Third Term Committee Report & discussion on Upcoming hearings

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
19 September 2006
THIRD TERM COMMITTEE REPORT & DISCUSSION ON UPCOMING HEARINGS

Chairperson: Mr L Zita (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Agenda for Portfolio Committee
Brazil International Study Tour Report
Third Term Sessional Report of Committee

SUMMARY
The Committee adopted its Third Term Sectional Report, subject to minor amendments. The issue that dominated the discussion was the need to properly organise and advertise the upcoming public hearings on transformation of the fishing and tourism industry, and to identify the relevant stakeholders who wanted to address the Committee. Discussion and adoption of the Committee’s Report on its study tour to Brazil was postponed.

MINUTES
Committee Third Term Sectional Report
The Chair called for the quick adoption of the Committee’s Third Term Sectional Report. It was adopted with minor amendments. Consideration of the Sectional Report led to the discussion on imminent public hearings on the transformation of the fishing and tourism industry..

The Committee raised concerns over the finalising of the arrangements for the public hearings, as well as the documentation that would be needed.

Mr D Maluleke (ANC) asked whether advertisement of the public hearings had gone through the usual Committee processes, so that it could be catered for in the Committee’s budget.

Mr M Manele, the Committee Secretary, responded that adverts had been placed in the Sunday Times and Sowetan newspapers. The adverts had been placed on Parliament’s website, which was the cheaper option. The consumer was then at liberty to print directly from the website. Advertisements were also placed through Government’s Communication and Information System (GCIS).

Mr Maluleke suggested that radio be used as a medium for advertising, It would be more effective in reaching illiterate people, especially those in the rural areas.

The Chair asked that a list be compiled of stakeholders and interested parties who wanted to participate in the public hearings.

Mr D Shah (DA) stressed the need for this list to be representative of those with a real interest in the public hearings. He said that if people from the rural areas did not put their names down on the list, it should be taken as a statement of a lack of interest on their part.

Mr A Mokoena (ANC) said there was a danger of sidelining people of the rural by always focusing on people in the urban areas. He questioned how exactly ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ were defined.

The Chair ruled that discussion on that matter would not be entertained at the present meeting, , as the matter had been discussed before.

Brazil International Study Tour Report
The Report was not discussed at all and was thus still subject to consideration and adoption.

Adoption of Committee minutes
The Chair called for the quick adoption of the Committee Minutes for15, 23 and 29 August 2006, as well as 12 September 2006. They were adopted with amendments.

The meeting was adjourned.