The Presidency has reiterated that President Jacob Zuma’s annual calendar has included Parliamentary work since he took office in 2009, and has released a list of what it comprises.

“The Presidency has noted discussions around President Jacob Zuma’s programme and parliamentary work. We wish to reiterate that although the President is not a Member of Parliament, his annual calendar always includes parliamentary work and that has been the case since his first term in 2009,” said the Presidency in a statement on Thursday.

According to the Presidency, the President’s annual calendar includes:

• Joint Sittings of Parliament, to deliver the State of the Nation Address and the debate thereof;
• Budget speeches in February and October by the Minister of Finance;
• The Budget Vote Debate of the Presidency;
• Oral Questions in the National Assembly four times a year;
• Oral Questions in the National Council of Provinces once a year;
• Delivery of the annual address to the National Council of Provinces in November of each year and the debate thereof; and
• Questions for Written Reply which are responded to whenever sent by Members of Parliament during the year.

Zuma also opens the National House of Traditional Leaders and attends the debate thereof in March each year.  He is also invited to attend special debates in the National Assembly at times.

Other critical components of the President’s calendar, which The Presidency is finalizing currently, include Cabinet meetings, Cabinet committees, meetings with statutory bodies and international engagements including annual summits such as those of the United Nations General Assembly, African Union, Southern African Development Community, G20, BRICS, incoming and outgoing state and working visits and ad-hoc summits and engagements.

He also has community engagement programmes such as Izimbizo and the Siyahlola Presidential monitoring programme, philanthropic work through Trusts and Foundations as well as the programme of the governing party the ANC.

The Presidency added that the date for the first quarter oral question time “will be finalised with the National Assembly in due course and will be communicated publicly as part of the President’s programme that is released to the media regularly”.