The legislature is not a formality. It is where accountability is tested in real time. Today’s KZN Legislature sitting exposed a serious breakdown in that process.
The absence of clear responses from the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs, MEC Reverend Musa Zondi, especially on economic development questions, did more than frustrate the session. The Speaker referred to the conduct as an act of ill-discipline more than anything.
Parliamentary questions exist to interrogate plans, demand clarity, and ensure that public funds are tied to real outcomes. When questions are returned with more questions, or avoided altogether, valuable time is lost. More importantly, oversight is compromised.
The sitting is the last sitting ahead of the tabling of budgets. If departments are not properly challenged before budgets are tabled, weak plans and unclear priorities pass through without scrutiny. Once approved, it becomes far harder to question how money is allocated or spent. In simple terms, unanswered questions today can become failed service delivery tomorrow.
The presence of the Head of Department without the ability to fully respond, and the failure to prepare an alternative MEC, reflects more than poor coordination. It signals a lack of discipline in respecting the legislature and its processes. The Speaker discouraged the condonation such acts as precedence.
As John Stuart Mill argued, the role of a representative body is to watch and control government. That function depends on seriousness, preparation, and respect for the institution. Thuli Madonsela has also stressed that accountability requires clear answers, not avoidance.
When the legislature is undermined, transparency fades, accountability weakens, and communities ultimately pay the price. Cogta MEC could not respond to questions related to his department as the his connection was not inline with the established protocols.
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