Through its sectoral parliament programme, parliament is launching a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) drive across all nine provinces, to identify and encourage young people with robotics and coding skills to harness 4IR and integrate it into the world of work. This initiative is expected to serve as a launch pad for youth participation in the economy and reduce the rising number of unemployed people.
 
The hybrid 4IR Young Innovators Exhibition will be launched on Tuesday, from 10am to 15pm, at the Parliamentary precinct, and will be attended by various key players including young innovators from all nine provinces, industry giants, members of the executive, and Members of Parliament. The programme will comprise presentations by young innovators, questions and answer session, and a media launch.
 
Other key items to wrap up the second term Parliamentary programme this week include policy debates on budget votes, consideration of bills, and questions for oral reply.
 
On Tuesday at 2pm, the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will convene a hybrid plenary sitting to consider the South African Post Bank Limited Amendment bill, and to hold policy debates on Budget Vote 5, Home Affairs, and Budget Vote 29, Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development respectively.
 
The South African Post Bank Limited Amendment bill seeks to amend the South African Postbank Limited Act, 2010 so as to mitigate against the risks associated with the structure envisaged in the Postbank Act, which makes SAPO the sole owner and shareholder of the Postbank. It further seeks to amend other sections of the Act impacted by the change in the Postbank reporting structure;to provide for the appointment of the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer; and to provide for matters connected therewith.

The NCOP will reconvene its plenary sitting on Wednesday at 10am to consider reports and bills, namely; the Eskom Debt Relief Bill [B5 – 2023](s77), and the Appropriation Bill [B 3 – 2023](s77).
 
The Eskom Debt Relief Bill, among other things, calls for a direct charge against the National Revenue Fund for relief to Eskom, while the Appropriation Bill provides for the appropriation of money by Parliament from the National Revenue Fund (NRF) in terms of section 213 of the Constitution and section 27 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).
 
The two form part of the Bills presented by the Minister of Finance during his budget speech in the National Assembly in February this year. They were both passed by the NA on 25 May and 08 June 2023 respectively, and transmitted to the NCOP for concurrence.

The house will conclude its second term programme on Thursday at 2pm with a question and answer session with one of the Economics Cluster Ministers, the Minister of Small Business Development. This session was previously deferred to a later date when other Economics Cluster 4D ministers appeared to answer questions in the house.

Questions for Oral Reply sessions are but one of the mechanisms that Parliament utilizes to give effect to its oversight mandate over the President and Cabinet Members.
 
NCOP delegates will be going on a constituency period from 26 June 2023, and are expected to return to Parliament on 05 September 2023 to proceed with the 3rd term parliamentary programme. Meanwhile the NA will begin its constituency period on June 19, and expected to return to Parliament on 28 August.
 
While both houses go on constituency period, parliamentary committees will proceed with scheduled public hearings on the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Bill, and the Independent Municipal Demarcation Authority Bill respectively.

There are four (4) scheduled committee meetings for this week, as follows:
 
TUESDAY, 20 JUNE 2023
 
Select Committee on Health and Social Services
Briefing by the Department of Health on the National Health Insurance Bill.
 
Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Small Business Development, Tourism, Employment and Labour, Voting on Negotiating Mandate son Performers Protection and Copyright Amendment Bills.
 
WEDNESDAY, 21 JUNE 2023
 
Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure, Consideration of oral and written submissions on Expropriation Bill.
 
Select Committee on Appropriations, Briefing by PBO on Social Development Conditional Grants underspending.

Issued by Parliament of the Republic of South Africa