That week in Parliament

Having focused during April and early May on Covid-19 regulations and ministerial directives, the Government Gazette included several notices of more general interest last week. National Student Financial Aid Scheme An ‘independent investigation into...

There's a full and mixed flavour to the coming week's parliamentary business. The highlights include Question Time Session, Africa Day commemoration, special NCOP Virtual Engagement; Women’s Charter Review, legislative business, interviews and...

COVID-19 STATE OF DISASTER AND LOCKDOWN REGULATIONS: Update (18 May 2020) To accommodate slightly relaxed lockdown measures under Level 4, amendments have been made to several ministerial directives. One has been repealed and clarity has been provided...

It’s week five of the virtual Parliament. The legislature reached a milestone last Friday when it marked the 100th virtual meeting of its oversight committees. The Coronavirus pandemic has seen a traditional, archaic and slow-moving institution...

Several ministerial directives issued under Covid-19 lockdown Level 5 have been amended or, in some cases, repealed and replaced. They should be read with the 29 April disaster management regulations on Lockdown Level 4.   Courts A directive on the...

It’s the second of week of budget-related meetings and the pace is quickening. The schedule is packed as Committees continue to interrogate departments and entities on their budgets, targets and priorities for the year ahead. As part of their...

COVID-19 State of Disaster & Lockdown Regulations: Update A new set of Covid-19 disaster management regulations was gazetted on 29 April, consolidating and replacing those issued on 25 March and since amended several times. Chapter 3 spells out...

Due to COVID-19 and the accompanying restrictions, Parliament is a very different place: virtual meetings are scheduled on Monday’s (this is usually allocated for constituency work), public holidays and even in the late afternoon/early evening. And...

Last Saturday, government called for input on a draft framework of economic sectors to be reactivated during each of the five Covid-19 lockdown alert levels announced last week by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Stakeholders were given until midday, Monday...

The sound and picture quality was occasionally poor. There were IT glitches, MPs struggled to operate the mute function and meetings took time to get going. However, the first week of virtual committee meetings was a relative success. The technical...