In November 2018 the Speakers’ Forum of South Africa (SFSA), hosted a Legacy Summit on the South African Legislative Sector (SALS) at National Parliament, Cape Town, South Africa.
The Summit formed part of a larger Speakers’ Forum (SF) Legacy project aimed at documenting and highlighting the work and achievements of the South African Legislative Sector (SALS) during the 5th Parliamentary term (from 2014 to 2019). The SF Legacy project is intent on laying a solid foundation, serve as a reference with recommendations for the incoming leadership of the 6th Parliamentary Term. The aim is further to equip the new leadership as comprehensively as possible for their role in the parliamentary environment and as guardians of democracy.
Delegates to the Summit considered and discussed developments in the Legislative Sector over the past five years, and made proposals on the future direction of the Sector, considering the country, continental and global development strategies as set against the dawn of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
The objectives of the Summit included the following:
- Defining the Legacy of the Legislative Sector for the 5th Parliamentary term and celebrating the successes.
- Identifying key priorities and asserting recommendations on the transformational role of the South African Legislative Sector towards achieving the country strategy – for consideration by the 6th Parliament.
- Creating an opportunity for engagement aimed at strengthening the development of the Legislative Sector, its relations and partnerships through shared learning and producing knowledge.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 6TH TERM LEADERSHIP
The Summit strongly reaffirmed the South African Legislative Sector’s (SALS) commitment to build on the strides made in implementing transformative and development oriented policies and strategies. A key recommendations was that the 6th term leadership should drive the development of a common set of policy priorities for the SA Legislative Sector.
In implementing the Sector Policy Priorities, all legislatures should translate those Policy Priorities into the respective institutional (coherent) strategic plans and annual performance plans. The Sector Policy Priorities should, amongst others provide for:
- Implementing a common funding mechanism as envisaged in the Budget Protocol;
- Safeguarding South Africa’s Constitutional democracy;
- Improving coordination across the Sector and cooperation with other arms of the state;
- Ensuring that the realisation of a democratic developmental state is based on the will of the people, including the robust pursuit of the attainment of NDP goals (and realisation of the SADC Master Plan, aspirations of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals).
A range of recommendations related to specific focal areas of the Legislative Sector were put forward for handover to the leadership of the 6th term.