Committee Annual Report, Business Plan, Strategic Plan, Budget, Draft Programme: adoption; KwaZulu-Natal Study Tour Report: disc

Meeting report

LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE
16 February 2005
COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT, BUSINESS PLAN, STRATEGIC PLAN, BUDGET, DRAFT PROGRAMME: ADOPTION; KWAZULU-NATAL STUDY TOUR REPORT: DISCUSSION

Chairperson: Rev P Moatshe (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Committee Report on follow-up visit to KwaZulu-Natal
Document on the State of the Nation Address (2005) from Parliamentary Research Unit

SUMMARY
The Committee adopted its Annual Report 2004, provisional Programme, and previous clerk’s minutes. It was agreed that the Business Plan, Strategic plan, and Budget for 2005/06 could not be adopted yet, because changing the budget figures would impinge on the Business Plan. With regard to the follow-up study tour to KwaZulu-Natal, the Members raised concerns about the neglect of environmental issues and the length of the stay. Ms S Dawood from the Parliamentary Research Unit briefed the Committee on the implications of the 2004 and 2005 State of Nation Addresses for the ongoing work of the Select Committee.

MINUTES
The Committee adopted its Annual Report unanimously.

The Chairperson said that with regard to the Business Plan, Strategic Plan and Budget 2005/06, the budget had been referred back to the Committee to refine. He highlighted that their budget needed to be informed by the Business Plan and that changing the figures of the budget would impinge on the Business Plan. Hence it was not advisable to adopt the Business Plan and the budget at this point in time. Earlier that day, a meeting with the Budget Unit from the Committee Section had taken place. Another document would be prepared with regard to the budget and finalised in conjunction with the Business Plan. Thus the Business Plan and the Budget would be discussed at the following meeting. The Members agreed.

Mr R Tau (ANC, Northern Cape) commented that the Programme of the Committee for 2005 would assist the Committee with redrafting the budget for 2005. However, he suggested that the Business Plan that described the broad strategic objectives of the Committee until 2007 could already be adopted. The Chairperson agreed that the comprehensive Business Plan was not necessarily affected by a changing budget. Hence that Business Plan could be adopted. However, the Programme and the budget had to be refined before adoption.

Mr Van Rooyen (ANC, Free State) agreed that every budget had to be informed by a Business Plan. Thus the Business Plan for 2005/06 had to be developed in order to inform the budget. However, the long term Business Plan up to 2007 could already be adopted. The Committee adopted the Business Plan.

The Chairperson pointed out that the provisional Programme was not complete and that there were items that still had to be included such as the State of the Nation address. Moreover, various issues tabled on the last page of the provisional Programme still had to be dealt with, for instance, the briefing on the budget vote by the Department of Land, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, and the Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism. The aquaculture seminar was envisaged as a main activity for 2005. The Committee desired to work in conjunction with the Departments of Water Affairs and Forestry, Agriculture and Land Affairs, and Environmental Affairs and Tourism to investigate aquaculture production in South Africa. Members of the Executive Committee (MECs) from the provinces and relevant stakeholders would also be engaged in the aquaculture development.

The Chairperson said that the Department had requested a postponement of its Budget briefing to the Committee from 23 February until March. Ms M Letago, Personal Assistant to the Chairperson, explained that the reason for the postponement was that the Minister would deliver his budget speech on that date. Subsequently, the Department would have to align their budget accordingly.

Mr F Adams (NNP, Western Cape) queried whether the scheduled activities for 6 April would all take place on the same day. The Chairperson responded that those were items that still had to be addressed and had not been scheduled yet.

Mr A Watson (DA, Mpumulanga) reminded the Committee that during March, Committee meetings would only take place during one week. This had to be taken into account with regard to the postponed briefing by the Department. The Chairperson agreed that this matter had to be looked into immediately.

Ms S Dawood from the Parliamentary Research Unit enquired whether she could present a document on the State of the Nation address because it would be debated during the following week. The document looked at all the key objectives that the State President had listed for 2005. The document extracted key components for the Committee’s work and provided a guideline for the Members. It was important to note that the 2004 State of the Nation address could not be isolated because of its major implications for the ongoing work of the Committee.

Ms Dawood explained that the Government’s Programme of Action on page 6 of the provided document had been extracted from the government website where a yearly update on some of the key targets mentioned by the State President, as well as a timeframe and progress was provided. The conclusion located the Committee’s work in terms of key priorities for South Africa. Ms Dawood encouraged Members to engage with the comprehensive document in terms of both inputting on the implications of their work and informing their Programme for up to 2007.

Mr A Watson (DA, Mpumalanga) asked whether this document would be provided to the Portfolio Committee also or merely to their Select Committee. He asked whether the summary of the 2004 objectives for their Committee could include which goals had been achieved as this would assist them during their oversight visits.

The Committee agreed on the adoption of the provisional Programme.

Mr A Watson (DA, Mpumalanga) pointed out that the Committee’s Programmes would probably change. The Chairperson agreed, reiterating that it was only provisional.

The Chairperson invited the Members to address the KwaZulu-Natal follow-up study tour which would take place from 28 February to 4 March.

Mr R Tau (ANC, Northern Cape) said that they had met the previous day with the team that they had agreed to set up to discuss the joint visit of the Select Committees on Public Services and Land and Environment Affairs to KwaZulu-Natal. It had been agreed that more emphasis had to be put on what had been promised to the people, particularly with regard to the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), Public Services, and agriculture. It had to be investigated how much progress had been made. Additionally, the capacity to implement government’s programmes had to be looked into. It was also necessary to assess the capacity of municipalities to attain their targets. Furthermore, public hearings had to be considered. Finally, the media unit had been informed because the NCOP’s activities were largely unknown to the public.

He added that the budget still needed to be approved by the finance section. With regard to travelling arrangements for their visit to KwaZulu-Natal, the assistance of Committee Members and particularly the Committee Secretary was required. They had considered splitting the Committee into two subgroups of eight Members each. Furthermore, the role of Personal Assistants to Chairpersons had to be discussed and whether they would be part of the visit.

He also pointed out that a lot of progress had been made to date. The Committee would work in conjunction with Provincial Portfolio and Standing Committees during their visit to KwaZulu-Natal. It had to be noted that their study tour was not the first to KwaZulu-Natal. Most recently, the Public Works Portfolio Committee visited KwaZulu-Natal with particular focus on the asset register. Conversely, the Select Committee’s follow-up visit emphasised on the Taking Parliament to the People’s Programme. However, investigations undertaken by Portfolio Committees had to be taken into account as well.

The Chairperson reiterated that Members needed to inform him from where they would converge on KwaZulu-Natal. The programme would start on Monday, 28 February. It still had to be discussed whether Personal Assistants (PAs) to Chairpersons would accompany the Members to KwaZulu-Natal. This issue had to be dealt with in conjunction with the Committee Section. The Chairperson had been informed that a motivational letter was needed explaining why the PAs should be part of the study tour.

The Chairperson said that the Standing Committee would assist the Committee during their visit to KwaZulu-Natal. The MECs should also be informed about their visit. Moreover, the Chairperson approved of a public hearing, highlighting that the provincial and national Department could also be engaged.

The Chairperson emphasised that with regard to the visit to KwaZulu-Natal, delivery and progress had to be monitored. The media should be engaged in order to make the activities undertaken during that week known to the public. Another meeting addressing these issues should be held in the following week to ensure the success of the study tour.
Mr G Krumbock (DA, KwaZulu-Natal) commented that the Committee had to reflect generally on the role of PAs. It had to be decided where they would be more valuable during the provincial week, in Cape Town or in KwaZulu-Natal. He further pointed out that the Taking Parliament to the People Programme focused particularly on agriculture and farmers. He inquired whether there was a follow-up Programme that would pay more attention to environmental issues. KwaZulu-Natal had many beautiful, environmentally sensitive areas that were now being developed on an unprecedented rate. Hence he suggested that the Committee focus more on environment later this year, particularly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

The Chairperson agreed that environmental issues had been neglected and that he would ensure that their next visit would be environmentally inclined.

Mr Van Rooyen (ANC, Free State) raised a concern that for their activities during the follow-up visit to KwaZulu-Natal, less than the scheduled five days might be required. The Chairperson agreed that this issue had to be looked into.

Mr F Adams (NNP, Western Cape) suggested that with regard to environmental issues in KwaZulu-Natal, both refineries and the air quality could be investigated as well.

Mr A Watson (DA, Mpumalanga) reminded the Committee that on previous visits to provinces there had been a lack of time because of the travelling distance. A precise itinerary had to be worked out before the time of the visit was cut shorter. He pointed out that it was not even known yet where they would stay during the study-tour. He further added that environmental observations should be included into their Programme if there was enough time. With regard to the PAs, he pointed out that during their last trip to the North West province, the PA’s administrative help was extremely valuable.

The Chairperson felt that the PAs of the Select Committees on Land and Environmental Affairs and Public Services should be part of the visit. He reiterated that a strong motivation had to be put to the Committee Section on this issue. Time needed to be located within the Programme in order to decide whether environmental issues could be addressed as well.

Ms S Dawood inquired whether Mr Krumbock could assist her with terms of reference for an observational study dealing with the urgent environmental problems in KwaZulu-Natal that he had mentioned. Mr Krumbock welcomed the idea, suggesting a meeting during which they could assist each other.

Mr A Watson (DA, Mpumalanga) suggested that all Members inform the Committee Secretaries of the Select Committees on Land and Environmental Affairs and Public Services in which city they preferred to start and subsequently end their study tour.

The Chairperson agreed and added that they would leave for KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday late afternoon. The Chairperson wondered when the Committee would meet again to address the concerns the Members had raised.

Mr R Tau (ANC, Northern Cape) commented that the Committee Members had to interact on a daily basis. He added that it had to be decided when a final draft programme of the joint Committees on Land and Environmental Affairs and Public Services should be submitted.

Ms M Letago said that there would be a joint Committee meeting on 25 February.

The meeting was adjourned.