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ActionSA will be writing to the Speaker of Parliament regarding the recent obstruction of one of our Members of Parliament, Dereleen James, from carrying out her oversight duties at several police stations. This includes the incident at Lenasia South Police Station, where the station commander instructed her to “leave her station” and asserted that she “has no business here.” This restriction on our MP’s oversight work directly contravenes her lawful right to ensure that police services adequately meet community needs. 

In terms of Section 55(2) of the Constitution, the National Assembly must: 

Ensure accountability of executive state organs. 

Maintain oversight of state institutions and their activities. 

Enable MPs to fulfil their roles effectively, especially through oversight visits. 

Preventing MPs from performing oversight not only violates democratic accountability but also disrupts their constitutional role to represent the public interest. Oversight visits are essential for monitoring police effectiveness and addressing critical community concerns. 

ActionSA calls for the Speaker’s intervention to uphold Members of Parliament’s rights to access public facilities for oversight, protecting the transparency South Africans deserve. 

Issued by ActionSA Member of Parliament Dereleen James