Committee Reports: 2017 MTBPS; Adjustments Appropriation Bill

Meeting report

Amendments 2017 Adjustments Appropriation Bill

Mr D Maynier (DA) said that this was the first opportunity for the Committee to consider the amendments to the 2017 Adjustments Appropriation Bill, and the DA would like to introduce to the Committee a proposal for 58 amendments to the Bill. Despite the proposal including 58 technical amendments, he could put them in a synchronised order to avoid wasting time.

The Chairperson said although Members and political parties were encouraged to take initiatives, they could not work in silos. At its last meeting, the Committee had received proposals for amendments, and at the time it had expressed the desire to adopt them as a Committee, not as individuals. Therefore, these proposals of the DA should have been brought u[ earlier in the process for consideration. Mr Maynier was now coming at the tail end, when other processes had been completed, which she considered a challenge.

Ms S Shope-Sithole (ANC) said the document brought by Mr Maynier was a party document, and not a Committee document. She was therefore not prepared to be ‘workshopped’ by the DA.

Ms D Senokoanyane (ANC) said her concern was that the DA was making this a pattern, because every time they had amendments they would bring them at the eleventh hour. The DA had met, caucused, agreed and produced this document to make Members of the Committee swallow whatever was in it. This was not acceptable to the Committee.

Mr Maynier said he understood that the Committee had dealt with the amendments at its previous meeting, but those amendments had not been proposed by the Members, but rather by the Minister.

Secondly, in terms of the agenda of this meeting, there were two items. The first was for the consideration of amendments to the Adjustments Appropriations Bill, and the other was the consideration of the report on the Adjustments Appropriation Bill.

Another point was that there was nothing in the rules that prevented parties from bringing amendments. In fact, Parliament was exactly the place were parties, through their Members, should bring amendments to the Committee.

On the issue of bringing amendments at the eleventh hour, Mr Maynier said the truth was that this was the first opportunity for the Committee to consider the Bill, so the DA was not introducing its amendments at the eleventh hour but rather introducing them at the first opportunity they had. This was the first time the Committee had the opportunity to consider these amendments. Therefore he rejected all those arguments on their merits.

The Chairperson asked how, in terms of procedure, the Committee could fit in the proposed amendments, having gone through all the other stages of processing the Bill. As far as she was concerned, these amendments had come in too late, because the Committee should have discussed them before they adopted the report. The DA, through Mr Maynier, should have come during the public hearings and given the Committee these proposals, and after the analysis of the budget, the DA should have tabled them so that the report could reflect the amendments.

Mr N Gcwabaza (ANC) said the proposed amendments from Mr Maynier had come in too late, and therefore could not be accepted by the Committee.

Ms Senokoanyane objected to the proposed amendments from Mr Maynier.

Ms Shope-Sithole seconded the objection.

The Committee rejected the proposed amendments from Mr Maynier.

Report on 2017 Adjustments Appropriations Bill

Ms Shope-Sithole proposed the adoption of the report. Mr Gcwabaza seconded the motion.
After careful consideration of the relevant amendments to the Report on the 2017 Adjustments Appropriations Bill, the Committee adopted the report.

Report on 2017 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement

Ms Senokoanyane proposed the adoption of the report. Ms M Manana (ANC) supported the proposal. After careful consideration of the relevant amendments to the Report on the 2017 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, the Committee adopted the report.

Adoption of November Minutes

Ms Manana (ANC) moved the adoption of the minutes of 1 November. Mr Gcwabaza seconded.
The Committee adopted the minutes without amendment.

Ms Shope-Sithole moved the adoption of the minutes of 3 November. Mr Gcwabaza seconded. The Committee adopted the minutes without amendment.

The Committee considered the minutes of 7 November. Ms Senokoanyene made a correction on page 3, and then moved their adoption. Mr Gcwabaza supported the proposal. The Committee adopted the minutes with corrections.

Mr Gcwabaza made a correction on page 3 of the minutes of 8 November. Ms Shope-Sithole moved their adoption, and Mr Gcwabaza seconded. The Committee adopted the minutes with corrections.

Mr Gcwabaza made a correction on page 3 of the minutes of 9 November, and moved their adoption. Ms Shope-Sithole seconded the motion, and they were adopted, with corrections.

Ms Shope-Sithole proposed the adoption of the minutes of 10 November. Ms Senokoanyane seconded, and the Committee adopted them without corrections.

Adoption of the minutes of 13 November was proposed by Ms Senokoanyane, and seconded by Ms Shope-Sithole. They were adopted without amendment.

Ms Manana moved the adoption of the minutes of 15 November. Ms Senokoanyane seconded, and the minutes were adopted without corrections.

The minutes of 17 November were moved for adoption by Ms Manana, with Ms Shope-Sithole seconding.  The Committee adopted the minutes without corrections.

Ms Shope-Sithole moved the adoption of the minutes of 21 November. Ms Manana seconded, and the Committee adopted them without corrections.

Ms Manana moved the adoption of the minutes of 24 November. Ms Shope-Sithole seconded the motion. The Committee adopted the minutes without corrections.

The Chairperson thanked the Members for their input.

The meeting was adjourned.