MPs give billions in spending a glancing blow of approval

MPs have complained about parliament’s decision to schedule the adoption of the budgets of all 38 government departments in a period of just two weeks.

ANC chief whip Stone Sizani called the frantic fortnight, which ended on Friday afternoon, “a nightmare never to be repeated”.

But parliamentary officials defended the schedule, saying the packed programme had been agreed to by all political parties.

Sizani said it was “not the most effective way to do things”. He blamed the election for the logjam.

“Never before has it been like this. In future, we will have to work from alternative proposals, some of which are already forthcoming,” he said.

Budget vote debates allow cabinet ministers to outline plans for spending billions of rands in public money and give political parties a chance to propose alternative priorities.

This was done in marathon sessions over two weeks. At one point, nine budget votes were scheduled to take place in just a day.

DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said the system followed this year was “not preferable”.

“The new parliament took too long to establish itself. We were told it was because President Jacob Zuma had to finalise his cabinet, but the budget votes followed the lines of the old cabinet, so the new portfolios were irrelevant.

“The process was also made more messy because many of the new departments were not

It was a mad rush and we did not properly discharge our mandate

prepared and do not yet have their own budgets.

“I think our oversight role was somewhat compromised. It was a mad rush and we did not properly discharge our mandate, although we did our best.

“This situation should not recur.”

The third-largest party in parliament, the Economic Freedom Fighters, said it had no complaint about the programme.

“It was strenuous, but we had no problem because we had clear policies to convey,” said EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu.

Parliamentary spokesman Luzuko Jacobs said the programme had been a decision of a multiparty committee.

“The programme of parliament is decided by consensus in the multiparty chief whips’ forum and then presented for approval to the multiparty programme committee,” he said.

The law required parliament to pass the budgets before the end of July each year, he said.

This was in reference to the Money Bills Amendment Procedures and Related Matters Act, which states that the budget should be adopted by parliament not later than four months after the start of each financial year.

Jacobs said the general election that took place in May and related events afterwards also placed a burden on the legislature’s programme.

“The period after a general election is not a routine one for parliament,” he said.

He rejected criticism that the schedule did not give MPs and the public time to scrutinise the government’s spending plans and priorities.

“Oversight has been exercised. Before the budget votes are debated, all parliamentary committees scrutinise the strategic plans and budget proposals of departments.

“These form the basis for conducting a debate on the policy proposals in the budget votes,” he said.