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The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) provincial week oversight visits, a physical National Assembly (NA) plenary sitting to consider the Section 194 Enquiry report, Questions for Oral Reply by Governance Cluster ministers, and mini-plenaries are some of the critical items in the Parliamentary programme for this week.
 
Permanent Delegates to the NCOP will visit their respective provinces from Monday until Friday to assess infrastructure projects as part of the Provincial Week programme, under the theme: “Building Viable Provincial and Municipal Infrastructure for Effective Delivery of Services to Communities.”
 
The 2023 Provincial Week is a week-long high-impact oversight programme aimed at assessing progress in the building of sustainable human settlements to improve the quality of life for the poor and building viable water and sanitation infrastructure for the effective delivery of services to the communities.
 
The programme sees delegates to the NCOP returning to their respective provinces and constituencies to inspect service delivery projects, visit critical infrastructure sites, and meet provincial and local government leaders to get reports and updates on progress and challenges.
 
Meanwhile, the NA will convene a physical plenary session on Monday at the Cape Town City Hall at 2 pm to consider and debate the report of the Committee for Section 194 Enquiry. The Committee was established in accordance with NA Rule 129 and Section 194(1)(b) of the Constitution to investigate the fitness of Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane to hold office.
 
On Tuesday at 2 pm the NA plenary will reconvene in a hybrid session to consider more committee reports, members’ statements, legislation, motions, and the decision on reports debated in mini-plenaries.

On Wednesday at 3 p.m., the NA will hold an oral questions and answer session with the Governance Cluster Ministers at its hybrid plenary sitting. The cluster comprises Ministers responsible for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Public Service and Administration.

Questions for oral reply are among the various instruments Parliament uses to scrutinise and oversee executive action. Section 92(2) of the Constitution also stipulates that Cabinet Members are accountable collectively and individually to Parliament for the exercise of their powers and performance of their functions.
 
At 8.30 a.m. on Thursday, the National Assembly Programme Committee will meet to consider committee section reports, bills before the house, legislation, and the parliamentary programme. At 2 p.m., the NA convenes three different virtual mini-plenaries to discuss important subjects led by various political parties represented in the National Assembly.

Between 10 am and 1 pm on Friday, the NA virtual mini plenaries will reconvene to consider various committee reports as follows:
 
Mini-plenary 1:

1. Consideration of Report of PC on Small Business Development on Oversight visit to North West Province from 27 – 31 March 2023 (ATC, 29 May 2023, p 3) (49)

2. Consideration of Report of PC on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and PC on Employment and Labour on Joint oversight on living and working conditions in farming communities (ATC, 10 November 2022, p 23) (49)

3. Consideration of Report of Standing Committee on Appropriations on Oversight visit to the Department of Defence and institutions in Gauteng Province from 19 to 22 April 2022 (ATC, 24 November 2022, p 4) (49)

4. Consideration of Report of PC on Communications and Digital Technologies on Oversight visit to Gauteng and Free State from 29 to 31 March 2023 (ATC, 15 June 2023, p 22) (49)

Mini-plenary 2:

5.  Consideration of Request for Approval by Parliament of Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) (Report of PC on Health, see ATC, 26 May 2023, p 6) (49)

6. Consideration of Request for Approval of African Charter on the Values and Principles of Decentralisation, Local Governance and Local Development (Report of PC on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, see ATC, 2 May 2023, p 5) (49)

7. Consideration of Report of PC on Sport, Arts, and Culture on A petition from artists and members of the public, calling on the Assembly to investigate the commissioning by the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture of the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra at an estimated cost of R54 million (submitted by Mr T W Mhlongo, MP) (ATC, 3 March 2023, p 92) (49)

8.   Consideration of Report of PC on Human Settlements on Oversight Visit to Northern Cape and North-West Provinces (ATC, 31 May 2023, p 38) (49)

Mini-plenary 3:

9. Consideration of Report of PC on Justice and Correctional Services on Oversight Visits to Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and Free State Provinces (ATC, 11 October 2022, p 3) (49)
10. Consideration of Report of PC on Defence and Military Veterans on Oversight visit to selected military bases and DMV housing sites in Bloemfontein area from 23 – 25 November 2022 (ATC, 3 March 2023, p 3) (49)

11. Consideration of Report of PC on Police on Oversight visit to Northern Cape and Gauteng Provinces on 21 and 22 May 2023 (ATC, 31 May 2023, p 27) (49)

12. Consideration of Report of PC on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities on A petition from the Post Office to Parliament Task Team and the UyineneMrwetyana Foundation, calling on the Assembly to establish the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (submitted by Ms N K Sharif, MP) (ATC, 6 September 2022, p 118)
 
There is a total of 34 hybrid, physical, and virtual committee meetings scheduled to take place in Parliament this week, including:
 
TUESDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 2023
 
Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation: [Briefing by the Mopani District Municipality and the Department of Water and Sanitation on the Progress Report of the Giyani Bulk Water Project], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00
 
Standing Committee on Finance:
Public hearings on the Public Procurement Bill, Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00
 
Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure: [Update by the DPWI on precinct development to ensure service delivery centres in cities and rural towns; An update is required on progress with one-stop service centres to be constructed in rural towns of Howick, Mandeni, Mount Fletcher, Carolina, Kwa-Mhlanga, Secunda, Christina, Matlosana, Vredenburg. Specific detail regarding cost, needs list and budgets from user departments, time-frames of each project, involvement of municipalities (Spatial Development Frameworks (SDF) & Integrated Development Plans (IDPs)); Consideration and adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00
 
Portfolio Committee on Transport:
 Responses from the Department of Transport on written and oral submissions on the Marine Oil Pollution (Preparedness, Response, and Cooperation) Bill [B10-2022]; Briefing by the Department of Transport on its 2023/24 first quarter expenditure; Consideration and adoption of minutes of proceedings], Committee Room M314, Third Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00-13:00
 
Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies: Report on Sentech distribution tariffs and feedback on the mediation process; GCIS, MDDA, Sentech, ICASA, and SABC on deliberations of signal-related costs ahead of the National Election processes; Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00
 
Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs: Briefing and update by the Department of Home Affairs on the implementation progress on the Automated Biometric Information System (ABIS) and the VFS contract, Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00
 
Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry: Briefing by the DTIC on the Black Industrialist Programme in relation to jobs and industrial output], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00
 
Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy: Clause-by-clause on the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill [B13 – 2021]], Committee Room M515, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00-13:00
 
Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Briefing by SIU and Hawks regarding the intelligence report commissioned by the former GCEO on the Eskom; Meeting with Brig Burger on the Eskom-related investigations, Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00-13:30
 
Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment: Consideration and adoption of the Motion of Desirability; Deliberations on the Climate Change Bill [B9-2022] clause by clause, Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-13:30
 
Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises: Response of the Minister of Public Enterprises to the allegations submitted by the suspended Director-General of Public Enterprises], Committee Room 1, Upper Ground Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 10:00
 
Rules Committee, (National Assembly): Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00
 

Issued by the Parliament of South Africa