NCOP Response to an Article Published in Today's Papers
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has noted, with concern, the statement issued by Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport in the City of Cape Town, Mr Brett Herron, in which the MMC alleges that Members of the NCOP had acted in bad faith in the conduct of oversight during the visit to Phase 2 of the MyCiTi bus project in Plumstead, Cape Town on Thursday, 5 March 2015.
Among the allegations made by MMC Herron in his statement is that the “ANC is hell-bent on sabotaging the MyCiti project”, a false and misleading claim, as oversight conducted on Thursday, 5 March 2015 forms part of the NCOP’s Taking Parliament to the People programme, scheduled to take place in Oudtshoorn from 13 to 17 April 2015. This is a programme, initiated by Parliament in 2002, as part of its Constitutional mandate to promote public participation.
Further disturbing to the NCOP, is MMC Herron’s fierce objection to the oversight taking place in a public space with the involvement of affected residents. The NCOP, therefore, wishes to state unequivocally that as part of an institution, it is our responsibility to uphold the constitutional right of citizens to engage with Members and to be involved in issues of governance. As such, involvement in the oversight by Members of the NCOP, is one aspect of citizen participation in governance. Hence our NCOP programmes are made public via different avenues like the website, to afford citizens an opportunity to participate and engage with Members.
Consequently, with such false insinuations made by MMC Herron, Chairperson of the NCOP, Hon. Thandi Modise, will seek an explanation from the Executive Mayor of the City of Cape Town, Cllr Patricia De Lille, over these allegations by MMC Herron, as they undermine the involvement of people in critical parliamentary processes.
