Committee Strategic Plan; Report on progress and processes towards regional integration; Report on the involvement of South African companies and personnel in security related activities and business abroad: adoption

Meeting report

Opening Remarks
The Chairperson stated at the outset of the meeting that the issues on the Committee’s agenda had already been discussed in the past and that the intention was to adopt the necessary documents in the present meeting.

The Chairperson expressed concern regarding the poor attendance of certain members to committee meetings. This was partly due to the fact that members also served on other parliamentary committees and often meetings clashed. However, Members tended to prioritise other committee’s meetings over the Committee’s. This was especially a problem for smaller political parties which had fewer members. It was thus difficult for such members to attend all meetings. He emphasised that where a member of the Committee could not attend a meeting, an alternate member of that political party should attend the meeting. He had communicated this to political parties. Some members of the Committee were consistent in their attendance whereas other members were not. It was not necessary to bring the matter to the attention of chief whips of political parties as yet. It was hoped that the issue would be resolved before such a step was needed. 

Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Co-operation Strategic Plan (Review) 2012/13-2014/15
The Chairperson placed the Strategic Plan before the Committee for consideration. He hoped that members had already gone through the document and stated that the strategic planning session was one of the best he had attended. The Committee knew exactly where it wished to take Parliament in terms of international relations. It was hoped that the Strategic Plan captured what members had discussed at the planning session. The difference with the present strategic plan compared to others was that the Committee had tried to make it more extensive. Some of its contents covered outputs, responsibilities, who the Committee was targeting and lastly time-frames.

Mr B Elof (DA) proceeded from page 8 to page 14 of the Strategic Plan to point out issues which the Committee had been unable to do. He said that no site visits had been done and that no study tours had been undertaken for the last nine months. The development of a parliamentary framework for treaties had not been done and neither had flag ship companies been investigated. There also had not been any interaction with regional or international bodies. The Committee had also done nothing in relation to the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) international agreement. He was worried that the Committee was dying.

Mr I Davidson (DA) felt that Mr Elof had the wrong impression. The issues highlighted by Mr Elof were issues which the Committee had to still address hence their inclusion in the Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan was the first step the second step was to have an action plan to deal with the issues highlighted in the Strategic Plan. He hoped that once the Committee had adopted the Strategic Plan it would set out how it was going to achieve what was contained in the Plan. A plan of action needed to be drafted. He commented that Mr Elof was perhaps a step ahead of the Committee.

Ms L Jacobus (ANC) hoped that the Committee be able to develop a programme of action emanating from the Strategic Plan

Mr Davidson pointed out that a programme of action could only come into existence once the Strategic Plan was adopted.

The Chairperson agreed with what Mr Davidson had said and understood Mr Elof’s point. He was aware that a programme of action was needed once the Strategic Plan was adopted.
He proceeded to take the Committee through the Strategic Plan page by page.

Mr Davidson interjected and stressed the importance of communication with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. He pointed out that there was a portfolio committee which dealt with SADC. He felt it to be a duplication of resources as the Committee was also tasked with dealing with SADC.

The Chairperson conceded that the Committee had a challenge in terms of linking up with and communicating with other portfolio committees. He agreed with Mr Davidson that there was an overlap of work. It was important that members of the Committee needed to be part of structures which dealt with organisations like SADC as it was within the realm of the Committee’s work. Some of the members of parliament sitting on committees dealing with organisations like SADC lacked substantive knowledge of issues.

Mr Davidson noted that the issue was quite important as structures which for instance dealt with SADC issues did not submit reports to the Committee. If there were no reports given to the Committee, how was the Committee supposed to perform oversight.
 
The Chairperson informed the Committee that he had engaged with the House Chairperson about the issue that members of the Committee needed to be part of structures or bodies which for instance dealt with SADC issues. The problem was that the appointments to those bodies were done by chief whips. The House Chairperson was however looking into the issue. He also emphasise that reports from these bodies should be submitted to the Committee.
He wished to bring it to members’ attention that the Committee would most probably deal with legislation in the next parliamentary term. The Committee rarely dealt with legislation, perhaps once in ten years. Training for members in anticipation of dealing with the legislation was being considered. Two bills were destined to be placed before the Committee.

Mr Davidson pointed out that the Strategic Plan provided an outline of generic activities which needed to be prioritised. He was hoping that the Chairperson would prioritise the list of activities even though he was aware that it was a difficult task. He asked whether the Chairperson would present a programme of action to the Committee. Would the programme of action be a three or five year one? He asked for clarity on the issue.

Mr Elof asked that his earlier concerns be noted.
The Chairperson assured Mr Elof that his concerns would be noted. He pointed out that when the Committee dealt with its programme and prioritisation the concerns raised would be addressed.

The Strategic Plan was adopted unamended.

Report of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Co-operation on the workshop on progress with processes towards regional integration
The Chairperson placed the Report before the Committee and asked if Members wished to raise issues.

Mr Davidson said that troubling reports were coming in on what was happening in Eastern Congo. It was important that the Committee get a thorough briefing on the situation. The situation in that region could lead to an outbreak of violence. The Committee needed to be informed as to what the proper story was.

The Chairperson responded that the issue raised by Mr Davidson was being placed on the Committee’s programme together with briefings relating to Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

Mr Davidson also referred to the Director General of the Department on International Relations and Co-operation who in his last appearance before the Committee spoke about the activities of Al Qaeda and about what was happening in Mali. The focus of the world was currently on Somali pirates but the problem could spread to the west into Mali. He requested a briefing on the issue.

Ms Jacobus requested that COP 17 issues be included in the Strategic Plan. She also said that the Committee needed to be briefed on what was currently happening in Syria.

The Chairperson responded that the Committee had received a briefing on Syria a few weeks back. He suggested that perhaps the Department of International Relations and Co-operation could give the Committee an update on the situation in Syria.

Mr Elof noted that the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Co-operation had elaborated upon Madagascar.

The Chairperson said that an update on the Madagascan issue could also be accommodated by the Committee.

The Report was adopted unamended.

Report of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Co-operation on the seminar held on the involvement of South African companies and personnel in security related activities and business abroad, the impact on the conduct of foreign policy abroad
Mr Davidson noted that the Committee had spoken about the code of conduct issue. He said that a non governmental organisation was drafting a code of conduct. He asked where the Committee was on the issue.

Ms Lineo Mosala Content Adviser to the Committee stated that the Report contained recommendations which experts had made which the Committee could discuss and adopt.

The Chairperson pointed out that one of the issues coming out of the Strategic Plan was that the Committee had to engage with recommendations that came out of Committee Reports. For example there were many recommendations that had emanated from the Budget Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR). He felt that the Committee was merely complying. The BRRR looked at key issues, objectives and allocations. The practise had simply been to pass recommendations made through the House. What the Committee should be doing was to monitor resolutions. In the Committee’s Strategic Plan members should collate issues and do monitoring.

The Report was adopted unamended.

Committee Minutes
The Committee made spelling changes to minutes dated the 30 May 2012.
The minutes were adopted as amended.

Mr Davidson suggested that the Committee receive a briefing on the Middle East especially relating to the underlying tensions between the Shiites and the Sunnis. This seemed to be the problem in Syria in terms of whether the Shiites or the Sunnis would control government.

The Committee agreed to the suggestion.

The Chairperson added that the briefing on the Middle East would enable members to understand the conflict better. He proposed that the Committee be workshopped on the Middle East. Extensive engagement on the Middle East was needed. The briefing should be extensive in that it should cover countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Syria, Qatar etc.

Mr M Mncwango (IFP) felt that Turkey should also be covered.

Mr E Sulliman (ANC) wished the briefing to cover the Kurdish people as well.

The Committee agreed.

The meeting was adjourned.