The Week Ahead: NCOP Local Government Week & Statutory Appointments

From Tuesday to Thursday, the NCOP, in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), will host a hybrid Local Government Week under the theme, “Advancing Our Collective Effort to Enhance Oversight and Accountability in the Local Sphere of Government.

Local Government Week is a permanent and integral part of the NCOP programme. The aim of the initiative is to provide an opportunity for national reflection on issues affecting local government and to seek solutions to those challenges.

Parliamentarians, senior members of the national and provincial SALGA leadership, Cabinet Ministers, Premiers, MECs, Mayors, Councillors, the Auditor-General, independent analysts and strategic entities participate in the event.

The three-day event will culminate in a plenary session on Thursday where delegates will debate Local Government Week Outcomes.

Addressing the SALGA Council of Mayors last week, the President said that: “the failure of local government has a direct and material impact on economic growth and jobs”. Further, he highlighted that: “there must be consequence and accountability management. This must be the hallmark of restoring the credibility of our municipalities”.

There are several parliamentary mechanisms for achieving government accountability, one of which is the asking of oral questions in the House. Question Time is used to ask a member of the executive about matters of concern relating to government policy and activities in their portfolio. The National Assembly (NA) has arranged two sessions this week.

Select Ministers in the Governance Cluster will be probed on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Deputy President’s interrogation – scheduled once per term – takes place on Thursday.

For several statutory positions, the appointment process generally involves the NA approving candidates and recommending them to the President, who makes the appointment. On Tuesday, the House will consider the candidate nominated for appointment as Inspector-General of Intelligence Services as well as candidates to fill four vacancies on the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) Council. Elsewhere the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies will interview candidates for vacancies on the SABC Board.

The week rounds off with a report-back session on the Women’s Charter Report in the Eastern Cape.

Beyond this, the Speaker will announce – this week - the names of the three-member independent panel being set up to assess the President’s fitness to hold office. The panel will have 30 days to report back to the National Assembly with its assessment of whether the president should face an inquiry into his removal from office in terms of Section 89 of the Constitution.

There are many interesting meetings scheduled in the Committee Corridor. These include: MONDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 2022

Ad-Hoc Joint Committee on Flood Disaster Relief and Recovery, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the South African Human Rights Commission on its work regarding monitoring the flood relief efforts of government], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00

TUESDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2022

Standing Committee on Finance, (National Assembly), [Public hearings on the draft Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill (Rates Bill)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00

Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Congolese Society of South Africa on the Memorandum referred by the Speaker National Assembly; Briefing by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on the opening of refugee offices, statelessness and the backlog project], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Communications (Subcommittee), (National Assembly), [Interviews of candidates for the SABC Board vacancies], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00 & 18:00-21:00

Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the DTIC on the status of implementing the following legislation: Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Act, National Credit Amendment Act, Legal Metrology Act; Protection of Investment Act; Briefing by the DTIC on the status of the review process with regard to the following: Consumer Protection Act, National Gambling Act], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Auditor-General of SA (AGSA) on the performance audit report on the rehabilitation of derelict and ownerless mines (09:00-10:50)]; Briefing by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on its recommendations on issues and challenges in relation to unregulated artisanal underground and surface mining activities in SA (10:50-12:40); Tabling of correspondences received], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Transport, (National Assembly), [Clause-by-clause deliberations on the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill [B 7-2020]; Consideration and adoption of Committee report on the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill; Clause-by-clause deliberations on the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill [B 1-2020]; Consideration and adoption of Committee report on the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill; Consideration and adoption of minutes of proceedings], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Update by Minister of Higher Education regarding National Skills Fund investigations], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-13:00

WEDNESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2022

Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, (National Assembly), [Consideration and Adoption of the Expropriation Bill [B23 -2020] Report], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00

Standing Committee on Finance, (National Assembly), [Public hearings on the draft Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill (TALAB) and the draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill (TLAB)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00

Portfolio Committee on Police, (National Assembly), [Department responses to the Bill; Committee deliberation on the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Amendment Bill [B15-2022]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Human Settlements and the provincial departments on plans to remove asbestos roofs, eradication of mud houses and unblocking of blocked projects; progress in auditing and upgrading of informal settlements; plans, challenges and the way forward in the issuance of title deeds as well as the challenges in providing sites/land to beneficiaries who are able to build for themselves and report on the spending of conditional grants in the following provinces: North West Province; Northern Cape Province; Western Cape Province; Consideration and adoption of minutes], Committee Room M514, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, 09:00-13:00

Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Hearing on the audit outcome for the 2020/21 financial year and SIU investigations in the Department of Water and Sanitation], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Health, (National Assembly), [Clause by clause deliberations on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill; Consideration and adoption of minutes], Committee Room S12A, NCOP Building/Hybrid, 09:30-13:15

Committee for Section 194 Enquiry, (National Assembly), [Committee review of the first phase of public hearings; Correspondence to the Committee; Review of the Committee Programme; and Adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00

Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, (National Assembly), [Briefing by Business Rescue Practitioners on the status update regarding the rescue process of Mango; Consideration and adoption of draft minutes], Hybrid Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Communications (Subcommittee), (National Assembly), [Interviews of candidates for the SABC Board vacancies], Virtual Meeting Platform, 12:00-21:00

Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management of Parliament, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Executive Authority and the Minister of Finance on progress made as far as addressing concerns about the allocation of Parliament budget; Briefing by the Chairpersons of the Parmed Medical Aid Scheme Board on progress made as far as addressing concerns about the impact of ‘Parmed liability’ on Parliament’s budget], Virtual Meeting Platform, Immediately after the plenary in the NA

THURSDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER 2022

Portfolio Committee on Communications (Subcommittee), (National Assembly), [Interviews of candidates for the SABC Board vacancies], Virtual Meeting Platform, 18:00-21:00

Joint Standing Committee on Defence, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Presentation by the DOD on the 1 Military Hospital RAMP project plan, and presentations on the background, status and challenges with upgrades at 2 and 3 Military hospitals; Consideration of the Report on the strategic overview of the SANDF mid-term of the 6th Parliament by the JSCD; Discussion on Study Tour; Consideration of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 18:15-21:00

FRIDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 2022

Portfolio Committee on Police, (National Assembly), [Further deliberations on the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Amendment Bill [B15-2022]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Communications (Subcommittee), (National Assembly), [Interviews of candidates for the SABC Board vacancies], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-17:00

Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management of Parliament, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Briefing on Parliaments revised 2022/23 budget; Briefing on Parliament’s 2023/24 draft annual performance plan and budget], Virtual Meeting Platform, 12:30-15:00

Committees provide a platform for the public to present views directly to MPs. Share your thoughts, on-the-ground experience and expert information to the relevant committees. Critically, what questions should MPs pose to the Executive as they conduct their oversight work? Write to a Parliamentary Committee

View the schedule page here. View the Provincial Legislature's schedule here.

*This summary is based on the schedule as it is published on Monday morning. The programme is subject to frequent updating so the link above needs to be checked daily to confirm the programme for the day.

People's Assembly aims to connect the public to their elected representatives. One way of doing so is through our Replocator tool, which allows you to search for the elected representative in your area.