When ActionSA entered Parliament earlier this year, we committed to being a constructive opposition focused on fixing South Africa and as we conclude the Adjustment Appropriation Bill process – voting on amendments to the national budget – our actions affirm our dedication to this mandate.
With only six Members of Parliament, ActionSA delivered declarations on every one of the 30 Budgetary Review and Recommendations Reports (BRRR), vital evaluations of departmental performance. This stands in stark contrast to other parties, some with over four times our representation, who barely contributed to a dozen declarations.
During today’s marathon National Assembly session of 41 votes on the Adjustment Appropriation Bill – 38 of which were tabled – we meticulously analysed each adjustment on its merits or shortcomings. Our balanced approach saw us supporting approximately half of the votes while objecting to the other half.
This deliberate engagement underscores our commitment to meaningful work and constructive opposition rather than blanket acceptance or rejection. Our decision-making process was guided by ActionSA’s GNU Performance Tracker, our transparent tool used for assessing government performance and exposing failures.
This principled approach marks a significant departure from how opposition parties have traditionally operated in Parliament. Too often, political expediency and superficial grandstanding have replaced genuine scrutiny. In the beginning of this year when the current budget was tabled, some opposition parties rejected virtually all the votes outright – a simplistic and shallow manoeuvre.
Ironically, many of those same parties, now absorbed into the national government, have reversed course, rubber-stamping just about every line item without question. Principles, it seems, are as pliable as the luxury leather seats in the German SUVs that crowd the parliamentary parking lot.
True opposition work is not about rejecting everything for show or agreeing for convenience. It is about engaging constructively to deliver tangible benefits for the people who elected us. This is the void that ActionSA’s “Super Six” have stepped in to fill. Despite our small numbers, we have consistently outperformed bigger parties, upholding our principles and staying true to the mandate given to us by South Africans.
ActionSA Chooses Principles Over Expediency in Adjustment Budget Process
When ActionSA entered Parliament earlier this year, we committed to being a constructive opposition focused on fixing South Africa and as we conclude the Adjustment Appropriation Bill process – voting on amendments to the national budget – our actions affirm our dedication to this mandate.
With only six Members of Parliament, ActionSA delivered declarations on every one of the 30 Budgetary Review and Recommendations Reports (BRRR), vital evaluations of departmental performance. This stands in stark contrast to other parties, some with over four times our representation, who barely contributed to a dozen declarations.
During today’s marathon National Assembly session of 41 votes on the Adjustment Appropriation Bill – 38 of which were tabled – we meticulously analysed each adjustment on its merits or shortcomings. Our balanced approach saw us supporting approximately half of the votes while objecting to the other half.
This deliberate engagement underscores our commitment to meaningful work and constructive opposition rather than blanket acceptance or rejection. Our decision-making process was guided by ActionSA’s GNU Performance Tracker, our transparent tool used for assessing government performance and exposing failures.
This principled approach marks a significant departure from how opposition parties have traditionally operated in Parliament. Too often, political expediency and superficial grandstanding have replaced genuine scrutiny. In the beginning of this year when the current budget was tabled, some opposition parties rejected virtually all the votes outright – a simplistic and shallow manoeuvre.
Ironically, many of those same parties, now absorbed into the national government, have reversed course, rubber-stamping just about every line item without question. Principles, it seems, are as pliable as the luxury leather seats in the German SUVs that crowd the parliamentary parking lot.
True opposition work is not about rejecting everything for show or agreeing for convenience. It is about engaging constructively to deliver tangible benefits for the people who elected us. This is the void that ActionSA’s “Super Six” have stepped in to fill. Despite our small numbers, we have consistently outperformed bigger parties, upholding our principles and staying true to the mandate given to us by South Africans.