That week in Parliament

The 2020 State of the Nation (SONA) is just hours away. See some interesting facts on SONAs in South Africa as well as how the occasion is carried out in other parts of the world:  

On Thursday, all eyes will be fixated on Parliament for the State of the Nation Address (SONA). The speech, due to be delivered at 19:00 before a combined gathering of Parliament, the Judiciary and the public, will be a report on the economic and...

  1. What is the SONA? It is an annual address given by the President to a joint session of Parliament and marks the official opening of the legislature. It is designed to be a report on the economic and social state of the nation, and includes a...

It's still early days but Parliament is slowly coming back to life after a lengthy summer break. The legislature has planned a broad programme this week after a low-key start. With no sittings scheduled in the main chambers, the Committee corridor...

The NHI Bill was introduced to Parliament in August 2019 and is currently under consideration by the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Health. According to the government, the NHI aims to achieve the following principles: -The right to access...

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...

“I can only hope that none of those to whom an oath of office will be administered would see that exercise as just one those inconvenient processes that one has to go through, itching to occupy an office rather than determined to internalise the...

It’s a week of farewells and loose ends… The constituency period beckons, with MPs due to depart at the end of the week and return to Parliament next year. But a fair amount of work will be done before they go and there is plenty of opportunity for...

In the remaining days, lawmakers are scheduled to have debates, pass the amended budget, vote on several Bills, scrutinise/question the Executive, discuss the legislature’s programme, adopt new rules, conduct oversight visits, consider statutory...