Legal Metrology Bill: final mandates

NCOP Trade & Industry, Economic Development, Small Business, Tourism, Employment & Labour

26 February 2014
Chairperson: Mr D Gamede (ANC, KwaZulu-Natal)
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Meeting Summary

The Committee briefly dealt with the issue of some members complaining about not being timeously informed of Committee meetings.  The Chairperson assured members that the issue would be resolved.

The Committee adopted minutes of its meeting of 19 February 2014.

The Committee considered final mandates on the Legal Metrology Bill. At the outset of the meeting only eight final mandates were placed before the Committee for consideration. The Western Cape Province being the only province whose final mandate was outstanding, insisted that its final mandate had been sent to the Committee Secretary earlier the morning prior to the commencement of the meeting. A Committee staff member was despatched to confirm whether the final mandate had been received and to submit it to the Committee. The process on the Bill, in terms of considering the final mandates from the other eight provinces before the Committee, continued. The eight provinces had not proposed any amendments to the Bill and had all voted in favour of the Bill. The Bill was placed before the Committee and it was adopted unamended. A Member from the Eastern Cape had in the meantime organised hard copies of the Western Cape Province’s final mandate to be provided to the Committee. The Western Cape Province had also voted in favour of the Bill. Consequently all nine provinces had voted in favour of the Bill.
 

Meeting report

The Chairperson started by noting that some Members had complained about not receiving notices from the Committee Secretary about Committee meetings. He demanded a response from the Committee Secretary, Mr Hlupeka Mtileni.

Mr Mtileni explained the process of informing Members of meetings. He sent emails to Members informing them about meetings. He also placed notices of meetings in Members’ pigeon holes. Secretaries of Members were also informed about upcoming meetings.

Mr A Nyambi (ANC, Mpumalanga) said Members were aware of the process. He had not experienced any problems in the past about not being informed about committee meetings.

Ms M Dikgale (ANC, Limpopo) said the Committee Secretary had lost all her contact details.

The Chairperson said the issue would be resolved.

Mr K Sinclair (COPE, Northern Cape) said he felt that Mr Mtileni’s service had always been very effective.

Committee Minutes
The Committee adopted minutes dated the 19 February 2014 as amended.

Legal Metrology Bill: final mandates
Eastern Cape Province 
Ms E van Lingen (DA) stated that the Province voted in favour of the Bill.

Free State Province
Mr B Mnguni (ANC) stated that the Province voted in favour of the Bill.

Gauteng Province
Ms B Abrahams (DA) stated that the province voted in favour of the Bill.


KwaZulu-Natal Province
The Chairperson said that the Province voted in favour of the Bill.

Limpopo Province
Ms Dikgale informed the Committee that the Province voted in favour of the Bill.

Mpumalanga Province
Mr Nyambi stated that the Province was in favour of the Bill.

Northern Cape Province
Mr Sinclair said that the province voted in favour of the Bill.

North West Province
Ms K Kekesi (ANC, North West) said that the province voted in favour of the Bill.

Western Cape Province
Mr F Adams (ANC, Western Cape) informed the Committee that the Western Cape Province had sent its final mandate on the Bill to the Committee Secretary earlier the morning prior to the commencement of the meeting. He found it surprising that Members had not been given copies and asked the Committee Secretary to explain.

The Chairperson said that it needed to be verified whether the Committee Secretary had received the final mandate on the Bill from the Western Cape Province.

Ms D Ranto (ANC, Eastern Cape) interjected that the North West Province had made recommendations on the Bill in its final mandate which should be read out to the Committee.

The Chairperson informed Ms Ranto that the Committee had taken the decision to only consider proper amendments suggested to the Bill. Recommendations were not per se amendments to the Bill.

Ms Ranto accepted the explanation given and asked to be excused from the meeting as she had another meeting to attend.

The Chairperson asked Adv Charmaine van Der Merwe, Parliamentary Legal Adviser, for comment.

Ms Van Der Merwe said from a legal point of view, there was no comment. From appearances it would seem that everything was in order regarding the Bill and the final mandates received.

Mr Adams insisted that the Western Cape Province had submitted its final mandate on the Bill.

The Chairperson responded that from a procedural point of view if the Western Cape Province had sent its final mandate and the Committee needed to record that it was sent.

Ms E Van Lingen (DA, Eastern Cape) said if the Western Cape Province’s final mandate on the Bill had been sent earlier in the morning, the Committee could briefly adjourn in order for it to be retrieved and submitted to the Committee.

Mr Nyambi did not understand what the logic was in going on about the Western Cape Province’s final mandate. The Committee had gone through the process of considering final mandates from the provinces who had submitted them. The process was completed. He asked the Committee to move on.

Ms Shamara Ally, Procedural Officer: National Council of Provinces (NCOP), explained that as far as the process on the Bill was concerned the Committee could proceed. The Committee could obtain a hard copy of the Western Cape Province’s final mandate on the Bill at a later time given that the Bill still had to go to the House.

The Chairperson placed the Bill before the Committee and it was adopted unamended.

Mr Adams felt that the Western Cape Province had done its part but was not being given the opportunity to place its final mandate on the Bill before the Committee.

The Chairperson said that the Committee had tried to accommodate the Western Cape by sending a staff member to print hard copies for the Committee. The Committee had however concluded the process of the Bill before the staff member had returned to the meeting.  

Ms Van Lingen had in the meantime organised that hard copies of the Western Cape Province’s final mandate be submitted to the Committee.

With the Western Cape Province’s final mandate before the Committee, Mr Adams said that the Western Cape had voted in favour of the Bill.

The Chairperson stated that all nine provinces had voted in favour of the Bill.  

The meeting was adjourned. 
 

Present

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