Chair, the hon Deputy President Mr David Mabuza, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members, and the public in the gallery, I would like to take this opportunity to table the report of the Standing Committee on Appropriations on the Audit Excess Fee Bill of 2019. From the outset, let me indicate that the report was adopted by the committee unanimously, and it is available in the Announcements, Tablings, and Committee Reports of Parliament for hon members' perusal.
Chapter 9 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996, establishes the Auditor-General of South Africa as one of the state institutions supporting constitutional democracy. The Constitution recognises the importance and guarantees the independence of the Auditor- General of South Africa, stating that the