The Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo have called for a meeting with the Chief Justice following his remarks this week where he accused Parliament of failing to act on the recommendations from the state capture commission.
Judge Raymond Zondo was chairperson of the commission and it concluded its work last year and sent its report to Parliament for implementation.
In his address to a colloquium by the Human Sciences Research Council on Thursday Zondo said Parliament has not acted on his recommendations.
The official opposition said on Friday it agreed with Zondo that there has been no action from Parliament.
Parliament said it wanted to meet with Zondo to iron out differences.
It also said the meeting would serve to strengthen relations between the judiciary and legislature.
The two arms of the state would need to have a good working relationship.
“Recognizing the importance of maintaining a healthy working relationship between the Judiciary and the legislature, the Presiding Officers have sought this meeting as a platform for constructive dialogue. The objective is to clarify any potential misunderstandings and to establish a common understanding of the respective roles and responsibilities of each arm of government within the context of Parliament's implementation of the commission's recommendations.
“The Presiding Officers of Parliament are fully aware of their constitutional mandate and the need to collaborate and work harmoniously with the judiciary. This meeting is an important step towards strengthening the relationship between the Judiciary and the legislature, as well as fostering public trust and confidence in our democratic system,” said Parliament.
It added that it would like to have the meeting with Judge Zondo as soon as possible.
It would serve to reach a common understanding of where the two parties come from.
Parliament also said the chief justice would also understand the work that has been done by the institution since the report was submitted.
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