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The programme of Parliament this week includes, amongst others, questions for oral reply by the economics cluster 5 ministers, a ministerial briefing statement by the Minister of Basic Education in the National Assembly (NA), virtual mini-plenary sessions, and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) committee oversight visits.

On Tuesday at 14:00, the Minister of Basic Education will brief Members of Parliament in the NA on readiness for the 2024 National Senior Certificate examinations. At the same sitting, the House will consider the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services’ report on its oversight visit to the Goodwood Correctional Centre. The House will also consider the report of the Portfolio Committee on Police on the 2024/25 Budget and the Annual Performance Plan of the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA).

On Wednesday at 15:00, the Economics Cluster (5) ministers will appear before the NA to respond to questions for oral reply. The Cluster comprises ministers responsible for the national departments of Land Reform and Rural Development, Public Works and Infrastructure, Small Business Development, Tourism, Trade, Industry and Competition, Transport, and Science, Technology, and Innovation.

In line with section 92(2) of the Constitution, Parliament uses question-and-answer sessions to scrutinise and oversee executive action as one method of holding the executive arm of the state accountable.

At 14:00 on Thursday, the House will hold two virtual mini-plenary sessions for debates on matters of national public importance sponsored by various political parties represented in the NA. The topics include the urgent need for nationwide inspections to protect vulnerable children from expired and poisonous foods sold in unregulated spaza shops and addressing the escalating problem of disaster response capacity and funding.

The second session will focus on calling on the executive to officially recognise Khoi, San and Coloured people as “Africans in particular” and not just “blacks in general”. The ongoing fraud and corruption at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the entity’s failure to protect the social grants of the most vulnerable citizens from corruption and mismanagement will also be under the spotlight.

The virtual mini-plenary sessions on Thursday will be preceded by the NA Programming Committee Meeting at 08:30. This meeting will consider the third term draft parliamentary programme, parliamentary committee reports, bills before the NA, and other related items.

No plenary sittings are scheduled in the NCOP because select committees will conduct week-long oversight visits to various areas. The Select Committee on Social Services will be overseeing various elderly care facilities across the Western Cape. The visit to the elderly aligns with the committee’s deliberations over the Older Persons Amendment Bill, which is now in the provinces for public participation.

The Petitions and Executive Undertakings Select Committee will be in Gauteng in the West Rand to conduct oversight visits on sinkholes. This is a result of a petition from a member of the public submitted to the NCOP calling for a national disaster area to be declared.

Meanwhile, the Security and Justice Select Committee will conduct an oversight visit to the Beitbridge border facility to ascertain the work of the Border Management Agency, while the Select Committees on Public Works and Infrastructure, Minister in the Presidency, and Co-operative Governance and Public Administration will conduct a joint oversight programme on various municipalities in Kwa Zulu-Natal.

There are about 20 committee meetings scheduled for this week that include:

TUESDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2024:
Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation: Consideration and Adoption of the Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report, Vote 41, Department of Water and Sanitation and Entities. Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00.

Portfolio Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation: Consideration of Budget Review and Recommendation Report; Consideration of Committee Minutes and Reports, Venue to be confirmed, 09:30-12:00.

Portfolio Committee on Basic Education: Briefing by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Umalusi on an Updated Status Report on 2024 NSC Examination Readiness and Engagement on clauses 4 and 5 of the Bela Bill. Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-12:30.

Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition: Briefing by the DTIC on its review and development of legislation, as well as implementation of legislation, particularly the Companies Amendment Acts, the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Act and the National Credit Amendment Act; Formal consideration of the committee’s report on the DTIC’s 2023/24 fourth quarter performance report. Committee Room 1, Upper Ground Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 09:30-13:00.

Portfolio Committee on Transport: Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report: Finalisation of observations and recommendations: Consideration and adoption of committee’s BRRR; Consideration and adoption of minutes of proceedings. Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30.

Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services: Briefing by the Department of Correctional Services on human resources matters, including filling vacancies, disciplinary matters and suspensions; Update by the Minister of Correctional Services on completing the backlog of lifer parole applications. Committee Room 1, Ground Floor, 120 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 10:00.

Portfolio Committee on Tourism: Consideration and adoption of draft budgetary review and recommendations report; Consideration and adoption of draft minutes. Committee Room S12A, Ground Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 10:00.

Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture: Briefing by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture on the 2023/24 Annual Report. Committee Room S35, First Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 10:00-12:30.

Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities: Consideration and adoption of the Budgetary Review Recommendation Report; Consideration and adoption of minutes. Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00.

Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies: Consideration and adoption of the Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies; Consideration and adoption of the Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR) of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS). Venue: NSFAS, The Halyard, 16th floor, opposite Rockefeller Hotel, Cape Town, 10:00-13:00.

WEDNESDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2024:
Portfolio Committee on Police: Consideration and adoption of Budgetary Review and Recommendations Reports: SAPS, IPID, CSPS and PSIRA. Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:30.

Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training: Briefing by the DHET on progress in implementing the Post-Provisioning Norms (PPN) in the TVET sector; Successes, challenges and mitigation strategies; and filling of vacancies for council members, principals and executive management posts; Consideration of the committee’s BRR report. Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00.

Portfolio Committee on Social Development: Briefing by Mr Cedras and Mr Gosai on the findings on alleged weaknesses in SASSA’s social grants payment system and fraud in the application process for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant; Response by SASSA to an article by Mr Cedras and Mr Gosai on findings on alleged weaknesses in SASSA’s social grants payment system and fraud in the application process for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant; Consideration and adoption of the draft Budget Review and Recommendations Report. Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00-13:00.

Portfolio Committee on Health: Consideration and adoption of the committee’s Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report; Consideration and adoption of the minutes. Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-12:00.

Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development: Consideration and adoption of 2024 Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR); Consideration and adoption of committee minutes. Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-13:00.

Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition: Consideration of first draft of BRR Report. Committee Room M314, Third Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 10:00-12:00.

Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans: Consideration of the PCDMV 2024 BRRR; Consideration of outstanding minutes. Committee Room 1, Upper Ground Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 10:00-13:00.

Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration: Deliberations and Adoption of the draft Budgetary Review Recommendation Reports for the budget votes of the Department of Public Service and Administration, National School of Government and Public Service Commission; Briefing by the Content Advisor and Researcher on the petition from the SATBVC States Committee on pension redress; Consideration and adoption of the minutes. Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00.

FRIDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2024:
Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture: Consideration and adoption of the Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report. Venue to be confirmed, 08:30-09:30.

Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition: Formal consideration of BRR Report. Virtual Meeting Platform, 08:30-09:45.
 
For the latest full schedule of committee meetings (updated regularly), please click: https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/Docs/zlist/86093982-be9a-475d-84f4-b776b84c3d19.pdf
 
The NCOP select committees oversight visits are scheduled as follows:
 
TUESDAY, 22 OCTOBER:
Select Committee on Security and Justice: Oversight visit of Border Management Authority: Beitbridge facility (including Department of Home Affairs (DHA), South African Police Service (SAPS), South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
 
Select Committee on Social Services:
Public hearings on the Older Persons Amendment Bill of 2022.
 
Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade:
Oversight visit to Free State Province.
 
Select Committee on Finance:
10:00 – 13:00 Workshop by National Treasury and South African Revenue Service (SARS) on the Tax Bills.
 
WEDNESDAY, 23 OCTOBER:
Select Committee on Social Services:
Public hearings on the Older Persons Amendment Bill of 2022.
 
Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade:
Oversight visit to Free State Province.
 
Select Committee on Security and Justice: Oversight visit of Thohoyandou Magistrates Court. Oversight visit to Thohoyandou Police station.
 
Select Committee on Appropriations:
Workshop by Parliamentary Budget Office on pre-2024 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) (Joint with Standing and Select Committees on Appropriations and Finance) 10:00 – 13:00.
 
THURSDAY, 24 OCTOBER:
Select Committee on Social Services:
Public hearings on the Older Persons Amendment Bill of 2022.
 
Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade:
Oversight visit to Free State Province.
 
FRIDAY, 25 OCTOBER:
Select Committee on Social Services:
Public hearings on the Older Persons Amendment Bill of 2022.
 
Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade:
Oversight visit to Free State Province.

Issued by Parliament of South Africa