Revision of Labour & Public Enterprises Select committee programme so that it is aligned with priorities identified during strategic planning workshop: discussion

Meeting report

Discussion of Committee Programme                                                                                     
The Chairperson stated that the Committee should align its programme with the priorities that were identified during the Workshop. She noted that the Select Committee on Public Service (SCoPS) was scheduled to conduct oversight visits to 2010 host cities from 14^th to 18^th of September. She advised that the Committee should also conduct oversight visits in the same provinces (during that time) but would focus on issues that fell within its competency. In addition, she briefly discussed each item on the agenda and indicated that all departments which appeared before the Committee should not give broad presentations but focus on how their work impacted the different provinces.

Mr Z Mlenzana (COPE; Eastern Cape) advised that the Committee should in principle endorse the proposal made by the Chairperson. At the same time, he recommended that a joint management committee, comprising of both the Committee and the SCoPS, meet to fine tune the agenda for the oversight visits.

Mr D Feldman (ANC; Gauteng) enquired whether Members would have any input regarding which provinces the Committee would visit.

The Chairperson explained that the two management committees would negotiate on this matter. Given that the SCoPS had already planned this visit, it was likely that the Committee would have to agree to the provinces proposed by that Committee.

Mr Mlenzana agreed that the joint management committee should decide on where the oversight visits would be. However, he noted that oversight visits were normally determined by issues that required urgent attention and reports submitted by Members concerning their constituencies.

The Chairperson noted that the joint management committee would not favour provinces when deciding on which provinces to visit. They would first consider all the critical factors as well as the reality of conducting oversight visits in a specific area.

Mr M Sibande (ANC; Mpumalanga) echoed Mr Mlenzana’s point of view. Oversight should be guided by matters arising which would be reflected in reports by Members. Furthermore, Members should not take the issue of going to provinces personally, as the Committee was deployed to the National Council of Provinces to address issues in all provinces.

Mr M Jacobs (ANC; Free State) questioned the timing of the annual report hearings. He argued that it should be done before the oversight visits.

Ms L Mabija (ANC; Limpopo) supported this position. She argued that Members should be armed with information beforehand so that would know what to look out for during their oversight visits.

Mr Sibande differed with his colleagues. He pointed out that the Committee had access to a researcher, who could educate Members on all the relevant issues. In addition, he stated that nothing precluded the Committee from requesting a department to brief it on a specific issue.

Mr H Groenewald (DA; North West) added that briefings were different to annual report hearings and that the Committee could request the former at anytime.

Mr Jacobs maintained that the Committee should have background information and be familiar with the specifics before it conducted oversight visits.

The Chairperson stressed that the Committee would make use of the researcher to ensure that it had the necessary information beforehand.

Mr O De Beer (COPE; Western Cape) explained that the briefing that would be given by the researcher would contain specific information so Members would know what is going on. Furthermore, Members had their own individual resources, and therefore should make use of them.

Report back from Commission 3
Mr Ngcobo, Researcher, Parliamentary Research Unit, briefly the discussed the report and highlighted issues that were relevant to the Committee. The commission looked at the electrification programme, which was the major area of crisis in almost all the provinces. Other issues relating to creating decent and sustainable employment; youth development; empowerment of vulnerable groups and service delivery challenges were also identified.

The committee agreed that service delivery, which encompassed everything, was critical.

The Chairperson stated that the programme needed to be adjusted so that it included all the issues that were raised.

The programme would be edited and would be adopted in the upcoming meeting

The meeting was adjourned.