The Week Ahead: Oversight visits & committee business dominate the week

This week marks the mid-way point of the third term and the programme has a familiar pattern: lots of unglamorous legislating, oversight and scrutinising, with some set piece battles in prospect.

Fireworks are expected during the debate on the parliamentary ad hoc committee report on the Nkandla upgrades. MPs visited ...

The Week Ahead: Presidency’s budget vote takes centre stage

MPs will be relieved that the grueling budget vote schedule is nearing the end. This process began in February with the training of MPs on the processing of the budget votes and was followed by committees meeting with various departments and entities on their strategic plans, annual performance plans and ...

Valence and ambivalence

By Tim Cohen

The more I hear about it, the more I’m intrigued by the notion of valence politics. The issue came up acutely in the UK election, but it is of course applicable everywhere, and is increasingly relevant in SA too.

Valence politics is sometimes called competence politics. It ...

LiveMagSA: Understanding government’s plan to give ten-year-olds condoms

By Kgorula Bitterhout

The Department of Basic Education has recently come under fire for its plans to provide school kids with condoms. The plan, which is part of the department’s Draft National Policy on HIV, STI’s and TB, could see children as young as ten receive condoms. This has drawn ...

The Week Ahead: Busy Committee & Plenary Programme

The main chambers have scheduled a broad and busy programme this week, which includes a motion of no confidence vote in the President, oral questions to the Deputy President and Social Services Cluster, a debate on the funding situation in the higher education sector as well as a joint sitting ...

The Week Ahead: Questions, Debates & Legislating

The National Assembly (NA) chamber has scheduled a broad and busy programme this week, which includes a motion of no confidence vote in the President, oral questions to the Deputy President and Peace and Security Cluster as well as a debate to mark International Women’s Day.

The motion was tabled ...

LiveMagSA: How the budget speech tackles youth issues

By Rofhiwa Maneta

On Tuesday, the Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene delivered his maiden budget speech to the National Assembly. It was a speech that announced the first income tax increase in 20 years, an increase in sin tax and an increased fuel levy that is set to trigger an ...

Infographic: The 2015 budget simplified

Today, the Minister of Finance, Mr Nhlanhla Nene gave his first budget speech in Parliament. As predicted by People's Assembly, the speech touched on pressing matters such as the energy crisis and proposed tax changes.

The Minister told citizens that the country's projected economic growth for 2015 was expected ...

Legislation to come before Parliament in 2015

On 15 February 2015, the Presidency released a press statement detailing legislation that will come before Parliament this year. President Zuma made reference very briefly to certain pieces of legislation during the 2015 State of the Nation Address. See list of legislation below:

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

To further ...

Read President Jacob Zuma's 2015 State of the Nation speech here:

State of the Nation Address by His Excellency Jacob G Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa on the occasion of the Joint Sitting Of Parliament Cape Town,

The Speaker of the National Assembly, The Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and ...