Parliament, Sunday 11 November 2018 – There are three plenary sittings scheduled for the National Assembly this week and one scheduled for the National Council of Provinces.

On Tuesday, the National Assembly is provisionally scheduled to consider the report from the Standing Committee on Appropriations on the Division of Revenue Amendment Bill. Minister of Finance Mr Tito Mboweni tabled and introduced the Bill, among other matters, when he delivered the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in the National Assembly on 24 October.

The report of the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform on the Electronic Deeds Registration Systems Bill is also scheduled for consideration at the sitting. The Bill is intended to speed up registration of property by decreasing the time needed for deeds registration and also to make it easier to register large volumes of deeds, as demanded by government’s land reform initiatives. A computer system, known as the Deeds Registration System (e-DRS), will be put in place to maintain the electronic land register.

A subject for discussion at Tuesday’s National Assembly sitting is: “Through peace and stability – responding to the needs of our people”.

Other matters scheduled for Tuesday’s sitting include five Budgetary Review and Recommendation Reports (BRRRs) on government departments and state entities.

The BRRRs are based on committees of the National Assembly re-assessing annual performance plans, strategic plans and expenditure of government departments and entities. The committees then make their own recommendations and submit their reports to the National Assembly for consideration and approval of funds to the government departments and entities.

Another three BRRRs are scheduled for consideration at the National Assembly’s sitting on Wednesday and another seven at Thursday’s sitting.

On Wednesday, the National Assembly plenary sitting is scheduled to feature questions for oral reply to the Ministries of Defence and Military Veterans; Home Affairs; International Relations and Co-operation; Justice and Correctional Services; Police; and State Security.

Thursday’s National Assembly plenary sitting is scheduled to consider the report from the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, requesting approval of the Extradition Treaty and the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Government of South Africa and the Government of the United Arab Emirates. The committee unanimously adopted both treaties, after receiving a briefing on them on 7 November. The treaties will enable the two countries to assist each other in the investigation and prosecution of crimes through mutual legal assistance and the extradition of fugitives

The National Council of Provinces’ plenary sitting scheduled for Thursday is expected to debate: “The high unemployment rate in South Africa and ways of turning the tide by growing the economy and creating jobs”. Reports of the Select Committee on Trade and International Relations and of the Select Committee on Petitions and Executive Undertakings are also scheduled for consideration at Thursday’s sitting.

Parliamentary committee meetings are scheduled to consider a range of Bills and legislative matters this week. These include the Civil Union Amendment Bill, the Competition Amendment Bill; the Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill; the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill; and the Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill.

Also coming up at the 44 scheduled committee meetings this week are annual and quarterly reports, reports on specific government department and state entity matters and matters of public interest. The Portfolio Committee on Public Works, the Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament and the Standing Committee on the Auditor General are also scheduled to consider their fifth Parliament legacy reports.

Committee meetings scheduled for the week ahead include:

Standing Committee on Finance: Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill; Taxation Laws Amendment Bill; and the Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill – Tuesday, Wednesday

Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs: Parliamentary Legal Advisor briefing on public comments received on Civil Union Amendment Bill; consideration and adoption of Motion of Desirability on Electoral Amendment Bill; Minister of Home Affairs and Acting Director-General briefings on what is envisaged to happen at end of contract between the Department of Home Affairs and Visa Facilitation Service; litigation cases against the Department of Home Affairs; incident between immigration officials and Southern African Development Community dignitaries – Tuesday

Select Committee on Economic and Business Development: Public hearings on Competition Amendment Bill – Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Deliberations on Fishing Rights Allocation Process 2020 – Tuesday

Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements: Consideration of Property Practitioners’ Bill – Tuesday, Wednesday

Joint meeting: Portfolio Committee on Police and Portfolio Committee on Public Works: Matters related to Department of Public Works’ facilities management – Tuesday

Portfolio Committee on Communications: South African Broadcasting Corporation Board briefing on implementation of section 189 of the Labour Relations Act – Tuesday

Portfolio Committee on Police: South African Police Service briefing on implementation of Rural Safety Plan (Afusa, Agri-SA, SANCO, POPCRU and SAPU) – Wednesday

Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Hearing on South African Broadcasting Corporation irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure and payable and receivables as stated in Annual Report – Wednesday

Portfolio Committee on Labour: Briefing by Trainers’ Association representatives on working and living conditions of grooms in the horse-racing industry; Department of Labour briefing on blitz inspections conducted on the horse-racing industry nationwide – Wednesday

Portfolio Committee on Social Development: Department of Social Development briefing on operations and funding model of Food Security implementing agencies across provinces – Wednesday

Joint meeting of Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and Joint Standing Committee on Defence: Department of Defence and National Treasury Budget Task Team briefing on funding model for implementation of 2015 South African Defence Review – Wednesday

Select Committee on Appropriations: Engagement with political leadership of the South African Local Government Association; consideration of Negotiating Mandates on Division of Revenue Amendment Bill – Friday

For the latest full schedule of committee meetings (updated regularly), please click:https://www.parliament.gov.za/whatson

ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Enquiries: Moloto Mothapo