Cape Town - Parliament is under pressure to release the feasibility study on its relocation to the political parties represented in the national legislature.
This comes after the report was not shared in the meeting of chief whips forum despite an undertaking made at the meeting of the National Assembly programme committee.
The EFF made the request last week as part of its preparation for the private member’s bill that proposes the relocation of Parliament from Cape Town to the administrative capital in Tshwane.
On Thursday, EFF MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi complained that the feasibility study report has not been sent to them.
“Can we be updated in that regard?” Mkhaliphi said.
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said newly-appointed Secretary to Parliament Xolile George was studying the report that was commissioned to Pamoja Capital Group by former Speaker Baleka Mbete.
Mapisa-Nqakula said George would brief the presiding officers on Monday because there was never such a briefing before.
“After that briefing, we hope that the report will be taken to the chief whips forum. This is a matter we don’t want thrown to the whippery without the executive authority having had sight or discussion on the report,” she said.
EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu said the understanding reached in the chief whips forum on Wednesday was that the report be sent to MPs.
“We want to study the report, and we can do that ourselves independently of what the Secretary is doing,” Shivambu said.
He also said the red berets had thought it would have been circulated on Wednesday.
“Can we at least get it today because we could not get it yesterday? We asked for it last week, and we have written to you several times, but still, we are not given the report,” Shivambu added.
Mkhaliphi said: “This is a public document. I don’t understand why we must wait for the Secretary to Parliament. We don’t want to be fed by the Secretary to Parliament.”
ANC deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude said it was only fair for the presiding officers to familiarise themselves with the report and it be circulated as already stated.
However, there was confusion when the chair of committees Cedric Frolick said there was a 2008 space utilisation report that was previously referred to the chief whip’s forum.
“I don’t see a problem with it being made available, but we must keep in mind that it is incorporated in the new report as well,” Frolick said.
ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina said the chief whips forum resolved on Wednesday the report be circulated.
“There is nothing secretive about the report. The report was once made public then. Let the report be circulated,” Majodina said.
But Shivambu contradicted Frolick, saying the feasibility study report related to the one prepared by Pamoja Group in 2018.
“I honestly don’t understand this zigzagging,” he said.
Mapisa-Nqakula said she was unaware of the decision on the circulation of the report.
“I note the recommendation. It seems the report must be circulated. I will deal with the matter outside the meeting,” she said.
Mapisa-Nqakula said there was nothing sinister with the presiding officers wanting to be briefed first.
“To date, the executive authority has not been briefed about the contents of that report and subsequent recommendations coming out of the report. That is the only reason, not that there is anything to hide,” she said.
Cape Times