About the author: Kristen Heim, PhD, is a legislative scholar and parliamentary capacity development expert with nearly 15 years experience supporting parliamentarians across Europe and Africa. Her current research focuses on parliaments’ engagement in tax policy and how parliaments learn how to be parliaments.
The views of the writer and this piece are not necessarily the views of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.
This work is designed to familiarise citizens of South Africa with what are likely to be little known aspects of their Parliament. Not only does it promise to differentiate and contextualise the role of the party within parliament in simple terms, it also aims to provide a brief snapshot of some of the more positive elements of parliament (as perceived by its workforce) so that those on the outside may have a glimpse into its institutional life (and with it, the foundations of a nascent trust in its work.)
The first sets the scene to consider the role of parliament in South African society as distinct from the party and government.
The second provides readers with some starting points on how to assess a parliament, along with how they can help it function as it should.
The third notes that South Africans are keenly aware of all the Parliament is doing wrong. What is it doing right?
The fourth elaborates on how citizens recognise their roles as co-creators of their representative body, their Parliament.
