The ANC had used its majority in the National Assembly to "shut down" the legislature for the second half of this year, Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Sandra Botha said on Tuesday.

The number of plenary sessions -- a total of 45 -- was 25 fewer than last year, she told a media briefing at Parliament.

Botha said as a result Parliament had increasingly failed to hold the executive accountable and ensure issues of national significance were debated and considered.

"An example is Zimbabwe; it never featured in a debate," she said.

The ruling party had shown "increasing disdain" for Parliament, both as an institution and as one of the primary guardians of the
Constitution.

"The ANC used its majority presence in the legislature to pass a parliamentary programme which shut down the institution for the last half of the year simply to pursue its own interests in its constituencies before next year's elections," she said.

According to a DA audit document distributed at the briefing, the opposition party tabled 1512 of 1757 written questions in the National Assembly this year. It also introduced 36 of 47 motions in the House.