Thank you, Mr Chairman. I gladly follow the hon member Thobejane. The DA will support this report, but we need to point out why we are doing so with some reservations.
This private member's legislative proposal by Mr Davidson aims to regulate business interests of state employees. It is based on existing legislation already in operation in the Western Cape.
The Committee on Private Members' Legislative Proposals and Special Petitions considers proposals in terms of six technical criteria, one of which is whether government is intending to introduce similar legislation soon.
The committee was informed in person by the then Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Minister Baloyi, that government was indeed going to introduce its own legislation that would cover the ambit of the proposal. Minister Baloyi confirmed that government's legislation would be introduced before the end of the current financial year. That submission formed the basis for the committee's resolution to recommend that the proposal of Mr Davidson should not proceed, since it pre-empted similar legislation to be introduced by government.
Mr Chairman, a worrying factor, though, is that government has a very bad record when it comes to giving undertakings on its own legislative plans. On 18 August this year, I pointed out in a declaration of vote on another proposal by the DA that was blocked on the basis that it pre-empted government legislation, that that particular legislation was at that stage already four months late. It is now a further three months later, and sadly there is still no sign of the promised Executive Members' Ethics Bill by government. The committee took a similar resolution in respect of the proposal to repeal the South African Boxing Act. Government's deadline for the introduction of its own Bill has now also passed and the promised legislation is nowhere to be seen. And now in this case we are again forced to accept government's word.
I urge the new Minister for the Public Service and Administration to personally involve himself in the matter and to ensure that undertakings and deadlines are met. For this committee, the Committee on Private Members' Legislative Proposals and Special Petitions, to be able to do its work and to be taken seriously, it needs the support and cooperation of government. We will support this report before the House, but we urge the executive to take this committee and Parliament seriously. Thank you.