For soundbites from National Assembly Speaker, Ms Nosiwe Mapisa-Nqakula, please click: https://iono.fm/e/1136044 ; https://iono.fm/e/1136043; https://iono.fm/e/1136039; https://iono.fm/e/1136038
Parliament, Friday, 10 December 2021 – The South African Legislative Sector reached a new high on Thursday evening with the launch of the ground-breaking South African Parliamentary Institute (SAPI), which aims to empower Members of Parliament and officials with better competencies to do their work.
The National Assembly (NA) Speaker, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and her co-Chairperson of the Speakers’ Forum and Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Mr Amos Masondo, described the SAPI milestone as a bold step that is the product of extensive engagements with strategic partners within and outside the legislative sector.
Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula said a lack of the necessary capacity within the legislative sector hampered its ability to effectively hold the executive to account, enhance law-making and strengthen public participation and democracy in South Africa.
She listed the priority tasks for the newly established SAPI board of directors, which include: completing consultations with numerous partners and role-players, developing a strategy and a programme of action; conducting capacity development programmes; producing quality research; building a knowledge repository for Members of Parliament and officials; and establishing the alumni association of former Members of Parliament and provincial legislatures, as well as officials.
“We trust that the institute will give us the capacity we need to build and enhance the critical competencies needed to do oversight, in support of our democratic process. We want it to produce skilled and capable personnel within the sector, while it also serves as a reservoir of knowledge to support our training and research functions,” said Ms Mapisa-Nqakula.
Also addressing the ceremony, Mr Masondo said: “This is the first institute of its kind for our legislative sector. It is an important intervention given that it seeks to enhance the functioning of our legislatures in carrying out our mandate of representing the interests of the people through, among other things, passing legislation and conducting oversight over the executive.”
The launch was addressed by, among others, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education Mr Buti Manamela; the European Union Ambassador to South Africa, Dr Riina Kionka; Members of the Speakers’ Forum; House Chairpersons; Chairperson of Chairpersons of the Provincial Legislatures; the Chief Whips’ Forum; the newly established SAPI board; the South African Local Government Association (SALGA); and the Kenyan Parliamentary Institute.
Members of the newly established 11-member board of directors were introduced and they include:
1. Mr Lechesa Tsenoli, Deputy Speaker of the NA
2. Ms Sylvia Lucas, Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP
3. Ms Zandile Majozi, Member of the NA
4. Ms Newrene Klaaste, Speaker of the Northern Cape Legislature
5. Prof Olive Shisana, an expert in research and knowledge management
6. Prof Anne McLennan, an expert in public policy and curriculum development
7. Mr Kaya Mfono, an expert in financial management and legislative practice
8. Ms Nerusha Naidoo, Secretary to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
9. Mr Patrick Boitumelo Moopelwa, Secretary to the Northern Cape Legislature
10. Ms Sindisiwe Schalk, Executive Director of the Legislative Sector Support.
Messages of support were shared during the launch ceremony from national research agencies such as the Human Sciences Research Council, the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research, the National School of Government, SALGA and the Kenyan Parliamentary Institute. They all pledged to maintain and improve their strategic relations with the newly formed institute.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
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