Imagine South Africa’s Parliament with MPs who listen to the public and civil society, use their input to improve public policy, and hold the corrupt and inept to account.

In a vibrant democracy, citizen participation and oversight are essential for ensuring government accountability and transparency. The International Day of Parliamentarism, established by the United Nations in 2018 and celebrated each year on 30 June, highlights the significant role that civil society can play in strengthening parliamentary oversight and ensuring government accountability.

“Our Parliament has been weak, reactive and non-responsive. This gap in effective oversight has been evident in the handling of critical issues, including state capture and various corruption scandals. Concerns about corruption, the abuse of power, and the unethical behaviour by MPs have led to a decline in public trust,” says Dr Rachel Fischer, OUTA’s Parliamentary Engagement and Research Manager. Now that we know the composition of Cabinet, and are awaiting the constitution of portfolio committees, we will continue monitoring Parliament’s legislative performance.

Civil society helps induct new MPs for the first time

This week, Parliament is running an induction programme for incoming members of the 7th Parliament.

For the first time, the induction week includes a session for MPs to engage with civil society organisations and hear their input on the public’s expectations of elected representatives.

OUTA is part of this initiative, together with the Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG), the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac) and Cosatu.

OUTA and other civil society organisations believe that Parliament must rebuild public trust through institutional culture change, rejecting the “business as usual” attitude of previous parliaments, and ensure that parliamentarians are responsive and accountable.

“We are hopeful that the Government of National Unity will live up to its potential by realising a multi-party and multi-stakeholder-driven Parliament. Broadly speaking, there is goodwill that lawmakers can redirect their energy into debating and passing laws that serve the greater good,” says Fischer.

“Parliament has developed a number of commitments, initiatives, reforms and rules to strengthen citizen participation and oversight. If implemented, these could be game changers, leading to a stronger legislature and, ultimately, better development outcomes. 

“By fostering a strong partnership between civil society and Parliament, South Africa can enhance its democratic processes and ensure more accountable and responsive governance.  We are committed to playing our part in building democracy through active citizen participation and robust parliamentary oversight.”

This is how civil society can help Parliament

• Scrutinise Parliament’s actions, expose corruption, and advocate for transparency;

• Offer specialised knowledge and research to inform parliamentary decision;

• Ensure that the concerns of marginalised communities are represented in Parliament;

• Encourage public participation in parliamentary processes;

• Help parliamentarians to hold the executive accountable through oversight and investigations;

• Facilitate dialogue and collaboration between parliamentarians and other stakeholders;

• Help restore public trust in Parliament by promoting transparency, accountability and ethical conduct;

• Offer resources, such as research, data, and expertise, to support parliamentary work;

• Encouraging participatory democracy by supporting public consultations, citizen engagement and inclusive decision-making processes; and

• Offer training and technical assistance to enhance parliamentary effectiveness.

“We look forward to building a 7th Parliament that embraces the principles of transparency and accountability, and works tirelessly to empower democracy through active citizen participation and robust parliamentary oversight,” says Fischer.

“We hope to see a significant improvement in the 6th Parliament.”

More information

A soundclip with comment by Dr Rachel Fischer, OUTA’s Parliamentary Engagement and Research Manager, is here.

On 1 July, OUTA held a webinar reviewing the 6th Parliament’s legacy. Watch it here.

The Parliamentary Monitoring Group’s 6th Parliament Review is here.

More information on OUTA’s work on parliamentary oversight is here.