Parliament, Sunday, 1 September 2024 – This week in Parliament, key events will unfold starting with the Deputy President, Mr. Paul Mashatile, who is scheduled to return on Thursday at 2 pm to appear before the National Assembly (NA). During this session, he will address questions from Members of Parliament.

On Tuesday at 2 pm, Police Minister Mr. Senzo Mchunu will deliver a statement to the Assembly concerning the actions taken by the South African Police Services to combat extortion threats across the country. Following this, on Wednesday at 3 pm, Ministers from the Social Services Cluster (2) will appear before the NA to respond to oral questions. This cluster includes ministers responsible for the National Departments of Basic Education, Health, Higher Education, Human Settlements, Social Development, Sport, Arts and Culture, and Water and Sanitation.

Simultaneously, from Tuesday to Thursday at 2 pm, the Peace and Security Cluster Ministries (1A, B, and C) will engage with the Permanent Delegates of the National Council of Provinces to answer their questions. Cluster 1A covers the National Departments of the South African Police Services, Defence, and Military Veterans. Cluster 1B includes the National Departments of Justice and Constitutional Development, as well as Correctional Services. Cluster 1C comprises the National Departments of International Relations and Cooperation and Home Affairs.

Parliament employs a variety of instruments to scrutinize and oversee executive actions, with oral question sessions being a primary mechanism for holding the Executive accountable. According to Section 92(2) of the Constitution, Cabinet Members are collectively and individually accountable to Parliament for the exercise of their powers and the performance of their duties.

On Friday, starting at 10 am, the NA will conduct virtual mini-plenary sessions to debate matters of national public importance. These debates are sponsored by the Democratic Alliance (DA), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK).

Additionally, there are approximately 42 committee meetings scheduled for both Houses this week. The key meetings include:

MONDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER 2024

• Powers and Privileges Committee: Election of Chairperson; Induction on the mandate and functioning of the Committee, Committee Room S12A.

TUESDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2024

• Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Briefing by the National Skills Fund (NSF) and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) on the 2022/23 Annual Report; Performance of the entities; and an update on SIU investigations into NSFAS and NSF. Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00.
• Portfolio Committee on Transport: Briefing by SANRAL on its 2024/25 Annual Performance Plan (APP); Briefing by the Department of Transport on the Merchant Shipping Bill [B 12–2023]. TAJ Hotel, Wale Street, Cape Town, 09:00-12:30.
• Portfolio Committee on Tourism: Briefing by South African Tourism on the fourth quarter of 2023/24 and first quarter of 2024/25 performance report. Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30.
• Portfolio Committee on Agriculture: Briefing by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on the Poultry and Sugar Master Plans; Briefing by the former Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development on the Agriculture and Geoprocessing Master Plan (AAMP). Castle of Good Hope, Corner of Darling Street and Buitenkant Street, Cape Town, 09:30.
• Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities: Briefing by the Commission for Gender Equality on the 2024/25 Annual Performance Plan and Budget; Consideration of the letter from the President on the Remuneration of Commissioners in the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE); Consideration and adoption of Committee report on the remuneration of Commissioners in the CGE. Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-13:00.
• Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries: Consideration and adoption of outstanding Draft Minutes; Briefing by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture on their 2024/25 Annual Performance Plan and Budget Vote. Committee Room 1, Upper Ground Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 10:00-12:30.
• Select Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Mineral Resources: Discussion of the 6th Parliament’s Legacy Report; Consideration and Adoption of Committee Reports and Minutes. Committee Room M515, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 10:00-13:00.
• Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Public Administration: Briefing by KZN MEC of CoGTA on constitutional, procedural, and substantive matters related to the invocation of section 139 in Zululand Local Municipality; Tabling of written responses by the Departments of Water and Sanitation, Human Settlements, and CoGTA during the consideration of their APP and Budget Votes. Committee Room S35, First Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 10:00-13:00.

WEDNESDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2024

• Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Briefing by the SIU on medico-legal claims and their financial impact on the health sector; Briefing by the Auditor-General on Transnet’s financial performance, irregular and wasteful expenditure, governance, HR controls, deviations, and expansions. Committee Room M514, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00.
• Standing Committee on Appropriations: Briefing by the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer on contract deviations and expansions during the first quarter of the 2024/25 financial year. Boardroom WS/3116, 3rd Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 09:00-12:00.
• Portfolio Committee on Police: Deliberation of Crime Stats (4th Q 2023/24 and 1st Q 2024/25). Venue to be confirmed, 09:00-12:30.
• Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition: Briefing by the CIPC, Companies Tribunal, and the Take-over Regulation Panel on their annual performance plans and budgets. Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00-13:00.
• Portfolio Committee on Social Development: Briefing by the Department of Social Development on the fourth term quarterly report on the financial and non-financial performance for the 2023/24 financial year (January – March 2024); Adoption of minutes. Committee Room 1, Upper Ground Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 09:30-13:00.
• Select Committee on Social Services: Briefing by the Department of Social Development on the Older Persons Amendment Bill [B11B-2022] Sec76; Consideration and Adoption of the 2nd term programme; Consideration and Adoption of Committee Minutes. Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00.
• Select Committee on Public Infrastructure and Minister in Presidency: Department of Public Works and Infrastructure Introductory Session: Overview of the performance of Public Entities reporting to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure; Property Management Trading Entity (MPTE) Debtor Analysis; Key targets/milestones in the implementation of the Optimization Strategy. Committee Room M515, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 10:00-13:00.
• Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade: Briefing by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) on the audit outcomes for the Departments of Trade, Industry and Competition, Communications and Digital Technologies, Small Business Development, Employment and Labour, and Tourism; Consideration of Sixth Term Legacy Report; Consideration and adoption of Minutes. Committee Room S35, First Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 10:00-13:00.
• Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy: Briefing by the Minister of Electricity and Energy and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy on the Nuclear New Build programme, including an update on the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant Long Term Operation (LTO) programme; Consideration and adoption of minutes. Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00.

FRIDAY, 6 SEPTEMBER 2024

• Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition: Briefing on competition among South African stock exchanges. Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00-12:00.
• Standing Committee on the Auditor-General: Briefing by the National Treasury on a more appropriate funding model for the AGSA, as well as interventions to collect outstanding debts owed to the institution; Introductory meeting with the Auditor-General of South Africa. Committee Room 1, Upper Ground Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 09:00-13:00.

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ISSUED BY PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA