Coming up this week: Questions to the President, Appropriation Bill, Committee meetings on wide range of issues
President Jacob Zuma’s answers to “Questions for Oral Reply” and the debate to find ways to resolve the Vuwani crisis will kick start activities of the National Assembly (NA) for this week.
The Vuwani crisis debate titled “Ways to resolve the crisis in Vuwani to restore the people’s rights to human dignity and basic services” will be held in the morning sitting (from 10 am) followed by the President’s answers to questions for oral reply in the afternoon sitting at 2pm.
Also tomorrow, the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will consider the Expropriation Bill and have policy debates on the Budget Votes of the Departments of Tourism (Vote 33) and Health (Vote 16).
On Wednesday, the NA’s plenary sitting is scheduled to consider:
- The report of the Standing Committee on Finance on the Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment Bill and the second reading debate of the bill;
- The first reading debate of the Appropriation Bill;
- The second report of the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests;
- A decision on question of votes and schedule to the Appropriation Bill and a second reading debate of the bill.
The NCOP sitting on Wednesday will consider:
- Three reports of the Select Committee on Education and Recreation. These reports are on a workshop held in October last year on the role of Skills Education Training Associations in South Africa’s economic growth and their relevance to the needs of industry and oversight visits to KwaZulu-Natal and Lady Frere District in the Eastern Cape;
- Reports of the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests;
- Policy debate on the Budget Vote of the Small Business Development Department.
On Thursday, the consideration of votes and the schedule to the Appropriation Bill continues and is concluded in the NA and the second reading debate on the Bill is scheduled to take place. Also scheduled is the:
- Consideration of the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on the Immigration Amendment Bill and the second reading debate on the Bill;
- Second reading debate on the Unemployment Insurance Amendment Bill.
The Thursday plenary sitting of the NCOP will consider reports of the Select Committee on Petitions and Executive Undertakings concerning the hearing of the Oudtshoorn Ratepayers’ Association petition held at Parliament on 27 January and 16 March and the petition of Love Knysna held at Parliament on 10 February and 16 March. The House will also have a policy debate on the Budget Votes of the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Department of Human Settlements.
The 28 meetings of Committees scheduled for this week will be dealing with a range of issues, such as:
Briefings on specific subjects
- Briefing from Electoral Commission of South Africa on voter registration and preparation for 2016 Local Government Elections, including plans to add addresses of voters to voters’ roll – Tuesday, Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs
- Findings and deliberation on security checks and verification of qualifications of candidates for appointment to Board of National Youth Development Agency – Tuesday, Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Appointment of Board Members forNYDA
- Department of Water and Sanitation and water boards briefing on water tariffs for 2016/2017 – Wednesday, Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation
- Briefing on National Disability Policy from Department of Social Development – Wednesday, Portfolio Committee on Social Development
- Consideration of nominations to serve as members of National Council for Correctional Services; briefing on provisionally suspended magistrates from Magistrates Commission; briefing on Proclamations of Terrorist Organisations from Department of Police – Wednesday, Select Committee on Security and Justice
- Briefing from Firearms Registry and Firearms Appeals Board – Friday, Portfolio Committee on Police
Hearings
- Hearings with National Treasury on Municipal Infrastructure Grant roll-overs for past five financial years – Wednesday, Select Committee on Appropriations
- Petition from National House of Traditional Leaders on alleged failure of Western Cape government to recognise a House of Traditional Leaders in the Western Cape – Wednesday, Select Committee on Petitions and Executive Undertakings
Bills and policies
- Briefing from Department of Transport on Administration of Road Traffic Offences Amendment Bill – Tuesday, Portfolio Committee on Transport
- Consideration of comments received from National House of Traditional Leaders on Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill – Tuesday, Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources
- Final consideration of Higher Education Amendment Bill – Wednesday, Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training
- Briefing from National Treasury on Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment Bill – Friday, Select Committee on Finance
- Briefing by National Department of Tourism on Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Codes – Friday, Portfolio Committee on Tourism
Election of Committee Chairperson
Election of Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training – Wednesday
Briefings on annual and quarterly reports and plans, budgets
Tuesday
- National Treasury and SA Revenue Services briefs Standing Committee on Finance about latest quarterly reports;
- Briefing by Municipal Demarcation Board and National House of Traditional Leaders on their performance plans and budgets to Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs;
- Department of Sport and Recreation briefing on annual performance plan to Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation;
- Strategic plan and Budget Vote briefing from Department of Water and Sanitation to Select Committee on Social Services;
- Department of Rural Development and Land Reform briefing on its 2014/2015 annual report to Select Committee on Land and Mineral Resources;
- Department of Labour briefing on strategic plan, annual performance plan and budget to Select Committee on Economic and Business Development.
Wednesday
- Department of Science and Technology on strategic plan and annual performance plan for 2016/17 to Select Committee on Communications and Public Enterprises
- SA Tourism briefing on strategic plan and annual performance plan to Select Committee on Trade and International Relations
- Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Northern Cape Provincial Treasuries briefing on their third and fourth term quarterly expenditure for 2015/16 to Select Committee on Finance
Friday
KwaZulu Natal and North West Provincial Treasuries briefing on their third and fourth term quarterly expenditure for 2015/16 to Select Committee on Finance.
