The Week Ahead: Legislation & Budget-related Matters

There's a broad and busy flavour to this week's parliamentary business.

In the National Assembly chamber, the week opens with a focus on legislation and a ministerial statement during Tuesday’s sitting. Lawmakers are set to consider the Railway Safety Bill and the Climate Change Bill.

Government Ministers may make oral statements to Parliament which usually address major incidents, government policies or actions. Each political party is allowed an opportunity to respond to such a statement. The Minister in The Presidency responsible for Electricity will update the nation on the Energy Action Plan activities and short to medium-term interventions to limit the intensity and frequency of load shedding.

On Wednesday, select Ministers in the Economics Cluster will be in the spotlight as they are probed on a range of issues during their oral reply session. View here

The following day, MPs will consider the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill and the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill.

Friday is dedicated to mini-plenary sessions. There are three scheduled to take place to consider assorted committee reports. Amongst those are: Consideration of Report of PC on Police on Proposed Parliamentary inquiry into July 2021 unrest, Consideration of Report of Standing Committee on Appropriations on Oversight visit to Transnet SOC Limited and Passenger Rail Agency South Africa from 27 to 31 March 2023 and Consideration of Report of PC on Public Works and Infrastructure on Oversight visit to Small Harbours and Robben Island.

Over in the NCOP, the chamber has scheduled a debate to commemorate Transport Month on Tuesday under the theme: “Revitalisation and Modernisation of the Freight Logistics and Passenger Mobility Railway Network in South Africa”.

Beyond this, the Deputy President, who is also the leader of government business, will appear for his oral question-and-answer engagement on Thursday. View here

It's another big week in the Committee corridor where lawmakers will be dealing with leftover Annual Reports and finalising Budgetary Review and Recommendations Reports (BRRRs), which must be completed before the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement is delivered on 1 November.

Budget cuts have been a main talking point with Members querying what impact this is having on the work and programmes of governments and entities.

Besides budget-related matters, detailed lawmaking and big-picture policy will be under the microscope.

Away from Parliament, the Speaker is leading a multi-party delegation to the 147th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly taking place in Luanda, Angola from 23 to 27 October.

At least two committees are scheduled to conduct provincial public hearings on the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill and the National Small Enterprise Amendment Bill.

The Committee Corridor has scheduled many interesting meetings:

TUESDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2023

Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, (National Assembly), [Consideration of the motion of desirability on Electoral Commission Bill [B15 – 2023]; Update on the Marriages Amendment Bill; Update on Court ruling to Amend Section 34 of the Immigration Act], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, (National Assembly), [Deliberation/finalisation on the SAPO Amendment Bill [B 11-2023]; Consideration and adoption of the Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR) of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT); Consideration and adoption of the Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR) of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS); Consideration and adoption of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) and their Entities on the 2022/23 Third and Fourth Quarter Expenditure and Financial Reports; Consideration and adoption of the Draft Report on Public Hearings on the SAPO Amendment Bill], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Response from Parliamentary Legal Advisor and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on the submissions received on the Bill; Consideration of the first draft of the BRR Report], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Legal Services on the removal of Judges from Office; Deliberations on the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill; Deliberations on the Divorce Amendment Bill [B22 - 2023]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30

Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Update by Minister of Higher Education regarding National Skills Fund and NSFAS investigations], Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:30-13:30

WEDNESDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2023 Standing Committee on Finance, (National Assembly), [Response by National Treasury and SARS to the submissions received on the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill, Revenue Administration and Pension Laws Amendment Bill, Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill, Taxation Laws Amendment Bill and the Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00

Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, (National Assembly), [The report by the Public Service Commission on the roundtable on functional accommodation for service delivery held on 16 November 2022], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00

Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure, (National Council of Provinces), [Department of Public Works and Infrastructure responses oral and written submissions on Expropriation Bill [B 23B-2020] (sec 76)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Social Development, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Police (SAPS) on violence and murder of children – mandates, programmes and interventions, statistics and impact of interventions and programmes; Adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Police, (National Assembly), [Public hearings on Independent Investigative Directorate Amendment Bill [B21-2023] Day 2], Committee Room S12A, Ground Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 09:00-16:00

Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, (National Assembly), [Public hearings on the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30

Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Deliberation on the appearance of former Brigadier Jap Burger of the SAPS concerning allegations of corrupt and fraudulent activities and other maladministration at Eskom], Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:30-12:30

Select Committee on Security and Justice, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Ministry and Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on the Amendments to the Practical Guidelines for Employees, submitted in terms of section 10(4)(b) of the Protected Disclosures Act, 2000 (Act No 26 of 2000); Deliberation on the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill [B9B-2018] (National Assembly – sec 75)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00

THURSDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2023

Ad Hoc Committee on the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill, (National Assembly), [Election of the Chairperson; Briefing by the Content Advisor on the Intelligence Sector; Briefing of the Ad Hoc Committee by the Parliamentary Legal Services Drafter on the readiness of the Committee Bill to be considered by the Committee; Briefing by the Legal Advisor on the legislative process; Consideration and adoption of the draft Committee programme], Committee Room M314, Third Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 08:00-10:00

Joint Standing Committee on Defence, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Engagement with the DOD and SANDF Chief of Human Resources (HR) on its HR Strategy in the context of the JSCD’s proposal for a new HR Strategy to ensure a permanent exit mechanism and rejuvenation of the SANDF; Consideration and adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 18:00-21:00

FRIDAY, 27 OCTOBER 2023

Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, (National Assembly), [Briefing by Statistician-General on the CENSUS 2022 results; Consideration and Adoption of committee minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, (National Assembly), [Deliberations on the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Amendment Bill; Deliberations on the Divorce Amendment Bill [B22 - 2023]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30

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.

*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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