Election of Committee Chairperson; Committee Programme: discussion

Meeting report

Election of Committee Chairperson
Mr Eddie Mathonsi, Committee Secretary, presided over the election of the Committee Chairperson in terms rule 129 of the National Assembly Rules. He called for nominations from members for possible candidates. If more than one member was nominated then members would have to put the election to a vote. However, if there was a single nomination then there was no need to put it to a vote.

Mr D Gumede (ANC) nominated Mr B Mashile (ANC) for the position of Committee Chairperson.

Ms N Mnisi (ANC) seconded the nomination.

There was no opposition to Mr Mashile’s nomination.

Mr Mashile accepted the position as Committee Chairperson and was duly elected.

Deliberation of Committee Programme
The Chairperson thanked members for entrusting him with the position. He encouraged the Committee to work as a unit. He asked the Committee Secretary to compile a list with contact details of both members and Committee Staff and that such a list should be distributed amongst members. He added that many of the members were new to the Committee and that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) should brief the Committee on what its current work entailed. Lastly, he commented that there were many issues relating to the Home Affairs, and the work of the DHA was critical.

Mr M Hoosen (DA) congratulated the Chairperson on his appointment and agreed that a briefing would be useful. However, he suggested that in the next meeting, the Committee should discuss the new visa regulations introduced by the Minister of Home Affairs. The issue was important as it affected job creation and tourism. He appealed to the Chairperson to request the Minister to engage with the Committee on the issue.

Mr Gumede also congratulated the Chairperson and said that the Committee had full confidence in him. He thanked the various political parties comprising the Committee for not being “semantic” so that the Committee could get to the task of doing its work as a team.

Mr G Gardee (EFF) asked whether the budget of the DHA had already been passed. If not, he sought clarity on when the Committee would be discussing the budget prior to it being passed by the House.

Dr C Mulder (FF+) also congratulated the Chairperson on his appointment and looked forward to a good working relationship.

Ms S Nkomo (IFP) congratulated the Chairperson as well. She noted that the DHA’s budget was only one issue to be dealt with by the Committee. She suggested that if members had issues, which they felt needed to be dealt with by the Committee such issues should be forwarded to the Committee Secretary for possible placement on the Committee’s Programme.

The Chairperson responded that the Committee would deal with the issue of the DHA’s budget. Visa regulations would be one of the issues that the DHA was expected to brief the Committee on. It obviously formed part of the DHA’s work. The Committee’s Programme would reflect the issues that Members wished to discuss. He suggested that the Committee allow the DHA to make its initial briefing around the work it was doing. This would give the Committee direction on its way forward.

Mr Hoosen felt that engagement with the DHA was all good and well but preferred to engage with the Minister of Home Affairs in a formal manner. It would be appreciated if the Committee Chairperson on behalf of the Committee would extend an invitation to the Minister to address the Committee on the issue of visa regulations.

The Chairperson said that when the DHA briefed the Committee, Members could make a decision on the issue.

Mr Gardee once again asked whether the budget vote of the DHA had already been passed.

Ms D Raphuti (ANC) congratulated the Chairperson on his election. She pointed out that the Committee Programme had not been compiled and finalised as yet.

Mr Gumede agreed that the budget of the DHA was important but it was part of the basket of work of the DHA.

Mr Mulder explained that the DHAs total budget had been introduced before the 2014 elections. The Committee would discuss the budget. Once it had been discussed it would be debated and thereafter it would go to the House for debate.

The Chairperson said that when the DHA briefed the Committee, it would indicate to the Committee when it would be able to discuss issues.

Mr Mathonsi informed members that he had handed out a package of documents to members so that they could familiarise themselves with the work of the DHA.

The Chairperson encouraged members to read through the documents handed out.

Mr Gardee noted that it would be a useful exercise if they introduced themselves to the Committee, as all members were not acquainted with one another.

Members proceeded to introduce themselves.

The meeting was adjourned.