-and-proposing-solutions/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pillay2023state, author = {Pillay, Devi}, title = {{State of Parliament and its MPs: Identifying Challenges to Oversight and Proposing Solutions}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2023}, month = oct, url = {https://pari.org.za/report-state-of-parliament-and-its-mps-identifying-challenges-to-oversight-and-proposing-solutions/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }