Pretoria - Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe says there is an urgent need for Members of Legislatures and Parliament to receive better training.
“We cannot emphasise enough the overarching need for better training of Members. This task requires urgent intervention,” said Motlanthe in Cape Town on Tuesday at the annual International Consultative Seminar of the South African Legislative Sector.
He said he hoped that the seminar would debate this extensively and “identify the optimal skills-sets needed”.
Members of Parliament who were skilled and well informed were better able to fulfil their duties and responsibilities as public representatives and were more proactive in lobbying, networking and interacting with various sectors.
“It is also necessary to improve the institutional capacity of Legislatures in the area of human resources; maximise the existing research capacity and strengthen the Legislature's ability to conduct in-depth investigations.
“This will help to enhance the Legislatures' ability to exercise its authority independently and make it more accessible, thereby enabling it to make more meaningful contributions to economic policy,” said the Deputy President.
Legislatures, he said, have a responsibility to work collaboratively with the Executive to address some of the immediate challenges that relate to economic development and the transformation of the economy to ensure long-term prosperity.
“This collaboration and deeper involvement is necessary for improving oversight and monitoring over the Executive in a mutually reinforcing way. As such, our Legislatures must grapple with the complex economic policy options that are available to assist in unlocking the country's growth potential.”
The seminar, being held under the theme: "Strengthening Democracy through Global Collaboration of Legislatures on Economic Development and Transformation”, is being held in collaboration with the European Union Parliament.
Motlanthe said the mutually enriching relationship between the European Union Parliament and the South African Legislative Sector was a good example of what can be achieved when Legislatures collaborate and share their knowledge and best practice in strengthening democracy, thus contributing to the development and transformation of society. – SAnews.gov.za
