By Nkhensani Chauke
A shocking 133 parliamentary questions have not been answered by MPs and the Economic Freedom Fighters is going to write to National Assembly chairperson Zandile Majozi and the National Council of Provinces demanding answers in the next parliamentary sitting.
A total of 33 of the questions are from the EFF.
It said on Tuesday that all ministers who had failed to reply to questions must be named, apologise and commit to submitting all outstanding answers within three working days.
It said it was concerned by the increasing number of unanswered parliamentary questions by the ministers of “the DA-coalition government”.
“These ministers are habitual failures when it comes to answering questions in Parliament,” EFF said Party spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys said the purpose of questions to ministers was to exercise oversight of the executive and hold them accountable.
She said when ministers answered these questions it permitted MPs to practice accountability and report back to citizens on the work they were doing in Parliament.
“Failure to answer questions by ministers undermines the constitutional obligation of members to hold ministers accountable,” she said.
The EFF said it has also raised the issue with Speaker Thoko Didiza and the Leader of Government Business, Paul Mashatile.
INSIDE POLITICS
