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The DA’s Parliamentary Leader, Athol Trollip, has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Max Sisulu, demanding that he take action against President Zuma for failing to inform Parliament about South African National Defence Force (SANDF) deployments.

As the custodian of Parliament, it is the Speaker’s duty to take up this issue with the President who, over the past year, has failed to inform Parliament promptly of SANDF deployments on 8 separate occasions. In most cases, it took him about 3 months to inform Parliament, but in two cases it took him 9 months. This amounts to a flagrant disregard for Parliament and the section 201 (3) of the Constitution.

In addition, we believe the President was also in breach of section 18(4) of the Defence Act, which requires the President to inform Parliament of expenditure incurred or expected to be incurred in SANDF employments. In the letters to Parliament regarding the SANDF deployments, the President made no mention of these vital issues.

I have already written Parliamentary questions to the President asking why he failed to comply with the Constitution and the Defence Act, and to clarify the Presidency’s understanding of what “promptly’ means in regards to this specific Constitutional requirement. I also asked whether the SANDF has been employed, or currently is employed, in circumstances about which parliament has not yet been informed, and to also determine what the total expenditure on the various employments have been or are expected to be.

While the answer to these questions will hopefully clear up the President’s intentions, we now call on the Speaker of Parliament to speak to the President to clarify his responsibilities to the Constitution and Parliament. The DA looks forward to a favourable response from the Speaker. The letter follows below.

Dear Honourable Sisulu

President's failure to inform Parliament promptly about SANDF employments

In terms of section 201(3) of the Constitution the President is required to inform Parliament "promptly and in appropriate detail" about the employment of the South African National Defence Force in circumstances mentioned in section 201(2).

The President has in recent weeks informed Parliament, in various letters, of instances of such employment of the SANDF since the beginning of this year. These letters were in all instances dated months after the commencement of the relevant employment - some letters were dated up to nine months after the commencement of such employment.

I am of the view that the President did not inform Parliament "promptly" as required by the Constitution and respectfully request that you, as custodian of Parliament, take this matter up with the President.

In addition, I believe the President was also in breach of section 18(4) of the Defence Act of 2002, which requires that Parliament should be informed by the President of the expenditure incurred or expected to be incurred in SANDF employments. The above-mentioned communications from the President made no mention of the expenditure incurred or expected to be incurred in the various operations.

Yours sincerely

Athol Trollip MP
DA Parliamentary Leader