Annual Report: adoption

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The aim of this report is to summarise the main events at the meeting and identify the key role players.  This report is not a verbatim transcript of proceedings. 

WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
13 November 2001
ANNUAL REPORT: ADOPTION

Chairperson: Ms B. Sonjica

Documents handed out:
Draft Committee Annual Report (Committee Secretary)

SUMMARY
The Committee considered the annual report and discussed the attendance record and the review of the Committee's activities over the session. Corrections were suggested and the members agreed to adopt the annual report with corrections. The final draft of the annual report would be distributed to the members by the end of the day. As it was the last meeting of the year for the Committee, the Chairperson thanked the members for their support and cooperation.

MINUTES
The Chairperson opened the meeting by welcoming the Committee and asking the members to proceed by considering and adopting the report. She stated that members had been concerned about the record of attendance and invited questions and comments from the Committee.

Mr D. Maimane (ANC) pointed out a spelling error and suggested a correction.

The Chairperson accepted the correction. She noted that the report indicated that Ms P. Mothoagae attended only one meeting and added that there must have been an error, so she resolved to ask Ms Mothoagae to check her personal diary. She suggested that the attendance record be left as it was and a better record be kept for the future.

Mr T. Brutus from the Department pointed out that the report should indicate that the Minister had briefed the Committee.

The Chairperson stated that the Minister must have come during the previous year because she could not recall the Minister's attendance of the Committee this year.

Mr Maimane agreed with the Chairperson.

The Chairperson asked the members to skip the attendance section because there was no possibility of reaching consensus. She stated that people wanted a true reflection of their attendance and added that the Committee took their concerns seriously and would look into improving the records for the next term. She mentioned that the Committee Secretary would retrieve the registrar for the Committee to scrutinise. She asked the Committee to proceed by considering the content of the report. During this year, only one piece of legislation had come before the Committee, and the Committee had agreed to the Bill with proposed amendments. The Committee had also adopted its programme and conducted briefings and workshops. She asked the members if anything had been left out of the report.

Mr S. Simmons (NNP) stated that the report did not reflect the Globe-SA sponsored workshop, which had been attended by a delegation from the Committee.

The Chairperson stated that the Globe workshop was included as item seventeen of the list of the programme. She asked if the members were satisfied with the section of the report on the programme followed by the Committee, and the members agreed. She proceeded to the section of the report on the review of the year's work and recommendations. The Chairperson's comment in the report commended the Committee members for their cooperation and was critical of the inadequate number of provincial visits.

Ms M. Ngwenya (ANC) suggested a correction to reflect that the visit to the Northern Province consisted of a three-person delegation from the Committee.

Mr Brutus stated that the ceremony where land was handed over to a community was attended by the Chairperson, but this was not included in the report.

The Chairperson agreed with Mr Brutus and noted one other programme that had been left off of the list. She asked if the Committee had dealt with cholera and recalled that the Minister must have come for the cholera session and not the session on the budget. She invited comments from members. She said that she had expressed the need to visit provinces more in order to see implementation and for the Minister to increase interaction with the Committee. Also, the Committee needed to improve hearings and conduct more. She added that some of the Committee's meetings included wider interaction than simply a presentation and, therefore, a list of the organisations with whom the Committee had established relationships should be included. Events attended under the auspices of the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs and Tourism were not listed as well. She also mentioned the papers that were referred to the Committee for information purposes.

Mr J. Van Wyk (ANC) mentioned the forestry legislation workshop, stated that there was an upcoming workshop this weekend not listed in the report, and suggested that it should be added to the list of the Committee's activities.

The Chairperson suggested that it be called a forestry indaba and added that it should certainly appear in the report. She also stated that the reference to the White Paper on Sanitation could come under legislation.

Mr Maimane said that the Committee had discussed all these corrections at the previous meeting.

The Chairperson stated that these corrections had been discussed, but new suggestions were also being presented. She asked if the Committee could proceed to adopt the report with corrections, and the members agreed.

Mr Van Wyk said that, if the report was adopted, the final draft of the annual report should be made available to members by the end of the week.

The Chairperson stated that the aim was to make the corrections during the day and have the final draft of the report distributed to members by the end of the day. She referred back to the report and noted that the costs of the Chile visit were not reflected.

The Committee Secretary stated that the relevant information had not been received from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The Chairperson, concluding the discussion on the annual report, declared the report adopted with corrections. She proceeded to discuss the Committee's programme for the week and brought up the visit to Knysna.

The Chairperson closed the meeting by thanking the members for their support and understanding. She stated that she was human and made mistakes and expressed her appreciation for the mature way in which the members had handled issues. She mentioned collective responsibility and stated that it was up to the Committee to make things work, and, if members were committed, they would succeed. Although the Committee was considered minor by those outside the Committee, she commended the members for how seriously they took their work. She stated that people might take water for granted, but it was essential for life.

Mr M. Phala (ANC) expressed his appreciation to the Chairperson.

The Chairperson closed the meeting by reminding members of their departure on Friday.  She appreciated the members for their discipline and thanked the Contact Trust for on-going and continual support.

The meeting was adjourned.



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