It's another big week in the Committee corridor where lawmakers will be dealing with Annual Reports and finalising Budgetary Review and Recommendations Reports (BRRRs) which must be completed before the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement on 1 November.
Committees hear directly from the office of the Auditor-General (AGSA) as well as the Departments and entities when conducting their performance assessment.
The AGSA communicates key messages to Parliament about the root causes of audit failures or stagnation.
The AGSA has advised committees to monitor the accountability ecosystem to ensure that all role players/assurance providers effectively exercise their roles to improve audit outcomes and ensure service delivery is provided by the portfolio.
The BRRRs are a key oversight mechanism as they help ensure that amendment debates are based on reliable analysis of departmental performance. The BRRR may include recommendations on the future use of resources. The Reports provide insight into what Departments have done i.e. services delivered and those not. The BRRR also reflects on whether the Committee, after considering relevant reports, is satisfied with the Department’s performance.
On Thursday, the National Assembly will convene a special sitting at the Cape Town City Hall to consider the Report of the Ad hoc Committee to Nominate a Person for Appointment as Public Protector. The Committee recommended the current Deputy Public Protector, Adv Kholeka Gcaleka, for the post.
60% of NA Members must support the vote recommending the appointment. If the threshold is reached, the NA will send the recommendation to the President for appointment. The Public Protector is appointed for a non-renewable period of seven years.
Elsewhere, the NCOP will convene a single hybrid plenary sitting on Tuesday to consider motions, elect the Programming Whip for the House, and hold a debate on International Rural Women’s Day.
The Committee Corridor is the site for most of Parliament’s business. Below are the highlights:
TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2023
Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Hearings on unauthorised expenditures for the following departments/entities: Vote 14: Statistics South Africa; Vote 16: Department of Basic Education; Vote 19: Department of Social Development; Vote 24: Independent Police Investigative Directorate], Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00
Standing Committee on Finance, (National Assembly), [Briefing by National Treasury on their annual report], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00 Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) on its 2022/23 Annual Report], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00
Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Minister and SITA on governance and performance-related matters around the entity; 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; Adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-14:00
Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Public Hearings on the Companies Amendment Bills], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-17:00
WEDNESDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2023
Portfolio Committee on Police, (National Assembly), [Briefing on public submissions on the Independent Investigative Directorate Amendment Bill [B21-2023] (Content Advisor and Committee Secretary); Public hearings on Independent Investigative Directorate Amendment Bill [B21—2023] Day 1], Virtual Meeting Platform, 08:00-13:00
Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure on Prestige Portfolio and parliamentary village and briefing by Special Investigating Unit on the investigation], Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00
Standing Committee on Finance, (National Assembly), [Briefing the South African Revenue Service (SARS) on their annual report], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00
Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Innovation, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the National Skills Fund (NSF) and Education, Training and Development Practices (ETDP) SETA on Annual Report 2022/23; Consideration of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-14:00
Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Public Hearings on the Companies Amendment Bills], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-17:00
Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, (National Assembly), [(Day Two) Public Hearings for Public Service Amendment Bill [B13 - 2023]; Adoption of the draft Budgetary Review Recommendation Reports for the budget votes of the Department of Public Service and Administration, National School of Government and Public Service Commission], Committee Room M314, Third Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:30-16:00
Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, (National Assembly), [(09:30-13:00) Briefing by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) on the Annual Report (BRRR) + Fourth Quarterly Performance Report of the Department of Basic Education in Meetings its Strategic Objectives 2022/23; (15:00-17:00) Briefing by Umalusi on Annual Report (BRRR); (17:00-19:00) Briefing by SACE on Annual Report (BRRR)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-19:00
Select Committee on Security and Justice, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Ministry and Department of Correctional Services on the Correctional Services Amendment Bill [B14-2023]; Briefing by the Ministry and Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on the Judicial Matters Amendment Bill [B 7B-2023]; Deliberations on the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill [B9B-2018] (National Assembly – sec 75); Continuation of deliberations on the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill [B9B-2018] (National Assembly – sec 75)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-16:00
Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, (National Assembly), [Briefing by DMV on its 2022/23 Annual Report and Responses to the AGSA audit outcomes; Briefing by CCB on its 2022/23 Annual Report and Responses to the AGSA audit outcomes; Consideration and adoption of outstanding Minutes], Committee Room S35, First Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 10:00-16:30
THURSDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2023
Joint Standing Committee on Defence, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Consideration and adoption of the 2023 draft fourth term programme; Feedback by the Minister of Defence on engagements with the DFSC and the way forward for the Commission given the threshold status of military unions; Consideration and adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 18:00-21:00
FRIDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2023
Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management of Parliament, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Briefings by the Auditor-General of South Africa, and the Parliament of the RSA on the institution’s 2022/23 Annual Report and Financial Statements, including a report on progress made in the implementation of the recommendations of the JSCFMP; Walking tour of the restoration site including alternative office space for members of parliament and staff; Consideration and adoption of minutes and reports], Committee Room M514, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 08:00-12:00
Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Public Hearings on the Companies Amendment Bills], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00 Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, (National Assembly), [Briefing by DALRRD and SAPA on the Avian Infuenza outbreak], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00
Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, (National Assembly), [Public hearing on the Independent Municipal Demarcation Authority Bill (IMDAB))], Paarl Town Hall, Paarl, 10:00-14:00
Powers and Privileges Committee, (National Assembly), Virtual Meeting Platform, 16:00-17:00
SATURDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2023
Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, (National Assembly), [Public hearing on the Independent Municipal Demarcation Authority Bill (IMDAB))], Vanguard Community Hall, Cape Town, 10:00-14:00
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.
*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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