Committee Programme: discussion and adoption

PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
23 November 2006
COMMITTEE PROGRAMME: DISCUSSION AND ADOPTION

Acting Chairperson: Mr M Lekgoro (ANC)

Documents Handed Out:
Draft Committee 1^st Term Programme

SUMMARY
The Committee met to adopt its first term programme. However due to the absence of a significant number of Committee Members the programme could not be adopted. It was however decided that the Committee utilize the time to nevertheless familiarize itself with the programme, without adopting it.

MINUTES
Mr L Brown, Committee Secretary, forwarded the Chairperson’s apology for not making it to the meeting and requested that the Members nominate an acting chairperson to carry on with the proceedings of the meeting. Mr M Lekgoro was nominated as Acting Chairperson.

Committee Programme
Mr M Likotsi (PAC) referred to the strategic planning workshop which was scheduled for the 29 and 30 January 2007, which was scheduled to take place outside Parliament, and asked whether the venue had been secured yet.

The Committee Secretary answered that the Committee Section was currently in the process of securing the venue for the next week. He assured Members that the venue would be secured by the following day for the latest.

The Acting Chairperson stated that the idea was to adopt the programme at this meeting, which was however not possible because it was not quorate. It must be adopted before the workshop. He suggested that it be adopted at the workshop, before the Department of Communication arrived.

Mr P Smith (IFP) recalled from the Department’s legislative programme presented in 2006 that there were certain pieces of legislation on that programme which the Committee has not accommodated on its 2007 programme. He asked whether the legislation was ready to be discussed in the first term and included in the programme.

The Committee Secretary responded that two pieces of legislation have been identified for discussion before 2008. The first piece of legislation would probably be available for consideration in August.

Mr Smith suggested that it would be useful to have a follow up on the process involved in the predetermination of provincial boundaries, including the problematic areas such as the Matatiele municipality. He argued that it would be interesting to see the other areas as well, the extent to which the process where more legislation was provided, whether that legislation was working properly or not. This should be included in the Committee’s programme.

The Committee Secretary stated the Committee’s 2006 Annual Report contained a list of issues that the Committee needed to deal. The Annual Report identified the most important issues that needed to be dealt with in the first quarter, namely the Budget Review, the workshop and the outstanding South African Local Government Association (SALGA) meeting.

Mr. S.Mshudulu (ANC) requested that the Committee Secretary provide Members with all resolutions it took last year, to assess which issues were prioritized for 2007.

Mr. Likotsi raised a question regarding the content of the workshop. His fear was that the Department could supply only general information, which was not necessarily what the Committee had expected out of the workshop.

The Acting Chairperson stated that there were certain questions posed to the Minister in the House which were not fully answered, and it would be ideal for the Department to answer them at the workshop.

The meeting was adjourned.