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ZIWAPHI • VOL 4 NO 11 • 21 - 27 May 2010

NELSPRUIT

This was the question that Mpumalanga Legislators were grappling with when the Speaker of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature, William Lubisi presented his policy and budget speech on Tuesday.

“The Legislature should not be afraid to be ‘oversighted’, said Fish Mahlalela, the Chairperson of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Legislature Oversight.

He commended the Legislature for including in its Annual Performance Plan - the plans of the Legislature Committees, which means that the work of Legislatures would also be subjected to the same scrutiny as the work of government officials.

This development seems to be the most practical way of managing the performance of individual Legislators.

When presenting his policy and budget speech, Lubisi seemed to be responding to Mahlalela’s assertions by reminding the House that ten years ago the Legislature was bedeviled by “malpractices, poor governance systems and a bad public image.”

“It was at that time that we were given the task and responsibility to come up with a turnaround strategy that will (sic) rebuild the organisation and bring back public confidence into the Legislature,” he said.

Lubisi, who was one of the Senators (now National Council Of Provinces) representing Mpumalanga in the National Parliament following South Africa’s first democratic general elections in 1994 was recalled to Mpumalanga in 1998 to stabilize the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature after the province’s first corruption scandal broke.

The Legislature, which had the role to oversee other institutions, did not have mechanisms to oversee itself, leading to graft and the ultimate arrest of former Deputy Speaker, Cynthia Maropeng.

Lubisi pioneered a process which would subject the Legislature to all the oversight processes that other government are subjected to, such as the Select Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA).

That history led to the Legislature adopting rules and orders which enables it to establish an Ad-Hoc Committee on Legislature Oversight to ensure that the Speaker and Management of the Legislature complies with all applicable administrative norms and standards.

Lubisi also announced that the Legislature would be developing an oversight model that would ensure that government departments “indeed deliver to the promises pronounced during the 22 April 2009 elections and also ensuring that a better quality of life for our people in the province is realized,” he said.

He praised the work that was done by the province’s SCOPA in conducting oversight visits and inspections in loco to ensure that “elements relating to efficiency, value for money and quality service delivery are monitored and adhered to on a regular basis.

Lubisi also announced that the Legislature is investigating the establishment of Legislature District Offices to enhance public participation in the activities of the legislature.

“We will improve our strategy and ensure that public institutions, non-profit organisations and CBOs contribute towards public involvement and public participation,” he said.

The Leader of the Opposition, Anton Benadie used the opportunity criticize those MECs who do not respond to questions. He singled out the Departments of Culture, Sports and Recreation and Health, which took 40 and 50 days respectively before they responded. He was more vicious to the Department of Education which, 69 days later, had not yet responded to questions posed by the opposition.

“We pass resolutions that are never implemented,” he said.

He, however praised the MEC for Community Safety and Liaison, Sibongile Manana for responding to questions within ten days.

The House approved the Legislature budget of R169 655 000.