Infographic: Electronic Monitoring

On 18 November 2015 the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) in their presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services explained that the electronic monitoring system (EMS)was a way of tracking and recording an offender’s location and movements with a device, usually attached to the ankle, linked to ...

The Week Ahead: It’s all about lawmaking, debates and oversight

There's both high policy and low politics on display in the main chambers this week. The National Assembly offers a blend of members' statements; processing of committee reports; discussions of national importance, legislative business and oral questions to the Deputy President and the Governance Cluster. The programme is a bit ...

Infographic: National Crime Statistics - 2014/15

The Minister of Police released the national crime statistics on Tuesday 28 September 2015. Trends show that there has been an increase in contact crimes (0.9%) and contact related crimes (1.9%). Property related crimes decreased by 0.8% and there was a continued overall decrease in crimes against women and children. ...

Infographic: Jobs Fund Performance

On Tuesday, 22 September 2015, National Treasury with the Deputy Minister of Finance, gave an overview and a status report on the Jobs Fund to the Standing Committee on Appropriations. South Africa's unemployment challenge needs high levels of economic growth which require long term structural change to the economy. The ...

The Week Ahead: Debates, heated exchanges and extensive legislative work

After a low key week, the main chambers have scheduled a broad and busy programme, which includes a motion to impeach the President, oral questions to the Deputy President and Economic Cluster; ministerial and members’ statements, policy discussions and debates, and the processing of assorted bills and statutory instruments.

In ...

SJC and Ndifuna Ukwazi: March to Parliament for Justice and Inequality

SJC NU

According to the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) and Ndifuna Ukwazi (NU), every day in Khayelitsha people are robbed, raped and murdered. Every day women, men, and children are deprived of the most basic rights to life, safety, security, justice and equality.

The Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry's report was released on ...

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 ...

Infographic: Women & Persons with Disabilities employment targets

On Wednesday, 12 August 2015, the Department of Public Service and Administration told MPs that departments did not meet the target for employing 50% of women and 2% of persons with disabilities in the public service sector. According to the Department’s records, employment of women at Senior Management Service level ...

Representation: can we question the legitimacy of parliament?

By Raymond Suttner

In its opening words, phrased as a declaration and making known to all, the Freedom Charter embraces a claim to popular sovereignty and democratic rule, in the name of the people of South Africa. It immediately attacks the legitimacy of apartheid South Africa and simultaneously calls for ...

Five female MPs on their passion for politics

By Sheilan Clarke

Statistics show that 35.2% of South African cabinet ministers are women while 41.5% are parliamentarians. This means that of the 54 cabinet ministers, only 19 of them are women and out of a total of 400 parliamentarians, 166 are women. This is according to a United Nations ...