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{
    "id": 798447,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/798447/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 18,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "content": "Committees were expected to seek information from the respective Cabinet Secretaries as well as all other relevant persons and institutions and to eventually issue a comprehensive statement of the Committees that would take into account the information received from the various entities, including, the Cabinet Secretary. This was not to be. The practice that has prevailed since the Eleventh Parliament is one where the Committee seeks the written response of the Cabinet Secretary which is then read to the Senate verbatim. Committee Chairs have, as by this state of events, been reduced to agents or mouth pieces of the Cabinet Secretaries. This, hon. Senators, has often resulted in awkward situations, especially, where the Senator who requested the statement or other Senators seek clarification on the statement issued or further information from the Chairperson. This information is not usually readily available and the Chairperson and the Committee will then proceed to request for further time to seek the additional information from the Cabinet Secretary. As a result, the Order Paper now features statements which are to be issued by Chairpersons as well as a lengthy schedule of statements on which further information is to be provided by the Chairpersons. As an example, on the Order Paper of Thursday, 10th May, 2018, we had 16 such requests for further information. In some situations, we have ended up, in the unfortunate situation, where further information has been sought on further information provided. Hon. Senators, it is important to observe that Chairpersons have expressed frustrations directly to me or in the Senate on this state of affairs. Chairpersons have specifically cited various frustrations, including their inability, sometimes, to obtain statements for issuance from the Executive at all, despite their best efforts on the statements requested. The fact that they, often-times, have to personally shuttle from office to office in the Executive in order to ensure that they secure a statement for issuance at the required time which takes away valuable time within which they would otherwise be engaged in other Parliamentary business. The fact that they also receive the statements to be issued outside of the timeline within which they are required to issue the statements in the Senate, thus calling to question the commitments that they make in the Senate. The fact that the information that they receive from the Cabinet Secretaries is often, sometimes, inadequate and falls short of comprehensively addressing the issues raised in the request for statements and the time taken by the Committee in processing statements vis-à-vis the time dedicated by Committees to processing of other business before the Committee, such as Bills and Petitions. Indeed, on that very day, Thursday, 10th May, 2018, the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources expressed such frustrations and decried his inability to obtain the sought statements from the Executive. The Chairperson sought the intervention of the Speaker to summon the Cabinet Secretaries responsible for Lands and Environment to the Committee in order to ensure that the Committee obtained the required statements which were long overdue. Sen. Khaniri correctly pointed out that the powers vested in the Committees of the Senate under Article 125 of the Constitution were such that the intervention of the Speaker was not required for a Committee to summon a Cabinet Secretary to a meeting The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}