SC Education and Recreation: Committee Legacy Report & Outstanding Matters

Meeting report

Select Committee on Education and Recreation: Legacy Report
The co-Chairperson (Ms Makgate) said the meeting would be short, as Members had had the opportunity to interact with all the documents since the previous week. She then asking for Members’ input for the Legacy Report of the Select Committee on Education and Recreation,.

Mr W Faber (DA, Northern Cape) said, on behalf of Mr M de Villiers (DA, Western Cape), that on page 28, paragraph 21.2 the word should read “recommendation.”

The Chairperson said that on the second page, she would like 'legislation error book' in the table of contents corrected.   On page 14, under summary of activities, there should be five international agreements processed, rather than two.   It should also be clarified that the Select Committee participated in the Limpopo intervention, hosted by the Finance Committee.  Under ‘study tour’, it should be recommended that the relationship between the office of the Chief Whip and Office of the Chair of Committees be clarified, because the Committee had experienced confusion over who had the authority to approve oversights.

Mr Faber said that perhaps the Committee should specify those countries which had had good results, rather than just recommend that the Committee go to successful countries.

The Chairperson replied that it ought to be left to the future Committee to determine what countries were visited, in accordance with the issues they identified.

Ms M Moshodi (ANC, Free State) moved the adoption of the report, with the amendments, and this was seconded by Mr Faber.

Minutes of the Select Committee on Education and Recreation
The minutes of 29 January 2014: briefing by the Department of Arts and Culture on the African Union Charter on African Arts Renaissance, was proposed by Mr Faber and seconded by Ms Moshodi.

The minutes of 29 January 2014: annual report by the Department on Arts and Culture, was moved by Ms Moshodi, and seconded by Ms Rasmeni

In the minutes of 5 February 2014: annual report of the Department of Sports and Recreation, Mr Faber's apology for his absence had not been noted in the minutes. Ms Rasmeni moved the adoption, subject to amendment; seconded by Ms Moshodi.

The minutes of 19 February 2014: briefing by Umalusi.  Mr Faber moved, seconded by Ms Moshodi.

The minutes of 26 February 2014: briefing by Department of Arts and Culture.  Mr Faber moved the adoption, and Ms Moshodi seconded.

The minutes of 5 March 2014. Mr Faber moved, seconded by Ms Moshodi.

The minutes of 12 March 2014. Mr Faber asked for it to be noted that on the last page there had been an issue with the mis-numbering of clause 20, after which it was decided by the Chairperson and an official to reopen the meeting, resulting in Mr Faber and Mr De Villiers walking out.

Ms M Boroto (ANC, Mpumalanga) responded that Members, rather than officials, had requested that the meeting be reopened to air their concerns, which was done. She also said that she had been unaware that Mr De Villiers and Mr Faber had walked out for that reason.

Ms Rasmeni said that Mr Faber was trying to justify his actions, because Members and the Department were still in the process of figuring out issues concerning the process around the Bill, when they walked out without warning.

The Chairperson said that indeed, once the meeting was closed, the meeting could not be reopened. This was the problem, and spoke to how the meeting was run on that day.   This would not have happened if Bills were dealt with in one day. She therefore proposed that the matter be closed and ruled that this would not be included in the minutes.     However, it should be kept in mind that Committee Members, as public representatives, should try to cooperate.

Mr Faber raised an objection, in response to which the Chairperson asked for his respect, conceding that this had been a mistake from which the Committee would learn.   However she had already ruled that this would not be reflected in the minutes.

Ms Rasmeni said that there was something missing in that same paragraph.

A member of the Committee staff advised that what should follow in that paragraph was a list of the resolutions adopted that day.

Ms Moshodi said that her name appeared twice on the first page, and should not have appeared under ‘present.’

Mr Faber then tried to raise his objections again, saying that if the minutes recorded that the meeting had been closed and then reopened, he could accept them.   However, as they stood, he could not accept the minutes as a true reflection of what happened in the meeting.

The Chairperson again said she had made a ruling, acknowledging that a mistake had been made, but she did not want to appear biased.

Ms Boroto moved their adoption of the minutes of 12 March 2014, subject to amendment, seconded by Ms Rasmeni.

The Chairperson closed the meeting by thanking the Committee and support staff for the work over the term, and said that the Committees had made a difference to the lives of the people.

The meeting was adjourned.