Socio-Economic Development: Committee Programme of Action; Audit Report of International Instruments

Meeting report

PUBLIC WORKS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE

JOINT AD HOC COMMITTEE ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
19 October 2005
COMMITTEE DRAFT BUDGET AND PROGRAMME OF ACTION: DISCUSSION; AUDIT REPORT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS AND STANDARDS: BRIEFING

Chairperson: Mr M Mohlaloga (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Proposed Committee Budget
Draft Programme of Action (Schedule)
Minutes of 12 October 2005 meeting
Draft Audit Report of Socio-economic International Instruments and Standards that South Africa were party to African Peer Review Mechanism statement to National Assembly by Minister of Public Service and Administration

SUMMARY
The Committee discussed its draft budget and programme of action. A parliamentary researcher, Mr Ndlovu presented an overview of the 25 international statutes that South Africa were party to relating to healthcare and HIV and Aids, social assistance, housing, education, water and sanitation, electricity, women empowerment, youth, people with disability and children rights. Mr Ndlovu said that many issues that would be addressed by the Committee, such as water, electricity and disabled people, were covered in the conventions and should be identified.

The Committee agreed to divide the six NEPAD objectives between Members and research them. The Chairperson noted that the research on the objectives by Members would help the Committee develop the key issues that needed to be covered in the hearings.

MINUTES
The Chairperson accepted apologies from Mr S Njikelana, Ms C Dudley and Ms F Mazibuko. He noted the importance of looking at other Committee responsibilities and commitments so that this Committee could function effectively.

Adoption of Minutes
Ms S Kalyan (DA) had not received a copy of the draft newspaper advertisement inviting public submissions. The draft was circulated for the Committee’s perusal. Ms L Mashiane (ANC) raised the need for translations in order to ensure broader participation. The Chairperson responded that the radio advertisements would be translated into the vernacular for particular radio stations.

Ms Kalyan queried the list of stakeholders. The Chairperson said that the list would be completed by the end of the week and the draft circulated to Members for comments.

The minutes of the 12 October meeting were adopted.

Committee budget
A draft Committee budget had been distributed. It was understood that the media and advertising budget would be covered by co-ordinating Committee work and would not be funded from this budget.

The issue of over or under budgeting was discussed. Ms Mashiane felt that the budget for delegates’ accommodation during the public hearings was too low. Issues such as HIV and Aids might require a range of viewpoints from a particular province, and all needed to be heard. The Chairperson noted that once stakeholders had responded to the invitation, the Committee would have a better idea of accommodation needs. He had been warned that the budget was too high. The Committee felt that the work to be done was complex and important and the budget should not be limited.

Programme of Action
Ms Kalyan asked if hearings would constitute the only public event. The Chairperson said that written submissions would also be permissible. Government was holding separate meetings in provinces. Ms Kalyan suggested that it would be more practical for the Committee to go to a province if there were a large number of submissions. The Chairperson acknowledged that the programme of action was flexible and could accommodate such decisions.

Mr Njikelana had conveyed his comments to the Chairperson regarding a bias towards social issues over economic ones. The Chairperson suggested that other Committees were addressing economic issues. The Committee would look at cross cutting issues and those of micro finance and ICT would be carried through the public hearings.

Ms Kalyan raised the issue of looking at poverty from a social and economic perspective, addressing poverty alleviation and economic development. Ms Mashiane noted that that was a cross cutting issue. Ms Kalyan felt satisfied that those issues would emerge, but suggested adding it to the advertisement.

The Chairperson reminded the Committee about the workshop raised at the Friday meeting and the need to clarify details. The workshop, organised by the Committee for Democracy and Good Governance, would take place on Monday 24 October for all Committees and would cover all of the programme’s intentions. After the workshop, a working group would discuss whether the programme was helping realise the stated goals.

Ms N Manjezi, the Control Committee Secretary, would confirm the date, time and venue of the workshop.

Draft Audit Report of Socio-economic International Instruments and Standards that South Africa were party to: briefing
Parliamentary Researcher, Mr Z Ndlovu presented an overview of the 25 international statutes that South Africa was party relating to healthcare and HIV/Aids, social assistance, housing, education, water and sanitation, electricity, women empowerment, youth, people with disability and children rights.

South Africa had signed, and acceded or ratified, five international conventions protecting the rights of children. The Conventions dealt with issues such as international abduction, economic exploitation, prohibition of the use of the death penalty, prohibition of recruitment of any child into armed conflicts, inter country adoption processes, prohibition on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

South Africa had signed or acceded to five conventions and declarations regarding education dealing with issues providing for the international circulation of educational films, prevention of teaching false history in schools, the establishment of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the right of everyone to education and prohibition of discrimination in education.

In the area of health, South Africa had signed two conventions dealing with the establishment of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and workers’ compensation.

The signing of thirteen conventions had protected women’s rights in South Africa. The issues covered had included the prohibition of discrimination on gender grounds, prohibition of torture, both parties’ consent needed for marriage, the protection of a married woman to retain her nationality, the right for women to vote and hold public office, the elimination of discrimination in access to employment, equal remuneration for men and women, the prosecution of persons involved in trafficking of women and children and involvement in prostitution.

Discussion
Ms Mashiane asked about South Africa’s status on HIV/Aids. Mr Ndlovu said that it was covered by a number of conventions. He explained that the Committee would need to go through all the conventions and highlight the issues such as HIV and Aids that would need to be dealt with specifically. Ms Kalyan noted that the Committee would need to check what South Africa had agreed to over the past few years. She understood there to be a recent special convention on HIV/Aids.

Mr Ndlovu said that many issues that would be addressed by the Committee, such as water, electricity and disabled people, were covered in the above conventions and should be identified. Ms Kalyan suggested it would be useful to know the origin of each convention, as many seemed to have arisen in the colonial era. Given the movement towards African Renaissance, it would be useful to assess which conventions conflicted with that thinking or were out of date. Mr Ndlovu agreed to do the research.

The Chairperson stated that at the next meeting, the Committee would look at the extent of South Africa’s policies and legislation coming out of signing the conventions. He suggested the circulation of copies of all conventions to Members by Monday for preparation purposes.

The Chairperson noted that the questions the Committee needed to respond to, arising from the six NEPAD objectives, was a good place to start working. The Chairperson would divide the objectives between all Members who would begin researching that area assisted by Mr Ndlovu.

Ms Kalyan asked if it would be useful to look at the Ghana and Rwanda reports to see the approach taken. Mr Ndlovu said that those countries had used the NEPAD questionnaire. The Chairperson added that it would be useful to invite Mr Maloka of the African Institute of South Africa to a meeting to assist the Committee.

Ms Kalyan suggested that the Committee receive a briefing before the public hearings so that a clear objective was formulated as to what should be absorbed from the submissions. The Chairperson noted that the research on the objectives by Members would help the Committee develop the key issues that needed to be covered in the hearings.

The Committee formalised the existing ad hoc Management Committee consisting of the Chairperson, Ms Manjezi and Mr Ndlovu.

The meeting was adjourned.