Happening in Parliament This Week

Press Releases

Parliament, Monday, 2 May 2022 – The debate on Freedom Day, an urgent matter of national public importance regarding the country’s energy crisis, and a Question-and-Answer session with the Economics Cluster of Ministers will take centre stage on Parliament’s agenda for this week.

On Tuesday at 14.00, Members of the National Assembly (NA) will consider a report of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on the National Council of Province’s (NCOP) Amendments to the Municipal Systems Amendment Bill. This will be followed by a debate on Freedom Day. The NA hybrid plenary will conclude the business of the day with Motions Without Notice and Notices of Motions.

On Wednesday during its hybrid plenary sitting at 15.00, Members of the NA will ask oral questions to the six Economics Cluster Ministers. The Cluster comprises Ministers responsible for Finance; Communications and Digital Technologies; Employment and Labour; Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment; and Mineral Resources and Energy.

Questions to Ministers is one of Parliament’s range of instruments used to hold the executive accountable in line with section 92(2) of the Constitution, which stipulates that Cabinet Members are accountable collectively and individually to Parliament for the exercise of their powers and performance of their functions.

On Thursday at 14.00, the NA hybrid plenary will hold a debate on a Matter of National Public Importance, to be led by the Chief Whip of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Mr Narend Singh, on the energy crisis and threat of a protracted failure of Eskom.

Meanwhile, the NCOP Programming Committee will meet on Thursday at 8.30 to to plan for the business of the House. Amongst others, matters to be discussed will include consideration of the hybrid plenary sittings, committee reports, Bills before the House, and the upcoming programme for the NCOP.


On Friday at 09.00, Permanent Delegates to the NCOP are scheduled to hold a Virtual State Capability Conference under the theme: “State Capability – Delineating Weaknesses, Devising Strategic Mechanisms to Accelerate Policy Implementation”.

There are 45 committee meetings scheduled for this week to deal with various pieces of legislation and provide updates on the implementation of service delivery targets as outlined below:

TUESDAY, 3 MAY

  • Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, Briefing by the Electoral Commission and the Government Printing Works on the Annual Plans and Budgets for 2022/23.


  • Standing Committee on Finance, Briefing by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) on their Annual Performance Plan.


  • Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, Briefing by the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition on the status of the Special Economic Zones; Consideration of minutes.


  • Portfolio Committee on Communications, Briefing by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, the Independent Communications Authority, and by the Films and Publications Board on their respective 2022/23 Annual Performance Plans and Budgets.


  • Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture, Briefing by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) on the 2021/2022 3rd Quarterly Expenditure Report.


  • Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Presentation on the Strategic, Annual Performance Plans and Budget allocations for 2022/23 financial year by the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB); as well as on the Public Hearings on the Agricultural Produce Agents Amendment Bill.


  • Joint Meeting: Portfolio Committee on Transport and Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure, Joint meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Transport on the briefing by the Department of Transport on its Annual Performance Plan and Strategic Plan.


  • Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Briefing by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy on their Annual Performance Plan for 2022-23 FY and its Budget Vote No. 34; Briefing by the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC) on their Annual Performance Plan.


  • Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Briefing on 2022/2023 Annual Performance Plan and Budget Allocation by the Department of Human Settlements.


  • Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Briefing by the Council for Geo-Science (CGS), the Mintek and the South African National Development Institute (SANEDI) on their respective Annual Performance Plans and budgets for the 2022-23 FY.


  • Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Consideration and adoption of Draft Report on Budget Vote 16: Basic Education; Engagements on Petition by Hon M Sukers MP pertaining to the Closure of Seekoegat Primary School with Hon Sukers MP (Petitioner); Western Cape Education Department (WCED); and Department of Basic Education (DBE


  • Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Consideration and adoption of the Committee Budget Vote Report for 2022, Briefing by SANParks on the Table Mountain National Park regarding Heads of Agreement between City of Cape on the overall management and coordination of the mountain.


  • Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Briefing by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities on Annual Performance Plan of the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities for 2022/23.


  • Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, Briefing by the Department of Water and Sanitation on Budget Vote 41 and Annual Performance Plan for the 2022/23 financial year; Briefing by the Water Research Commission on appropriated budget and Annual Performance Plan for 2022/23 financial year.


  • Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Briefing by the Department of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation and Brand South Africa on the 2022/2026 Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plans for 2022/2023 financial year; Briefing by the Statistics South Africa.


  • Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Briefing by the Public Service Commission on the 2022/2026 Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan for 2022/2023 financial year; Briefing by the National School of Government on the 2022/2026 Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan for 2022/2023 financial year.


  • Select Committee on Health and Social Services, Briefing by the National Development Agency (NDA) on the Annual Performance Plan 2022/2023; Briefing by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) on the Annual Performance Plan 2022/2023.


  • Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, Briefing by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and Property Management Trading Entity (PMTE) on the Strategic and Annual Performance Plans.


  • Select Committee on Finance, Follow up with DBSA on their quarterly reports, challenges in executing their mandate.


WEDNESDAY, 4 MAY

  • Standing Committee on Finance, Public hearings on the Financial Sector and Deposit Insurance Levies Bill [B3 – 2022] and the Financial Sector and Deposit Insurance Levies (Administration) and Deposit Insurance Premiums Bill.


  • Select Committee on Appropriations, Consideration of Negotiating Mandates on the Division of Revenue Bill [B6 – 2022].


  • Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, Consideration of first draft report on the DTIC’s 2022/23 Strategic Plan and APP (Budget Vote Report).


  • Portfolio Committee on Police, Adoption of Committee budget reports: SAPS, IPID, CSPS and PSIRA; Criminal Law (Forensic Procedures) Amendment Bill.


  • Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Briefing by the Local Government SETA on the Annual Performance Plan 2022/23 and skills development programmes for local government councillors and employees; Briefing by the National Skills Fund (NSF) on the Annual Performance Plan 2022/23.


  • Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture, Briefing by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture on the 2022/2023 Annual performance plan.


  • Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, (National Assembly), [Public Hearings on the Agricultural Produce Agents Amendment Bill [B33-2020.


  • Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, Briefing by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and Council for the Built Environment (CBE) on their Strategic and Annual Performance Plans.


  • Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, Briefing by the Independent Development Trust (IDT) and Agreement SA on their Strategic and Annual Performance Plans.


  • Portfolio Committee on Health, Consideration and adoption of the Committee’s Budget Vote Report.


  • Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development, Consideration and adoption of minutes; Consideration and adoption 2022/23 Budget Vote Report.


  • Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, Briefing by the Entities undertaking work on behalf of the Department of Water and Sanitation on their appropriated budgets and Annual Performance Plans for 2022/23 financial year.


  • Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, Briefing by the DOD on its Annual Performance Plan and Budget for 2022/23 and Responses to the AGSA Report on the Status of Records Review; Briefing by Armscor on its Corporate Plan and Budget for 2022.


  • Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Briefing by the Department on its Strategic Plan 2020/25 and APP 2022/23 and Briefing by the African Renaissance Fund on its Strategic Plan 2020/25 and APP 2022/23.


THURSDAY, 5 MAY

  • Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Briefing on the implementation of the recommendations of the Forensic Report on 1 Military Hospital, progress with the RAMP and related matters; Briefing by the Ministry on the way ahead on the Military Ombud report on the food related challenge in Mozambique.


FRIDAY, 6 MAY

  • Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, Consideration and adoption of the 2021/22 Budget Vote Report.


  • Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, Response from the DTIC and Adv Merwe on submissions received with regards to the Copyright Amendment Bill .


  • Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Briefing by the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) on the Revised Strategic Plan Annual Performance Plan (APP) and Budget 2022/23.


  • Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Briefing by the SA Nuclear Energy Corporation Group (NECSA), National Nuclear Regulator (NNR), National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute (NRWDI), National Energy Regulator of SA (NERSA), Central Energy Fund Group (CEF), State Diamond Trade (SDT), on their respective Annual Performance Plans and budgets for 2022-23.


  • Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Briefing by the DFFE on the progress in overturning the three main issues that the Department identified as having constrained the effective functioning of fishing cooperatives: lack of capacity to run business entities.


  • Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Consideration and deliberations on the Budget vote reports (Department of Public Service & Administration, Public Service Commission, National School of Government, Department of Planning/ Monitoring & Evaluation and Statistics South Africa).


  • Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Adoption of the Budget vote reports (Department of Public Service & Administration, Public Service Commission, National School of Government, Department of Planning/ Monitoring & Evaluation.


  • Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, Briefing by the Content Advisor on the draft report of budget vote 5 of the Department of Home Affairs; Comments by Parliament Legal Services on any constitutional or legal issue on the report on public participation of the Electoral Amendment Bill [B 1 – 2022].


For the latest full schedule of Committee meetings (updated regularly), please visit: https://www.parliament.gov.za/committee-schedules


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