Week ahead in Parliament: Electricity, Food Security, and Grey Listing key priorities in Parliament this week
May 2, 2023

Parliament sees a full programme of parliamentary sittings and portfolio committee meetings this week. Highlights include the Debate on Urgent Matter of National Public Importance (Dr D T George): The economic impact of the Financial Action Task Force grey listing of South Africa and steps required to exit the grey list.

The Economic Cluster will also be answering oral questions in the house, including the new Minister in the Presidency for Electricity; Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy and the Minister of Agriculture on key issues related to the ongoing energy crisis in the country.

There are also two committee meetings of particular interest namely the Portfolio Committee on Tourism being briefed by the Minister on developments at the South African Tourism Board, as well as the Standing Committee of Public Accounts being briefed by the Eskom Board regarding allegations of corruption and maladaminstration by ex-CEO Andre de Ruyter.

Parliamentary programme

TUESDAY, 08 MAY 2023

14:00 – ±20:00 PLENARY (HYBRID)

  1. Debate on Urgent Matter of National Public Importance (Dr D T George): The economic impact of the Financial Action Task Force grey listing of South Africa and steps required to exit the grey list
  2. Consideration of Report of PC on Justice and Correctional Services on Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill [B 1 – 2023] (s74) (ATC, 17 March 2023, p 76)
  3. Second Reading debate: Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill [B 1 – 2023] (s74)
  4. Consideration of Report of PC on Justice and Correctional Services on Certificate of Exemption submitted to National Assembly for approval, in terms of section 46(4)(a) of Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act, 2002 (Act No 70 of 2002)
  5. Consideration of Reports of PC on Justice and Correctional Services on:
    1. 1.  Draft Regulations, for approval, in terms of section 94(1) of Legal Practice Act, 2014 (Act No 28 of 2014)
    2. 2.  Draft Regulations, for approval, in terms of section 94(3) of Legal Practice Act, 2014 (Act No 28 of 2014)
  6. Consideration of legislative proposal to amend National Small Enterprise Act, 1998 (Act 102 of 1996), submitted by PC on Small Business Development
  7. Debate on Freedom Day

WEDNESDAY, 03 MAY 2023

15:00 – 18:00 PLENARY (HYBRID)

Questions for Oral Reply – Cluster 4: Economics

Questions worth noting are:

  1. Ms M M E Tlhape (ANC) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development:

With reference to the threats faced by the agricultural sector of food security due to load shedding, what steps has she taken to engage with stakeholders to safeguard food security and mitigate the negative effects of load shedding on supply and value-chain industries in the agricultural sector?

  1. Ms P Madokwe (EFF) to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy:

(1) What has been his department’s intervention in assessing the quality of coal used in the power stations and accordingly advising Eskom;

(2) whether the specified intervention includes reserving some of the coal that is exported to the countries that have forced the Government’s hand to hastily decommission coal power stations; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

  1. Mr B N Herron (Good) to ask the Minister in the Presidency for Electricity:

In light of the fact that the proposed growth of renewables into the energy mix creates the potential for a shift to a distributed generation model to be implemented, what (a) current development plans have been put in place to move towards the energy distribution model and (b) alternative measures does his department propose, which would greatly improve grid stability, more so than the proposed alternative?

THURSDAY, 04 MAY 2023

14:00 – ±17:00 MINI-PLENARY SESSIONS (VIRTUAL)

1.2. Committee Programme

TUESDAY, 02 MAY 2023

  • Portfolio Committee on Transport, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Transport on its 2022/23 third quarter expenditure; Consideration and adoption of Committee report on the 2023/24 Annual Performance Plan and Budget of the Department of Transport; Deliberations on the Railway Safety Bill [B 7-2021]: Consideration of draft Committee report on the Railway Safety Bill Public Hearings; Consideration and adoption of the Committee report on the Department of Transport 2022/23 second quarter expenditure; Consideration and adoption of Committee draft second term programme; Consideration and adoption of minutes of proceedings], Committee Room M201, Second Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00- 13:00
  • Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Small Business Development, Tourism, Employment and Labour, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by Department of Small Business Development on its Annual Performance Plan and Strategic Plan; Consideration and adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00
  • Select Committee on Health and Social Services, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Department of Health on the Annual Performance Plan and Budget Vote 2023/2024; Consideration and Adoption of Committee Minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00
  • Portfolio Committee on Tourism, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Minister of Tourism on developments on the South African Tourism Board and appointment of 3 interim Board members; and Department of Tourism on Strategic Plan, Annual Performance Plan (APP) and proposed allocations for 2023/24 financial year; Consideration of minutes], Committee Room S12A, Ground Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 10:00-13:00

WEDNESDAY, 03 MAY 2023

  • Portfolio Committee on Police, (National Assembly), [Consideration of the IPID Annual Performance Plan and budget for 2023/24; Consideration of the PSIRA Annual Performance Plan and budget for 2023/24], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00
  • Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Briefing by Eskom Board regarding the ex-GCEO (Mr. Andre de Ruyter) on allegations regarding corruption, theft, maladministration, sabotage, lack of consequence management, cartels, and other financial irregularities at ESKOM], Committee Room M514, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:30-13:30
  • Select Committee on Security and Justice, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing on the proposed amendments to the Land Court Bill [B11B-2021] (S75); Briefing by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on the Legal Practice Act regulations: Draft Regulations for approval, in terms of section 94(1) of the Legal Practice Act, 2014 (Act No 28 of 2014) and Draft Regulations for approval, submitted in terms of section 94(3) of the Legal Practice Act, 2014 (Act No 28 of 2014); Committee consideration and adoption of the Repeal of the Transkeian Penal Code Bill [B34-2022] (S75); Adoption of the Committee Report on the Repeal of the Transkeian Penal Code Bill [B34-2022] (S75); Adoption of minutes: Mn230315 Briefing on Land Court Bill; Mn230322 Deliberations on Land Court Bill], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-12:00

TUESDAY, 09 MAY 2023

  • Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, (National Assembly), [Virtual Oral submissions on Climate Change Bill [B9-2022]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-13:00
  • Select Committee on Finance, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by National Treasury on Municipal Fiscal Powers and Function], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00- 13:00

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