Budget Vote Reports

Meeting report

Consideration of minutes

Briefing by Department of Transport (30 April 2020)

The Chairperson asked Members if they had any corrections to make to the minutes of the meeting where there had been a briefing by the Minister of Transport on the implementation of COVID 19 regulations. None of the Members requested any change in the minutes.

Mr T Brauteseth (DA, KZN) moved the adoption of the minutes and Mr M Rayi (ANC, Eastern Cape) seconded.

The Chairperson declared the minutes adopted.

Briefing by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (4 May 2020)

This meeting involved briefings by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure on properties earmarked for quarantine sites during the Covid19 period; on the role of the Expanded Public Works Programme’s (EPWP’s) beneficiaries during this period; and on the Beitbridge land port of entry. There were no comments or amendments proposed.

Mr Brauteseth moved the adoption of the minutes, and Mr Rayi seconded.

The Chairperson declared the minutes adopted, but noted that in the Committee's third term programme, it had slot to deal with the Beitbridge issue, as it had attracted a lot of attention in the media.

Briefing by Department of Transport on APP and Strategic Plan (6 May 2020)

Members considered the briefing by the Department of Transport on its 2020/21 budget and Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan; the briefing by the Driving Licence Card Trading Account (DLCA) on its 2020/21 Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan; and a briefing by the Minister and the DLCA on progress with the proposed new card specifications and the acquisition of a new card production machine, as well as the plans in place and steps taken by the entity to ensure continued compliance with the processing of driver's licence card production.

Mr Rayi moved the adoption of the minutes, and Mr Brauteseth seconded.

The Chairperson declared the minutes adopted.

DPWI and PMTE on APP and strategic plan (13 May 2020)

This meeting had involved a briefing by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and the Property Management Trading Entity on the five-year strategic plan and annual performance plan for the year 2020/21 financial year.

Mr Brauteseth commented that some time back he had requested information about prestige projects, and Adv Sam Vukela, Director General (DG) of the DPWI, had promised that he would report on it the very next day with details, but that had not happened. He had submitted a written question to Parliament and received a written response yesterday. He argued that it should be noted that the Committee had sent a written request to the Department to give a written response to various queries, and until today they had not responded. The Committee should sanction the Department and show its teeth so that it could see that the Committee was not playing a game. He reiterated that was high time the Committee flexed its muscles, and asked if this could be minuted in today's proceedings.

The Chairperson responded that he remembered the prestige issue, and agreed that the Committee should show some teeth on this matter.

Mr Brauteseth moved the adoption, and Mr Rayi seconded.

The Chairperson declared the minutes adopted.

DPSA and NSG on APP and Strategic Plans (20 May 2020)

Members considered the minutes of the briefing by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), and the National School of Government (NSG) on their APPs, Strategic Plans and budgets.

Mr Brauteseth moved the adoption, and Ms S Boshoff (DA, Mpumalanga) seconded.

DPWI on Agrement SA and Independent Development Trust (IDT) (28 May 2020)

Mr Brauteseth commented on the minutes, and said he remembered the frustration that Members had felt on the matter of the IDT being closed without the Committee being formally told. He commented that this was not reflected in the ‘observations’ section of the minutes, and asked if it could be included as it been a source of major dissatisfaction to the Committee.

The Chairperson agreed that it was important for the point on the IDT to be included in the minutes.

Mr Rayi weighed in, and said the exit strategy of the IDT was important, and requested the Committee to invite the Department to come and brief them on this strategy. The Committee should hold the Department to account for its decision on the IDT, as it could not be located in the Annual Performance Plan or Strategic Plan.

Mr Brauteseth added that the Department had to consult the Committee, and not be in the business of just informing it. There was a massive lack of detail on the IDT’s exit strategy, as it was vague. A set of extra documents on the exit strategy was needed, and the Committee should be mindful that IDT would have an impact on a lot of people if it closed, and something had to be done.

The Chairperson said he would engage the Minister for an explanation on the IDT, and would also ask the Speaker to allow for a joint sitting with the Small Business Development Committee. After doing so, he would brief the Committee.

Mr Rayi said that if the Chairperson was not successful in his engagement with the Minister, an alternative would be for the Committee to attend the Small Business Development Committee meeting next week, where the Department would be presenting on the IDT. He pointed out that as Members of Parliament, they were entitled to attend this meeting and participate.

Mr Brauteseth responded that it would be unfortunate if the Committee were unable to engage during that meeting. It should push hard for its engagement at that meeting.

Mr Rayi responded that they could engage as Members of Parliament, but what they could not do was to move or adopt motions.

Mr Brauteseth commented that often as political parties, they were often accused of playing politics, but that was not his tactic. He said that if it were not for the DA this morning, these minutes would not have been adopted. It had to be noted that all parties had played a part, and that Members needed to take their jobs seriously, as they were being paid to do it.

The Chairperson responded that he applauded the work the Members were doing -- as a Committee, they had worked well beyond their political affiliations.

Mr Brauteseth moved the adoption of the minutes, and Ms Boshoff seconded.

The Chairperson declared the minutes adopted.

PRASA APP and Strategic Plan (11 May 2020)

The Chairperson invited comments on the minutes, but there were none.

Mr Rayi moved their adoption, and Mr Brauteseth seconded.

The Chairperson declared the minutes adopted.

Committee reports

Select Committee: Budget Vote

Mr Brauteseth commented on the Budget Report, and said that the DA reserved its position.

The Committee Secretary intervened, and said that in terms of adopting Reports, a Member represented a province, and not the party.

The Chairperson asked Mr Brauteseth what were the reasons behind the reservation were, and said the Committee needed to move with convergence to take its work forward, especially when it came to issues to do with strategic plans and annual performance plans.

Mr Brauteseth responded that earlier he and his colleagues from the DA had assisted the Committee in adopting minutes. He argued that they could have played politics, but what he and his DA colleagues were doing on the budget was to reserve commenting on it, and waiting to debate on the budget next week in Parliament. If the DA Members supported the budget today, and next week they opposed, it would be a farce. He emphasised that he and his colleagues in the DA would express their views next week, as the Report reflected what would be in the budget next week. He added that he was doing what he and his party thought was right.

The Chairperson responded that they should reserve the matter for next week.

Mr Rayi asked whether he could move or second the adoption of this Budget Report, given the fact that when the Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan were presented, he had been absent.

The Committee Secretary responded by saying the rules were silent on such a scenario.

Mr M Dangor (ANC, Gauteng) moved the adoption, and the Chairperson seconded.

The Chairperson declared the Report adopted.

Select Committee Report on Budget Vote 7: NSG Strategic Plan and APP

Mr Dangor commented on recommendation 9.4, saying that the Committee should delete the part that reads: “to deal with unexpected pandemics to empower service employees during the national crisis.” He argued that the Committee should not talk about or restrict itself to pandemics only.

He moved for the adoption of the Report, and the Chairperson seconded.

The Chairperson declared the Report adopted.

Select Committee on Budget Vote 40: DoT Strategic Plan

The Report on Budget Vote 40, covering the Department of Transport’s Strategic Plan and APP for 2020/21 of the Department, and entities reporting to the Minister of Transport, was submitted to the Committee.

Mr Dangor commented on clause 8.5, and proposed that instead of saying “the Western Cape Railway lines,” the report should rather insert “on all its operational lines,” and delete the former phrase. In clause 7.13, he suggested the sentence should be structured in a way that made the Committee to be seen as performing an oversight role, so the clause should be deleted as it was merely repeating work that the Committee had been instructed to do. He also added that instead of balkanizing the expenditures, the Report should put them in categories, as they were not the same by definition. The Report should break them up – for example, fruitless expenditure, wasteful expenditure, etc.

Mr Rayi moved the adoption of the Report, and Mr Dangor seconded.

The Chairperson declared the Report adopted.

Select Committee on Budget Vote 13: Public Works and Infrastructure

The Chairperson invited comments from Members, but they were none.

The Chairperson moved the adoption of the Report, and Mr M Dangor seconded.

The Chairperson declared the Report adopted.

Resolutions

The Committee resolved that in their minutes they would state that the Budget Report had been adopted but not supported by all five provinces, as required.

The meeting was adjourned.