The Select Committee on Communications and Public Enterprises considered the subject of the Repealing of the Overvaal Resorts Limited Bill, B36-2017, that was referred to it by the National Assembly, Section 75, on 20 November 2018.
The committee received a briefing from the Department of Public Enterprises on 13 February 2019. The Bill was advertised on community newspapers on 18 December 2018 to 11 January 2019 in all 11 languages as well as on the parliamentary website.
The committee invited all interested parties and stakeholders to submit written and oral submissions. Perhaps because of the nature of the Bill, which seeks to declare that government no longer has ownership rights over the Overvaal Resorts, there was only one response that the committee received from the public which indicated interest in making an oral presentation to the committee.
Despite the fact that the public comment received did not raise any issues regarding the Bill itself nor any of its provisions, the committee however agreed that former employees of Overvaal Resorts must come and make their oral presentation to the committee.
Matters raised before the committee by former employees of Overvaal Resorts in their oral presentation were specific to the context within which the Overvaal Resorts were disposed of as a government-owned entity in 1997. They raised questions about the absence of an Employee Programme of Share Ownership Scheme, EPSOS, in the sale of Overvaal Resorts as well as the validity of the 30% Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment.
The committee deliberated on these matters and requested that the Department of Public Enterprises take a look at the legal aspects of
the sale of Overvaal Resorts and address all the issues raised by the former employees of Overvaal Resorts.
The committee was pleased to learn that, following our meeting with the department, the latter took a stand to pursue the matter and used every available avenue to see to it that the sale of Overvaal Resorts meets all the requirements of government policy especially the Employee Programme of Share Ownership Scheme and the Broad- Based Black Economic Empowerment policy. Both policies designed to benefit the previously disadvantaged groups of our country.
The support the committee gave this Bill was primarily based on the commitment the department made and the detailed plan they presented to us to address these matters, assuring us that as government of the people, representing the same people, we will not fail our people, not in this Parliament nor the one that is to come. I table the report for adoption and I thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Bill be agreed to.
Bill accordingly agreed to, in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution.