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Members of Parliament return from constituency work this week. Activities lined up for the week include joint committee oversight visits of the National Assembly (NA) and National Council of Provinces (NCOP), a special plenary sitting of the NA to elect a new speaker, the launch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association National Branch and the hosting of the Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development. 
 
The NA is provisionally scheduled to elect a new Speaker on Thursday, 19 August at 11:00. The vacancy arose because of the appointment of former Speaker Ms Thandi Modise as Minister of Military Veterans and Defence. The Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa, or a Judge designated by him, as prescribed in the constitution, will preside over the election of the Speaker. 
 
Committees of both houses will continue to oversee executive action through various oversight programmes. The NCOP’s oversight programme will focus on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and assess the impact of recent riots, looting and destruction of property. The Select Committee on Health together with the Select Committee on Social Services will from Tuesday to Thursday visit the Free State Province to be briefed by the Department of Health on mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture will on Wednesday and Thursday visit schools in Northern Cape. 
 
On Thursday, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association National Branch and Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Chapter will be launched. Parliament is an affiliate of the CPA and participates in its activities at regional and international levels. The CPA's objective is to promote knowledge and understating of the constitutional, legislative, economic, social and cultural systems within a parliamentary democratic framework. The constitution of the CPA requires all legislatures to establish branches and CWP Chapters to enable parliamentarians to operationalize the activities of the Association in a quest to advance democracy and promote gender equity in the work of the CPA. 
 
On Friday, Parliament will host the Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development under the theme “Setting a 25-year vision and agenda to advance women’s equality, growth and development”. The event is a culmination of an extensive consultation process as part of the provincial review sessions of the 1994 Women’s Charter. The leaders of the review sessions, the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP Ms Sylvia Lucas and the Deputy Speaker of the NA Mr Lechesa Tsenoli, will present the outcomes of the provincial review sessions. 
There are about 43 Committee meetings and they are scheduled as follows:
 
TUESDAY, 17 AUGUST 2021
Standing Committee on Finance, Briefing by National Treasury and SARS on the Taxation Laws Amendment, Tax Administration Laws Amendment and the Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bills; 
 
Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Tourism, Small Business Development, Employment and Labour and; Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure: Joint Oversight: stakeholder engagement focusing on resetting the Economy to boost Economic Growth, Attract Investments and Create Jobs in regional and local economies 
 
Select Committee on Land Reform, Environment, Mineral Resources and Energy Committee: Consideration and Adoption of changes effected by the State and Parliamentary Law Advisors after the negotiating mandate meeting on the National Forest Amendment Bill [B 11B – 2016] (s76) and National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Bill [B14D – 2017] (s76); 
 
Portfolio Committee on Transport: Deliberations on the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill [B 1 – 2020]; Consideration of the draft report on the 2020/21 fourth quarter expenditure of the Department of Transpor; 
 
Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry: Deliberations on the submissions received with regard to the Copyright and the Performers’ Protection Amendment Bills; 
 
Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development: Virtual Public Hearings on the Sectional Titles Amendment Bill [B31- 2020]; 
 
Portfolio Committee on Basic Education: Briefing by the Department of Basic Education on: Gender Responsive Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Framework as per established task team; Gender Based Violence programs as implemented in the 75 education districts; 
 
Select Committee on Finance: Virtual oversight meeting – Briefing by Development Bank of Southern Africa on last quarterly report, implementation of their mandate, impact of COVID-19 and recent civil unrest on their program; 
 
WEDNESDAY, 18 AUGUST 2021 
Select Committee on Security and Justice and Select Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Water and Sanitation and Human Settlements: Joint Oversight visit to Free State Province 
 
Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Tourism, Small Business Development, Employment and Labour and; Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure: Joint Oversight: stakeholder engagement focusing on resetting the Economy to boost Economic Growth, Attract Investments and Create Jobs in regional and local economies 
 
Portfolio Committee on Communications: Briefing by Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) and its entities on its 2020/21 Third and Fourth Quarter Performance and Expenditure Report; 
 
Select Committee on Appropriations: Virtual oversight meeting focusing on in-year monitoring expenditure of HIV & AIDS (Life Skills Education) Grant and Learners with Profound Intellectual Disabilities Grant for the 2020/21 financial year; 
 
Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation: Briefing by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and the Department of Public Works on the collaboration between the two departments in preparation for DIRCO’s assumption of custodianship of state owned properties abroad, as envisaged by the Foreign Service Act 2019; 
 
Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises: Briefing by the Department of Public Enterprises on progress update on addressing governance and financial challenges of state-owned companies. Including an update on recent explosion at Medupi, corporatisation of Transnet National Ports Authority, liquidation of Denel, liquidation of SAX, implementation of SAA business rescue plan; 
 
Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries: Briefing by the National Treasury on the cost of ‘Just Transition’; 
 
THURSDAY, 19 AUGUST 2021 
Select Committee on Appropriations: Virtual oversight meeting focusing on in-year monitoring expenditure of HIV & AIDS (Life Skills Education) Grant and Learners with Profound Intellectual Disabilities Grant for the 2020/21 financial year; 
 
Joint Standing Committee on Defence: Briefing by Minister of Defence and Military Veterans on Implementation of recommendations of Defence Force Service Commission: Briefing by the Defence Force Service Commission on its 2020 Annual Activity Report and follow up on related matters; 
 
FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 2021 
Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry: Deliberations on the submissions received with regard to the Copyright and the Performers’ Protection Amendment Bills;
Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology, Colloquium on Institutional Autonomy in South African Universities; 
 
Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation: Briefing by the Department of Human Settlements on the 4th Quarter Report; 
 
Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament: Briefing by the Secretary to Parliament on the institution’s performance in the first quarter of 2020/21; 
 
Briefing on Parliament’s revised 2021/22 Annual Performance Plan: Briefing on Parliament’s 2022/23 draft annual performance plan and budget; Consideration of committee minutes: 28 May 2021.

Issued by Parliament of South Africa