Zwane and Van Rooyen top the Cabinet truancy table

Mosebenzi Zwane and Des van Rooyen have the poorest parliamentary attendance record of all Cabinet ministers‚ according to data compiled by the parliamentary information service.

Opposition MPs have long bemoaned the erosion of Parliament’s oversight function‚ citing its presiding officers’ lax attitude in ensuring that Cabinet ministers attend sessions in the National Assembly and appear before committees.

The African National Congress (ANC) parliamentary caucus suffered embarrassment recently after it failed to pass the Division of Revenue Amendment Bill on two occasions because of truant MPs‚ with chief whip Jackson Mthembu vowing a crackdown.

Several disciplinary hearings against ANC MPs are pending because of their failure to attend parliamentary engagements.

Records from the People’s Assembly Service show Mineral Resources Minister Zwane was registered absent for 31 committee meetings and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Van Rooyen was absent for six meetings without either offering apologies.

Full story in Business Day

– TMG Digital/BusinessLIVE