Key Takeaways
- The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been the most active party in the national legislature in 2025, with a meeting attendance rate of 85%.
- The DA’s MPs have submitted a significant number of questions to ministers, with five MPs submitting more than 30 questions each.
- RISE Mzansi, a new party with only two seats, has an attendance rate of 83% and one of its MPs, Makashule Gana, has submitted 40 written questions.
- The African National Congress (ANC) has an attendance rate of 81%, but its MPs have submitted relatively few questions to ministers.
- The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have an attendance rate of 77% and one of its MPs, Ngwanamakwetle Mashabela, has submitted the most questions to ministers at 56.
Introduction to Parliamentary Activity
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been the most active party in the national legislature in 2025, according to the number of meetings attended by its Members of Parliament (MPs) and questions submitted to ministers. As of the beginning of November, the DA’s 99 MPs in the National Assembly have attended 85% of all their meetings, significantly higher than the 67% average. This is according to ParliMeter, a tool developed to track parliamentarians’ attendance and performance, and is co-funded by the European Union. The high attendance rate of DA MPs is a testament to their commitment to their parliamentary duties and their efforts to hold the government accountable.
Attendance and Meeting Participation
At the beginning of every administration, a caucus of parties meets to assign MPs to committees based on factors such as representation and committee size. These MPs then attend committee meetings, plenary sessions when the entire National Assembly or National Council of Provinces meets, and joint sessions when both Houses meet. According to ParliMeter, of the 4,464 meetings to which DA MPs had the opportunity to attend, they were present at 3,810. Of these, DA MPs arrived late to 81 meetings and left early from 66. This boils down to an average of 38 meetings per member. The party’s high attendance rate and active participation in meetings demonstrate their dedication to their roles as parliamentarians.
Submitting Questions to Ministers
The DA was also very active in submitting questions to the minister, a means by which MPs hold the heads of portfolios accountable. Five DA parliamentarians submitted more than 30 questions to ministers, with Hassina Ismail submitting 55, Michéle Clarke 40, and Chris Hattingh 36. This is a significant amount given that only 50 of the 400 National Assembly MPs have submitted more than 20, and only 116 have submitted more than 10. The high number of questions submitted by DA MPs reflects their commitment to scrutinizing the government’s actions and policies.
Performance of Other Parties
Second to the DA was National Assembly newcomers RISE Mzansi, which has two seats, with an attendance rate of 83%. Of the 184 meetings that two MPs have had scheduled, they attended 152. On average, this works out to 76 meetings per member. Members arrived late to one meeting and left early from two. RISE Mzansi MP Makashule Gana was ranked as the MP who had submitted the fourth-most written questions at 40. The African National Congress’s (ANC’s) 183 MPs attended 7,863 of their 9,752 meetings, an attendance rate of 81%. However, ANC MPs did not submit many questions to ministers, with the ANC MP who submitted the most written questions to ministers being Sedukanelo Louw with six.
Comparison of Party Performance
The Economic Freedom Fighters were the fourth-most active party, attending 1,645 of its 2,123 meetings (77%). Its 47 MPs participated in an average of 35 meetings each. Ngwanamakwetle Mashabela, an EFF MP, was also found to have submitted the most questions to ministers at 56. On the other end of the spectrum is Build One South Africa, which has attended just over 50% of its 268 scheduled meetings (135). However, its two MPs, Nobuntu Webster and Mmusi Maimane, attended an average of over 60 meetings each and submitted a combined 41 questions to ministers. Other smaller parties also reported low attendance, including the United Democratic Movement (UDM) at 51%, the African Transformation Movement (ATM) at 52%, and the National Coloured Congress (NCC), which also reported a 52% attendance rate.
Conclusion and Implications
The attendance rates and question submission numbers of the different parties in the national legislature provide insight into their level of activity and commitment to their parliamentary duties. The DA’s high attendance rate and active participation in meetings and question submission demonstrate their dedication to holding the government accountable and representing their constituents. The performance of other parties, such as RISE Mzansi and the EFF, also highlights their efforts to scrutinize the government’s actions and policies. However, the low attendance rates and question submission numbers of some smaller parties raise concerns about their level of commitment to their parliamentary duties. Overall, the data suggests that some parties are more active and engaged in parliamentary activities than others, which has implications for their ability to effectively represent their constituents and hold the government accountable.