The sixth Parliament has been the most challenging yet in South Africa's democratic dispensation.

This is according to Democratic Alliance (DA) chief whip Siviwe Gwarube, who looked back on the official opposition's year in both Houses of Parliament.

On Tuesday, Gwarube and DA leader John Steenhuisen addressed a media briefing outlining the party's success over the past year.

"In a post-Zuma world, where the intricate machinery of state capture was dismantled and laid bare for all to see in the Zondo Commission and its report, it was Parliament itself that was also implicated as an enabler of rampant corruption under the African National Congress (ANC) – the ramifications of which have made the work of parliamentary reform a crucial item in this term," Gwarube said.

Much like the fifth Parliament, she said, there was a return to political abuse by the ANC to stifle oversight, institute cover-ups and foster a culture of executive protection.

"In this climate of ANC unaccountability, Parliament also laboured under the Covid-19 pandemic and the national lockdown, which centralised executive power under the Disaster Management Act and made no provision for parliamentary oversight over decisions taken by the South African government during this period," she added.

According to Gwarube, the lockdown gave unfettered powers to President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Cabinet, many of which were abused and exploited for political gain.

"A raft of irrational restrictions were imposed upon the South African people, the reason for which was never deliberated on or unpacked by a parliamentary committee, and the rights of South Africans were repeatedly infringed upon by the executive under the auspices of public health. Furthermore, corruption in the procurement of personal protective equipment further demonstrated to the public the uncaring and exploitative nature of the ANC in government as it stole from South Africans under a law that cut out Parliament completely," she said.

Regarding Ramaphosa's performance, Steenhuisen said an increasing number of state functions, such as state security, were centralised into the Presidency.

Another example of this was the creation of a ministry of electricity in the Presidency, the operations of which Parliament has no oversight.

"This culture of secrecy and unaccountability serves neither Parliament nor the people of South Africa and their interests. In terms of the Cabinet's performance, one need only look at the various metrics and indicators, both local and international, outlining South Africa's decline. The DA's motion of no confidence in the national Cabinet, which we tabled at the 2022 State of the Nation Address, was shot down by the ANC, which, once again, sought to protect non-performing ministers from accountability," Steenhuisen said.

The sixth Parliament's term comes to an end at the conclusion of the general election next year.