25 July 2017

Civil society organisations demand accountability from MPs

South Africas Parliament has frequently failed to live up to the constitutional obligations
- to represent the public - and has repeatedly shown a weakness in holding the President
and his Cabinet to account. Accountability is the foundation of a representative
government. It provides a check on the leadership, ensuring that promises made during
election campaigns and through policy priorities are achieved.

Thirty-seven civil society organisations, led by the Parliament Watch alliance, have called
on MPs as elected representatives to be accountable to the people of South Africa. They
also call on MPs to vote in accordance with their role to represent public views irrespective
of political party affiliation in the Motion of No Confidence tabled against President Jacob
Zuma scheduled to take place on 8 August 2017.

According to Parliament Watch the Motion of No Confidence is an opportunity for MPs to

restore the public trust in them, in Parliament and in government.

Parliament Watch encourages members of the public to communicate with MPs to

express their views and voice the publics lack of confidence in the President in the Vote
of No Confidence. An online platform has been created at representme.co.za for this
purpose.

Parliament Watch is a coalition of civil society, activists and interested stakeholders who
engage on a range of strategies to advocate for the speaker and members of parliament
to fulfil their mandates, without compromise, in the interest of the country at large.
Editorial Contacts

Darsha Indrajith
Social Justice Coalition (SJC)
+27 73 217 4903
darsha@sjc.org.za

Jacob Nthoiwa
Dullah Omar Institute
+27 74 331 1632
knthoiwa@uwc.ac.za

[END]

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Open letter to MPs attached

Open letter to MPs signed by the following organisations:

Parliament Watch: 1 Dullah Omar Institute; 2 Equal Education Law Centre; 3 Public
Service Accountability Monitor; 4 Right 2 Know Campaign; 5 Social Justice Coalition; 6
Women on Farms Project
And
7 Active Citizens Alliance Cape Town; 8 Alternative Information & Development Centre;
9 Childrens Radio Foundation; 10 Community Development Resource Association; 11
Community Media Trust; 12 Corruption Watch; 13 Council for the Advancement of the
South African Constitution; 14 EarthLore Foundation; 15 International Budget Partnership
- South Africa; 16 Isandla Institute; 17 Justice and Women; 18 Lawyers for Human Rights;
19 Lifeline Vaal Triangle; 20 Ndifuna Ukwazi; 21 NM & Associates Planners and
Designers 22 Open Secrets; 23 Quaker Peace Centre; 24 Rural Health Advocacy Project;
25 Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children; 26 Save our Wilderness; 27
SaveSA; 28 Section 27; 29 Sonke Gender Justice; 30 South Africa First Forum; 31
Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme; 32 Triangle Project; 33 Trust for
Community Outreach and Education; 34 Umtata Child Abuse Resource Centre; 35
#UniteBehind; 36 Western Cape Forum for Intellectual Disability; 37 Womens Legal
Centre

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