Hon members, let me begin by thanking all of you for your contribution to the work of this Parliament. We have once again reached the end of a fast-paced, robust and eventful year for Parliament. No wonder that lately, even the livelier Members of Parliament seem a bit jaded and a little jaundiced-eyed at times.
All in all, this session of Parliament has been most engaging and has on occasion produced its own moments of high drama and excitement. I am very pleased that the quality of debates in the House has progressively improved, and has been more stimulating and more informative. I assure you that it makes a big difference to those who have to listen to you.
I have also noted a marked improvement in the decorum in the House, and I wish to thank the leaders of the political parties and members for assisting the presiding officers to uphold the Rules of the House at all times. Also, despite the short parliamentary calendar year, the Portfolio Committees managed to complete a vast amount of work with great care and diligence.
Specifically, I wish to express appreciation for the long hours and the tight schedules under which committees worked to compile the good quality Budgetary Review and Recommendation Reports, the BRRRs. We hope these reports will not gather dust somewhere, but will be taken up by the departments in the coming months. These reports are fundamental to our oversight work and the ability of Parliament to meaningfully engage and influence the budget.
We continued to make steady progress with regard to the changes to the Rules and procedures amidst almost no publicity at all, but these will have a profound impact on the workings of Parliament. Furthermore, we anticipate that the redrafted Rules will be ready by the end of November.
Therefore, I am appealing to parties to discuss their positions and have their comments ready as soon as committee work begins in the new year. The rules will address such matters as motions of no confidence and Private Members' Bills, both of which have been the subject of court proceedings. The intention is for the Fourth Parliament to leave a lasting legacy of a comprehensive and updated set of procedures and Rules.
With respect to legislation, 42 Bills have been passed by the House this year; this being the highest number since 2009. Also, in total, portfolio committees held 54 public hearings on a broad range of issues. The spectrum ranged from the Energy Efficiency Bill to the Mental Health Care Amendment Bill. I am also very pleased by the continued interest shown by the public in the legislation and the work of Parliament. The doors of Parliament are indeed open to our people. Moreover, our democracy continues to be accessible, vibrant and very noisy at times.
In keeping with our focus on elevating international relations, in May this year His Excellency President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria addressed a Joint Sitting of Parliament. President Jonathan paid a moving tribute to our inspirational patriots such as Chief Albert Luthuli, President Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Chris Hani and Steve Biko amongst others.
In September, the Speaker of the Assembly of Mozambique, Dr Veronica Dlhovo and her delegation visited Parliament. This was a very successful visit in which we signed a memorandum of understanding and co-operation, which will enable us to collaborate in a number of areas in the coming years. We were also honoured to receive the Prime Minister of Poland, Mr Donald Tusk, in October. These interactions with other parliaments and countries are invaluable and help to expand the role of Parliament in bilateral and multilateral fora. On a more sombre note, it is with sadness that we remember one of our members, Mr N M Kganyago of the UDM, who passed away on 17 July 2013. We remember the contributions of Mr Kganyago with affection and a profound sense of loss.
We have unfinished business that must be completed before we rise at the end of the Fourth Parliament. To this end, we have agreed that committees will reconvene early in January, after 2 January 2014, to specifically finalise legislation and any other business that requires urgent attention.
In addition, the President of the Republic is scheduled to deliver the state of the nation address on 13 February, and the Minister of Finance will have an opportunity to deliver the national Budget Speech before we rise for the 2014 elections. Upon your return in the new year, a newly upgraded high-tech Chamber will be awaiting you. The upgrading of the Chamber is about to commence in the following couple of days.
In conclusion, there are many people whom I wish to thank - the staff and Members of Parliament. We have made our work here in Parliament much easier and enjoyable. I also wish to thank the people who made the Speaker's wine cellar the talk of the continent. The Speaker's cellar is one of the best and the only wine cellar in Africa. [Laughter.] [Applause.] I would like to thank a lot of people for that, including the hon Ellis up there in the gallery. Thank you, the hon Ellis. [Applause.]
I wish to thank the Deputy Speaker, Nomaindia Mfeketo, and the House Chairpersons, Skosana, Hajaig and Frolick for their hard work, and the invaluable contribution that they have made to assist me in the smooth running of this important institution called Parliament. I also wish to extend my gratitude to the Secretary to Parliament, Michael Coetzee and the Deputy Secretary, Baby Tyawa for their sterling work throughout this year. As you might know, Michael Coetzee has not been well. In fact, he is in a critical condition at the Vincent Pallotti Hospital. The Chairperson of the NCOP and I will take your best wishes to him when we visit him tomorrow. Of course, we will wish him a speedy recovery.
I wish to extend my best wishes to all political parties who will be busy campaigning for the elections. Let us not take the act of voting lightly. Our nation and leadership are essential to the cause of human dignity. Therefore, we must act and lead with confidence in our ideas, actions and abiding faith in the character of our people who sent us all here.
Former President Nelson Mandela underscored the values of the vote for all the people of South Africa when he said, and I quote:
I waited over 70 years to cast my first vote ... I voted not only for myself alone but for many who took part in our struggle ... felt that each one of them held my hand that made the cross, helped me to fold the ballot paper and push it into the ballot box.
Let us never ever reach a stage where we take such a simple but powerful act for granted. I hope that there will be time for a short break amidst all the campaigning. I wish you well. Go well. I thank you. [Applause.] Hon members, that concludes the farewell speeches and the business for the year. The House is adjourned. [Laughter.]
Debate concluded.