MAX SISULU
October 1997
When I was appointed as Chief Whip of the National Assembly in February 1997, I pledged that the drive for transformation in Parliament and for more effective communication would be my twin priorities.
I said that I wished to increase the pace of Parliamentary transformation, by developing more efficient political structures and by ensuring that all Members of Parliament are more actively involved in, and empowered by, the transformation process. I also said that it is not enough simply to legislate on behalf of the people, if we do not communicate to the people more effectively what we are doing for them in their name. That is why I pledged to improve the ANC's communications, both internally within Parliament, and externally with the electorate, to whom we are all ultimately accountable.
As the parliamentary year draws to a conclusion, I am now in a position to report on my progress towards these two goals.
TRANSFORMATION
There are six key areas of reform contributing to the transformation of the ANC and of Parliament as a whole. These are:
1.1 The Role of the ANC Chief Whip
As Chief Whip, I have the ultimately political responsible for the activities of the ANC in Parliament. It is my job to deliver the legislative programme of the Executive, according to the timetable set down by the Leader of Government Business, and I am therefore responsible for the day-to-day management of the legislative and political processes in Parliament for the ANC.
However, the Chief Whip's role had become bogged down in administration -- an inheritance from the previous regime -- and political management was secondary to bureaucracy. One of my first acts as Chief Whip was to refocus the role of the Chief Whip and the focus of my office.
The Chief Whip's Office has been refocused as the political hub of the ANC's Parliamentary operation. Administration, where possible, has being devolved to the most effective level of responsibility, rather than having it all fall within the Chief Whip's personal responsibilities. My office has been strengthened by the appointment of a chief political assistant, Lewis Rabkin, who ensures that I am kept fully, and instantly informed of political developments, and that matters are dealt with swiftly and effectively.
1.2 Discipline
The Chief Whip has the full authority to hold ANC MPs to account for their actions in Parliament, and to maintain party discipline. In the past, Parliament and committees have found themselves in the embarrassing position of being unable to vote on legislation because there have not been enough members in attendance. This is not only inefficient, it also makes a mockery of democracy. It is my job to ensure that legislation is passed, and I must therefore ensure that ANC MPs attend Committees and Parliament, unless given specific permission to be absent.
I have therefore introduced, for the first time, a set of clear rules on attendance and absence for ANC MPs, and strict disciplinary measures for those who flout the rules.
Attendance in Committees. An MP who is a member of a Committee must attend all sittings of that Committee. Whips have a specific responsibility to ensure that there is full attendance, that Committees are always quorate, and that the ANC is always properly represented. MPs who are members of more than one Committee should not experience clashes in timetabling, and those that do experience clashes must reassess and rearrange their committee membership. Attendance in Committees will be monitored by the Committee Whips, who will report to the Chief Whip on the attendance record on MPs.
Absence from Committees. Absence from Committees will only be allowed with the specific permission of the ANC Chair of that Committee and the Committee Whip. MPs cannot simply fail to turn up, and nor can they send in apologies.
Attendance in the Chamber. The Chamber must always be quorate. When a two-line whip is called, the Whips must ensure that there are sufficient MPs in attendance in order to pass legislation with a safe majority. When a three-line whip is called, attendance is compulsory, including among Ministers and Deputy Ministers. Attendance is being monitored, and the Chief Whip is receiving a full report on attendance. Attendance by Ministers for Questions and Interpellations is compulsory.
Absence from the Chamber Absence from the Chamber may only be granted by the Attendance Whip, subject to the Whip Line and to the direction of the Chief Whip. Specific permission must be sought by Members wishing to be absent, and each case will be considered on its own merits. Letters of apology from MPs or their secretaries are not acceptable. Ministers wishing to be absent must seek the permission of the Leader of Government Business, whose specific responsibility it is to ensure the attendance of Ministers. Under certain circumstances, Ministers may be granted permission to be absent during Questions and Interpellations, but these circumstances are limited to, for example, a Minister being on overseas duty on official business. As a rule, however, Ministers may not schedule other appointments during time allocated to Questions and Interpellations.
MPs and Ministers who show contempt for discipline by unauthorised absence from Committees or the Chamber will be disciplined, by some or all of the following measures:
1.3 The Role of ANC Whips
Following the restructuring and refocusing of the Chief Whip's role and that of my office, I have also made a number of significant changes to the operation of the Whips under me. Since the ANC entered Parliament in 1994, ANC Whips have been burdened with mainly administrative responsibilities, and they have not been used to the best advantage of the ANC in Parliament or the Executive. They were made responsible for issues such as housing, parking, security, personnel, finance, social activities etc. Like my own role, their important role as political managers had been secondary to their role as general administrators. The new structure has reversed this, and enabled Whips to take on much more active, fulfilling, and effective political management functions than they have to date.
Whips are key to the management of the legislative programme. It is their job to implement the programme of the Chief Whip and carry out the day-to-day management of the legislative and political processes in Parliament. They have a major role to play in devising and implementing an effective strategy for debates, Questions and Interpellations and Motions; for ensuring that legislation passes smoothly through both the Chamber and Committees; that Members attend and participate in Committees and debates; that ANC Committee Chairpersons are given effective political support; that information flows freely at all levels of the ANC's Parliamentary structures; that effective liaison occurs between MPs and Ministers; that the ANC's agenda is actively promoted; that the ANC's public and media profile at both Executive and Legislative levels is enhanced; and that effective party discipline is enforced.
Until my restructuring, Whips sat on Committees as ordinary MPs. There was little or no attempt to use Whips to carry out the political strategy of the Chief Whip and the Government, or to support the ANC Chairperson. For instance, seven ANC Whips sat as members of the Home Affairs Portfolio Committee, while other Committees had no Whips at all.
Under my new structure, one Whip has been appointed to each Committee, to be that Committee's dedicated Whip (Finance Whip, Education Whip etc). By appointing a Whip to each committee, the ANC has placed a strategic political manager in every Committee, able to support the work of the ANC Chairperson, to guide colleagues on behalf of the Chief Whip, and to provide a crucial political link between backbenchers and the Executive. Whips are now dedicated to their appointed Committee, and do not generally sit on other Committees as regular members.
Responsibilities of ANC Committee Whips
On behalf of the Chief Whip, the Committee Whips have taken direct responsibility for ensuring that ANC MPs attend committees and debates, and have been provided with appropriate powers to take sanctions against MPs who do not carry out their responsibilities in a satisfactory manner. Committee Chairs are not always able to exercise disciplinary control over ANC members, but this is already one of the functions of the Whips.
Whips also provide political support for the Committee Chair, to carry out party political functions in Committees, functions which may sit uneasily with the Chairperson's impartial position in the Committee. There is a clear delineation of functions between Whips as party political agents, and Chairs as the leaders of Committees.
Their key responsibilities are, therefore:
1.4 Strategic Political Management
Over the past three months, another initiative has begun to improve the ANC's Parliamentary performance -- daily strategy meetings of Whips and advisers. While, in the past, we had no long-term view of the parliamentary political landscape and were often reacting to events which we had not anticipated, amid an atmosphere of confusion, we are now much more strategic in our approach, and are able to plan much more effectively for the days and weeks ahead.
At 8.30am, every day, Duty Whips, Programming Whips and advisers meet under the chair of the Deputy Chief Whip to deal with the agenda for the day and the week, and to look at preparations for the following week's business. The agenda rarely changes. It includes:
We are now much better prepared before we walk into the debating chamber, and we are much more effective as a result. We are also much more effective at raising and responding to parliamentary issues in the media that we have ever been.
1.5 Planning and Scheduling
In the past month, a new system for the scheduling and programming of debates has been developed, which is greatly improving and simplifying the way that Parliamentary time is managed, enabling Parliament to use its time more effectively and for all parties to have a clearer understanding of the process.
Ever since the new Parliament was elected, no political party has been able to plan effectively for the week ahead. Programmes for debates have been haphazard and unreliable, and have changed almost daily. We have often found that we are sitting for just an hour or two on some days, and on others we are sitting well into the evening. The result is that we have often wasted valuable parliamentary time and have not delivered legislation according to our timetable.
The new system takes the guesswork out of the process and enables all parties to plan their time properly around Parliament. Committee chairs who are sending legislation to the Chamber are now asked to propose to Programming Whips the maximum length of a debate (from 30 minutes upwards, in 15-minute steps). Once the length of the debate is agreed by the Whips, the time allocations to all parties is now read off a table automatically. Maximum time allocations are generally proportionate to party representation, except the ANC has redistributed a sixth of its time allocation (ten per cent of the total) among the four smallest parties (FF, DP, PAC and ACDP) to provide them with greater opportunity for participation than they are entitled to.
All debate lengths and the schedule for debates can now be finalised in the week before the debate is due to take place. For the ANC, this has allowed us to prepare a one-page Weekly Whip for our Members, informing us exactly when each debate is to take place and whether there is a two or three-line whip. Other parties can also now do this for their own Members.
1.6 Financial Accountability of Committees
With the assistance of colleagues, I have drawn up new, strict and transparent procedures for improving the financial accountability of committees. The existing procedures for Portfolio and Standing Committee funding and for the authorisation of Committee spending are cumbersome and inadequate. Committees are required to seek approval for each and every item of expenditure, not just for large items, like overseas delegations, but even for the smallest items like the provision of tea and coffee at meetings. Guidelines already exist, but are not properly followed by Committees and the Committee Section, who regularly seek authorisation for expenditures which are not fully set out or motivated. My reforms introduce new, clear, transparent, enforceable guidelines on how Committees spend public money, which will be open to media and public scrutiny, and which will greatly increase committees' accountability for how they spend taxpayers' money.
Establishing Committee Funding Guidelines
The Subcommittee on Scheduling, proposed by the Review of Rules Subcommittee and ratified by Caucus as part of a new policy and management structure, would deal with the functioning of committees and other parliamentary forums. Part of its function would be to manage and monitor funds allocated for the activities of committees and other parliamentary forums. The Subcommittee on Scheduling would therefore be the appropriate body to draw up guidelines on the management and monitoring of committee funding. Guidelines would, under new Standing Rules, be tabled in the Rules Committee and their acceptance would require the ratification of the House.
Budgeting Process
Every Committee should draw up an annual budget, which should be submitted by the respective Chairperson, to the subcommittee on Scheduling for approval. The Business Committee should ratify the decision of the Subcommittee on Scheduling. Budgets can be sent back to Committees for review if either the Scheduling Subcommittee or the Business Committee is dissatisfied with all or any part of it.
Size of Budgets
Budgets will vary from Committee to Committee and from year to year, depending on the proposed activities of the respective Committees.
Composition of Budgets
Budgets will specify individual line items of anticipated expenditure, each part of which must be approved.
Budget Line Items
The following are the main line items that would need to be included in a Budget:
Approval and Authorisation
Once each of the line items is approved and the budget as a whole is approved, Committees should be able to draw upon their budgets without requiring to seek approval for every item of expenditure. Expenditures fall into two levels: Level One, which require only the approval of the Chairperson of the respective Committee; and Level Two, which requires authorisation by the Chair of the Scheduling Committee (the Chief Whip, or in his absence, the Deputy Chief Whip). With some exceptions, the Level of authorisation required would broadly depend on the scale of the cost, in the following range:
Level One items costing up to R5,000
Level Two items costing R5,001 and above.
Financial responsibility and liability
Committees, their Chairs, and the Chief Whip/Deputy Chief Whip must take full, personal responsibility and liability for any expenditures they authorise. Committees must agree to all expenditures, and mandate their Chairs to authorise the expenditures or to apply for authorisation. If, subsequent to the authorisation, it is found that expenditures were improperly authorised (ie guidelines were not followed), the authorising officer and the Committee members approving the expenditures will be held individually and personally liable for the recovery of the incurred expenditures.
Annual Committee Reports and Accounts
At the end of every financial year, Committees must submit annual financial reports and accounts to the Business Committee for scrutiny. Reports must outline exact expenditures on each of the Budget line items and include all approval forms, motivations and reports tabled in Committee resulting from public hearings, meetings, workshops, seminars and conferences away from Cape Town and overseas study tours. These annual reports and accounts should be drawn up by the Committee Section and Finance section, and approved by the relevant Portfolio Committee before submission to the Business Committee.
Unanticipated Costs
In the course of a year, there will inevitably be unexpected costs as a result of, for instance, emergency legislation, unanticipated public hearings, national disasters etc. In extraordinary circumstances, Committees should be able to draw on a pool of funds, on a project-by-project basis, after approval by the Chairperson of the Subcommittee on Scheduling (Chief Whip, or in his absence, the Deputy Chief Whip). The size of the pool should be decided by the Subcommittee on Scheduling, and ratified by the Business Committee.
Guidelines for authorisation
There are ten budget line items, and each of these line items require guidelines. All of these guidelines must be followed for valid authorisation. The full guidelines are set out in my paper to the Special Caucus of 19 September, and the following is just one example:
Costs of overseas travel
The costs of overseas travel may be authorised on the following basis:
COMMUNICATION
There are two key areas of reform and improvement in communications on which I have focused this year: internal (within Parliament) and external (with the electorate).
Internal Communications
One of the main impediments to the ANC's effective political operation has not been a lack of ability, but blockages in the flow of information. These blockages have affected attendance in debates, votes, understanding of issues, effective planning of time and many other matters.
Parliamentary Bulletin
Last year, under the previous Chief Whip, we began the practice of distributing bulletins on policy issue to all ANC MPs and members of the NCOP. I have recently increased the output, focus and distribution of these bulletins. In addition to other issues, every major Bill which is to come before Parliament is now summarised in a Parliamentary Bulletin. This year, we have issued Bulletins on the following issues:
These Bulletins are distributed among all ANC MPs, Members of the NCOP, Ministers and researchers before the debate is to take place. For MPs who do not belong to the committee processing the Bill, this has become an invaluable source of information about the legislation up for debate. It has also become a very useful source of information for constituency offices, which are sent copies of these Bulletins by MPs, and are able to refer to them to help inform and educate local people.
Finally, I have ensured that these Bulletins are accessible throughout the world, through their own page on the ANC Internet site, at: http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/pubs/index.html#bulletin Through the Internet, we are able to provide informed information and opinion on legislation and policy and political issues, so that people can take a view about what we are doing directly, rather than through the prism of the media.
Weekly Whip
The recent reforms to scheduling and programming have made it possible for me to issue a new "Weekly Whip" to all MPs and Ministers. Every Wednesday, a single piece of paper is now distributed from my office, which sets out for the following week the time that every debate is due to begin and end, whether it is a two-line or three-line Whip, who is the sponsoring Minister, who is the ANC Committee Whip responsible for the debate, and who the Duty Whips are for the Week.
MPs are therefore now much better able to plan their time around their Parliamentary duties, and instead of being tied to Parliament all day, can arrange meetings and visits outside Parliament, knowing at what time they have to return for important votes and debates. This Weekly Whip means that we can never again be confused about when debates are taking place, and whether there are three-line Whips in force for these debates.
Daily Media Briefings
All ANC Whips and Chairs of Committees and Study Groups are provided by my office with a summary of the main political and policy issues running in the national news and broadcast media every morning by 8am. This not only provides ANC office-bearers with a daily digest of news, keeping them informed about the issues running that day, but it also provides the daily strategy meeting with a basis for its decisions on the day's media strategy. In addition, on a Monday, a digest of the weekend's news is distributed.
2. External Communications
There is a crucial role to be played by effective media liaison and improved communication between the ANC and the electorate as part of the on-going transformation and restructuring of ANC operations in Parliament. All ANC Government Ministers have press officers who deal with their media needs every day, yet there is not a single press officer for the other 215 ANC MPs in the National Assembly.
Central to future improvements in the ANC's Parliamentary communications, therefore, is the creation of a new press office to serve the press needs of those 215 ANC MPs.
There is already a recognisable need for press office and media liaison support for ANC members in Parliament, both to improve the media and public perception of ANC Parliamentary activity, and to ensure positive media coverage of the work of ANC members in the National Assembly.
In the past year, ANC Parliamentary media relations have been hit and miss. There has been no all-inclusive Parliamentary media strategy for communicating via the press effectively, and no office which successfully serves either the media needs of ANC MPs, individually, in committees, or the interests of the ANC in Parliament overall. As a result, the positive work of ANC MPs, both as individuals and as members of committees, has not been reported. In addition, the ANC in Parliament has not led the media agenda and has too often been defensive, rather than pro-active and positive.
As Chief Whip, I am responsible for the ANC's media relations in Parliament. I have therefore instructed that my office is extended also to include a Chief Press Officer and two media officers, in a new ANC Caucus Press Office, which will serve all MPs, Whips and Chairs, to improve the ANC's media relations, to increase positive ANC coverage in the media, and to ensure that there is consistency and quality in the statements issued by ANC Parliamentarians. Before the end of the year, the appointments will have been made and the Caucus Press Office will be up and running.
Priorities
The priorities for the ANC Caucus Press Office are:
Under the new system, the Parliamentary Press gallery will receive key speeches made by ANC MPs, with accompanying press releases, in advance of speech delivery in the Chamber. This measure alone, will do a great deal to raise the perception of the ANC's professionalism, in the press gallery. Likewise, the press releasing of statements on ANC initiatives in Committee will also act to raise the profile of ANC MPs and improve both the public and press perception of their work.
Media Early Warning
The new press office will also have to be able to react quickly to events -- ensuring that the ANC's Parliamentary programme and achievements receive maximum positive media coverage -- again, through the issuing of press releases, statements and speeches, newspaper article writing for MPs and by in-depth press briefing.
The office must also provide a focus for co-ordinated news management of the work of the ANC in Parliament and be the first point of contact for all media. With a press office structure in place, MPs will be able in the first instance, to refer all media enquiries to the press office to deal with. This will save MPs time -- and will allow the press office to deal directly, efficiently and rapidly with media demands. Making the press office the first point of contact for media enquiries will also mean that the ANC will have early warning of any contentious issues or stories running in the press and will be able to respond and alert MPs accordingly.
Keeping MPs Informed
The press office, as part of its media monitoring function will be required to keep MPs informed of media initiatives, and provide daily news briefings to keep MPs abreast of the latest news developments. All ANC MPs will therefore receive a daily news summary of the morning's key newspaper and radio stories and the previous evening's television headlines. This will be placed in each MPs pigeon hole by 9am each weekday morning.
Similarly, all press statements from the Chief Whip and committee chairs will be distributed to all Caucus members so that all ANC MPs know exactly what is being said by ANC Parliamentary office bearers. If video and radio recording equipment is available, the press office will also monitor radio and television news broadcasts and alert party managers if a news story breaks.
The press office will also act as a media resource centre. The new office will compile a comprehensive contact list for all national and regional media and will endeavour to help MPs with information queries and will disseminate speeches, briefing notes and bulletins to all ANC members.
Relations With the Department of Information and Publicity
There will be a clear division of responsibilities between the Caucus Press Office and the ANC's Department of Information and Publicity. The Caucus Press Office will work on issues relating specifically to the ANC in Parliament ie legislation, and the work of MPs and Committees. DIP in Shell House will continue to work on the broader issues relating to the ANC nationally as a political party.
Serving the Media Needs of Committees
The new press office will address the lack of press coverage for ANC initiatives in committees. Currently media coverage of Portfolio Committee work which reflects ANC initiatives and achievements is negligible.
Each press officer employed by the ANC in the Caucus Press Office will therefore be assigned a cluster of Committees to serve. The press officer for each cluster of Committees will liaise closely with ANC Whips, Committee Chairs and Committee members to give media advice and to instigate positive coverage of ANC initiatives and activity in each Committee, through press statements, press briefings or press conferences when necessary. The press officer will also liaise with ANC Committee researchers on issues; where necessary brief journalists on the ANC line on particular issues; or act as a contact point for all media seeking comment from individual Committee members.
Press officers will liaise with ANC Committee members in advance of Committee meetings to discuss media issues and the dissemination, both of, press statements on behalf of ANC members, and where appropriate, the selective distribution of background Committee papers to the media and a briefing on ANC initiatives in Committee.
By adopting this strategic approach, the ANC will be more pro-active with the media and more aware of issues which require sensitive news handling. The Caucus Press Office would be the first point of contact between the media and Committee members, and will be able to give direction and positive briefing on behalf of each Committee.
Media Spokespeople for the ANC
There is a need for designated spokespeople who can speak on behalf of the ANC in the media. Clearly Chairs of Portfolio Committees should act as spokespersons on behalf of their Committees and Study Group Chairs where Committees are chaired by Members of the Opposition. However, there may be occasions where Chairs are unavailable to give comment. It is proposed that the ANC draws up a list of spokespeople who, if required at short notice, will be able to conduct radio, television or print interviews on behalf of the Parliamentary Caucus on any issue.
Media Training
ANC media skills workshops are also being planned, which will focus on a particular area of news management and media liaison. Subjects of these seminars will include: 'writing a press release', 'getting coverage in your local area', 'what is news', 'interview technique', 'dealing with media inquiries', and 'understanding the media'.
These workshop/seminars will be held for individual MPs, Whips and Committee Chairs, ANC researchers and staff and also for MLOs from government departments, with the aim of improving media skills and understanding of how the media works, across the ANC in Parliament. Some of these workshops may be run in conjunction with Parliament's own media unit while others will be run by the ANC Caucus Press Office alone.
Conclusion
The new ANC Caucus Press Office structure and functions will give the ANC an effective and professional press office; one which will be pro-active, which will be able to set the news agenda, and which will enable the ANC to react quickly and effectively to events and comment. It will create an office which will serve the media requirements of every ANC MP and which gives guidance, advice and instruction where and when necessary. The creation of such an office in a wider context will also reinforce the perception of the ANC as a professional political party -- and looking forward to the national elections in 1999, it will provide the core of the media structure for the ANC's campaign in those elections by MPs.
Max Sisulu
30 October 1997