Committee Programme

Meeting report

Chairperson’s Opening Remarks

The Chairperson opened the meeting, welcoming everyone in attendance.

She informed Members that the Caucus was initially scheduled to get the presentation from Parliamentary Medical Aid (PARMED). However, PARMED could not brief the Caucus, as the presentation was not ready yet.

The Chairperson reminded Members of the importance of Youth Day tomorrow. She reminded Members of the courageous youth of the country who had led the fight against apartheid in 1976 and acknowledged their contribution to the liberation movement.

She emphasised the importance for women MPs to participate in this Caucus. The wider meaning of this Caucus is that women are being represented and that they need to ensure that women’s issues are being attended to.

The Caucus received eleven apologies from the following Members: Ms C Labuschagne (DA, Western Cape), Ms W Ngwenya (ANC, Gauteng), Ms W Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC), Ms N Maseko-Jele (ANC), Ms S Boshoff (DA, Mpumalanga), Ms T Breedt (FF+), Minister Thembisile Nkadimeng; Ms M Hlengwa (IFP), Ms D Christians (DA, Northern Cape), Deputy Minister Nocawe Mafu and Ms M Mothapo (ANC).

Caucus Third Term Programme

The Chairperson informed the Caucus that the Chairperson of Chairpersons had outlined the focus areas for the Caucus’ third term programme. The third term is scheduled for four weeks, and it begins on 29 August and ends on 22 September. The National Assembly would only have programmes for a week, which begin from 29 August until 01 September. The plenary resumes on 05 September and ends on 22 September. Given the short period during the third term, there will be no oversight visit. Urgent matters will be dealt with on a case-to-case basis.

The Caucus Content Advisor took the Committee through its third term programme.

Ms N Sihlwayi (ANC) highlighted the prevalence of poverty and GBVF in society, and she proposed that the matter be discussed. She also highlighted the important role of appropriate and effective parenting in shaping the correct moral value in children.

Ms M Matuba (ANC) highlighted the importance of having different levels of government working in unison. She wanted to know whether the Caucus has structures at local and provincial levels, and she suggested a meeting of some sort with stakeholders from those different spheres of government to discuss the issue of working in unison. The purpose is to expand the impact of the work of the multiparty women's Caucus.

Ms Matuba said that the multiparty women’s Caucus should pay more attention to the women in various sectors who are side-lined and neglected by the mainstream media and policy. She particularly highlighted the women in diaspora, such as foreign national women who experience GBVF incidents and fear reporting to law enforcement authorities. The multiparty Caucus should strive to expand its brand to multiparty continentally and multiparty globally.

Having listened to Members’ inputs, the Chairperson commented that Members should start with themselves and live by those principles that promote women’s interests and rights before they go out to campaign and advocate.

She also confirmed that there are similar structures such as multiparty women’s Caucus at provincial and local levels. However, their programmes are not the same, and there thus is a lack of synergy. She was of the view that the House should agree on the process of how to coordinate all these different efforts to address women’s issues and bring all these efforts together to achieve their optimal impact.

She encouraged Members to send other proposals to the Committee’s Content Advisor.

Ms N Ntobongwana (ANC) proposed discussing the issue in the Steering Committee. She agreed that the issue of synergy and coordinating the works of women of different spheres of government should be discussed to at least lay the foundation for the incoming seventh Parliament.

Consideration and Adoption of Outstanding Minutes

Committee minutes dated 25 May 2023 were duly adopted.

The draft programme for the third term was adopted.

The meeting was adjourned.