New speaker needed

NATIONAL Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete’s insistence on wearing two hats, even though they are clearly incompatible, is eroding the status of an important institution.

Although our parliamentary system allows for the speaker to be elected from among MPs, who are all members of political parties, it requires the person appointed to the post to preside over the house in a non-partisan manner.

The events of the past year have shown that it is impossible for whoever holds the position to meet that requirement while simultaneously holding a key leadership position within the governing party.

As the ANC’s national chair, Mbete is part of the party’s “top six” structure, which is effectively responsible for the appointment of cabinet ministers and for ensuring that they stick to the party line.

That is in conflict with her role as speaker, in which she is expected to ensure that parliament independently plays an oversight role over the very same ministers she is in charge of at party level.

Furthermore, as national chair, she is expected to go around the country mobilising support for her party by employing the kind of rhetoric that may not befit a parliamentary presiding officer.

Much of the hostility and chaos that exist in the current parliament derives from the fact that the speaker, who should be a symbol of unity and non-partisanship in the house, often finds herself caught in conflict between her two roles.

The problem did not start with Mbete’s current term. The undermining of parliament and its role began about 15 years ago when ministers in the administration of then president Thabo Mbeki treated the house with disdain.

The situation has merely worsened under President Jacob Zuma, who showed his dislike for an independent parliament when he and his party removed the widely respected Max Sisulu from the speaker’s seat and replaced him with Mbete.

If parliament is to properly play its role, Mbete will have to be redeployed.