Consideration and adoption of Draft Report on Oversight Visit to Eastern Cape, Committee Minutes, Strategic Plan and Draft Third Term Programme

Meeting report

The Chairperson on behalf of the Committee congratulated Ms M Moshodi (ANC, Free State) on getting married.

Committee Minutes
The Chairperson tabled several sets of minutes for consideration. These were dated dated 25 April, 9, 16, 30 May and 5 June 2012. Members corrected all the spelling and grammatical errors in these documents before adopting each one.

Draft Report on Oversight Visit to Eastern Cape 13–16 March 2012
The Chairperson proceeded to take the Committee through the draft Report. Spelling and grammatical changes were effected to the draft Report throughout.

Mr M De Villiers (DA; Western Cape) referred to the recommendations on page 6 and stated that the Chairperson had given the Department of Education 30 days within which to submit a report to the Committee- this should be added to the report. He also asked that the huge increases in fees and accommodation costs at universities be included under challenges on page 9.

The Committee agreed to the suggestions.

The Draft Report was adopted as amended.

Committee Strategic Plan 2010 - 2014 and Proposed Committee Third Term Programme
The Chairperson stated that the Committee had held a strategic workshop to gauge its work programme for the subsequent 12 months. Emanating from the workshop was the Proposed Programme of Action for the Third Term. In essence it was the Proposed Committee Third Term Programme. The Chairperson presented the Programme to Members. The proposed meetings schedule was for the period 13 August 2012 to the 19 September 2012.

Ms B Mncube (ANC, Gauteng) informed the Committee that the provincial week scheduled for the 4-7 September 2012 might change to a committee week. The Committee could therefore perhaps schedule meetings during that time.

The Chairperson emphasised that the Committee had a Strategic Plan in place which had prioritised items which needed to be dealt with. Having prioritised items the Committee came up with the Proposed Programme of Action for the Third Term. The Committee noted Ms Mncube’s input but for now needed to stick to what was placed on the Programme.
The Chairperson felt the oversight visit scheduled for the 21-24 August 2012 to the Limpopo Province was important. Some of the issues which needed to be looked at were scholar transport and school safety. The Department of Basic Education was the relevant responsible department.

Mr De Villiers brought it to the Committee’s attention that he himself, Ms D Rantho (ANC, Eastern Cape) and Ms Mncube would not be available for the oversight visit to Limpopo Province as they as whips would be undertaking an oversight visit to Australia from the 21-24 August 2012.

The Chairperson stressed that the Third Term Programme was only a draft and could change. She suggested that the Committee leave for the oversight visit to Limpopo Province on the 20 August 2012 so that work could start on the 21 August 2012.

The Committee agreed.

Ms R Rasmeni (ANC, North West) asked whether the Committee’s study tour to Cuba was still taking place.

Mr Mzuyanda Dlanga, Committee Secretary, confirmed that the study tour to Cuba was going ahead. The trip had been approved; a date just had to be set.

The Chairperson noted that the study tour to Cuba might take place in September 2012.

Mr De Villiers pointed out that the destination for the study tour had been changed from Sweden to Cuba and now the date was being changed. He asked whether the request for the study tour to Cuba been submitted or not.

Ms Mncube suggested that if the request had not been submitted it should be done before days end as the trip to Cuba was important.

The Chairperson confirmed that the trip to Cuba had been approved. She placed the Committee’s Strategic Plan before the Committee for adoption.

The Committee adopted the Strategic Plan unamended. The Proposed Committee Third Term Programme was also adopted unamended.

The meeting was adjourned.