Daylin Mitchell Acceptance Speech

During the sitting of the 7th Parliament of the Western Cape yesterday, 13 June, Daylin Mitchell was elected as Speaker. His acceptance speech during the sitting:

“I am humbled to address you today as the newly elected Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. Humbled, but also grateful and proud to represent the WCPP and all honourable Members of the 7th parliament in this great province of ours.

I am fully aware of the extent of my responsibilities and also mindful that we cannot be successful as a legislative institution without the cooperation of all our Members across the political divide. Despite our political differences, which often result in robust and lively debates in the House and its committees, this House has always managed to conduct its business on matters of provincial interest with the dignity and decorum as the uppermost guiding principles. As the principal presiding officer and your representative, you can count on me upholding my side of the bargain.

As Speaker, I commit to fulfilling my constitutional and other responsibilities in a fair and impartial manner and always in the best interests of all Members and the citizens of our province.

Being an advocate for strong and open democracy, I am privileged to be the Speaker of an open, transparent and accessible institution. Respect for legislative institutions will grow when people are informed about what legislatures are doing and are able to participate. We should not take our positions for granted but work towards the improvement of our institution all the time.

To this end, I shall ensure that the constitutional responsibilities of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament namely, law-making, oversight of the executive and public involvement in our processes and work Provincial Parliament are fully fulfilled and intensified.

As the employer of the staff of the administration of the provincial parliament, I, together with the Secretary to the Provincial Parliament, shall ensure that members are served by an impartial, dedicated, committed and well-trained workforce.

Having had the privilege to serve the WCPP as Speaker in the previous term, we will continue to build on the foundations laid by our strategic objectives for the institution. I commit to take our newly elected members on board this journey in our quest for improvement and innovation.

In conclusion, may we represent the interests of our constituencies forcefully within the confines of the law and our Rules and be proud members of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament demonstrating our commitment to the vision of being the best regional parliament in Africa in all our endeavours.”