The Week Ahead: Busy Week for the Portfolio Committees

There’s a varied and busy schedule in the Committee corridor.

Everything from detailed law-making, to executive scrutiny, interviews, oversight visits, inquiries, strategic planning workshops and big-picture policy will be under the microscope.

Questions for oral reply is the only agenda item in the NCOP chamber. It is one of the ways Parliament scrutinises the work of government and holds it accountable. It is an opportunity for any lawmaker to directly question the Executive about matters for which they are responsible. Many of the questions touch on bread and butter issues and/or high-temperature business. An interesting part of the exercise is how the questions are structured as MPs simultaneously try to get their talking points across and ask a question. For all its limitations, this is usually an occasion of heightened interest and can be revealing.

NCOP delegates will probe Ministers in the Pace and Security cluster on:

Tuesday (Police, Justice and Correctional Services)

Wednesday (Defence and Military Veterans and Minister in the Presidency: State Security), and

Thursday (Home Affairs, International Relations and Cooperation)

There are no sittings scheduled in the National Assembly chamber.

The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education will conduct a week-long visit to schools in Mpumalanga Province to assess the state of schooling in the province.

SCOPA will visit the Masilonyana Municipality in the Free State from 22 to 25 August 2022 to investigate the lack of internal control systems within the Municipality.

The Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Flood Disaster Relief and Recovery will conduct follow-up visits to areas that were severely affected by the April floods in KwaZulu-Natal.

Elsewhere, the Chairperson of the NCOP is leading a multi-party delegation to the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Here’s a rundown of the highlights in the Committee Corridor:

MONDAY, 22 AUGUST 2022

Committee for Section 194 Enquiry, (National Assembly), [Hearing: Ms Basani Baloyi to appear before the Committee], Hybrid Meeting (Virtual Meeting Platform and Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building), 10:00-17:00

TUESDAY, 23 AUGUST 2022

Standing Committee on Finance, (National Assembly), [Briefing by National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) on the draft Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill (TALAB) and the draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill (TLAB)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00

Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Parliamentary Legal Adviser on the A-List of the Expropriation Bill [B23-2020]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00

Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) on the Agricultural Product Standards Amendment Bill [B15-2021]; Consideration and adoption of the draft minutes of 07 June 2022], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Communications, (National Assembly), [Adoption of 3rd Term Draft Committee Programme; Briefing by Minister in the Office of the Presidency and the MDDA Board on allegations of governance irregularities at the MDDA; Briefing by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies on: (i) 2021/22 Third and Fourth Quarter Performance and Expenditure Reports; (ii) Roadmap towards realisation of the BDM Policy as influenced by the ConCourt judgment; and (iii) on the status of SAPO funding and Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) and their entities on their 2021/22 Third and Fourth Quarter Performance and Expenditure Reports; Response on submissions received on the SA Postbank Limited Amendment Bill [B 22-2022]; Briefing by ICASA on the Council Performance Management System; Consideration and adoption of the ICASA report recommending candidates for appointment and vacancy created by resignation of ICASA chairperson; Adoption of Subcommittee Members to process SABC Board vacancies], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Traditional Affairs on the Traditional Affairs General Amendment Bill (B16-2022); Adoption of the Free State and Eastern Cape oversight reports], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, (National Assembly), [Consideration and adoption of the A list of the Electoral Amendment Bill; Draft notice determining the rate, with effect from 1 April 2021, at which salaries, allowances and benefits are payable to members of the Electoral Commission; Briefing by the Minister of Home Affairs and Commissioner of the Border Management Authority (BMA) on the implementation of the BMA; Consideration and adoption of outstanding minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the DTIC on the Draft Policy on Scrap Metal], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Committee Content Advisor on the issue of Glencore Bribery Case and the alleged misuse of the Mining Rehabilitation Funds; Briefing by the Parliamentary Legal Services on its legal opinion on committee processes in relation to legal proceedings against Glencore; Tabling of correspondences received; Consideration and adoption of the committee 3rd term programme], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Transport, (National Assembly), [Public Hearings on the Railway Safety Bill [B 7 – 2021]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-17:00

Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, (National Assembly), [Report by the Office of the Chief Justice and Judicial Administration on allegation of procurement irregularities; Deliberations on the Land Court Bill; Deliberations on the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30

Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (National Assembly), [Shortlisting process for the filling of vacancies in the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE)], Venue: Committee Room 6047, Sixth Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 09:30-16:00

Portfolio Committee on Health, (National Assembly), [Clause by clause deliberations on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill], Taj Hotel / Hybrid, 09:30-20:00

Select Committee on Health and Social Services, (National Council of Provinces), [Report on the SRD grant provision and interventions: Briefing by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-12:30

Select Committee on Finance, (National Council of Provinces), [Consideration of the bills clause by clause on the Financial Sector and Deposit Insurance Levies (Administration) and Deposit Insurance Premiums Bill [B 4B-2022] (National Assembly – sec 75) and Financial Sector and Deposit Insurance Levies Bill [B3B-2022] (National Assembly – sec 77)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00

WEDNESDAY, 24 AUGUST 2022

Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour, (National Assembly), [Briefing by Department of Employment & Labour on amendments proposed on the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Amendment Bill [B 21B-2020] (National Assembly – sec 75), by the National Council of Provinces, referred to the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour; and Consideration for adoption of the Draft Report on the Eastern Cape oversight visit in April 2022], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00

Standing Committee on Finance, (National Assembly), [Briefing by National Treasury on the Joint Conduct Standards by the Prudential Authority and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority in terms of the Financial Sector Regulation Act, 2017 (Act No. 9 of 2017) and way forward], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00

Portfolio Committee on Police, (National Assembly), [Draft regulations for Parliamentary scrutiny in terms of section 27(5) of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, 2019 (Act No 8 of 2019)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Parliamentary Legal Services on Bills with Constitutional Court deadlines; Deliberations on the Land Court Bill], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30

Portfolio Committee on Social Development, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Social Development on the difference(s) between the Child Support Grant top-up and the Foster Care Gant; Consideration and adoption of the Motion of Desirability on the Fund Raising Amendment Bill [B29 – 2020]; Committee Deliberations and consideration of inputs on the Fund-raising Amendment Bill [B29 – 2020]; Consideration and adoption of the 3rd Term Committee Programme and minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-14:30

Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, (National Assembly), [Shortlisting process for the filling of vacancies in the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE)], Venue: Committee Room 6047, Sixth Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 09:30-16:00

Portfolio Committee on Health, (National Assembly), [Clause by clause deliberations on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill], Taj Hotel / Hybrid, 09:30-20:00

Select Committee on Security and Justice, (National Council of Provinces), [Consideration and adoption of the Criminal Law (Forensic Procedures) Amendment Bill [B25-2021] (National Assembly – sec 75); Consideration and adoption of Committee report on the Criminal Law (Forensic Procedures) Amendment Bill [B25-2021] (National Assembly – sec 75)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-10:30

Portfolio Committee on Transport, (National Assembly), [Public Hearings on the Railway Safety Bill [B 7 -2021]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 16:00-20:00

THURSDAY, 25 AUGUST 2022

Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the DPWI (Infrastructure South Africa) on: The newly designed Refurbishment Operate and Transfer (ROT) programme to be rolled out in a public-private partnership arrangement to deal with the backlogs due to government property and infrastructure not being properly maintained; Efforts with the IDT on strengthening the maintenance and refurbishment of government buildings as part of the strategy to (a) progress from ad hoc to proactive, scheduled maintenance and refurbishment of government buildings and (b) increase revenue for the IDT during the 2022/23 financial year], Virtual Meeting Platform, 13:00-16:00

Joint Standing Committee on Defence, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Adoption of Third Term programme; Presentation on the DFSC’s 2021 Annual Activity Report; Feedback on engagement between the DFSC and the Minister of Defence (retreat), if concluded by 18 August 2022, and the functioning of the DFSC given the re-establishment of the Military Bargaining Council; Consideration of the Presidential letter on the extension of the employment of the South African National Defence Force in the KwaZulu-Natal Province; Consideration of Minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 18:00-21:00

Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management of Parliament, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Introductory meeting with the Secretary to Parliament, including updates in filling of the key senior management vacancies; and briefing on the organisational re-alignment project; Consideration and adoption of the Committee’s report on Parliament’s performance in the fourth quarter 2021/22], Virtual Meeting Platform, Immediately after the plenary in the NCOP

FRIDAY, 26 AUGUST 2022

Standing Committee on Appropriations, (National Assembly), [Briefing by Auditor-General South Africa on the perennial offending departments in respect of fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditure over the past five financial years], Virtual Platform, 09:00-12:00

Committee for Section 194 Enquiry, (National Assembly), [Hearing: Ms Thandi Sibanyoni to appear before the Committee], Hybrid Meeting (Virtual Meeting Platform and Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building), 10:00-17:00 Committees provide a platform for the public to present views directly to MPs. Share your thoughts, on-the-ground experience and expert information to the relevant committees. Critically, what questions should MPs pose to the Executive as they conduct their oversight work? Write to a Parliamentary Committee

View the schedule page here. View the Provincial Legislature's schedule 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.

People's Assembly aims to connect the public to their elected representatives. One way of doing so is through our Replocator tool, which allows you to search for the elected representative in your area.

Comments

Keep comments free of racism, sexism, homophobia and abusive language. People's Assembly reserves the right to delete and edit comments

(For newest comments first please choose 'Newest' from the 'Sort by' dropdown below.)