NCOP Committees adopt 10 bills today in last-minute rush!

Eight Committees in Parliament's Second House met today to vote on final mandates for legislation that the Fourth Democratic Parliament is determined to complete - as its last day fast approaches. Five provinces need to vote in favour of a bill in order for it to pass. Many of these Bills have been put through Parliament at an excessive speed.

Given ongoing concerns about the number of bills being “rushed through” in the last six months of the Fourth Parliament, People's Assembly examined how long it took a bill to be passed in 2012 and 2013. The average time was 266 calendar days. However, for the 27 bills introduced in the last six months, this has decreased to 96 days - one third of the time!

These were the decisions taken today by the eight NCOP Committees:

Infrastructure Development Bill [B49B-2013]: The Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West and Limpopo voted in favour of the Bill, while the Western Cape voted against it. The Member from KwaZulu-Natal stated that the province was still applying its mind to the Bill and therefore could not vote. Gauteng and the Free State could did not present final mandates as both provinces were still holding public hearings on the Bill this afternoon. The Bill was adopted.

State Attorney Amendment Bill [B52B – 2013]: The Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, the North West, Limpopo and the Western Cape voted in favour of the Bill. The Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and Gauteng did not submit final mandates. The Bill was adopted.

Rental Housing Amendment Bill [B56B-2013]: The Eastern Cape, North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal voted in favour of the Bill, while the Western Cape voted against it. The Free State did not submit a final mandate. The Bill was adopted.

Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill [B35-2013]: The Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape and the North West voted in favour of the Bill. The Western Cape voted against the Bill, while the Free State, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal did not present final mandates. The Bill was adopted.

National Environmental Management Laws Third Amendment Bill [B26B-2013]: The Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape and North West voted in favour of the Bill, while the Western Cape voted against it. The Free State and KwaZulu-Natal did not vote. The Bill was adopted.

Environmental Management: Waste Amendment Bill [B32B-2013]: The Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the Northern Cape voted in favour of the Bill, while the Western Cape voted against it. The North West also voted against the Bill because they felt they needed more time for consultation. The Free State and KwaZulu-Natal did not vote. The Bill was adopted.

National Credit Amendment Bill [B47B-2013]: The Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal did not present their final mandates, as they were still considering the Bill. The Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, the North West and Northern Cape voted in favour of the Bill. The Bill was adopted.

Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill [B50B-2013]: The Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and Limpopo voted in favour of the Bill, while the Western Cape voted against it. The Free State and KwaZulu-Natal did not present any final mandates, and the North West’s final mandate was deemed invalid as the date on the mandate predated deliberations on the Bill. The Bill was adopted.

Division of Revenue Bill [B5-2014]: All nine provinces voted in favour of the Bill. The Bill was adopted.

Financial Management of Parliament Amendment Bill [B1B-2014]: The Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Free State, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, North West and the Northern Cape voted in favour of the Bill. The Western Cape voted against the Bill. Mpumalanga produced a mandate based on the Bill as introduced and not as amended and; therefore, could not vote. The Bill was adopted.

Further deliberations will be held tomorrow on an 11th bill. The National Council of Provinces will vote on all the bills on Thursday.

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