Postponed: GBVF Bill: DWYPD response to submissions & deliberations; with Minister

Meeting report

Opening comments:

The Chairperson welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked the Secretariat to read out the names of the Committee Members present at the meeting, and noted no absentees with apology.

The Chairperson acknowledged the presence of the Minister. He mentioned that he would switch off his camera as he was at an awkward physical space. He requested that the meeting agenda be flighted and he went through it item by item. He handed over to the Minister to provide opening remarks.

Minister’s remarks

Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, greeted everyone. She mentioned that she did not prepare a political overview as she thought they would only discuss the submissions. She then introduced her team. She asked that the Committee notify her in advance if they wanted a political overview from her.

The Chairperson thanked the Minister for her opening remarks and he handed over to the Department to begin with the presentation. He noted the Minister mentioned that she would have to depart from the meeting early. The Chairperson asked that the presentation be completed before the departure of the Minister.

GBVF Bill: DWYPD response to submissions & deliberations

Ms Nondumiso Ngqulunga, Director: Legal Services, Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD), took the Committee through the presentation of the Department’s responses to the written submissions on the National Council on Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Bill [B31-2022].

NOTE: Halfway through the presentation (and even prior to this) there were technical difficulties on the side of the host of the meeting. This worsened and reached a point where the meeting was abruptly discontinued and postponed to a later date in the week