Week Ahead: Budget vote season rolls on

It's raining reports: with the deadline for the completion of Budget Vote Reports fast approaching, committees are in a race to finalise their reports ahead of the budget vote debates, which are scheduled to start next week.

As a result, the schedule shows no sign of slowing down as most days are packed with meetings. This gruelling schedule has again brought into sharp focus the question of parliamentary oversight and how effectively MPs are able to engage with the presenters and presentations. On several occasions, the proceedings were hurried, the questions were not probing and MPs were presented with the documents for the first time at the meeting. While it has become practice for Ministers and Deputy Ministers to be present at these meetings; some have failed to pitch up - much to the consternation of legislators.

Besides budget-related matters, this is a week for detailed law-making, with issues ranging from border management, to traditional leadership, to financial sector regulation, to insurance and indigenous knowledge all on the agenda.

Beyond this, the main chambers have scheduled a varied programme, which offers a blend of members' statements, legislative business, statutory appointments, consideration of reports, oral questions to the Deputy President as well as question time with ministers in the social services and economics clusters. The practice of oral questions is an established part of the parliamentary day and gives MPs an opportunity to question government ministers about matters for which they are responsible.

The appearance by the leader of government business on Thursday will be a highlight. This is his first interaction with lawmakers since the President's controversial cabinet reshuffle. The opposition will try to use the opportunity to expose the cracks between the President and his deputy. In respect of questions to Cabinet Ministers, everything from specific scandals to controversies around current legislation to big-picture policy and foreign matters will be under the microscope.

See full plenary programme here.

Once again, the committee corridor is the main site for most of the work – there are approximately 40 meetings scheduled. Here is a run down of the highlights:

On Tuesday, National Treasury and South African Revenue Service will brief MPs on their Strategic and Annual Performance Plans. The newly appointed finance minister is expected to attend the meeting and will face some tough questions.

On the same day, the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry will further engage the poultry industry, and the Standing Committee on Appropriations will get a progress update on the implementation of procurement reforms.

On Wednesday, the Standing Committee on Appropriations will receive a briefing from National Treasury on the new infrastructure budgeting facility. Also, the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation will receive expert analysis on South Africa’s foreign policy focus areas for oversight.

On Thursday, the Secretary of Parliament will brief the joint standing committee on financial management on matters identified in meetings that took place between November and February.

On Friday, the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry will conduct interviews for appointment of the Chairperson of the National Lotteries Commission.

You can see the full programme here.

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