Mandating Procedures of Provinces Bill [B8-2007]: Final Mandates

SECURITY AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE
18 October 2007
MANDATING PROCEDURES OF PROVINCES BILL [B8-2007]: FINAL MANDATES

Chairperson: Kgoshi L Mokoena (ANC, Limpopo)

Documents handed out:
Mandating Procedures of Provinces Bill [B8-2007]
Free State Report on voting mandate on Mandating Procedures of Provinces Bill 2007
Report on Suspension of Magistrate: MR T V D Matyolo [Part1]&[Part2]
Northern Cape Final Mandate
Mpumalanga Final Mandate
Gauteng Final Mandate
Eastern Cape Final Mandate
North West Final Mandate

Audio recording of meeting

SUMMARY
The Committee met to receive and deliberate on the final mandates from the provinces on the amendments to the Mandating Procedures of Provinces Bill, as also to receive a briefing from the Department of Justice on the suspension of certain magistrates. However, neither item could be dealt with. Some provinces had not concluded deliberations on their final mandates. The officials  from the Department of Justice did not attend. The meeting was adjourned to allow time for the various provinces to compile and submit their final mandates.

MINUTES
Mandating Procedures of Provinces Bill
The Chairperson lamented the fact that some provinces had not sent in their final mandates on the amendments made to the Bill, and therefore it was impossible to know what their proposals were. He noted that there was some confusion regarding Kwazulu Natal province.

Ms Mene (Committee Section Manager) and Advocate B Momoti (Parliamentary Legal Adviser) briefly explained the mandate process to the Committee, and said this had been made clear to the Kwazulu Natal (KZN) provincial authorities.

Discussion
Mr J Le Roux (DA, Eastern Cape) asked to know if the KZN authorities had been furnished with the relevant documents to enable them to issue their mandate.

Ms Mene responded that the documents had been received in KZN.

Mr L Fielding (DA, Northern Cape) suggested that the meeting be adjourned till the following week to allow the provinces more time to finalise their mandates.

Dr Van Heerden (FF+, Free State)suggested that a deadline be set for the submission of the final mandates by provinces.

Mr Z Ntuli (ANC, KZN) added that some of the mandates received so far were conditional mandates.

Ms F Nyanda (ANC, Mpumalanga) hinted that Mpumalanga province would present a new mandate the following week.

Mr D Worth (DA, Free State) stated that some of the mandates were confusing and suggested that the Committee ascertain which provinces were having problems with their mandates.

Advocate Momoti suggested that all versions of the Bill be forwarded to the various provinces to enable them to compare the versions and compile their mandates.

Mr N Mack (ANC, Western Cape) stated that the Western Cape province had submitted its final mandate and would therefore not send in another mandate.

The Committee resolved that the relevant Bills be sent to the provinces to enable them conclude and send through their mandates to the Committee.

Briefing by Department of Justice
The Chairperson noted that the Department was scheduled to hear a briefing on the suspension of certain magistrates from the Department of Justice. However, nobody was present from that Department.

The meeting was adjourned.