Proceduralising the Plenary as a Public Sphere in South Africa

Abstract

This chapter examines the role of private members’ motions as a tradition of the South African parliament which fosters the normative relationship between parliament and the public sphere. Private members’ motions are the most significant mechanism used by members for raising and responding to wider social issues within parliament’s most publicised deliberative chamber — the plenary. I argue that Motions initiated and introduced by private members — that is, ordinary members who are not in the executive — are the single most important mechanism for parliament to generate debate on, and respond to, topical issues. Private members’ motions are also the only mechanism available to non-ruling party members to initiate debate in parliament as most time in plenary is taken up with government business, particularly bills tabled by government.