The Parliamentary committee system is one of the most important mechanisms for ensuring efficient, transparent government and allowing public input in the law-making process.
The key committees are listed below
These committees are created by the Constitution. The powers of such committees are governed by the Constitution. The following Constitutional Committees are currently in existence:
These committees are created by an Act of Parliament which details their powers and functions. The following Statutory Committees are in operation:
Parliamentary Committees
The National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces have committees responsible for oversight of government departments and consideration of legislation produced by and relating to those department. In the National Assembly these committees are called Portfolio Committees and in the National Council of Provinces they are called Select Committees.
There are also Joint Committees which consist of members of both Houses.
Joint Committees
Portfolio Committees (National Assembly)
There is a portfolio committee for every government department. Each committee consists of about thirty MPs and is responsible for shadowing its respective department. The political parties are represented in these committees roughly in proportion to the number of seats they hold in the National Assembly. The committees monitor their departments and may investigate and make recommendations relating to legislation, budget, structure, functioning and anything else. Each committee elects its own chairperson
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Select Committees (NCOP)