ANC Treats Parliament as Party Branch

February 27, 2007

The ANC officially reduced the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Parliament to the status of its own party branch on Friday when it cancelled a number of parliamentary committee sessions to make way for a party event, the IFP claims.

"Last Friday, the ruling party notably amended the parliamentary schedule to accommodate an ANC party conference. This smacks of a party hegemony and a complete disrespect for Parliament," said IFP Chief Whip in that Parliament, Henry Combrinck MPP.

Combrinck also said:

"In the IFP this step raises the inevitable question: Are similar concessions going to be granted to the minor and opposition parties when they hold their respective party conferences or are such favours exclusive to the largest party?

"The ANC has long treated the provincial Parliament as its own party branch. The oversight role this institution is supposed to be playing has been clearly subordinated to the workings of one political party which controls all levers of power.

"In addition, the ruling party has systematically removed the IFP from all positions of control in Parliament and its portfolio committees.  This has serious implications for parliamentary democracy in KwaZulu Natal and South Africa at large."

Contact: Henry Combrinck
082 576 7255