Study reveals MK Party and EFF MPs have worst attendance records - Paul Berkowitz, Hlaziya Solutions

Lester Kiewit interviews Paul Berkowitz, Founder of Hlaziya Solutions.

Listen below.

A new study offers a detailed analysis of the work ethic of Members of Parliament (MPs).

Traditionally, there has been little effective monitoring of MPs' performance in the National Assembly, and no clear public accountability mechanisms.

The study covers the period from 14 June to 6 December 2024 and focuses on MPs' commitment to committee work.

The data was published in The South Africa Brief, a collaboration between SABI Strategy Group and Hlaziya Solutions.

"We did start this project to try and answer that question: are MPs doing their jobs?"

- Paul Berkowitz, Founder – Hlaziya Solutions

The findings reveal that the MK party and the EFF have demonstrated poor performance and attendance in the first six months of the current administration, while the ANC and DA have the best attendance records.

Berkowitz notes that, while the trends are clear, the process will undergo further refinement, acknowledging that some challenges may be beyond MPs' control.

For instance, if an MP has conflicting meetings on the same day and can attend only one, they are marked absent, negatively impacting their performance score.

"We don't want to do a witch hunt. We don't want to punish anyone for things outside of their control."

- Paul Berkowitz, Founder – Hlaziya Solutions

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.