Mbete: We’re good at making laws; we’re bad at applying them

Parliament needed to step up its game when it came to oversight as South Africa was still found wanting when it came to implementing laws, National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete said on Tuesday.

“Despite very good legislation, implementation remains our Achilles heel,” Mbete said while tabling parliament’s budget vote in the National Assembly.

“We must accept that failure in service delivery does not just reflect badly on the part of our government but speaks also to the rigour of oversight and acountability measures.”

Mbete said during the fifth parliament (2014 to date), members of parliament (MPs) have passed 74 bills introduced by Cabinet and 12 private members’ bills, but cautioned this was not the only indicator by which Parliament should be measured.

“I hasten to say, however, that the number of bills passed is only one indicator of our performance and, as such must be weighed against the quality of engagement and the impact of laws themselves on the ground.”

– African News Agency (ANA)