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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is concerned about the ANC’s growing disdain for the role of parliament- as illustrated by comments made by Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, during this year’s Higher Education and Training budget debate.
When confronted with the fact that he had not answered one of the fifty written questions put to him by various political parties this year, the Minister chose to obfuscate and ridicule the parliamentary question system.
The Minister replied “…I am glad you raised the issue of questions. I must admit we do battle with questions to ministers. For one reason, the DA has nothing else to do in parliament other than to ask questions. And some of the questions are outrageous. They say for instance, over the last three years, how many SETA employees have gone on leave. For what reason and who replaced them. That’s a PhD thesis to actually research that and do that.”
In unapologetically failing to respond parliamentary questions, Minister Nzimande has shown disdain for parliament’s constitutionally mandated oversight role. He has failed to provide answers to questions regarding pressing issues such as his plans to improve the results of students at FET colleges, his controversial trip to Cuba in January this year and the steps that the department plans to take to address quality assurance issues raised in a report by Umalusi released in early 2011.
The Democratic Alliance will request a meeting with Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, in his capacity as Leader of Government Business, to raise its concerns about the contempt for parliamentary processes displayed by members of the executive such as Minister Nzimande.