The Constitution states quite explicitly that the National Assembly is a body that represents and protects the people of South Africa by choosing the president, providing a national platform for public debate on national issues of importance, by passing laws and overseeing the national executive. With that being said, the speaker of the National Assembly acts as a facilitator, who strategically guides debates all while ensuring members of parliament can participate freely in debates while adhering to the rules, without bias. However, the role of the speaker has been scrutinised because of the visceral reality that the speaker of the National Assembly is usually a senior member of the ruling party who is active in the party’s culture and traditions; which presents the idea that the speaker’s stand to cushion their parties against criticism as opposed to facilitating debates fairly while prioritising the people of the country. Dr TK Pooe, Public Policy Specialist And Senior Political Science Lecturer At Wits University, joins Lerato Mbele to speak about the role of the national assembly speaker.