Parliament has been occupied with two contentious issues for the past few months. This has resulted in the souring of relations between the ruling party and most opposition parties. Constructive debate has been replaced by walkouts and threats of legal action.
With both matters set to be finalised by their respective committees this week, it is clear that this will only herald the beginning of more skirmishes and widen the chasm between the two groups.
First, an ad hoc committee was established to deal with President Jacob Zuma’s response to the Public Protector’s report on the R246m taxpayer-funded security upgrades to his private residence. Based on the preliminary report, the committee is set to contradict the Public Protector and find that the President is not in violation of the Executive Members Ethics Code. Furthermore, the report apportions blame to the architect and officials in the SAPS, Department of Public Works and SANDF for the cost overruns.
Opposition parties, who declined to take part in the deliberations, reject some aspects of the findings and vowed to take legal action and produce their own minority report.
Second, the legislature appointed a committee to review the EFF’s conduct in the National Assembly on 21 August and recommend possible disciplinary action in terms of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act. At its last meeting, the Committee recommended that 6 Members should be suspended without pay for 30 days. Another 6 should be suspended for 14 days without pay while the last 8 should apologise in the house and be fined an amount equal to 14 days’ pay. The decision was reached after a presentation in aggravation made by the initiator. The charged members neither appeared nor submitted any mitigation factors. The EFF has threatened court action if the suspensions are put in effect.
Both committees will now report and make their recommendations to the full National Assembly, which must approve them.
Although overshadowed, there are important plenary sittings scheduled for this week, with Ministers in the Economic Cluster set to answer questions in the NCOP on Tuesday and Thursday and Ministers in the Social Services Cluster doing the same in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
The committee corridor is also packed with action this week. Here are the highlights:
Today, the powers and privileges committee will finalise its report and submit its recommendations to the National Assembly for consideration.
On Tuesday, there will be briefing by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on their work in South Africa relating to refugees. On the same day, MPs will get an overview of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy and Codes of Good Practice as well as an update on the implementation of the B-BBEE legislation. Rhino poaching and conservation will come to the fore when the Department of Environmental Affairs briefs MPs.
On Wednesday, there will be a briefing by South Africa Human Rights Commission on a report called “poverty traps and social exclusion among children in South Africa”. In addition, the Department of Water and Sanitation will give a progress report on implementation of the Millennium Development Goals as they relate to water and sanitation.
The Ad Hoc Committee on Nkandla will finalise its report and submit its recommendations to the National Assembly for consideration.
On Friday, the Department of Telecommunications, Broadband Infraco, SITA, USAASA, Sentech, ICASA will discuss broadband with MPs.
Click here for a list of all the committee meetings for this week.
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