Election of Chairperson

Meeting report

The Committee Secretary welcomed everyone present.

His role was to facilitate the election of a committee chairperson as per the Rules of the National Council of Provinces. He called on Members to nominate.

He read out NCOP Rule 150:

Election of Chairperson of Committee
(1) Whenever it is necessary to elect a chairperson of a committee, a committee must elect one of its members as the chairperson of the committee. The question must be put by the secretary to the committee.
(2) The question may be decided only if a majority of the members of the committee is present.
(3) The question is decided by a majority of the votes cast.

He said the list of committee members was published in the ATC, and a notice was sent to convene this meeting. This was done in accordance with NCOP Rule 111, which states that the Secretary must call the first meeting of a committee within five working days after the names of the committee members have been announced.

After the election, the chairperson will preside over the committee meeting and perform all functions as outlined.

He did a roll call to check which Members were present and if they were quorate.

He briefly outlined the election process and called for nominations.

Ms Nxumalo (ANC, Mpumalanga) nominated Ms T Legwase (ANC, North West) to chair the Committee.

Mr B Radebe (ANC, Free State) supported the nomination.

Ms Legwase accepted the nomination.

There were no further nominations or objections.

Ms Legwase was the duly elected Chairperson.

The Chairperson said she was honoured and humbled to be elected. It is a big responsibility, and this Committee is highly regulated. She is committed to upholding the trust and the confidence shown in her. She indicated that she would ensure that the budget allocations were in the interest of those they serve. She pledged to Members to lead with integrity, fairness, and dedication and promised to approach every decision with careful consideration.

Together, they can make a difference and ensure that appropriation decisions reflect the values and priorities of all South Africans they represent in the NCOP.

She thanked her party and province that deployed her.

The Chairperson handed over to the Chairperson to present the draft programme.

The Committee Secretary indicated that the Committee is one of the highly regulated committees in Parliament. Its work is guided by the Money Bills Act. Most of the work that Members will be doing is in that legislation. The focus at the moment is the budget votes, which are part of the Appropriation Bill. The Committee will process this Bill. As per the draft committee programme, the Committee will receive a briefing from the National Treasury on the Appropriation Bill next week. There will be additional engagements with the Financial and Fiscal Commission, the Parliamentary Budget Office and public hearings.

According to the programme, the Committee will adopt its report on the Bill on 30 July, and it will be debated in the House on 30 July or 31 July.

He unpacked the other additional activities in the draft programme. If members have suggestions, the programme can be amended.

He introduced the Committee Staff.

The Chairperson asked if Members could agree to the draft programme.

Ms S Siwisa (EFF, Northern Cape) welcomed the draft programme and asked the Secretary to forward the programme so Members could plan properly. However, she was concerned about the time and the rush to complete the process and questioned if the quality of the work would not be compromised.

Mr B Radebe (ANC, Free State) suggested adopting the programme now as it stands with the proviso that if anything else comes up, it will be amended accordingly. He also supported holding physical meetings as now it was Winter, and connectivity for many in different areas may be an issue. Although he welcomed the concerns of rushing the process, he indicated that it was outside the control of the Committee given that it was an election year and the time to approve the budget has drawn closer.

The Chairperson said they agreed to adopt the programme as a working document and will address challenges as they arise.

She noted that the virtual meeting was due to the non-availability of venues, as the NCOP shares venues with the NA. However, if any changes come up, they will be conveyed to Members in a timely manner.

The meeting was adjourned.