Parliament resumes this week after a constituency period.

According to the latest timetable, the NA programme will run for 8 weeks and the NCOP for 10 weeks.

Some of the highlights include committee, oversight, and legislative work; oral questions to the Executive; section 194 Public Protector Inquiry; important debates and appointments as well a review of the national budget. 

The timetable is fluid and can be overtaken by unscheduled debates, statements and events.

Over the next few weeks, committees will be meeting with departments and entities to pore over their Strategic Plans, Annual Performance Plans and proposed budgets for 2023/24.

Traditionally, Ministers and their deputies are part of these engagements.  Committees then draft a Report where they analyse the Plans as presented to them and make observations and recommendations. Committees must lobby the Standing Committee on Appropriations if they want to introduce budget amendments. These reports form the basis from which MPs debate the budget and Annual Performance Plans of departments and their entities. This process culminates with the approval of funds to a department as a Budget Vote.

Government can only spend money if it has been approved by Parliament.

The Budget must be passed by Parliament before the end of June, in line with statutory requirements.

There is only one scheduled sitting this week: the Deputy President’s oral question and answer session in the NCOP on Thursday. View the Questions here

Oversight visits provide Committees with an opportunity to assess progress made and test the authenticity of the information provided by government entities. In keeping with this oversight mandate, five committees have planned trips to various parts of the country this week: Portfolio Committees on Public Works and Infrastructure, Human Settlements, Communications and Digital Technologies, Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, and Tourism.

Beyond this, three committees will conduct provincial public hearings on bills this week:

Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy:  Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill (Free State)

Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment:  Climate Change Bill (Eastern Cape)

Portfolio Committee on Transport: Railway Safety Bill (Western Cape)

Elsewhere, from 17 – 21 April 2023 the Judicial Service Commission will be interviewing candidates to fill vacancies within the superior courts of South Africa. 10 lawmakers – 6 from the NA and 4 from the NCOP – are members of the Commission and will participate in the interviews.

Below are some of the highlights in the Committee Corridor:

TUESDAY, 18 APRIL 2023

Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, (National Assembly), [Consideration of budget vote report of the Home Affairs Portfolio and Committee Annual Business Plan; Briefing by the Department of the Home Affairs on general electoral laws amendment policy and decision on the Executive or Committee Bill (09:00-12:00)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 08:30-12:00

Portfolio Committee on Transport, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Transport on its 2023/24 Annual Performance Plan and Budget; Briefing by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) on its 2023/ 24 Annual Performance Plan and Budget], Committee Room S12A, Ground Floor, NCOP Building, 09:00-14:30

Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, (National Assembly), [Consideration and adoption of Draft Report on Budget Vote 16: Basic Education; Briefing by the Department of Basic Education on Learner Drop-Outs in the System (Statistics, Trends, Tracking and Tracing); Engagement on Public Participation Hearings on the BELA Bill; Proposals for Improved Public Participation Hearings on the BELA Bill (Hon M Sukers MP) - Engagement with Parliamentary Support Units on Preparations for Hearings], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-12:30

Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Update by Minister of Higher Education regarding National Skills Fund and NSFAS investigations], Committee Room M514, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, 09:30-13:30

Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, (National Assembly), [Briefing by Mr J Rodemeyer on the trade and killing of animals and organized crimes at Kruger National Park; Briefing by the Office of the Auditor General on the Review of Annual Performance Plans; Consideration and adoption on the Report on Knoffloskraal, Grabouw invasion; Consideration and adoption of the Second Term Committee Programme, 2023; Briefing on the Annual Performance Plan and Strategic Plans for 2023/24 financial year: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment including the Marine Living Resources Fund; South African National Parks; and Isimangaliso Wetland Park Authority], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-17:00

Select Committee on Finance, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by Land Bank on outstanding issues from their previous engagement with the committee], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00

Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Small Business Development, Tourism, Employment and Labour, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by Advocate Van der Merwe, the Senior Legal Adviser from the Legislative draft unit in Parliament on analysis in respect of the Constitutional Court judgement on Performers Protection Amendment Bill [B 24D-2016] and Copyright Amendment Bill [B 13D-2017]; Department of Trade, Industry and Competition will respond to the issues raised during public hearings; Briefing by the Department of Tourism and SA Tourism on its Annual Performers Plan and Strategic Plan], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-17:00

WEDNESDAY, 19 APRIL 2023

Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration (Sub-Committee), (National Assembly), [Deliberations and adoption of the report on the recommendation for a candidate selected to serve as a Commissioner for the Public Service Commission], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-12:00

Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Hearing: RAF on the annual report and financial statements for the financial year 2020/21 and deviating from the known standards of accounting], Committee Room M514, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, 09:30-13:30

Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Parliamentary Legal Advisor on the legal opinion regarding the protected disclosure complaint referred by the Speaker of the National Assembly], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00

Select Committee on Security and Justice, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill [B9B-2018] (National Assembly – sec 75); Committee consideration and possible adoption of the Repeal of the Transkeian Penal Code Bill [B34-2022] (National Assembly – S75)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-12:00

THURSDAY, 20 APRIL 2023

Joint Standing Committee on Defence, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the DOD on contracts managed by Armscor on behalf of the DOD and the level of satisfaction with these contracts, including services rendered by the Armscor Dockyard; Feedback by the DOD on the outcome of the Workshop with Armscor on Spares and Maintenance contracting; Consideration of the second term programme; Consideration of outstanding minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 18:00-21:00

FRIDAY, 21 APRIL 2023

Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management of Parliament, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Consideration of the Committee’s 2023 Annual Plan; Consideration of the Committee’s 2023 2nd term programme; Consideration and adoption of committee minutes and reports: 2 December 2022, 24 February 2023,10 March 2023; Report on Parliament’s 2022/23 MY report; Report on Parliament’s draft on 2023/24 Annual Performance Plan; Report of the JSCFMP on Parliament’s performance in the Third Quarter of 2022/23], Virtual Meeting Platform, 08:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Minister and the DTIC on its Strategic and Annual Performance Plans for 2023/24 financial year (Budget Vote)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Health, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Health on the Annual Performance Plan and Budget for 2023/24 financial year], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-13:00

Committees provide a platform for the public to present views directly to MPs. Share your thoughts, on-the-ground experience, and expert information with the relevant committees. Critically, what questions should MPs pose to the Executive as they conduct their oversight work? Write to a Parliamentary Committee

View the schedule page here.

People's Assembly aims to connect the public to their elected representatives. One way of doing so is through our Replocator tool, which allows you to search for the elected representative in your area

During the constituency period, MPs have a duty to: be available to the public, help solve problems and report back to their constituents on what is happening in Parliament.