Final week of Parliament 2021: Vote on expropriation fails
This week is the final week of Parliamentary programming for 2021. Parliament will rise on this Friday 10 December for the year. The biggest news from the Parliamentary week is undoubtably the vote on the ANC’s controversial proposal to amend the constitution to clearly allow the seizure of land without compensation. As reported by the […]
The week ahead in Parliament: Expropriation & Eskom on the national agenda
With last week’s Mid-Term Budget Policy Statement behind us, Parliament undertakes the intensive process of processing the proposed amendments. In the National Assembly, the highlight for the week is undoubtedly the questions session for oral reply involving the Economics Cluster, which is programmed to take place on Wednesday. Several important committee meetings are scheduled for […]
Update from Parliament: A busy week ahead with crypto, fake news and Eskom’s unbundling
This week sees Parliament continuing with its series of budget-related mini plenaries ahead of the final vote on the budget set to take place next week. But, there’s some non-budget-related activity that’s of interest too. In committee, the Portfolio Committee on Communications will be holding a roundtable discussion on the impact of digital media in […]
The week ahead in Parliament: Almost time for a break already
This week is the final week of the first term of 2021 in Parliament. As always, it seems that just as the legislature is picking up a bit of steam, it has to take a break. The recess period starts on 23 March and ends on 3 May, which is a rather lengthy constituency period, […]
SONA 2021: Five things your business needs to know
President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address this year was a subdued affair, and many commentators have been left unimpressed by his policy announcements. However, the President shared some glimmers of hope that can boost private sector growth in the coming years. Here are five key takeaways from SONA 2021 that are likely to affect […]
Insights from Parliament: the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill
The Economic Regulation of Transport Bill was introduced to the National Assembly on 31 January 2020. The aim of the Bill is to promote economic growth through efficient regulation of the transport sector. To this end, the Bill consolidates the regulation of the transport sector — currently regulated by a number of different bodies, including […]
Why all the fuss over a cup of tea?
Julius Malema’s offer on Twitter last week to take tea with Jacob Zuma, predictably, sent social media into orbit. Zuma’s acceptance of Malema’s overture, and the ensuing tea party at Nkandla, took the story from counter-intuitive online commentary to real-life spectacle. It is certainly a remarkable story. Let’s not forget that Julius Malema is a […]
Zoom into SONA 2021: a muted affair?
The traditionally glitzy start to South Africa’s political year at the State of the Nation Address (SONA) will be a more subdued affair in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Scheduled to take place on 11 February at 7pm, this year’s ceremonial joint sitting of Parliament will see most attendees participating from their homes rather […]
Insights from Parliament: Cabinet approves Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill
The Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill (“the Bill”) has been approved by Cabinet and will soon be tabled in Parliament by the Minister of Justice. This Bill follows from a Constitutional Court judgment that upheld the right to personal, private possession and cultivation of cannabis, and gave the legislature until September 2020 to enact legislation […]
