The Week Ahead: Committee meetings get underway

MPs return to work on Tuesday after their summer break and spending time in their constituencies. Because it's the first week, the programme is fairly gentle with no sittings scheduled in the main chambers and only a handful of meetings planned for the committee corridor.

The pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) period is usually a low-key time in Parliament – quiet and uncontroversial. However, Parliament's ad hoc committee probing the SABC board, hearings on the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill and the High Level Panel assessing key legislation has guaranteed that this is not the case.

Meanwhile, Parliament’s management is hard at work with preparations for the State of the Nation Address.

There are a few intriguing meetings on the agenda. Here is a run down of the meetings that are likely to produce big headlines:

On Tuesday, the Ad Hoc Committee probing the SABC Board will continue to put together its final report. A hallmark of the process so far has been the united and non-partisan approach of the committee. That said, divisions and disagreements are beginning to emerge as the committee thrashes out the recommendations. Some of the points of contention relate to the Minister of Communications, mandate of interim board and if board members should have political affiliations. The committee aims to adopt a final draft report on Friday, January 28.

In a separate meeting, the Portfolio Committee on Communications will begin discussions on the appointment process of the SABC Interim Board. In its findings, the ad hoc committee said that the Portfolio Committee on Communications lacked the urgency in addressing the removal of the three Board members without the involvement of Parliament contributed towards the dysfunctionality of the SABC Board. All eyes will be watching the appointment process closely.

It's unclear if this is driven by the DA's recent controversial visits to Israel and Taiwan but the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation has organised a public seminar on the Foreign Services Bill in Pretoria. According to the governing party these trips abroad may undermine the country’s foreign policy and in a parliamentary press statement, “the Chairperson of the Committee, Mr Siphosezwe Masango, said the seminar is critical given the confusion that may be created by politicians misrepresenting South Africa’s foreign policy positions while travelling abroad”.

Legislation will be in the spotlight when lawmakers hold public hearings on the Protection, Promotion, Development and Management of Indigenous Knowledge Systems Bill and Refugees Amendment Bill. In addition, the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs will commence with the second phase of the public hearings on the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill targeting North West, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, starting from 23 January to 03 February 2017.

After several false starts and politicking, the Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Appointment of Board of Members to the NYDA will interview shortlisted candidates on Wednesday. It's set to be a long day as all 14 candidates will be grilled on the same day. In a controversial move, Parliament dropped the requirement that candidates must possess a tertiary qualification. Critics have said this was done for political reasons.

SASSA will brief legislators on the progress made on implementing the Constitutional Court ruling on the bidding of the new social assistance payment tender and preparation for the institutionalisation of the grant payment system. There is skepticism and concern about whether the Agency will be able to takeover the payment of social grants to 17 million recipients.

View the full schedule here.

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