Every bribe accepted, every tender rigged, and every conflict of interest hidden by a Member of Parliament has a direct, devastating human cost.
THE Active Citizens’ Movement (ACM) recently made a submission to Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests on the proposed amendments to the Ethics Code for parliamentarians. It argued that the body tasked with acting as the nation's ultimate watchdog remains a toothless bulldog.
For over a decade, citizens watched the state being systematically plundered, a tragedy catalogued in agonising detail by the Zondo Commission. By treating deep, systemic corruption as a minor administrative issue rather than a national crisis, Parliament has actively betrayed its constitutional mandate by allowing a compromised political elite to get away with looting the public purse. The proposed amendments will not change that.
Instead of a robust watchdog role ensuring accountability of executive organs and oversight over the cabinet, Parliament has morphed into a shield for abuse by the executive and members. Parliamentary structures frequently rely on superficial tick-box compliance and routine paperwork updates to create an illusion of integrity.
