Parliament, Wednesday, 11 May 2022 – The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation today met to consider and adopt its 2022 Budget Vote Report.
The committee notes yesterday’s court decision on the Department of International Relations’ appeal regarding the matter of its humanitarian contribution to Cuba. The committee expects that, in taking the matter forward, the department does so in full compliance, recognition and observance of the Constitution, foreign relations and other related policies, as well as the court judgement and South Africa’s historical relations with Cuba. The committee expects the department to continue to account to Parliament on this matter through the portfolio committee, said the committee Chairperson, Mr Supra Mahumapelo.
Having considered the department’s and its entity’s strategic plan 2020-2025 and the Budget Vote 6 for the 2022/23 year, the committee recommends that the Minister should consider and report on progress within three months of the National Assembly’s adoption of this report.
Other recommendations are that the department conduct a full assessment of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the department’s budget allocation, predetermined objectives and service delivery. The department should also finalise the implementation plan and relevant processes, and publish for stakeholders’ consultations the draft regulations, as a precursor for the promulgation of the Foreign Service Act 2019.
The department should also oversee effective implementation of sound financial management systems, including management and financial accounting and supply chain management. It should also improve the internal control environment in line with the requirements of the Public Finance Management Act.
Another recommendation was that the department obtain a milestone report from the Department of Public Works, as a handing-over brief on state-owned land and properties abroad. It should also ensure that a property management strategy is developed as a guiding framework for the custodianship of the property portfolio, in line with the Foreign Service Act. The department should also develop an implementation plan with timeframes, in order to determine the course of action needed for all state owned land parcels and properties abroad.
In addition, the department should revise the strategy for South Africa’s participation in BRICS, and find support to tackle possible threats to cohesion within the geopolitical forum, and ensure its continued relevance in advancing South Africa’s national interest and the African Agenda 2063.
The committee recommends that the department conduct an impact assessment on the work of the African Renaissance Fund, with details of how the disbursement of funds from the fund contributes to South Africa’s development cooperation agenda.
The committee recommends to the National Assembly that the Parliamentary Oversight Model must be reviewed to allow the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation to have more regular oversight visits to South African Missions abroad, to allow a more holistic approach to the department’s performance abroad. For its part, the committee conducted a virtual oversight visit, in an adaption to the “new normal”. The committee hopes that Parliament will embrace this innovation into the Oversight and Accountability Model.
The Parliamentary Oversight Model should allow the committee to have more regular oversight visits to the African Renaissance Fund project areas, the International Cooperation Fund and other relevant international organisations. This will give the committee a more holistic view of their performance and allow an assessment of the impact of the department’s participation on the overall outcomes at such forums.
The committee recommended that the Budget Vote 6: International Relations and Cooperation 2022/23 be passed, with the exception of the opposition parties.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION, MR SUPRA MAHUMAPELO.
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