Party defections ran like a single, if sometimes knotty and tangled, thread through this parliamentary year.

The floor-crossing issue prompted a dizzying round of court rulings, appeals, and proposed legislation. Only now has the Constitutional Court pronounced on the matter, and Parliament will discuss a bill on the issue in the new year.

In what was arguably the best speech in the national assembly this year, Pan Africanist Congress deputy president Motsoko Pheko warned: "A constitution is not a key to open a bedroom to take political prostitutes to bed." This prompted the acerbic Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging MP Cassie Aucamp to coin a new name for floor-crossers: "crosstitutes".

But floor-crossing was not the only issue this year. In addition to four defection bills, 71 other bills were passed this year, up from 69 bills last year.

The more controversial legislation included the Immigration Bill, the Media Development and Diversity Agency Bill, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Bill, the National Conventional Arms Control Bill, the Broadcasting Amendment Bill, and the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Bill.

But it was not always clear whether MPs knew what they were adopting. National assembly speaker Frene Ginwala reprimanded them for passing bills without paying attention and accused them of acting like government cannon fodder.

This included the Medical Schemes Amendment Bill, which was not the version approved by the assembly's health committee.

While political parties continued to throw dirt at each other, MPs complained Parliament was becoming a "health hazard" because of the filth, grime and giant cockroaches.

Meanwhile, a new R30m security system, capable of tracking MPs and staff, was installed, prompting concerns that big brother was watching. Yet thefts continued.

Other spending included R10m on refurbishing the National Council of Provinces, which involved replacing 117-year-old benches with modern ones.

MPs were left speechless after the assembly's antiquated sound system gave up the ghost, and Parliament will now have to find R22m to install a new one.

Attendance records also came under the spotlight with the African National Congress (ANC) unveiling a new plan to fine its MPs up to R2000 a month for being absent without permission.

And to ensure MPs earn their keep, Parliament will install a R3,5m system to monitor their attendance.

It was also a year in which the death of two prominent ANC members were mourned Steve Tshwete and Peter Mokaba.

Several MPs resigned, including New National Party (NNP) leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk to become Western Cape premier. Pam Tshwete, Steve Tshwete's wife, was among eight new ANC MPs sworn in during the year.

ANC chief whip Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula succeeded her husband Charles Nqakula as deputy home affairs minister, while he was appointed safety and security minister following Tshwete's death.

Trade unionist Nathi Nhleko became the majority party's new chief whip, and former chief whip Tony Yengeni was granted long leave to prepare for his fraud and corruption trial, scheduled for January.

ANC MP and deputy chair of the National Council of Provinces Lawrence Mushwana was nominated to become the country's new public protector after a special parliamentary committee struggled to find a replacement for Selby Baqwa.

Official opposition claims of cronyism failed to stick.

As happened last year, Zimbabwe dominated parliamentary proceedings, with Deputy President Jacob Zuma having to remind MPs that Zimbabwe was not SA's 10th province.

A parliamentary delegation sent to observe the Zimbabwean presidential elections spent R2,76m and returned with a majority report proclaiming the poll to be "a credible expression of the will of the people".

And Democratic Alliance MP Tertius Delport had his one minute of fame by trying to have President Robert Mugabe arrested and prosecuted in SA for alleged crimes against humanity.

African Christian Democratic Party MP Cheryllyn Dudley put the deputy president on the spot about his views on the loveLife campaign. He told Parliament oral sex was unnatural, and that he would not talk about it.

Dudley later laid a charge of sexual harassment against ANC MP Bangilizwe Solo for making lewd comments. He was later forced to publicly apologise.

In a first, the national assembly unanimously approved an ethics committee recommendation that ANC MP Winnie Madikizela-Mandela be severely reprimanded by Ginwala and fined R12500. She was found guilty of contravening Parliament's code of conduct by failing to disclose donations and business interests in the register of members' interests.

Suspended Inkatha Freedom party MP Mandla Msomi survived one investigation by the ethics committee, but now faces another.

Though the defection saga is expected to continue next year, Parliament did manage to write the final chapter on almost two years of political wrangling around the joint investigating team's probe into the multibillion rand arms deal.

MPs voted to adopt all committee reports on the findings of the investigation conducted last year by the auditor-general, public protector and national directorate of public prosecutions.

Inkatha Freedom Party MP Gavin Woods, resigned as chair of the standing committee on public accounts, and was replaced by NNP MP Francois Beukman as the ANC and NNP cosy up.

President Thabo Mbeki also appointed two NNP deputy ministers, Renier Schoeman and David Malatsi, as the relationship bloomed.

With acknowledgements to Angela Quintal, Sapa and Business Day.