15-05-2025
Mpumalanga legislature ‘undermined' as MECs refuse to answer questions, says ActionSA
ActionSA has accused Mpumalanga MECs of failing to respond to written questions for months, undermining legislative oversight.
Thoko Mashiane says the departments of education and community safety are the worst offenders.
The party has written to speaker Linda Masina demanding urgent intervention.
Herman Mashaba's party, ActionSA, has raised alarm over what it describes as a 'systemic and deliberate erosion' of accountability in the Mpumalanga provincial legislature, where MECs are reportedly failing to respond to written questions - some going unanswered for more than three months.
The party raised the issue during a sitting this week, saying this persistent non-compliance was undermining the legislature's constitutional mandate and weakening public trust in the province's democratic institutions.
ActionSA Mpumalanga chairperson and MPL Thoko Mashiane, told City Press that the situation had reached a crisis point.
'There are several troubling examples,' Mashiane explained.
'In one case, a written question submitted to the department of community safety regarding the Lebombo border post and illegal immigration has gone unanswered. Similarly, our question submitted to the MEC of education was partially responded to during the sitting. The MEC committed to furnish us with a written response and to this day, we have not received those responses despite a follow-up letter.'
'These are not isolated cases. Numerous questions across departments have experienced extended delays, despite reminders and follow-ups,' she added.
MECS 'REFUSING TO ACCOUNT'
Mashiane accused the MECs of blatantly disregarding the legislature's oversight role and warned that this conduct was 'a direct insult to the principles of transparency and good governance'.
'In some cases, questions have gone unanswered for more than three months. This is a dereliction of duty and must not be normalised,' she said.
'The frequency with which the MECs promise to submit written replies during oral sessions, only to never follow through, is eroding public trust.'
Mashiane singled out the departments of education and community safety, security and liaison as the worst offenders.
The MECs responsible for these portfolios have repeatedly failed to provide written responses. It is also frequently promised during oral question sessions to reply in writing but these commitments are never followed through. This trend is especially concerning given the critical nature of these departments to service delivery and the welfare of residents in Mpumalanga.
Thoko Mashiane
Mashiane warned that the legislature's ability to perform its core function - oversight - was being hollowed out.
'As an MPL, when questions go unanswered, it limits our capacity to monitor how public funds are being used, how departments are performing and whether promises made to the public are being kept,' she said.
'We are essentially legislating and debating in the dark, which is an unacceptable state of affairs in a constitutional democracy.'
The inaction, she added, sent a dangerous message: that the MECs are above scrutiny and not answerable to the legislature or the public.
A CULTURE OF IMPUNITY?
Asked whether this trend reflected something more systemic, Mashiane was blunt: 'We are increasingly convinced that this reflects a broader culture of impunity within the provincial executive.
'The repeated failures across multiple departments and the lack of consequences suggest that this is not simply an issue of administrative delay or isolated non-compliance.
It appears to be a systemic issue, with the executive members acting as though they are not answerable to the legislature or, by extension, the people of Mpumalanga. This culture must be challenged decisively if we are to restore integrity to governance in the province.
Thoko Mashiane
SPEAKER URGED TO INTERVENE
On Wednesday, ActionSA submitted a formal letter to the speaker, Linda Masina, urging her office to take 'urgent and decisive measures' to compel the MECs to comply with their constitutional obligations.
'There is a persistent refusal by the MECs to honour their obligation to respond to questions, which undermines the constitutional mandate of this legislature to exercise oversight,' reads the letter signed by Mashiane.
'This conduct is eroding public confidence in the work of the legislature and diminishes the integrity of our democratic institutions.'
The letter proposed three measures:
Stricter timeframes for replies to written questions, with regular compliance reporting;
Sanctions or disciplinary action against the MECs who repeatedly fail to respond without a valid reason; and
Public disclosure of unanswered questions and delays to respond, to allow civil society and media to hold the executive accountable.
While ActionSA awaited the speaker's response, the party was considering escalating the matter.
'Yes, we are actively looking at taking this to the National Council of Provinces. This is now a national concern. The failure of the provincial oversight mechanisms cannot go unchecked,' said Mashiane.
The party had not ruled out tabling a motion to force debate and visibility on the issue.
'We remain resolute in ensuring that the legislature's constitutional oversight role is respected and enforced. Transparency and consequences are the only way to compel compliance.'
