Parliament, Wednesday 17 June 2020 – President Cyril Ramaphosa will appear at the National Assembly hybrid plenary sitting for oral replies to questions from Members of Parliament tomorrow, Thursday, 18 June 2020. This is the President's first appearance in the National Assembly for oral questions since the declaration of COVID-19 as a national state disaster.
The President's question and answer session is the only agenda item. Questions for the oral reply to the President are scheduled at least once a quarter during session time within the National Assembly’s annual programme. Up to six questions on matters of national or international importance may be asked during the three-hour session. The three hours are allotted to cover the main questions and associated supplementary questions.
The six questions scheduled for tomorrow's sitting will cover a range of matters related to the management of the Coronavirus, including among others:
- what measures has Government put in place to accelerate the recovery of the South African economy amid the effects of COVID;
- What relevant details of the scientific risk assessment that the Government’s National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) allegedly relied on with regard on the modelling used to predict the number of deaths and the projected number of deaths upon which the President announced the institution of a national hard lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 from 26 March 2020;
- whether the President’s decision to ease the lockdown from alert level 5 to level 4 and level 3 within a short space of time was informed by scientific evidence;
- and what would be his policy directives to the Department of Small Business Development and small, medium and micro enterprises that will strike a balance between saving lives and livelihoods in achieving the National Development Plan target of creating 9,9 million new jobs which would constitute 90% of all new jobs by 2030?
Holding regular question and answer sessions is one way in which Parliament holds the President and the Executive to account.
DETAILS OF THE HYBRID SITTING ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Date: Thursday, 18 June 2020
Time: 14.00
Venue: National Assembly Chamber, Parliament and online Platform
To see all the questions to the President please click: QUESTION PAPER
Meanwhile, the other House of Parliament, the National Council of Provinces will also hold (virtual) plenaries to debate and consider the Appropriation Bill on 18 (Thursday at 10 am) and 19 (Friday at 9 am) June 2020.
Important to note:
Members of the media who wish to physically attend the Sitting should send their details (Full name, name of the media house, and ID or passport number) to Mlindi Mpindi on email: Mmpindi@parlaiment.gov.za no later than TOMORROW, 18 June at 8am
Media wishing to broadcast from the Parliamentary precinct should also provide details of any essential vehicles (make, registration) and equipment they wish to bring onto the precinct and time of arrival.
Parliamentary meetings are open to the media and the public. Journalists who are interested in covering these meetings (including receiving links to virtual meetings) are requested to forward their cellphone numbers to Mlindi Mpindi on email mmpindi@parliament.gov.za for inclusion in the Parliamentary Communications Services WhatsApp Group, where such information is shared. Journalists are urged to forward these requests using their official email addresses (no private emails).
Members of the public may get involved and follow committee sittings live on Parliament TV (DSTV Channel 408), via live stream on Parliament YouTube channel and Twitter page on the links below. You may subscribe to the Parliament YouTube channel to receive instant notification of live feeds.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParliamentofRSA
Facebook: https://facebook.com/ParliamentofRSA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ParliamentofRSA
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES
Enquiries: Moloto Mothapo – 082 370 6930
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