HAPPENING IN PARLIAMENT THIS WEEK: 15 – 21 OCTOBER 2023

The National Assembly (NA) special sitting to consider the Report of the Ad hoc Committee to Nominate a Person for Appointment as Public Protector, consideration of Budget Reviews and Recommendation Reports (BRRR), and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Debate on International Rural Women’s Day are prominent items in the parliamentary programme this week.

The National Assembly will hold a fully physical special plenary at the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday, 19 October at 2 pm, to decide on the report and recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee that was constituted to nominate a person for appointment as public protector.

The appointment process is done in accordance with section 193(5) of the Constitution, which provides that the NA must recommend persons nominated by a Committee of the Assembly proportionally composed of members of all parties represented in the Assembly, and approved by the Assembly by a resolution adopted with the supporting vote of at least 60 per cent of the members of the As
sembly.

The NA will continue with consideration of Budget Reviews and Recommendations Reports (BRRR) from Tuesday 17 October to Friday 20 October. Parliament’s BRRR provides an opportunity for in-depth assessment of the national departments’ service delivery performances which may include recommendations on the forward use of resources.

Meanwhile the NCOP will convene a single hybrid plenary sitting this week, on Tuesday at 2 pm, to consider motions, elect the Programming Whip for the House, and hold a debate on International Rural Women’s Day.

The International Rural Women’s Day is a United Nations supported campaign to celebrate rural women and draw the world’s attention to the role they play in building their communities. Delegates to the NCOP will debate means by which Parliament may, not only highlight, but support through legislation and oversight the essential role that rural women and girls play in the food systems of the world.

Most of Parliament’s work takes place within committees. There are th
irty-nine (39) committee meetings scheduled for both houses of Parliament this week, as follows:

TUESDAY, 17 OCTOBER

Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [CLOSED MEETING] Room 301, Third Floor, Africa House, 08:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, [Briefing by the Water Research Commission, Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Agency and Breede-Gouritz Catchment

Agency on the Expenditure Trends as depicted in the Financial and Non-Financial Statements of their 2022/23 Annual Report], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00

Standing Committee on Finance, [Briefing by National Treasury on their annual report], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00

Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, [Consideration and adoption of the Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report for 2023; Briefing on the Electoral Commission Bill [B15 – 2023] by the Dr A Lotriet, MP; Update by the DHA and IEC on how the consequential amendments to the Electoral Act will be tabled, pr
ocessed and implemented given the limited time remaining before Parliament rises], Committee Room 1, Upper Ground Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs,

[Briefing by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) on its

2022/23 Annual Report], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, [Briefing by the Minister and SITA on governance and performance-related matters around the entity; Consideration and adoption of the Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR) of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT); Consideration and adoption of the Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR) of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS); Consideration and adoption of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) and their Entities on the
2022/23 Third and Fourth Quarter Expenditure and Financial Reports; Adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-14:00

Portfolio Committee on Tourism, [Consideration and adoption of outstanding report(s); South African Tourism presentation on 2022/23 Annual Report;

Consideration of minutes], Committee Room M515, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00-15:00

Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, [Public Hearings on the Companies Amendment Bills], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-17:00

Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, [Briefing on the Report from the Auditor-General of South Africa on the Material irregularities in National, Provincial and Local Government for 2022/23 financial year; Briefing by the Auditor-General of South Africa on the audit action plans and associated timelines as well as progress of the implementing those undertakings; (Chemical and Waste Management, Environmental Programmes and Forestry Branches to be in attendance); Briefing by the Commis
sion for Gender Equality: Progress Report: Transformation in the Public and Private Sectors 2022/2023 (SANParks to be in attendance)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration [(Day

One) Public Hearings for Public Administration Management Amendment Bill [B10-2023]], Committee Room M514, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:30-16:00

Portfolio Committee on Basic Education [(09:30-11:00) Briefing by the Finance and Fiscal Commission (FFC) on: Expenditure Patterns in respect of Infrastructure (ASIDI); Expenditure Patterns in respect of Conditional Grants (e.g. MST); and Equity in Education (including budget allocations to schools; (11:30-13:00) Briefing by the Office of the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) on Audit Outcomes for the Department of Basic Education; (16:00-18:00) Briefing by DBE Internal Audit Committee on Audit Outcomes for the Department of Basic Education], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-18:00

Source: Parliament of South Afri
ca