Parliament, Sunday 30 August 2020 – Questions for oral reply to the Deputy President of South Africa, a Ministerial cluster briefing, plenary sittings of the two houses, a Women’s Charter review session and 54 parliamentary committee meetings are part of the Parliamentary programme this week.
Deputy President David Mabuza will answer oral questions at the National Council of Provinces’ (NCOP) virtual plenary sitting on Thursday at 2 pm. Oral question and answer sessions are one of Parliament’s means of holding the executive accountable. Deputy President Mabuza's scheduled appearance follows that of President Cyril Ramaphosa last week in the National Assembly.
On Tuesday, the NCOP will receive a virtual briefing from the Minister of Small Business Development, Ms Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, on progress made in accelerating Small Business Development in South Africa. The session will start at 10 am.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly (NA) will on Tuesday at 2 pm hold a hybrid plenary sitting and debate an urgent matter of national public importance, themed: Recent scourge of farm attacks and murders of farmers and farm workers. Ms Diane Kohler of the Democratic Alliance will lead the debate.
On Wednesday, the Social Service Cluster 2, comprised of ministers of Basic Education; Health; Higher Education, Science and Technology; Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation; Social Development; and Sports, Arts and Culture will answer oral questions from Members of the National Assembly from 3 pm.
The Limpopo leg of the 1994 Women’s Charter Review session, chaired by the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP Ms Sylvia Lucas and Deputy Speaker of NA Mr Lechesa Tsenoli, is also scheduled for Wednesday at 3 pm. So far, three provinces, Western Cape, Free State and Northern Cape have completed their review sessions.
The hybrid plenary sitting of the NA on Thursday will feature a statement by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Nathi Mthethwa, on the transformation of the heritage landscape in South Africa.
An interactive Youth Parliament is planned for Friday at 10 am. The session aims to bring together young South Africans to interact with the executive on issues affecting them.
In total, 54 parliamentary committee meetings will take place this week including the following:
TUESDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 2020
Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development will receive responses from the Department (DALRRD) on issues raised by stakeholders during the Upgrading of Land Tenure Rights Act (ULTRA) public hearings;
Standing Committee on Appropriations will be briefed by National Treasury on the First Quarter Expenditure Report for the 2020/21 financial year and on steps taken to mitigate fraud and corruption in the spending of Covid-19 funds;
Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs is to be briefed on progress made by the Department of Home Affairs, the City of Cape Town, the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on the situation of migrants during the COVID-19 national lockdown including the removal and integration of the protesting refugees at the Green Market Square in Cape Town;
Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy will deliberate on the Independent Electricity Management Operator Bill [B14 – 2019];
Portfolio Committee on Basic Education will be briefed by the Department of Basic Education on: the State of Reopening of Schools; the National School Nutrition Programme; and on the Draft Directions for Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN); and
Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services will be briefed by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill; Criminal and Related Matters Bill; Domestic Violence Amendment Bill; Adoption of Committee report on the Cybercrime and cybersecurity Bill [B6-2017]].
WEDNESDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER 2020
Standing Committee on Appropriations, Follow-up meeting with Eskom on the financial issues and progress on Committee’s recommendations; and briefing by National Treasury on Eskom’s compliance with all the conditions attached to the Special Appropriation Bill (B10-2019);
Select Committee on Security and Justice will discuss and consider the Report on the Prescription in Civil and Criminal Matters (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill [B 22B - 2019] (sec 75). (sec 75);
Select Committee on Appropriations will receive a presentation on the status of South African food security and recommended interventions from the Human Science Research Council (HSRC); Disaster Management Programmes, Drought Relief programmes in South Africa and progress on a research project being conducted to determine the correct amount of resource allocation for the affected provinces;
Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration is to be briefed by the Department of Public Service and Administration on monitoring of the prohibition of public servants from doing business with the state; and
Joint Meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Communications, Select Committee on Public Enterprises and Communication will consider public broadcasting and engagement various role players including the SOS Support Public Broadcasting, IPO, SACF, NABSA, SABC and MDDA.
THURSDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2020
Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs will be updated by the KZN MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on the state of all municipalities placed under S139 of the Constitution in the province including the Msunduzi Local Municipality.
FRIDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2020
Portfolio Committee on Police will be briefed by the Executive Mayor and Metro Police of the City of Cape Town, as well as the SAPS and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) on the incident that involved the City of Cape’s law enforcement officials in Khayelitsha; and
Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs will receive a progress report from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations (DPCI) on VBS related matters.
Joint Constitutional Review Committee of the NA and the NCOP will have a virtual meeting to deliberate on submissions received from 11 am.
For the latest full schedule of parliamentary committee meetings (updated regularly), kindly click: https://www.parliament.gov.za/parliament-programme
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
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