That week in Parliament

Parliament’s mid-year constituency period is looming. The National Assembly (NA) will conclude its business next week while the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will end a week later. In the remaining days, the legislative body is scheduled to...

DECRIMINALISING SEX WORK In his 2023/24 budget vote speech, Justice and Constitutional Development Deputy Minister John Jeffrey confirmed that the draft Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill released in 2022 for public...

ENERGY CRISIS The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has made several interventions intended to: ease electricity supply constraints facilitate appropriate, energy-saving responses by energy suppliers and users, and reduce energy costs. The...

It’s another week where Parliament’s schedule is dominated by Budget Vote Debates. In the National Assembly, the main plenary event will be the debate on the Presidency's budget vote scheduled on Wednesday and the President’s reply a day later. In...

NATIONAL SKILLS AUTHORITY The Department of Higher Education and Training has called for public comments on a set of draft regulations that, once in force, will empower the Nationals Skills Authority to investigate complaints about Sector Education...

There's a full and mixed flavour to the coming week's parliamentary business. The highlights include Africa Day commemoration, budget vote debates, oral questions to the Deputy President, legislative business, and important Committee hearings. The...

TEMPORARY EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE RELIEF SCHEME (TERS) The Department of Employment and Labour has issued a media statement on Minister Thulas Nxesi’s 2023/4 budget vote speech confirming that the TERS ‘will continue to provide support to distressed...

It’s the second week of budget vote debates in the National Assembly and the frenetic pace of committee meetings and mini-plenary sessions continue. The debates are a platform for Ministers to unpack the work of government and to give an account of...

SMMES AND CO-OPERATIVES The Department of Small Business Development has called for public comments on a draft funding policy for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and co-operatives. According to a foreword from Small Business Development...

Following the parliamentary committee hearings on the 2023/24 priorities, targets and spending plans of departments, the focus shifts to the budget vote debates which commence this week and run until 1 June 2023. These debates happen in the...