Meeting report

The Chairperson welcomed everyone to the meeting and the agenda for the meeting was adopted without amendments

The Chairperson said that the meeting today will consider the final mandate on the Social Assistance Amendment Bill. This Bill was referred to the Committee on 09 June 2020 and the Department briefed the Committee on 25 August 2020. All provinces had briefings and public hearings on the Bill. All provinces concluded their hearings and the processing of negotiating mandates took place last week. Today the processing of the final mandate is the object of this meeting. Members or persons representing each of the provinces were asked to read out loud the final mandates.

Mandates

Eastern Cape

Ms Nonceba Kontsiwe, mandated by the Eastern Cape Legislature, supported the Bill and mandates the Eastern Cape permanent delegate to the NCOP to vote in favour of the adoption of the Bill.

Free State

Mr I Ntsube (ANC, Free State) said the Free State Legislature votes in favour of the Bill

Gauteng

Mr M Bara (DA, Gauteng) said Gauteng supports the Bill and wants the Bill to move forward.

KZN

Ms S Luthuli (EFF, KZN) said the Legislature met yesterday agreed to mandate the KZN delegation to the NCOP to support the Bill.

Limpopo

Mr E Nchabeleng (ANC, Limpopo) said the Legislature in Limpopo supports the Bill.

Mpumalanga

Ms A Maleka (ANC, Mpumalanga) said the Mpumalanga legislature mandates its permanent representative to the NCOP to support the Bill.

Northern Cape

Ms D Christians (DA, Northern Cape) said the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature votes in favour of the Bill.

North West

Ms S Lehihi (EFF, North West) said the North West votes in favour of the Bill.

Western Cape

The Chairperson, on behalf of the Western Cape Legislature, voted in favour of the Bill.

The Chairperson thanked all the provinces for the final mandates. All the provinces were called again one by one to confirm the final mandates.

Adv Nathi Mjenxane, Parliamentary Legal Advisor; said the legal section had no further input in the matter

Mr Brenton van Vrede, Chief Director: Social Assistance, Department of Social Development (DSD), said the Department had no further input to make.

Adv Sisa Makabeni, Senior State Law Advisor; also had no further input.

The Chairperson then informed the Committee that the Bill has been finalised. With the conclusion of this meeting, the Bill has conformed to the six week circle and at the scheduled plenary of the House, it will be adopted and then sent to the President for his assent. All the Members, Department and provinces were thanked for their diligence in seeing this Bill through.

Committee Teport

The Report of the Select Committee on Health and Social Services on the Social Assistance Amendment Bill [B8B – 2018] was agreed to.

Mr van Vrede, on behalf of the Minister, thanked the Committee for dealing with the Bill speedily and within the six week circle. The provincial legislatures were also thanked for supporting the Bill.

The Chairperson thanked the Department for the positive role it played in assisting the legislature to ensure that the public participation process actually took place and for all the input that was received from the public. If the President signs the Bill, It will make a huge difference in the lives of the poor in our society.

The meeting was adjourned.