The Week ahead: Legislation & budget debates dominate

This is a week for detailed law-making, with issues ranging from maintenance, to freedom of expression, to land expropriation, to trade union accountability and decriminalising consensual sex between children of certain ages.

Beyond this, the legislature’s budget vote season doesn’t show any sign of slowing down as most days are packed with press briefings and debates about how government departments are spending their budget allocations and what their priorities are. The budget debates for the Departments of justice and correctional services, communications, defence and military veterans, small business development, trade and industry and telecommunications and postal services are likely to create big headlines.

Elsewhere, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko’s long awaited report on the Nkandla spending could land in Parliament this week and cause some political excitement.

The committee corridor offers a blend of legislative meat and controversial policy issues. Here is a run down of the highlights:

On Tuesday, the Minister of Trade and Industry will brief MPs on the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Codes of Good Practice. There has been some unhappiness and uncertainty around governement’s issuing of the clarification notice on the codes, which came into effect on May 1.The clarification states that aspects of broad-based black ownership, such as employee share ownership schemes and community trusts, will now earn only 3 out of 25 points on the new scorecard. Critics have argued that government seems to be “in favour of enriching individuals rather than effecting broad-based empowerment for communities and workers”. The notice has subquently been withdrawn for further work. Companies are also seeking clarity on the codes as it might affect new investment deals.

According to a recent Mail and Guardian article, civil society organisations have dismissed a claim by the basic education and transport departments that 71% of pupils get state sponsored transport to school. The Draft Policy on Learner Transport is supposed to address this concern and will be topic for discussion in a Joint Meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education & Portfolio Committee on Transport.

On Wednesday, the SAPS will brief legislators on its efforts to reduce incidents of crimes against vulnerable groups, including women, children, the elderly and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) community. Deputy Minister John Jeffery addressed the LGBTI National Task Team Meeting last month where he outlined some of the measures government has taken to tackle this problem.

Parliament has arranged public hearings on the Government’s 30 day payment of service providers for Thursday and Friday. The Public Service Commission reported to Parliament that service providers were owed tens of millions of rand and that late and non-payment impacted on their operations negatively. The auditor-general also criticised government on this issue in his report on performances of departments and entities.

Various committees will either be conducting hearings on deliberating on the following pieces of legislation:

Maintenance Amendment Bill Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Bill Agrément South Africa Bill Expropriation Bill Refugee Amendment Bill Disaster Management Amendment Bill Labour Relations Amendment Bill (Private Members’ Bill)

You can find the full list of meetings here.

See below for the budget vote schedule.

Tuesday Extended Public Committees: 14:00 –±16:00 Debate on Vote 21: Justice and Constitutional Development (NA Chamber) Debate on Vote 19: Defence and Military Veterans (OAC) 16:40 –±18:40 Debate on Vote 22: Officeof the Chief Justice and Judicial Administration (NA Chamber) Debate on Vote 37: Arts and Culture (OAC)

Wednesday Extended Public Committees: 15:00 –±17:00 Debate on Vote 18: Correctional Services (NA Chamber) Debate on Vote 3: Communications (OAC) 17:00 –±19:00 Debate on Vote 31: Small Business Development (NA Chamber) Debate on Vote 40: Sport and Recreation South Africa (OAC)

Thursday Extended Public Committees: 14:00 –±16:00 Debate on Vote 36: Water and Sanitation (NA Chamber) Debate on Vote 30: Science and Technology (OAC) Debate on Vote 6: International Relations and Cooperation (E249) 16:40 –±18:40 Debate on Vote 34: Trade and Industry (NA Chamber) Debate on Vote 32: Telecommunications and Postal Services (OAC)