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Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
Committee Report on Environmental Affairs Budget
18 May 2017
The Committee met briefly to consider and adopt the Report approving the Department of Environmental Affairs Budget Vote. Members made minor changes and suggested that the report should include a timeframe that was given by the Committee to the Board of South African Weather Service on the payment for the ...
Social Development
SASSA weekly progress report
17 May 2017
The Committee had decided at its previous meeting to seek legal opinion on the existing SASSA annual performance plan (APP) that had been sent to Parliament during the budget process. It had asked about the need to revise the APP based on the orders of the Constitutional Court. The parliamentary ...
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
Thabametsi power station authorisation without climate change impact assessment; SAWS Quarter 3 performance, with Minister
16 May 2017
The Committee held a tense meeting with the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on the matter of perceived authorisation of the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power station without a climate change impact assessment which resulted in a court case between Earthlife Africa Johannesburg (ELA), an organisation founded in 1988 to mobilise ...
Social Development
SASSA weekly report; Social Development Quarter 2 performance & new organogram, with Deputy Minister
8 Mar 2017
SASSA provided a weekly progress report on the 1 April grant payments. SASSA and Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) had engaged in negotiations which took place from 1 to 3 March 2017. An in-principle agreement was reached where CPS indicated willingness to work with SASSA. Terms and conditions will be made ...
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
Mining sector environmental governance; Rehabilitation in mining industry
7 Mar 2017
The Department of Monitoring, Planning and Evaluation and Department of Mineral Resources briefed the Committee on environmental governance in the mining sector.
Houses partially disappearing into Sink Holes, a 9-year old child falling to his death in an open mine shaft, and illegal mining in old and abandoned mines. That ...
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
Wildlife crimes legislation; SA Renewable Energy Council; Climate Change Mitigation research by UCT, with Minister in attendance
21 Feb 2017
The first presentation was by the Energy Research Centre of the University of Cape Town. It highlighted the lack of implementation policy on climate change, despite the country’s commitments to the United Nations. The commitment was rushed and the resulting White Paper faced delays in implementation. There was no database ...
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
“One Environmental System” state of readiness; Mine Closure Financial Provisioning Regulations
14 Feb 2017
The Financial Provisioning Regulations which were published for implementation in November 2015, are to ensure that the state is not going to be liable for the rehabilitation of mines and to ensure that mining companies do a rehabilitation assessment every year. The Regulations make provision for the costs associated with ...
Social Development
SASSA on ensuring April 2017 social grant payments
1 Feb 2017
The Minister was absent for the briefing by SASSA on its state of readiness to take over grant payments. This raised much concern and questions by opposition members. They failed to accept the apology on the basis that the Minister is not taking a matter of national importance seriously. The ...
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
SANParks & Isimangaliso Wetland Park on Quarter 2 performance; Curbing wildlife crime & rhino poaching / killing in 2016/17: SANParks briefing
31 Jan 2017
South African National Parks (SANParks) reported on its quarter 2 performance for 2016/17.
The presentation highlighted the following:
Social Development
Grant payment insourcing: SASSA progress report, with Minister
30 Nov 2016
SASSA and the Minister of Social Development briefed the Committee on its progress in insourcing its grant payment system by 1 April 2017. The Constitutional Court gave a judgement that requires the Agency to report on seven deliverables. Deadlines for key deliverables have not been met. The Minister also pointed ...