The Week Ahead: Spotlight on President, rules and Nkandla Committee

After a low key week, the National Assembly chamber has shifted gears and arranged a busy programme, which includes ministerial statements, policy debates, oral questions and the processing of assorted bills and statutory instruments. It’s rather quieter in the NCOP chamber, where internal work dominates and any kind of contested ...

Infographic: Youth development and the National Development Plan

On Wednesday, 29 July 2015, Parliament held a Round Table for young parliamentarians from all legislatures in the country to debate the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP), specifically focusing on challenges facing the youth. The idea is to ensure that policies are developed to realise the objectives of ...

The Week Ahead: More wrangling expected in Parliament

There is some very significant Committee action this week that will keep the legislature firmly in the spotlight. Regrettably, this means there will also be plenty of opportunity for posturing and point scoring as political parties try to attract publicity and out manoeuvre each other.

The parliamentary ad hoc committee ...

Bill, Bills, Bills

By Sheilan Clarke

In the second term of Parliament, three bills were passed, eight were introduced and 22 are still in the deliberation process. Check out this list of bills that you should familiarise yourself with:

National Liquor Policy

  • Status: Up for public comment

Basically, government wants the legal drinking ...

The Week Ahead – The end of Parliament's second term looms

It's a week of farewells, loose ends and tussles…

The constituency period beckons, with MPs due to depart at the end of the week and return to Parliament on 21 July 2015. But a fair amount of heavy-duty business will be done before they go.

It's a big week in ...

The Week Ahead: President and Deputy answer oral questions

Even with the Youth Day Holiday to compress the parliamentary week, the legislature has arranged a substantial programme in the main chambers, which includes ministerial statements, policy debates, oral questions and the processing of assorted bills and statutory instruments.

No surprises, President Zuma will grab the limelight when he answers ...

Infographic: State of Youth Unemployment in South Africa

On Tuesday, 9 June 2015, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) briefed the Economic and Business Development Select Committee on the policy objectives to create work, particularly for young people. Although millions of Rands are being spent on youth development, particularly youth employment, the proportion of young people not employed ...

State security, classification and information trumps: The state’s awkward PAIA conundrum

By Gabriella Razzano

Access to information and classified records seem entangled in an awkward game of trumps. There appears a knee-jerk reaction to refuse access to information because it contains “classified” details whenever controversy surfaces. But the legal answer is meant to be simple. Isn’t it?

There appears a knee-jerk ...

The week ahead: Youth issues and oral questions take centre stage

The programmes in the main chambers offer a blend of members' statements, policy debates, legislative business, oral questions to the Deputy President and Economic Cluster and a joint debate to mark Youth Day.

During his question session in the National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday, the leader of government business ...

The week ahead: The legislature's budget vote, Nkandla, committee meetings and more

Parliament has scheduled a broad and busy programme in the main chambers as well as in the committee corridor this week.

The Legislature's budget vote is the main plenary event. During their speeches last year, the presiding officers (read here and here) focused largely on the legacy of the ...