That week in Parliament

The President's oral question session on Wednesday is the high point of the parliamentary week. The President is required to answer questions of national or international importance once per term in accordance with the annual parliamentary programme....

There's a broad and busy flavour to this week's parliamentary business. It's no exaggeration to say that everyday will deliver blockbuster action. In the National Assembly chamber, the main excitement will be the Question Time session with the...

The main plenary event – that is likely to overshadow everything else – is the debate on the EFF motion to expropriate land without compensation. The motion will be lead by Julius Malema. The party’s resolution calls on Parliament to establish a...

An eclectic week of parliamentary action beckons. The 2018 Budget, SONA debate, legislative business and Committee hearings feature. Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba's budget speech on Wednesday will dominate headlines this week. The Minister has a...

The Fifth Parliament has given us a lot of “firsts”. It achieved another last week. Even by its unpredictable standards, the decision to postpone the State of the Nation Address (SONA) was extraordinary. The stated rationale for the postponement is to...

It’s one of the most important speeches that the President delivers in any year. With a prime time tv audience, it is a tremendous PR opportunity for the President to simultaneously lay out his agenda and reassure doubters - both local and foreign....

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, Cabinet, the Judiciary and the public, will seek to build on the...

1. What is the SONA? It is an annual address given by the President to a joint session of Parliament. It is designed to be a report on the economic and social state of the nation, and includes a review of the past year and priorities for the current...

It's still early days but the legislature has planned a broad and busy programme after a low key week. With no sittings scheduled in the main chambers, the Committee corridor will again be the main source of parliamentary action this week. Oversight...

2018 will be another busy, intense and unpredictable year in Parliament – everything from a possible impeachment to legislative battles to investigations to big-picture policy debates and government performance. Here are some predictions of the main...