Electoral Bill Task Team participation; Border Post Visits; Home Affairs Handbook; Committee Programme

Meeting report

HOME AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
13 March 2001
ELECTORAL BILL TASK TEAM PARTICIPATION; BORDER POST VISITS; HOME AFFAIRS HANDBOOK; COMMITTEE PROGRAMME

Chairperson: Mr. D.A. Mokoena (ANC)

Relevant Documents:
Correspondence dated 23/2/01 from Adv. de Lange to Minister Buthelezi
Correspondence dated 5/3/01 from Minister Buthelezi to Adv. de Lange
Proposed Handbook on Home Affairs for Constituencies
Draft Committee Programme

SUMMARY
Pending response from two parties, this Committee will probably decline the invitation to be part of the task team responsible for drafting a new Electoral Bill. The Chair noted that his position differed from that of Justice Portfolio Committee chairperson.

The Committee will visit border posts in April. A Home Affairs handbook, drawn up by the ANC, is being finalised for distribution to constituencies. Parties are expected to respond to the draft committee programme by 23 March. The Department is slotted to brief the committee on its budget on 27 March.

MINUTES
The Chairman opened the meeting by recognizing Mr. Waters (DA), who introduced Mr. Beukman (DA) as the new member of the DA "shadow cabinet" responsible for, and acting as spokesperson on, the Home Affairs Portfolio. Committee members Messrs. Grobbelaar and Pretorius of the DA will continue to serve on this committee, Mr. Grobelaar as deputy spokesperson, with Mr. Waters to henceforth serve as an alternate committee member. The Chair noted that technically the DA did not exist as a parliamentary creature, but the DA members noted their preference to be referred to under that name, rather than being specifically identified with the DP or NNP.

Party Responses to Proposed Electoral Bill Task Team Participation
As discussed at the 27 February committee meeting, the parties were to consider responses to the Minister's request for Home Affairs Portfolio Committee members' participation in the task team being formed to advise on formulation of the Electoral Bill to be tabled in 2002, and the Chair solicited input on the parties' positions.

Mr. Beukman (DA) noted that there must be inclusive, multi-party participation on the task team, and he and Mr. Waters (DA) indicated that their party had no problem with this committee's members being on the task team, and did not believe that such participation would necessarily later compromise their discharge of committee duties in reviewing the bill.

Ms. Van Wyk indicated that the UDM did not believe it appropriate for committee members to serve on the task team, but that it was appropriate for parties to select other members to participate, which the Chair noted raised interesting parliamentary procedural issues as to how this could be brought about.

Prince Zulu (IFP) and Mr. Mfundisi (UCDP) advised that their respective parties were still considering their positions on this matter.

Mr. Lekgoro (ANC) stated that it was the ANC's position that committee members not participate on the task team due to the potential conflict with their committee oversight duties, and noted that this was the limited question which the Minister had requested an answer to, suggesting that a decision concerning whether and how other party members were to participate was not this committee's concern.

The Chair agreed, noting that his position differed from that of other committees' chairpersons, referring to the correspondence between Adv. de Lange and the Minister which had been distributed to the committee members. He then noted his inclination to draft a response accordingly, pending final input from all parties represented on the committee. He said that the question of Mr. Pretorius (DA) concerning how much time the task team would require, relative to the committee's own workload, was moot, with the Chair stating that the proposed committee schedule was to be considered later in the meeting.

Proposed Visits to Border Posts
The Chair noted that a proposed road trip to visit border posts at Messina / Beit Bridge and Mafikeng / Ramatlabama had been approved, and is tentatively scheduled for 1-3 April. The group is to meet at JHB Airport and proceed north by van, stopping to visit the head of the Department's operations in Northern Province before moving on to the Beit Bridge border, and following the same schedule format in the North West Province. The Chair noted that members wishing to participate should advise by March 16.

Mr. Beukman (DA) requested that other border posts handling potential influxes from Zimbabwe also be visited in anticipation of increased numbers coming south in the wake of political instability north of the Limpopo, which the Chair indicated would be considered.

Proposed Handbook on Home Affairs for Constituencies
A draft of this publication was distributed, with the Chair requesting comments by 23 March in anticipation of its finalization. The document provides an overview of the laws administered by and affecting the Department, how the Department operates, how the Committee functions within the legislative framework. It also identifies and provides contact details of committee members and provides a summary of recent legal cases affecting the Department, aimed at being of help to constituents.

In response to several comments, the Chair agreed that the contact details of the document drafter, who is affiliated with the ANC study group, be included under the Chair's own contact details, with committee secretary, Mr Vermeulen, to be the designated contact for inquiries concerning the document. Mr. Beukman (DA) added that the recent cases should include full legal citations for ease of reference.

Committee Programme
This programme was formulated by the ANC, and the Chair solicited input by 23 March on the proposal in anticipation of its finalization. The next committee meeting is tentatively scheduled for 27 March, with the Minister having been invited to provide a briefing on the Department budget.

Prince Zulu (IFP) and Mr. Waters (DA) queried when the Immigration Bill would be considered. The Chair replied that the status of this legislation was still unclear, as is the ANC's position on it.

Mr. Pretorius (DA) asked whether there was information available on other bills being tabled by the Department.

The Chair indicated he was not aware of any.

Mr. Waters (DA) noted that three senior Department officials had briefed the NCOP committee at a 27 February meeting on the Department's programme for 2001 [including its legislative programme] before dropping in to this committee's meeting later that day, at which time they were not provided with an opportunity to speak.

The Chair suggested that any proposal for Department officials to brief the committee on these matters, perhaps in conjunction with the Departmental budget briefing, be included in the party comments on the draft committee programme to be submitted by 23 March.

The meeting was then adjourned.