Cross-Border Transport Amendment Bill: Adoption; Social Housing Bill: Final Mandates; Housing Development Agency Bill: Negotiating Mandates

Meeting report

Consideration and adoption of the Cross-Border Transport Amendment Bill [B51B-2007]
The Committee considered and adopted the Bill.

Final mandates on the Social Housing Bill [B29B-2007]
All nine provinces except the KZN Provincial Legislature, voted for the adoption of the Bill with certain agreed amendments (see B29C-2007).

Concerns were raised in the Committee on whether proper negotiations were done, as eight of the provinces were in unison.

The KZN spokesperson noted that their decision was largely based on input received from the province’s public hearings and that the hearings formed part of an intensive public participation process. The KZN spokesperson added that the amendments were supposed to make the Bill a better Act of Parliament.

The Chairperson encouraged interaction from the other provincial legislatures.

The Committee decided to have a debate in the House. The KZN would first be given ten minutes to convince the Minister on the viability of their objections and then a debate would take place.

Negotiating mandates on the Housing Development Agency Bill [B1B-2008]
The Department of Housing tabled their responses to the NCOP negotiating mandates to the Committee.

The KZN Provincial Legislature supported the Bill subject to various amendments. The Committee discussed their contentious issues such as communal land, expropriation, acquisition of land, and land under the control of Amakosi. The Chairperson noted that more research needed to be done with regards to communal land. It was also noted that traditional leaders needed to be consulted in the acquisition of land and that acquisition required negotiation and not just expropriation. Expropriation was deemed as the last resort for land acquisition.

The Committee agreed that further engagements in the provinces needed to be set afoot on matters that had been raised. The final mandates from the provincial legislatures should be confirmed as soon as possible.

The meeting was adjourned.