After last week’s Medium-Term Budget Statement delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, the week ahead in Parliament will see two oral questions sessions, with the President and National Ministers from the social services cluster responding to questions posed by Members of Parliament.
The following plenaries are scheduled to take place this week:
TUESDAY, 01 NOVEMBER 2022
14:00 – ±18:30 PLENARY (HYBRID)
- Consideration of Recommendation of candidates for filling of vacancies in the Commission for Gender Equality
- Consideration of Report of PC on Defence and Military Veterans on Oversight visit to selected Armscor facilities, Denel’s Lyttelton Campus, Special Forces School and Department of Military Veterans’ Headquarters, 21 and 22 April 2022
- Consideration of Report of Standing Committee on Finance on Oversight visit to South African Special Risk Insurance Association (SASRIA)
- Consideration of Report of PC on Employment and Labour on Oversight visit to Eastern Cape Province on 18 – 22 April 2022
- Consideration of Report of PC on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on Oversight visit to Free State Province on 19-22 April 2022
WEDNESDAY, 02 NOVEMBER 2022
15:00 – ±18:00 PLENARY (HYBRID)
Questions for Oral Reply: Cluster 2: Social Services
Some of the more noteworthy questions to the Ministers include:
Mr L J Basson of the Democratic Alliance will ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation whether, with reference to the current water shortages experienced in large parts of Gauteng, any plans have been put in place to expand the capacity of the Rand Water purification plants; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) total number of additional megalitres will be added daily and (b) are the further, relevant details in this regard?
Mrs N R Mashabela of the Economic Freedom Fighters will ask the Minister of Basic Education
- What total number of the pupils who enrolled for Grade 1 in 2011 are now registered to write their matric examination in 2022;
- whether her department has investigated the reasons for a particular grade being the grade where most of the pupils dropped out; if not, why not; if so, what are the reasons?
THURSDAY, 03 NOVEMBER 2022
14:00 – ±17:00 PLENARY (HYBRID)
Questions to the President
Some of the more noteworthy questions that will be posed to the President include:
The Leader of the Opposition (DA) will ask the President of the Republic whether, with reference to his newsletter of 26 September 2022, wherein he acknowledged that load shedding has dire consequences for nearly every part of our society, that education, public safety and the provision of health services are negatively affected, and that businesses and investments in our struggling economy suffer due to the energy crisis, the Government will set an example for businesses, households and other sectors of society by paying for usage of electricity to enable Eskom to undertake the critical maintenance that is needed to keep the lights on; if not; what is the position in this regard; if so what are the relevant details?
Dr P J Groenewald of the Freedom Front Plus will ask the President of the Republic whether, considering the fact that increasing calls are being made by persons and communities that black economic empowerment (BEE) and affirmative action (AA) no longer serve their purpose, do not address inequality and seriously constrain the economy, he and the Government will consider lifting BEE and AA; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Three committee meetings of interest this week:
On Tuesday, the Portfolio Committee on Tourism, (National Assembly), will be briefed by the Department of Tourism on tourism safety, and progress report on infrastructure projects. The safety of tourists visiting South Africa has been in the spotlight recent weeks as a result of the murder of a German tourist in Mpumalanga, as well as the fatal shooting of two men at a beach in Camps Bay, which is another popular tourist destination.
Again, on Tuesday, the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation (National Assembly) will be briefed by the Department of Water and Sanitation on the safety of dam’s and the status of tailings dams across the country. This is following the collapse of a talings dam in Jagersfontein on September 11th, which left two people dead and hundreds more homeless. The municipality has also struggled to address heavily polluted air and contaminated water as a result of the dam collapse. Last week, it was revealed that the South African Human Rights Comission (SAHRC) will also be investigating the dam collapse.
The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (National Assembly) will conduct public hearings on the Agriculture Product Standards Amendment Bill. The Amendment Bill seeks to strengthen the regulatory framework for agricultural production, health and food safety of specified agricultural products. More specifically, the draft bill seeks to promote safety regarding the movement of plant products for export and import. It also seeks to amend measures that prevent the introduction of foreign quarantine pests and diseases as well as regulate non-quarantine pests.
The Committee Programme is as follows:
TUESDAY, 01 NOVEMBER 2022
Joint Meeting: Standing Committee on Finance, Standing Committee on Appropriations, Select Committee on Finance and Select Committee on Appropriations, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the PBO and the Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC) on the MTBPS], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00
Portfolio Committee on Tourism, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Tourism on tourism safety, and progress report on infrastructure projects; Consideration of draft minutes; Correspondence from National Heritage Project (NHP)], Committee Room M514, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00-12:00
Portfolio Committee on Transport, (National Assembly), [Public Hearings on the Transport Appeal Tribunal Amendment Bill [B 8-2020]: Response from the Department of Transport on the written submissions on the Transport Appeal Tribunal Amendment Bill; Department of Transport briefing on the Marine Oil Pollution (Preparedness, Response and Cooperation) Bill [B10-2022]; Consideration and adoption of minutes of proceedings], Committee Room S12A, NCOP Building, Parliament, 09:00 -13:00
Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the DTIC on its first and second quarter financial and non-financial performance for the 2022/23 financial year], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00
Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, (National Assembly), [Public Hearings on the Agricultural Product Standards Amendment Bill [B15-2021] Sec 76], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00
Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy on all Glencore’s activities and mining rights in SA; Tabling of correspondence; Consideration and adoption of outstanding minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00
Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Water and Sanitation on dams’ safety and status of tailings dam across the country; Consideration of outstanding minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00
Select Committee on Land Reform, Environment, Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Council of Provinces), [The impact to date of Social and Labour Plans; mining town revitalisation and economic development of mining regions, including the Department’s method of measuring impact’; Consideration and Adoption of Minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 16:30-18:30
WEDNESDAY, 02 NOVEMBER 2022
Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the DPWI, DBSA and National Treasury on the working relationship; impact on organograms of each institution; and oversight responsibilities emerging from their 17 August 2020 memorandum of understanding to manage the R100 billion Infrastructure Fund and deliver strategic infrastructure in South Africa], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00
Standing Committee on Appropriations, (National Assembly), [Briefing by National Treasury on the following: 2022 Division of Revenue Amendment Bill (DoRAB); 2022 Adjustments Appropriation Bill (AAB); and 2022 Special Appropriation Bill], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00
Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the NRCS on its 2021/22 Annual report as well as on its first quarter financial and non-financial performance for 2022/23 financial year; Briefing by the SABS on its 2021/22 Annual report as well as on its first quarter financial and non-financial performance for 2022/23 financial year; Consideration of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00
Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure on its Annual Report 2022], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00
Joint Meeting: Standing Committee on Finance and Select Committee on Finance, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Public hearings on the 2022 Revised Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00
Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Briefing by AGSA on the audit outcomes of the following SOEs for the financial year 2021/2022: TRANSNET; SAPO; Postbank; PRASA; SABC], Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:30-13:00
Portfolio Committee on Health, (National Assembly), [Clause by clause deliberations on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill], Committee Room S12A/Hybrid, 10:00-13:00
FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2022
Joint Meeting: Standing Committee on Finance and Select Committee on Finance, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Response by National Treasury to submissions received on the Revised Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00
Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Assembly, [Discussions on the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill [B13 – 2021] (UPRD) – draft programme on provincial public hearings to be undertaken in 2023], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00
