The debate in the National Assembly (NA) on Higher Education Transformation tomorrow, will provide an important public platform for the consideration of the issue. The Political parties through their elected representatives in the NA will raise their views.

Last Wednesday, 17 Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were removed from the Chamber when they refused observe an instruction from the Presiding Officer, Ms Thoko Didiza, to stop chanting “fees must fall” and to resume their seats.

Their removal was in terms of NA Rules. The rules, agreed by most parties, set out conditions under which Members may be removed from the NA Chamber and their automatic suspension – in this case for five Parliamentary working days. If Members had to be physically removed – as was the case on 21 October – the rules allow for the circumstances of their removal to be referred within 24 hours to a multiparty committee for consideration. The circumstances of the removal of the 17 EFF Members on 21 October have been referred to the multiparty Rules Committee.

The suspension of 17 EFF Members does not mean the party cannot participate in the debate tomorrow. The EFF has a total of 25 seats in the NA and the remaining eight members of the party, including leader of the EFF Mr Julius Malema would be able to take part and present the EFF’s perspectives in the debate.

Scheduled for the NA’s consideration before tomorrow’s debate is Members’ Statements and the introduction of six bills. These are the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill, the Financial Sector Regulation Bill, the Financial Intelligence Centre Bill, the Finance Bill and the National Development Bank Special Appropriation Bill for the 2015/16 Financial Year.

After the debate, the NA will consider reports from the Portfolio Committees on Public Service and Administration as well as Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (recommendation of a candidate for appointment to the Public Service Commission); Tourism (on 2015 Tourism Indaba); Water and Sanitation (a report on public hearings on theft and vandalism of water infrastructure and a report on its oversight visit to Gauteng); Arts and Culture (reports of visits to the Nelson Mandela Museum, the Performing Arts Centre of the Free State and the Windybrow Theatre)

Tomorrow’s NA plenary sitting is scheduled to start at 14.00 and end at about 18.30.

The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) at its plenary sitting tomorrow, starting at 14.00, will deal with questions to the first group of the 17 Ministries in the Economics Cluster. Tomorrow, those scheduled to appear are Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Energy; Environmental Affairs; Mineral Resources; Rural Development and Land Reform and Tourism. On Wednesday, Economic Development; Labour; Public Works; Small Business Development; Trade and Industry; Transport and on Thursday, Communications; Finance; Public Enterprises; Telecommunications and Postal Services; Science and Technology.

On Wednesday, the NA plenary sitting considers questions for oral reply from Ministries in the Peace and Security Cluster.

Also on Wednesday, and again on Thursday, the NA plenary will consider reports from its Committees on the Budgetary Review and Recommendation reports of government entities. Members’ statements and the second reading debate on the Criminal Matters Amendment Bill are also scheduled for the NA’s Thursday sitting.

The NCOP Programme Committee meets at 8.30 on Wednesday and on Thursday, the NA Programme Committee meets, also at 8.30, to update the programmes of the Houses.

On Friday, the Subcommittee on Review of NCOP Rules meets at 9.00.

Issued by Parliament of RSA