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A joint hybrid sitting to debate President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Address on South Africa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, Questions to Deputy President Mr David Mabuza, ministerial briefings, public hearings and committee meetings are some of the activities planned for the week ahead.

Ministerial briefings in both Houses of Parliament, the National Assembly (NA) and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will be on Tuesday. Minister of Employment and Labour, Mr Thulas Nxesi, will brief the National Assembly on the disbursement of the Unemployment Insurance Fund whilst the Statistician-General, Mr Risenga Maluleke, will update permanent delegates to the NCOP on the Poverty Index and Poverty Lines in South Africa, as well as the impact of the changes in the cost of goods and services, and consumption patterns on household poverty and food security. The NCOP briefing will start at 10 am, whilst the NA hybrid sitting will commence at 2 pm.

A joint hybrid sitting debate on the President’s Address on South Africa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan is planned for Wednesday at 2 pm. It is a follow-up session after last week’s address by President Ramaphosa.

On Thursday, both the NA and NCOP will hold hybrid sittings. The NA will have oral question and answer session with Deputy President Mabuza. Having frequent question and answer sessions is one of Parliament’s way of holding the executive accountable to the electorate. The NCOP will pay tribute to healthcare workers on the frontline of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, and to the outgoing Auditor-General of South Africa, Mr Kimi Makwetu, whose term of offices comes to an end on 30 November 2020.
 
Also on Tuesday, is the continuation of the virtual Women’s Charter Review sessions in Gauteng, in the City of Johannesburg, Sedibeng and West Rand, and on Friday, in the Eastern Cape, in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality, Amathole and Chris Hani District Municipalities. The sessions, led by the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP Ms Sylvia Lucas, and Deputy Speaker of the NA Mr Lechesa Tsenoli, aim to review the Women’s Charter for Effective Equality, which South Africa’s first democratic Parliament adopted in 1994.
 
Meanwhile, three committees, namely, Justice and Correctional Services, Transport and the Ad Hoc Committee to Initiate and Introduce Legislation Amending Section 25 of the Constitution, will this week hold various public hearings.
 
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, the Justice and Correctional Services Committee will hold virtual public hearings on the Gender-Based Violence Bills, and the Portfolio Committee on Transport will hold virtual public hearings on the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill.
 
The three gender-based violence Bills, namely, the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill; the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill; and the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill seek to amend the legislative framework to close the gaps in the current laws.
 
The Economic Regulation of Transport Bill aims to consolidate the economic regulation of transport within a single framework and policy; to establish the Transport Economic Regulator, to establish the Transport Economic Council; to make consequential amendments to various other Acts, and to provide for related incidental matters.
 
The Ad Hoc Committee to Initiate and Introduce Legislation Amending Section 25 of the Constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation will resume its public hearings. The committee had to put on hold its initial programme in March due to the Covid19 pandemic outbreak and the subsequent State of National Disaster lockdown. Three provinces were outstanding, namely Northern Cape, Limpopo and Western Cape. Limpopo and Northern Cape are to be visited from Thursday to Sunday whilst the visit to the Western Cape is planned for next week.
 
At least 45 committee meetings are planned this week and are:
 
TUESDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2020
Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services – Public hearings on the Gender-Based Violence Bill.
 
Portfolio Committee on Transport – Public Hearings on the economic regulation of the Transport Bill [B1-2020].
 
Portfolio Committee on Communications – Briefing by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on: (i) the Skills Audit Report; (ii) detailed expenditure patterns relating to legal proceedings; (iii) breakdown of costs associated with signal distribution by Sentech; (iv) details of all companies contracted to the SABC, as well as the monies associated to the contracts; and (v) all other outstanding recommendations made by the committee.
 
Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs – Briefing by the United Nations for High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the City of Cape Town (CoCT), and the Department of Home Affairs on the integration or repatriation of the protesting refugees from the Green Market Square, Cape Town CBD.
 
Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Water Affairs and Sanitation and Human Settlements – Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill [B 19B – 2018] (s76); Negotiating mandates meeting on the Customary Initiation Bill [B 7B – 2018] (s76)].
 
Select Committee on Land Reform, Environment, Mineral Resources and Energy – Briefing by the Minerals Council South Africa on the response of the mining industry to Covid-19, and a detailed discussion on infection statistics with reference to testing, Infection rates, death and recoveries.
 
Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture – Briefing by the theatre industry on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the theatre sector.
 
WEDNESDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2020
Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services – Public hearings on the Gender-Based Violence Bill.
 
Portfolio Committee on Transport – Public Hearings on the Economic Regulation of the Transport Bill [B1-2020].
 
Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology – briefing by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) on progress in the review of the TVET colleges and CET sector’s curriculum to respond to industry needs and the review of the TVET colleges’ examination cycles.
 
Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs: finalisation of local government: Municipal Systems Amendment Bill [B2-2019].
 
Select Committee on Public Enterprises and Communication – briefing by Safcol on engagements with successful land claimants to resolve the long-standing dispute of land ownership affecting the company’s plantations.
 
Select Committee on Security and Justice – Negotiating Mandates meeting: Traditional Courts Bill [B 1B - 2017] (National Assembly – Section 76); Department briefing on its response to the Negotiating Mandates, virtual meeting platform.
 
Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure – briefing by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) on the plans to deal with the damage caused by vandalism and theft of its infrastructure.
 
FRIDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2020
Portfolio Committee on Transport – public hearings on the economic regulation of the Transport Bill [B1-2020].
 
Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services –  public hearings on the Gender-Based Violence Bill.
 
Joint Meeting: Portfolio Committee on Basic Education and Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture – briefing by provincial education departments (PEDs) on the status and impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on schooling: Northern Cape Department of Education and Gauteng Department of Education.
 
Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament – briefing by the Secretary to Parliament on Human Resources-related issues (including organisational restructuring and the filling of critical vacancies, that is, CFO, Acting STP, Chief Audit Executive).
 
To read the full programme of committee sittings, visit www.parliament.gov.za
 

Issued by Parliament of South Africa