The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Tuesday demanded an end to virtual Parliamentary participation, calling for the immediate resumption of physical sittings for all sessions and committee meetings.

A Joint Sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces will be held on July 18, where President Cyril Ramaphosa will outline the priorities of the seventh administration.

As a precautionary measure to Covid-19 pandemic, to drastically limit numbers of people at the precincts in Cape Town and at the off-site Parliamentary activities, Parliament in 2020 suspended physical sittings.

The party said the introduction of virtual platforms for the business of Parliament during the Covid-19 was sensible and practical, as physical meeting were prohibited, It noted that there were, however, limitations and interruptions.

The EFF maintained that virtual participation undermines the work of Parliament, saying Parliament administration’s failure to make necessary arrangements is cause for concern.

The party noted that virtual participation presents several challenges as many MPs living in remote rural areas face significant difficulties owing to poor network connectivity, which it said hampers their ability to participate effectively.

“…virtual sittings are often disrupted by technical issues, including connectivity problems and system crashes, leading to interruptions and delays. The IT infrastructure supporting virtual sittings has shown to be inadequate, resulting in frequent technical difficulties that disrupt proceedings,” the party said.

The EFF added that the virtual voting system also lacks transparency, raising concerns about the integrity and accuracy of voting outcomes.

It explained that the logistics of coordinating virtual sittings are complex and have led to inefficiencies and confusion, further impeding the smooth operation of Parliamentary duties.