From accountability to NHI - five key takeouts from the DA's parliamentary review

DA federal leader John Steenhuisen gave the party's performance in parliament in 2019 some glowing reviews on Thursday.

Party leaders, including chief whip Natasha Mazzone and national spokesperson Solly Malatsi, joined Steenhuisen during the address.

Here are five key takeouts from the reviews:

The DA on accountability

“The role of parliament is it must hold the executive to account by conducting effective oversight. Much of this oversight function is achieved through parliamentary questions, and when you look at the numbers it is clear only one party takes this crucial responsibility seriously. Of all the questions submitted to the National Assembly, 70% come from the DA.”

Exposing inaction in tackling rape

“Had it not been for the DA, South Africans would not have known that by September this year, 76% of police stations had no rape kits for victims, or that the number of police reservists has declined by 86% since 2010.”

NHI and land

“We drove some of the biggest and most important issues in the National Assembly this year, including the fight against the unworkable and unaffordable National Health Insurance, as well as the fight against the proposed expropriation without compensation.”

Chapter Nine institutions 

“It is thanks to the DA's hard work and persistence that parliament finally adopted rules for the removal of Chapter Nine institution heads earlier this week. This will stand as an important moment in the fight for accountability and giving parliament back its watchdog teeth so it can fulfill its constitutional mandate.”

National Council of Provinces 

“Our hard work in the NCOP also set the standard. While the ANC was slow off the mark in getting the work of the sixth parliament under way in the NCOP, the DA wasted no time as the opposition. We shone the light on service delivery and failures in ANC municipalities.”