The Week Ahead: BRICS Parliamentary Forum & Legislation

The third term concludes for NCOP delegates.

From next week, they will join their NA counterparts who are on recess.

Legislation is a major focus in Tuesday’s NCOP sitting. The House will consider three Bills, the Performers’ Protection Amendment Bill, the Copyright Amendment Bill and the Fundraising Amendment Bill. In addition, there will be a debate about “Building viable tourism spaces and facilities for local economic development.”

Parliament will be hosting the 9th BRICS Parliamentary Forum scheduled to take place at Emperor’s Palace on Wednesday and Thursday.

The event website says: This gathering seeks to foster stronger parliamentary ties and deeper cooperation among the BRICS member states. Aligned with the overarching theme of "Harnessing Multilateralism and Parliamentary Diplomacy to Deepen BRICS and Africa Partnership for accelerated implementation of the Africa Free-Trade Agreement," this assembly aims to address critical regional and global challenges through parliamentary diplomacy.

The expected outcomes are:

• Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and formal establishment of the Parliamentary Forum

• A Meeting Declaration or Outcome Document reaffirming a unity of purpose of the members; providing a future roadmap and a new strategic direction for the Forum

• A decision on the establishment of the Secretariat

• A less elitist and more inclusive BRICS with deepened people-to-people exchange

The main highlights in the Committee Corridor include the engagement on the African Growth and Opportunity Act, legislative business and the processing of various matters by the Powers and Privileges Committee.

Here is a run down of the highlights:

TUESDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 2023

Joint Meeting: Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry and Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Small Business Development, Tourism, Employment and Labour, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on progress report on African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA); Consideration and adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 08:00-13:00

Powers and Privileges Committee, (National Assembly), Virtual Meeting Platform, 12:00-13:00

Select Committee on Land Reform, Environment, Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Council of Provinces), [Negotiating Mandate Meeting of the Agricultural Products Standards Amendment Bill [B15B – 2021]; Negotiating Mandate Meeting of the National Veld and Forest Fire Amendment Bill [B24B – 2021]; Consideration and Adoption of Minutes and Reports], Virtual Meeting Platform, 14:00-19:00

Select Committee on Finance, (National Council of Provinces), [Further consideration of policy issues in the Municipal Fiscal Powers and Functions Amendment Bill [B21B-2022]; Further processing of Municipal Fiscal Powers and Functions Amendment Bill [B21B-2022] and possible adoption of the committee report], Virtual Meeting Platform, 14:30-17:30

WEDNESDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 2023

Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure, (National Council of Provinces), [Consideration of oral and written submissions on Expropriation Bill [B 23B-2020 (s76)], Committee Room S12A, Ground Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 09:00-13:00

Select Committee on Appropriations, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Auditor-General and National Department of Health on the impact of medical legal claims on provincial health budgets and mitigation being taken to reduce medico-legal claims], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00

Select Committee on Public Enterprises and Communication, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by ICASA on how the auctioning and/or availability of the spectrum will transform and create competition in the telecommunication sector with respect to the reduction of costs to communicate; Consideration and Adoption of Minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00

Powers and Privileges Committee, (National Assembly), [Hearing on the incident of 30 August 2022], Committee Room M314, Third Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 10:00-16:00

THURSDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2023

Powers and Privileges Committee, (National Assembly), [Hearing on the incident of 30 August 2022], Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 10:00-16:00

FRIDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 2023

Powers and Privileges Committee, (National Assembly), [Hearing on the incident of 30 August 2022], Committee Room M514, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 10:00-16:00

During the constituency period, MPs have a duty to: be available to the public, help solve problems and report back to their constituents on what is happening in Parliament.

NA CONSTITUENCY PERIOD: 26 SEPTEMBER – 9 OCTOBER

NCOP CONSTITUENCY PERIOD: 2 – 9 OCTOBER

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View the schedule page here.

*This summary is based on the schedule as it is published on Monday morning. The programme is subject to frequent updating so the link above needs to be checked daily to confirm the programme for the day.

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