Delivering Parliament’s Budget Vote in a sitting of the National Assembly (NA), the Speaker Ms Thoko Didiza referred to recent Constitutional Court judgements that have exposed some shortcomings in one of Parliament’s key objectives, legislation-making. She called on Parliament to be thorough in its legislation processes and to strengthen its oversight mechanisms.
“There have been instances where our law-making processes have at times been found wanting, as have our rules and procedures. The recent ConCourt judgement has found that some of our rules are not consistent with the Constitution and therefore require review and amendment. The court also found that in the application of our rules and procedures we may have misdirected ourselves,” she said.
These events require Parliament to be rigorous in how it makes legislation, rules and procedures, she said. What is more, its oversight mechanisms, according to the Speaker, also require strengthening and proper resourcing. “We also need an early-warning system so that our portfolio committees can pick up issues early enough and address them,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Auditor-General’s scrutiny over the financial affairs of local government has brought to light the complexity of oversight across spheres of government while avoiding usurping the responsibility of each sphere of government. “This has been demonstrated by the integrated way in which the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs has undertaken its task. It is equally important that the two Houses of Parliament need to engage on how we can undertake oversight without duplicating effort and resources,” the Speaker.
The total budget for Parliament for the 2026/27 financial year amounts to R6.3 billion, which is made up of an allocation received from the National Treasury of R3.3 billion, plus the rebuilding fund and own revenue streams. The Speaker is confident that this allocation will enable Parliament to deliver on its key priorities.
Commenting on international relations and Parliament’s participation in multinational platforms, she listed the successful hosting of the 11th P20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit and the 58th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, saying the two events positioned South Africa as a credible and capable convener on the continental and global stage. She also announced that Parliament will host the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in September this year.
“Our history has taught us that we cannot take freedom for granted. We also know that our future is fundamentally interlinked with the other nations across Africa and the world. And for this reason, this Parliament must continue to build relationships with our partners through multilateral platforms that our Parliament participates in,” said the Speaker.
Giving an update on a commitment made last year to address legacy issues from previous parliaments, including the issues of independence and accountability of institutions supporting democracy (Chapter 9 institutions), the Speaker said Parliament has engaged with all constitutional bodies. The outcome of this is that all have agreed on the guidelines to be adopted by Parliament to harmonise the statutory appointments and removal procedures of commissioners.
“Working with the National Treasury, we have already started the work to shift constitutional bodies’ budgets to Parliament,” she said.
Sakhile Mokoena
28 May 2026
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