2020 Second Adjustments Appropriation Bill & MTBPS: finalisation & committee reports

Meeting report

Opening Remarks

The Chairperson greeted Committee Members and Committee support staff noting that it was the Committee’s last meeting for the term. It was meeting to consider the draft reports on the 2020 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) and the 2020 Second Adjustment Appropriation Bill. He thanked all present for making themselves available.

To the Committee Secretary, he said that he wanted all of the support staff to be on video so that the Committee can properly account that until the last day, it had all of its sheep present with their video cameras on. He then asked if there were any apologies.

An apology was tendered for a Committee Member.

The Chairperson asked if that was the only apology and if the meeting was quorate.

The Committee Secretary confirmed that it was the only apology and that the meeting was quorate.

The Chairperson asked if the second draft report on the 2020 MTBPS had been sent to Members.

The Committee Secretary confirmed that he had sent it with a link the day before.

The Chairperson said he hoped that Members had had a chance to look at the report and proceeded to explain that there is no motion of desirability when it comes to the MTBPS.

The Committee Secretary confirmed that there was no motion of desirability for the MTBPS.

Report of the Standing Committee on Appropriations on the 2020 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement

The Chairperson went through the report page-by-page, asking that Members stop to comment or make any corrections. At 10h00, National Assembly is sitting however, the Committee received permission to meet until 11h00, if necessary. He felt, however, that if the Committee was efficient with its time, it should finish early as the reports had already been sent to Members, who had already made their inputs. It was now merely a matter of ensuring that the inputs were properly captured.

On page six, the Chairperson asked the Committee Secretary if he had managed to included local government in the table.

The Committee Secretary confirmed that he had.

Ms D Peters (ANC) corrected two instances of incorrectly spelt ‘border’ on page nine under the heading ‘peace and security.’

The Chairperson asked why page 34 featured an underlining of recommendation “f”.

The Committee Secretary said that it was a recommendation.

The Chairperson recalled that recommendation “f” was not present in the first draft of the report and was made afterwards.

The Chairperson then asked for a motion to adopted the report.

Mr Z Mlenzana (ANC) moved for adoption.

Mr A Shaik Emam (NFP) seconded the motion.

The report was duly adopted.

Mr A Sarupen (DA) abstained from the vote and said he was sure that the same applied to Mr Joseph.

The Chairperson asked that Mr Joseph speak for himself, and noted Mr Sarupen’s abstention.

Mr D Joseph (DA) said that he wished the record to reflect his abstention from the vote.

Ms N Ntlangwini (EFF) apologised for being late as she was coming from another meeting and also asked that the abstention of the EFF be noted.

Adoption of the Motion of Desirability on the Second Adjustments Appropriation Bill [B25 – 2020]

The Chairperson read the motion of desirability and asked for a Member to move for adoption.

Ms Peters asked that the platform be changed from to ‘Zoom’ as it read ‘Microsoft Teams.’

This was amended and the motion of desirability was duly adopted.

Report of the Standing Committee on Appropriations on the Second Adjustments Appropriations Bill [B25–2020]

The Chairperson went through the report, asking Members to stop him if they had anything to add or amend.

Mr X Qayiso (ANC) moved to adopt the report

.Mr O Mathafa (ANC) seconded the motion.

Mr Joseph, Mr Sarupen and Ms Ntlangwini all asked that their abstentions be noted.

The Chairperson noted the three abstentions and said that the report was duly adopted.

He then asked the Committee Secretary what happens now that the reports are duly

adopted.

The Committee Secretary explained that the reports will be sent for ATC’ing, after which

they will be debated in the National Assembly.

The Chairperson said he understood that the debate is on Friday. He wished Members luck and joked that the Committee Members knew the golden rule was that the Members are not allowed to contradict the Chairperson in the debate.

Members laughed at the joke.

The Chairperson thanked Members and asked them to proceed to agenda item number six for the adoption of the minutes.

Adoption of draft Committee minutes dated 24 November 2020

Mr Joseph moved for adoption of the minutes.

Mr Qayiso seconded.

The Chairperson asked if there were any other views.

As there were none, the minutes were duly adopted as a true reflection of the meeting.

Mr Joseph noted that there were two sets of minutes for 24 November 2020.

The Chairperson noted they had just adopted the minutes for the meeting with the Department of Basic Education and would proceed to the minutes from the meeting with the Department of Transport.

Adoption of draft Committee minutes dated 24 November 2020

Ms Peters said that even though she was not in the meeting, the meeting was not on Microsoft Teams.

The Chairperson asked that all of the minutes be checked for this issue, as the Committee did not meet on Microsoft Teams in this quarter. He asked for a mover to adopt the minutes.

Mr Mathafa moved for adoption

Mr Mlenzana seconded.

The minutes were duly adopted as a true reflection of the meeting.

Adoption of draft Committee minutes dated 25 November 2020

Mr Qayiso moved to adopt the minutes

Mr Joseph seconded.

The minutes were duly adopted.

The Chairperson asked the Committee Secretary if there were any announcements to be made.

The Committee Secretary said that there were none except to say that it was the last meeting of the year.

The Chairperson thanked the Committee Members for their participation in the meetings throughout the year. Members had differing views on some issues at certain times and he thanked Members for the manner in which they managed these differences, having played the ball and not the man.  He appreciated this, especially from opposition party Members. Whilst there were differences in political opinion, he could see that whoever it interacted with, this spirit was visible throughout. He hoped that the Committee would be able to carry this spirit on into the new year as all Members have the same responsibility to play its oversight function without fear or favour in terms of the Constitution. He thanked Members for doing so.

He thanked the Committee staff for its work in supporting the Committee and ensuring it was prepared for all of its meetings with stakeholders. He asked that this also be carried on to the next year.

Penultimately, he noted that there was a second wave of COVID-19 in some provinces. He thought that it was the responsibility of Committee Members to preach to their communities and constituents as to the correct message around the fact that COVID-19 is still present in the country and is to be avoided.

COVID-19 has implications for the Committee as seen with the first wave, which resulted in a need to do a budgetary adjustment at a time where it did not normally do so. Apart from this, the Committee has a responsibility to themselves and to the country.

Finally, he wished Members well, saying he did not know how Christmas would look, but asked Members to take care during the festive season as he would like to see all Members in the new year.

Ms Ntlangwini thanked the Chairperson for being a good Chairperson and wished all of the Members a blessed Christmas if they celebrate.

Mr Joseph said thanked the Chairperson for his role and leadership on behalf of the DA. He confirmed that the Committee acted as a team, despite all of the differing opinions. He also thanked the Committee staff for its professionalism. He also thanked the Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC) and the Parliament Budget Office (PBO) for the role which they played as well. He wished the Committee and staff all of the best.

Mr Qayiso said that on behalf of the ANC, he would like to thank the Chairperson for leading the SCOA through turbulence. It had achieved a number of successes through the year as a result of his leadership and the work of the collective and the successful meetings held as a Committee. He wished everyone a prosperous and happy new year.

The Chairperson thanked Members and Mr Joseph for reminding him of PBO and FFC and thanked them for assisting the Committee with its insights without fear or favour.

He wished Members well and the meeting was adjourned.