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As part of finalising the establishment of structures for the 7th Parliament, two joint standing committees – the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) and the Constitutional Review Committee – elected chairpersons today.

The Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament (JSCFMP) was also expected to elect chairpersons today, but the committee did not have a quorum to proceed. The meeting is scheduled for Friday, 1 November, at 09:00. The Multi-Party Women’s Caucus is expected to elect chairpersons tomorrow.
 
The Joint Standing Committee on Defence 
Meanwhile, the Joint Standing Committee on Defence elected Mr Malusi Gigaba from the Assembly and Mr Phiroene Phala from the Council as its co-chairpersons. The committee is constitutionally mandated to exercise oversight on the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and its subsidiaries by investigating and making recommendations on the budget, functioning, organisation, armaments, policy, morale and state of preparedness of the SANDF.
 
Determining membership of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence is guided by Section 228(3)(a) of the Interim Constitution, which provides that a Joint Standing Committee on Defence shall be established, consisting of members of all political parties holding more than ten seats in the National Assembly and willing to participate in the committee. Section 228(3)(c) provides the formula for determining membership. It was resolved that the committee would consist of 17 members – 11 NA members and six NCOP permanent delegates.
 
The Constitutional Review Committee 
The Constitutional Review Committee also elected Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach, a member of the NA, and Mr Mtikeni Patrick Sibande, an NCOP member, as its co-chairpersons. As stipulated in Rule 102 (2) of the Joint Rules of Parliament, the committee’s responsibility is to consider any constitutional matter relating to the review of the constitution annually.

According to Rule 71 of the Joint Rules of Parliament, the co-chairpersons of a joint committee are a member of the Assembly component elected by that component and a member of the Council component elected by that component.
 
The co-chairpersons or the Chairperson of a joint committee preside at committee meetings except when one takes the chair by agreement between them. They have the power to act in any matter on behalf of and in the best interests of the committee when it is not practical to arrange a committee meeting to discuss that matter.

Issued by Parliament of South Africa