National Environment Management Laws Amendment Bill: proposed amendments; National Forest Amendment Bill: final mandates

Meeting report

The Committee Secretary, Mr Asgar Bawa, said that the Parliamentary Legal Advisor will take the Committee through the E-List of amendments for the NEMLA Bill that were discussed on 24 August 2021 during the negotiating mandate phase. Thereafter, these amendments will be sent to provinces for the final mandates. Secondly, the Committee will hear the nine final mandates on the National Forest Amendment Bill.

The Chairperson said that the provincial representatives have the choice to either read the mandate or they can delegate the Committee Secretary to do so on their behalf.

National Environment Management Laws Amendment (NEMLA) Bill: E-List of amendments
Ms Phumelele Ngema, Parliamentary Legal Advisor, noted that the legal advisors will assist Members to understand the E-List of amendments before them. The legal advisors had been tasked to ensure that both Houses of Parliament and the Provincial Legislatures had completed their work correctly in presenting the E-List. Five Acts currently in existence would be amended by the NEMLA Bill once it was adopted.

Mr Theodore Hercules, Principal State Law Advisor in the Office of the Chief State Law Advisor, took the Committee through the E-list of proposed Select Committee amendments to the NEMLA BIll.

Discussion
Ms W Ngwenya (ANC, Gauteng) proposed that the Committee immediately deal with the mandates.

Mr B Matibe (ANC, Limpopo) agreed.

The Chairperson asked what the process of hearing the individual final mandates entailed.

Mr Bawa clarified that now that the provinces representatives have accepted the E-List of amendments, he will have to send the amendments to the provinces. Thereafter the provinces will finalise their final mandates on the NEMLA Bill.

National Forest Amendment Bill: final mandates
The Committee Secretary presented the final mandates on this Bill on behalf of eight provincial delegates. 

The Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Western Cape Legislatures voted in favour of the Bill.

Ms B Lenkopane (ANC, North West) indicated that the North West Legislature voted in favour of the Bill.

Committee Report on National Forest Amendment Bill
Mr Bawa took the Committee through the Committee Report on the Bill. 

The Chairperson  requested a mover for the adoption of the Bill.

Mr Matibe moved for the adoption of the Bill.

Mr M Nhanha (DA, Eastern Cape) seconded the adoption of the Bill.

Mr Bawa indicated that the Bill had been adopted.

The Chairperson thanked the officials for the work on the Bill.

The Committee meeting minutes of 7 September 2021 were adopted.

The meeting was adjourned.