4 December 2022
The two Houses of Parliament, the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), are set to go on a constituency period as they both conclude Term Four of their respective programmes this week. The Houses will begin their constituency period on 07 and 14 and December respectively, followed by a leave period from 19 December until 06 January 2023.
The NA will convene its last plenary session on Tuesday from 10 am to, among others, consider and debate the report of the Independent Panel established in accordance with Rule 129A-Q to conduct a preliminary enquiry relating to a motion proposing an enquiry in terms of Section 89 of the Constitution.
The sitting will also consider the Children’s Amendment Bill, Report of the PC on Social Development thereon, and farewell speeches. Other matters on the Order Paper for the same sitting include:
• Consideration of Recommendation of candidates to fill twelve vacancies on South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Board (Report of PC on Communications and Digital Technologies, see ATC, 25 November 2022, p 4) (5)
• Consideration of Approval of South Africa’s Membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (Report of Standing Committee on Finance, see ATC, 23 November 2022) (5)
Meanwhile, the NCOP will also convene its last plenary for the Fourth Term on Tuesday at 10 am, to consider various committees’ reports on money bills, and farewell speeches.
Bills to be by the NCOP considered include:
• Consideration of report of Select Committee on Appropriations on the Proposed division of revenue and the conditional grant allocations to Provinces and Local Government (provisional)
• Consideration of Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill [B 25 – 2022] (s77) (provisional)
• Consideration of Taxation Laws Amendment Bill [B 26 – 2022] (s77) (provisional)
• Consideration of Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill [B 27 – 2022] (s75) (provisional)
• Consideration of Special Appropriation Bill [B 24 – 2022] (s77) (provisional)
• Consideration of Adjustments Appropriation Bill [B 23 – 2022] (s77) (provisional)
To round off the year, the NCOP will convene its Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development Review report back session in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday 08 December from 11 am.
In 2020, Parliament undertook a process to review the 1994 Women’s Charter for Effective Equality, engaging all districts in all nine Provinces of South Africa. Important Executive Undertakings were made, aimed at addressing the salient areas of concern, in order to accelerate the gender equality and mainstreaming agenda across all districts.
The report back session give provinces, district, and local municipalities an opportunity to appraise Parliament on progress made in implementing key executive undertakings made during the Women’s Charter Review in 2020.
On international engagements, Parliament is participating in the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) 52nd plenary sittings currently in session from 01 to 11 December in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The NCOP Chief Whip, Mr Seiso Mohai leads the South African delegation to SADC-PF.
Meanwhile, from Monday 05 December until Saturday 10 December, the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs will undertake an oversight visit to the Eastern Cape province on the implementation of the Cultural Initiation Act.
Besides the PC on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ oversight visit to the Eastern Cape, there are only two Committee meetings scheduled for this week.
On Monday, 5 December 2022, the Committee for Section 194 Enquiry, will enter its day 40 of hearings, where Mr Mulalo Lamula is set to appear before the Committee. The meeting will take a hybrid format, where physical attendance will be at Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building.
The last committee meeting of the year will be held by the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on Tuesday, 06 December, between 8 am and 9.30 am. The Committee will convene virtually to get an update on the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill [B 2 – 2022], to process the (Written, Oral and Provincial Public Participation Hearings) Status Report, and to get a briefing on the International Study Tour.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
