PARLIAMENT: THE FIRST 20 YEARS


THE PARLIAMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA: THE FIRST 20 YEARS


Starting in 1994 with few experienced Members and a mandate to govern the country and reform its legislative framework at the same time as it drafted a new constitution, the Parliament of South Africa has made great strides to remake itself into a modern, fully representative institution, says the Secretary of its lower House.


This page: View from the Visitors’ Gallery. Right: Entrance to the National Assembly, flanked by a grand staircase leading to the public gallery.


Mr Masibulele Xaso in Cape Town. Mr Xaso, a lawyer and public administrator, became the Secretary of the National Assembly in March 2013, having been Acting Secretary for nearly a year. He joined Parliament in 1994 and has served in its committee and Table divisions.


Mr Masibulele Xaso


The democratic breakthrough arrived in the 1990s with the unbanning of the liberation parties and the development of, first, an interim constitution in 1993 and then the final constitution in 1996. For the first time South Africa had a government and Parliament founded on constitutional supremacy, accountability, responsiveness and openness. South Africa is now reaching


the end of its second decade of democracy and has held four successful national elections. This period has witnessed profound changes and many accomplishments, but much still needs to be done.


62 | The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue One - South Africa


Starting with a new constitution In 1994, the vast majority of Members, nominated by the liberation parties, had never worked in a Legislature before. They were new Members operating in a new dispensation. The first mission of Parliament in 1994 was to finalize the constitution. To do this, it established the Constitutional Assembly tasked with reaching out to the public and completing a new constitution within two years. The final constitution was enacted on International Human Rights Day, 10 December 1996, by then President Nelson Mandela. The constitution created a


multiparty, bicameral Parliament which consists of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. The National Assembly is composed of 400 Members and is directly elected by the people for a term of five years through a system of proportional representation. It is responsible for: ensuring government by the people and must do this by electing the President (who then appoints the cabinet from amongst the Members of the National Assembly), providing a national forum


for the public consideration of issues, passing legislation and overseeing executive action. The Council, on the other hand, is


made up of Members from the nine provinces, mandated to represent the provinces in the national sphere of government. The constitution stipulates


that Parliament may determine its own procedures – a provision fundamental to its independence – but with due regard to the principles of representative and participatory democracy, accountability, transparency and public involvement.


Updating everything Once the constitution was adopted, Parliament had to give expression to its contents and transform both itself and the apartheid legislative infrastructure – an onerous task. This process saw the enactment of over a hundred Bills every year for the first decade. Not only were the Bills many but they were often complex, representing significant policy initiatives. The year 2004, however, marked a decline in the pace of legislation and,


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