That week in Parliament

  On Wednesday, June 16, South Africa will be celebrating Youth Day. This is an opportune moment to reflect on the ages of our Members of Parliament. A fundamental principle of democracy is that political systems should mirror society as a whole and...

The second term concludes for NCOP delegates. From next week, they will join their NA counterparts who have been on recess since 7 June. A big chunk of the year has been spent considering the 2021/22 national budget. After the Minister of Finance...

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT A recently gazetted national policy on child care and protection is expected to serve as a roadmap for strengthening and building on existing promotive, preventative and responsive services and programmes. B-BBEE The broad-based...

The National Assembly is officially on recess from today until 17 August. Meanwhile, the NCOP’s second term will run until 21 June. The NCOP chamber has arranged a varied agenda for delegates. Highlights include Oral Questions and Replies with the...

  On Tuesday, 1 June, Parliament’s Budget Vote came up for debate in plenary sittings of the National Assembly (NA) and National Council of Provinces (NCOP). We glean the key takeaways.   A hybrid Parliament The Speaker of the NA, Ms Thandi Modise, in...

  Has Parliament failed the people of South Africa?  The Institute for African Alternatives (IFAA) asked the experts, and ordinary citizens, what Parliament can do to uphold the checks and balances in our Constitution. Read their suggestions in the...

  COVID-19 STATE OF DISASTER   President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of a return to lockdown level two was confirmed on 31 May by notice in the Government Gazette. According to the President: curfew now begins at 23:00 each evening and ends at...

A combination of a heavy legislative load, some important hearings and the pending recess break should mean plenty of fizz in Parliament this week. The constituency period beckons, with MPs in the National Assembly due to depart at the end of the week...

In February 2018, the National Assembly adopted a motion proposed by the EFF, with amendments by the ANC that Parliament's Constitutional Review Committee investigates mechanisms through which land can be expropriated without compensation. The Joint...

COVID-19 STATE OF DISASTER   School contact sports were suspended on 19 May in a Department of Basic Education media statement to be confirmed by notice in the Government Gazette.   FISHING RIGHTS   The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the...