Performing Animals Protection Amendment Bill [B9B-2015]: finalisation: meeting postponed due to lack of quorum

NCOP Land Reform, Environment, Mineral Resources and Energy

25 August 2016
Chairperson: Mr O Sefako (ANC; Gauteng)
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Meeting Summary

The Committee met to deliberate, finalise and report on the Performing Animals Protection Amendment Bill [B9B-2015] which had been returned to Parliament by the office of the President of the Republic of South Africa and to consider and adopt of minutes 

As there was only one member present and a visiting member and only one apology the meeting was postponed however before that the Chairperson lamented the fact that the Committee would be facing a barrage of Bills that would need to be processed some of which were quite critical, like the MPRDA Bill and Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act. Moreover the Committee had to avoid non-compliance in how Bills were processed and it was disappointing at that point that there were no notifications beyond the single apology.

The Chief whip of the National Council of Provinces  requested to be furnished with the report of the Committee which indicated the agreement by members to attend the meeting today. It was a very serious breach for members to not have attended the meeting as she had had recent communication with provinces informing them that provincial delegates did not seem committed to doing the work of the NCOP. She had appealed with provinces to withdraw those delegates as she needed a team that would focus fully on the work of the NCOP. 

Meeting report

Opening remarks
The Chairperson said he had realised that there was only one apology on record without any indication as to whether the rest of the Committee was coming and asked those present to allow the missing Committee members another 5 minutes before starting or adjourning the proceedings.

He outlined the pieces of legislation that the Committee was expected to consider lamenting the fact that the work was piling up. The Committee had to avoid non-compliance in how Bills were processed and it was disappointing at this point that there were no notifications beyond the single apology.

The Chairperson welcomed the chief whip of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Dr H Mateme, to the proceedings as a visiting member. He informed her of the programmed schedule for the meeting and why it had been scheduled as such. The Committee was to deliberate, finalise and report on the Performing Animals Protection Amendment Bill [B9B-2015] which had been returned to Parliament by the office of the President of the Republic of South Africa. In the previous meeting the Committee had agreed to meet today to deal with the matter before attending to the plenary session however the reality was that members had not pitched with only one member present, one apology and the rest of the Committee missing. He reiterated that the Committee would be facing a barrage of Bills that would need to be processed some of which were quite critical, like the MPRDA Bill and the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act.
Because there was no quorum the meeting would need to be adjourned.
 
Dr H Mateme (ANC; Limpopo) requested to be furnished with the report of the Committee which indicated the agreement by members to attend the meeting today. It was a very serious breach for members to not have attended the meeting as she had had recent communication with provinces informing them that NCOP delegates did not seem committed to doing the work of the NCOP. She had appealed with provinces to withdraw those delegates as she needed a team that would focus fully on the work of the NCOP.
She was also disappointment that work had stalled as a result of unavailability of members. She recalled a speech from the memorial service of the late Reverend Makhenkesi Stofile where a speaker that had said people that felt they had let them down the movement and apologised had to take responsibility by falling on their sword. That had to happen in Parliament as well.
She also requested a full record of the proceedings for the day so that she could have evidence when she would next be communicating with provinces. She asked whether members of the opposition were also absent.

Ms E Prins (ANC; Western Cape) noted that the opposition always attended meetings even those that were adjourned because of quorum and today was the first time that they were also missing. Opposition MPs had accused ANC MPs of ill-discipline for not attending meetings and their members had to be coopted so that the Committee could quorate. This reflection did indeed mean there was no commitment from ANC MPs. She asked the whip of the NCOP to address this as well.

The Chairperson said he had thought that from the experience of the outcome of local government elections MPs would have returned to the House with more vigour to work.

The meeting was then adjourned. 

Present

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