A thought that often crosses my mind is what would the late Lorraine Botha have done, or what would her term as the DA’s chief whip in the Western Cape provincial legislature have been been like?

Botha was three months into her appointment when she suddenly passed away last year. No doubt, one can see her raising her eyebrows as one thinks about those questions, for she was a formidable opponent, but also a gentlewoman.

Four months after her tragic passing, Premier Alan Winde appointed Wendy Philander as the DA’s chief whip in the legislature.

Yet already Philander has proven that the legislature will continue to limp in its constitutional obligations and play lackey to Premier Winde and his executive.

Let us remind ourselves that the constitutional obligations of any legislature in a democracy is to make laws, give oversight and hold the executive accountable, while also passing the budget.

Already last year, in the absence of a permanent DA chief whip, the party forced through the 2022 adjustment budget without a speaker in place. The jury remains out whether this – a parliament without a speaker – would pass constitutional muster. A topic, though, for another day.

Yet let us also remind ourselves about the balancing act of the government’s chief whip. On the one hand, she will be well within her rights and prerogative to do the government’s bidding. Yet, on the other hand, and for the sacred sake of democracy, she must ensure that as a member of the legislature as well as leading her caucus in the legislature, she holds the executive to account.

Sadly, Wendy Philander, despite being in the job for little less than two months, has already indicated that she would rather be the lapdog of Winde and his provincial executive.

Last year, the leader of the opposition, Cameron Dugmore, together with another member of the ANC, had oral questions for the premier on the order paper. The premier was meant to answer questions on, among other issues, the private use of Leeuwenhof by his wife for fundraising purposes.

The premier chose to host a breakfast for EU diplomats instead of coming to answer these questions. In fact, to add insult to injury, he did not even inform Dugmore or Lulama Mvimbi that he would not be present to answer their questions.

While the leader of government business, Ivan Meyer, assured the house that he would see to it that members of the executive answered questions in the house, Philander has dismissed the concern and stated that the questions should be resubmitted because it is a new year.

There is no such rule in the rule book. Ordinary sittings of the legislature take place on a Thursday. Between the opening of the legislature, the State of the Province Address, and Easter, there are seven Thursdays. Sittings take place on only two of those seven Thursdays. The ANC finds this completely unacceptable.

While extraordinary sittings have been arranged for the budget, which is one of parliament’s constitutional duties, the ANC questions how the legislature can hold the executive accountable if there are only two ordinary sittings scheduled for the first term of this year.

Again one wonders: what would Lorraine have done?

* Lekker is the chief whip of the ANC in the Western Cape provincial legislature.

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

Cape Argus

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