National Assembly Speaker Dr Frene Ginwala has accused Cabinet ministers of playing "fast and loose" with Parliament.

Ginwala, who earlier in the week publicly called for disgraced ANC MP Tony Yengeni to resign and clashed with ANC MPs about how the Assembly should deal with him misleading the House, turned her attention to the executive on Thursday.

She was speaking at a meeting of the Assembly's programme committee, in which she took exception to the ministry of defence asking for the debate on the anti-personnel mines bill to be shifted again from what was originally scheduled.

"When we first get agreement from ministers, I don't think ministers should just say I can't come, I'm not available, and therefore I suggest you shift it to this day."

Ginwala also objected to the fact that an official in the office of leader of government business Jacob Zuma had written to her asking for the postponement, rather than from the deputy president himself.

"The letter should not be coming from Vanessa. I don't think we should accept that. Don't waste my time. It's happening too often."

Ginwala said she wanted the letters "from and signed" by Zuma in his capacity as leader of government business.

"At the moment they (ministers) are playing fast and loose with our programme," she complained.

Ginwala said she would be writing to Zuma to say it was no longer acceptable for minister's to shift debates because they were unavailable and without a proper explanation.

"I think you know, if people are going to play fast and loose, they don't do it with Parliament."

Late last year, Ginwala accused MPs of acting like government cannon-fodder.

She noted they were passing bills without paying attention to what they were approving, including the wrong version of draft legislation.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and www.iafrica.co.za