The Week Ahead: Oral Questions & Legislation
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Both chambers have scheduled questions for oral replies with the Executive.
Section 92(2) of the Constitution stipulates that cabinet members are accountable collectively and individually to Parliament for exercising their powers and performing their functions. Questions for Oral Reply by the President, Deputy President, and Ministers are one mechanism that Parliament consistently uses to hold the Executive to account.
They demonstrate their commitment to transparency, accountability, and effective governance by doing this.
The Deputy President, who is also the leader of government business, will appear in the National Assembly on Thursday.
In line with the broad tasks delegated to him, he will be probed on various issues, including the Sudan conflict, KZN violence, the functioning of Communal Property Associations, water challenges in the country, and plans to eradicate construction mafias.
Select Ministers in the Social Services Cluster will be in the spotlight on Wednesday.
Beyond this, Ministers in the Peace and Security cluster will appear in the NCOP on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Government Ministers may make oral statements to Parliament, which usually address major incidents, government policies, or actions. Each political party is allowed an opportunity to respond to such a statement. On Tuesday, the Minister of Police will make a statement in the NA on actions taken by the South African Police Services to deal with threats posed by extortion in the country.
Friday is dedicated to mini-plenary sessions in the NA. There are two scheduled on matters of national public importance:
10:00 – ±13:00 MINI-PLENARY SESSIONS (virtual)
Mini-plenary 1:
- Subject for discussion (Mr S C Sekoati): The developmental role of the financial sector in supporting industrialisation and structural transformation (114)
- Subject for discussion (Mr T B Mabhena): Measures to alleviate the escalating financial strain placed on households due to the Republic’s persistent cost of living crisis (114)
Mini-plenary 2:
- Subject for discussion (Mr V G Reddy): The appropriateness of the continued use of the term ‘government of national unity’ (GNU) within parliamentary and governmental discourse, given the evolving political landscape in South Africa (114)
- Draft resolution (Mr J S Malema): The need for a parliamentary investigation on the impact of the crime of extortion in South Africa, with specific focus on the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal (114)
Away from Parliament, ten axed former uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Members of Parliament will be challenging their dismissal in court on Tuesday. Later in the week, the DA and several civil society organisations will also appear in court as they try to stop MK parliamentary leader John Hlophe from taking up a seat on the Judicial Service Commission.
In the Committee Corridor, committees have mostly concluded their induction sessions and are now considering legislation and engaging departments and entities on specific issues. This is a summary of the main highlights:
MONDAY, 02 SEPTEMBER 2024
Powers and Privileges Committee, [Election of Chairperson; Induction on the mandate and functioning of the Committee], Committee Room S12A, Ground Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 11:00
TUESDAY, 03 SEPTEMBER 2024
Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the National Skills Fund (NSF) and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) on developments concerning: Update on the Annual Report 2022/23; Performance of the entities; Update on the investigations conducted by the SIU on NSFAS and NSF], Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00
Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Water and Sanitation on dams’ safety, status of tailing dams across the country and progress report on the eradication of the backlog of dam safety evaluations; Report on the closure of Lesotho Highlands Water Project for maintenance and the impact it will have on provision of water to Gauteng Province; Consideration and adoption of minutes], Taj Hotel, Cape Town, 09:30
Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, (National Assembly), [Briefing/Presentation on Promoting Inclusive Education in respect of Progress in Support of Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN), Digital Resources and Learning Resources for Special Schools by: Department of Basic Education (DBE); Department of Health (DOH); Consideration and Adoption of: Draft Minutes (27/08/2024)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-12:30
Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources on the status of the Lilly and Optimum Mines based in Mpumalanga; Consideration and adoption of Minutes of 27 August 2024], Committee Room M201, Second Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:30-13:00
Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Minister of Home Affairs on the progress of the work of the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel; Consideration and adoption of the report on report on Draft notice and schedule determining the rate, with effect from 1 April 2023, at which salaries, allowances and benefits are payable to members of the Electoral Commission annually, for approval by Parliament in terms of section 7(2) of the Electoral Act, 1996 (Act No. 51 of 1996); Consideration and adoption of the Draft notie and schedule determining the rate, with effect from 1 April 2024, at which salaries, allowances and benefits are payable to members of the Electoral Commission annually, for approval by Parliament in terms of section 7(2) of the Electoral Act, 1996 (Act No. 51 of 1996); Consideration and adoption of the minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-12:30
Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Public Administration, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by KZN MEC of department of CoGTA on Constitutional, Procedural and Substantive matters related to the invocation of section 139 of the constitution in Zululand Local Municipality; Tabling of written responses by the Department of Water and Sanitation; Department of Human Settlements and Department of CoGTA during the considerations of departmental APP and Budget Votes], Committee Room S35, First Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 10:00-13:00
WEDNESDAY, 04 SEPTEMBER 2024
Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the SIU on medico-legal claims, including their impact on the financial health of the health sector; Briefing by the Auditor-General on Transnet's financial performance, irregular and wasteful expenditure, governance, human resource controls, deviations and expansions, and accrual], Committee Room M514, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00
Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, (National Assembly), [Briefing by experts on the significance to South Africa and Africa of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC Summit) in China 3-8 September 2024], Venue to be confirmed, 09:00
Standing Committee on Appropriations, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer on the requests for contract deviations and expansions during the First Quarter of the 2024/25 financial year], Boardroom WS/3116, 3rd Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 09:00-12:00
Portfolio Committee on Police, (National Assembly), [Deliberation of Crime Stats (4th Q 2023/24 and 1st Q 2024/25)], Venue to be confirmed, 09:00-12:30
Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the DPWI on outstanding legislation: The Public Works Bill – objects, amongst others, to define the Public Works function and provide a framework for an equitable, effective, uniform system to regulate Public Works and Infrastructure; to regulate, establish, and maintain uniform standards and norms; to coordinate the national, provincial and local government spheres and the mandate of the national Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure; to further link the performance of public and private entities operating in the building and the construction environments to their performance plans. Amendments to the CIDB and CBE Acts; Amendment to the Infrastructure Development Act (2014) to provide the mandate, coordinating roles and functions of the governance, and management structures and functions of the ISA; Update on legislation to reconfigure the Independent Development Trust into a social infrastructure development agency. Consideration and adoption of minutes], Committee Room S26, First Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 09:30-12:30
Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development, (National Assembly), [Constitutional and Legal Services Office (CLSO); Types and Forms of Bills: Law-making processes in Committees and the National Assembly; Role of Communication; Public Involvement; Consideration and Adoption of minutes], Venue to be confirmed, 09:30-13:00
Portfolio Committee on Health, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Health on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill [B33-2023]; Briefing by Professor Abdool Karim Slim on the Quadruple Burden of Disease; Consideration and adoption of minutes], Cape Town Lodge, 101 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town City, Cape Town, 09:30-14:00
Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development, (National Assembly), Briefing on land tenure for farm dwellers, labour tenants and communal areas with emphasis on communal areas (maybe also report on the study lessons and progress in term of policy)], TAJ Hotel, Cape Town, 09:30-13:30
Select Committee on Social Services, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Department of Social Development on the Older Persons Amendment Bill [B11B-2022] Sec76; Consideration and Adoption of Committees 2nd term programme; Consideration and Adoption of Committee Minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00
Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Public Service Commission on the Public Service Commission Bill; Consideration and adoption of the previous minutes], Sanlam Golden Acre Building, 21st Floor, Adderley Street, CAPE TOWN, 10:00-13:00
Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Minister of Electricity and Energy and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy on the Nuclear New Build programme, including an update on the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant Long Term Operation (LTO) programme; Consideration and adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00
FRIDAY, 06 SEPTEMBER 2024
Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition, (National Assembly), [Briefing on competition among South African stock exchanges], Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00-12:00
Standing Committee on the Auditor-General, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the National Treasury on a more appropriate funding model for the AGSA, as well as interventions to collect outstanding debts owed to the institution; Introductory meeting with Auditor-General of South Africa], Committee Room 1, Upper Ground Floor, 90 Plein Street Building, Parliament, 09:00-13:00
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.
The schedule is subject to frequent changes and needs to be checked daily.
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About this blog
![People's Assembly](/static/resources/images/pa-logo.png)
"That week in Parliament" is a series of blog posts in which the important Parliamentary events of the week are discussed.
We host the latest posts of this blog, written by People's Assembly. You can find more on PA's blog.
About this blog
![People's Assembly](/static/resources/images/pa-logo.png)
"That week in Parliament" is a series of blog posts in which the important Parliamentary events of the week are discussed.
We host the latest posts of this blog, written by People's Assembly. You can find more on PA's blog.