The second term concludes for NCOP delegates.
From next week, they will join their NA counterparts who have been on recess since 7 June.
A big chunk of the year has been spent considering the 2021/22 national budget.
After the Minister of Finance introduces the budget, the legislature must interrogate the proposed allocation of funds and approve the budget before it can be implemented.
The NCOP is scheduled to consider the 2021 Appropriation Bill![parli budget]on Friday (the NA passed the bill on 4 June 2021). The Bill appropriates money from the National Revenue Fund for the requirements of the State for the 2021/22 financial year. Once passed, this will conclude Parliament’s processing of the budget and it will be sent to the President for assent.
Parliament’s responsibility concerning the budget is an ongoing, rolling process throughout the financial year.
The practice of oral questions is an established part of the parliamentary day and gives MPs an opportunity to question the Executive about matters for which they are responsible.
Everything from specific scandals and programmes to big-picture policy to bread-and-butter issues and performance will be under the microscope. In practice, Question Time serves different objectives for governing party MPs and the opposition. In the case of the former, their questions are designed to give Ministers an opportunity to discuss the virtues of government policy and programmes. For the latter, it is a chance to confront the government about its actions and to highlight perceived inadequacies.
For all its limitations, this is usually an occasion of heightened interest and can be revealing.
On Tuesday, the Deputy President will be probed on a range of issues including Eskom and COVID-19. Read the questions here.
Select Ministers in the Peace and Security Cluster will be in the spotlight during their session on Thursday. Read the questions here.
Nation-wide public hearings on the Expropriation Bill continue this week (17-20 June). Hearings will take place in the Northern Cape. This is the eight provincial stop. Track the bill here.
Below is a selection of the highlights in the committee corridor:
TUESDAY, 15 JUNE 2021
Portfolio Committee on Health, (National Assembly), [Public Hearings on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-19:30
Select Committee on Finance, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by National Treasury on the Financial Sector Law Amendment Bill], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00
FRIDAY, 18 JUNE 2021
Ad Hoc Committee on the section 100 Intervention in the North West Province, (National Council of Provinces), [Consideration and adoption of oversight reports and committee report on s100 intervention], Parliament, 10:00-15:00
Committees provide a platform for the public to present views directly to MPs. Share your 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?
We have consolidated our reports on the COVID-19 related meetings here.
During the constituency period, MPs have a duty to: be available to the public, help solve problems and report back to their constituents on what is happening in Parliament.
The purpose of this period is to encourage MPs to remain in contact with the people they represent.
View the schedule page 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.
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