The Speakers’ Forum of South Africa presented a declaration at the 2024 South African Legislative Sector Oversight Summit, held in Cape Town from 30 to 31 January 2024. The Summit aimed to discuss the effectiveness of oversight in the South African Legislative Sector and its potential for improvement. The Constitution requires that Legislatures maintain oversight over the Executive to ensure an open, responsive, and accountable government. The goal of oversight is to improve the quality of life for South Africans, and the National Democratic Party (NDP) requires stronger oversight and citizen participation.

The Summit also discussed the effectiveness of Parliamentary Oversight and its contribution to the realization of relevant development strategies. The Sector committed to utilizing empirical data to plan, implement, and evaluate oversight activities, improving the capacity of Legislatures, and utilizing legislative processes, rules, and tools more effectively.

The Summit also emphasized the importance of monitoring the implementation and impact of laws to improve oversight. It committed to institutionalizing post-legislative scrutiny within the Legislative Sector of law making and evaluation for effective law making and oversight.

Lastly, the Summit discussed the impact of electoral legislative framework on the effectiveness of the Legislative Sector and the need to consider promulgating legislation and regulations governing the formation and functioning of coalition governments.