By Lizette Lancaster
Increasingly, South Africans from all walks of life are mobilising for change. Many resort to public protest in the hope of galvanising government to improve its performance and do something about unacceptable levels of unemployment and poverty. Last year saw widespread community-level protests, along with large-scale student ...
The 2011 Human Rights Watch report alleged wide spread abuse of workers on Western Cape farms and in November 2012 the De Doorns strike broke out. Mr Stone Sizani, then Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Affairs, suggested that a comprehensive study be conducted to find ...
After a low key week, the main chambers have scheduled a broad and busy programme, which includes oral questions to the executive; ministerial and members’ statements, policy debates, and the processing of assorted bills, statutory instruments and committee reports.
In the National Assembly, the main plenary event will be the ...
By Julian Brown
We do not have a crisis of activism or political commitment in South Africa. Instead, we have a vibrant, challenging, and contentious political sphere defined by grassroots activism.
If we’re to believe recent reports in the Daily Maverick, South Africa’s activists are in trouble: Zwelinzimi Vavi believes ...
Since early March, portfolio committees have been meeting with departments and entities to process their budget votes and prepare reports.
The focus now shifts to the budget vote debates that commence tomorrow and run until the end of the month. These debates will happen in the Extended Public Committees (EPCs), ...
Another week and another showdown is looming in Parliament. Last week, five opposition parties (DA, EFF, COPE, UDM and FF+) tabled a motion of no confidence in the Speaker of Parliament. They accused her, amongst other things, of being partisan and stifling criticism of the executive arm of government. The ...
The Select Committee on Economic and Business Development held its first meeting with Public Works, with the Minister and Deputy Minister present on Tuesday, 15 July 2014. However, as the Committee progressed into discussion following the Department’s presentation, I was struck – not by the Minister’s announcement that the Department ...
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) passed fifteen bills in just two days this week (26 and 27 March), in a rush before the close of Parliament’s last session. Twelve of the bills were sent to the President for assent. Minor amendments were made to only three bills by the ...
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 ...
The Select Committee on Public Services held a meeting today to discuss the provinces’ negotiating mandates for the Rental Housing Amendment Bill. Seven provinces said they were in favour of the Bill, while Limpopo and the Western Cape did not support it.
The Rental Housing Amendment Bill was re-introduced last ...