South Africa Airways Bill: briefing cancelled; Committee Programme

LABOUR AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES SELECT COMMITTEE
14 November 2006
SOUTH AFRICA AIRWAYS BILL: BRIEFING CANCELLED; COMMITTEE PROGRAMME

Chairperson: Ms P Themba (ANC) [Limpopo]
 
Documents handed out:
South Africa Airways Bill presentation
South African Airways Bill [B35-2006]
Draft Committee programme

SUMMARY
The briefing on the draft Bill was postponed until the 15 November as the official responsible for the briefing had been held up, attending to some problems in East London. The Committee was displeased and it was decided to send a letter communicating this to the Minister. The Committee considered, amended and adopted its programme for the first quarter in 2007.  
 
MINUTES
The Chairperson said that she had been informed that the person due to brief the Committee was stuck in East London. He had been due at Cape Town International Airport at 9:30. It later transpired that he was on standby and could not get a flight to Cape Town. She could not contact the Director General of the Department as he was out of the country. There was nobody else who could brief them on the Bill as the official was the expert on the Bill.
 
She and other members voiced their displeasure at the non-arrival of the official.

Ms Gaynor Kast (Department: Media Liaison Officer) apologised profusely for the non-arrival of the official and said that this did not in any manner indicate that the Department undermined the Committee. She appealed to have the meeting rescheduled for the next day.

The Chairperson said that the Committee could not accept the apology. It would be sending a letter to the Minister to draw attention to this issue.

In reply to Mr D Mkono (ANC) asking for assurance that the official would be able to attend the meeting, Ms Kast guaranteed that the official would be available the following day.

Draft programme for the next quarter
The Committee considered, amended and adopted its draft Committee Programme for the next quarter. The programme would be distributed once the amendments had been effected.

The meeting was adjourned.