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

This executive summary describes a study by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) into the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight in South Africa. The research examines the nature of the oversight function, the factors shaping it, and potential enhancements to hold the government accountable, particularly in the context of the 7th Parliament's grand coalition.

• The South African Parliament is constitutionally mandated to scrutinize 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 study utilizes a diverse set of evidence sources, including secondary literature, South African jurisprudence, statements and reports from the Zondo Commission, internal parliamentary assessments, and interviews with MPs and parliamentary staff.
• The transition to South Africa's 7th Parliament, characterized as the country's first grand coalition (GNU), presents new challenges and opportunities regarding whether oversight by the opposition will be weakened or if cooperation in lawmaking and oversight will increase.
• A workshop held on 26 August 2024 in Cape Town, involving the Speaker of the National Assembly and other stakeholders, focused on strengthening Parliament's role in the budget process, improving lawmaking, and enhancing the effectiveness of portfolio committees for oversight.

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} }