CAPE TOWN - Parliament says it's pleased with the way it has handled the law-making process since the start of the new administration, as one of its key functions. Besides a few new bills introduced to the House over the past six months, the new Parliament is mostly faced with unfinished business, including the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)'s bill to nationalise the reserve bank and a bill from the Democratic Alliance (DA) that seeks to regulate coalition governments.
After the May elections, the new administration revived 20 bills that could not be finalised by the sixth Parliament. The oldest of these is the 14-year-old State Information Bill, sent back to Parliament by President Cyril Ramaphosa in June 2020.In recent weeks, the MK and EFF in particular have on several occasions bemoaned the pace at which bills are being assented to by the president, although there's no time limit prescribed in law. There are currently 21 bills before both houses of Parliament - 17 of them before the National Assembly. Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo:'As we end this year, the presiding officers assures all South Africans that Parliament remains committed to advancing democracy, holding the government accountable and improving the lives of all South Africans through effective legislation and oversight.' Still on Parliament's latest list of bills in process is one to regulate funding at the SABC despite Communications Minister Solly Malatsi's request that it be withdrawn