Defence

Joint (NA + NCOP) Committee

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Joint Committee on Defence:

The Committee deals with matters relating to defence as required by section 228 (3) of the Constitution 

The National Assembly and National Council of Provinces have the power to establish Joint Committees. There are Joint Committees established by or in terms of the Joint Rules, Committees established in terms of legislation and other Joint Committees to deal with any other matters affecting both Houses

Joint Committees may only establish subcommittees when there is provision for such appointment in the Joint Rules or authorised by the Joint Rules Committee or by resolutions adopted in the Assembly and the Council

The Joint Rules apply to the Joint Committees

Except where the Joint Rules or decisions of the Joint Rules Committee prescribe otherwise, the composition of a joint committee in such that parties are entitled to be represented in the Assembly component of joint committees in substantially the same proportion as the proportion in which they are represented in the Assembly and provinces are entitled to equal representation in the Council component of joint committees

Alternate members may be appointed for one or more specific members of a joint committee. An alternate acts as a member when the member for which the alternate was appointed is absent or has vacated office, until the vacancy is filled 

If a joint committee has co-chairpersons, the co-chairpersons must cochair meetings of the committee except when one of them takes the chair by agreement between them

Joint committees report to both Houses on matters referred to the committee

Powers

Rule 32 of the Joint Rules of Parliament (6th Edition) say that for the purposes of performing its functions  committee may, subject to the Constitution, legislation, the other provisions of these rules and resolutions of the Assembly –

  • Summon any person to appear before it to give evidence on oath or affirmation, or to produce documents
  • Receive petitions, representations or submissions from interested persons or institutions
  • Permit oral evidence on petitions, representations, submissions and any other matter before the committee
  • Conduct public hearings
  • Consult any Assembly or Council committee or subcommittee, or any joint committee or subcommittee
  • Determine its own procedure
  • Meet at a venue determined by it, which may be a venue beyond the seat of Parliament
  • Meet on any and at any time, including –
    • On a day which is not a working day
    • On a day on which the Assembly is not sitting
    • At a time when the Assembly is not sitting, or
    • During a recess
  • Exercise any other powers assigned to it by the Constitution, legislation, the other provisions of these rules or resolutions of the Assembly

Joint committees may not initiate legislation

Working in Committees allows Parliament to:

  • Increase the amount of work that can be done
  • Ensure that issues can be debated in more detail than in plenary sessions
  • Increase the level of participation of Members of Parliament (MPs) in discussions
  • Enable MPs to develop expertise and in-depth knowledge of the specific Committee's area of work
  • Provide a platform for the public to present views directly to MPs, something which is not possible in a plenary sitting of Parliament
  • Provide an environment for Parliament to hear evidence and collect information related to the work of a specific Committee

THE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES OF PARLIAMENT

Portfolio Committees
The National Assembly (NA) appoints from among its members a number of Portfolio Committees to shadow the work of the various national government departments.

Select Committees
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) appoints from its permanent members a number of Select Committees to shadow the work of the various national government departments and to deal with Bills.

Because only 54 of the 90 NCOP Members are permanent delegates compared to the 400 of the NA, the Select Committees oversee the work of more than one national government department.

Public Accounts Committees
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Public Accounts acts as Parliament's watchdog over the way taxpayers' money is spent by the Executive. Every year the Auditor-General tables reports on the accounts and financial management of the various government departments and State institutions.

Heads of government departments and institutions are regularly called by this committee to report and account for expenditure. The Committee can recommend that the National Assembly takes corrective actions if necessary.

Internal Committees
The National Assembly has a number of internal committees that deal with matters affecting the running of Parliament. The Committees normally consist of senior Members of Parliament. The Rules Committee and its sub-committees deal with House rules, the budget of the House, support for Members, internal arrangements, and powers and privileges of members. Other internal Committees are the Programme Committee that plans the work of the Assembly, the Disciplinary Committee, and the Committee of Chairpersons.

The National Council of Provinces has its own domestic Committees. The Rules Committee and its subcommittees deal with the NCOP rules, the NCOP budget, parliamentary privileges, internal arrangements, international relations and delegated legislation. The Programme Committee plans the work of the NCOP and the Committee of Chairpersons make recommendations about the functioning of Committees and other NCOP forums.

Ad hoc Committees
Parliament or one of its Houses may appoint an ad hoc (temporary) Committee when a special task must be done. When the task is complete, the Committee is dissolved.
 

 

No results.

07 Mar 2024 DFSC mid-year performance and expenditure; Update on status of Future Strategic Direction; with Minister
29 Feb 2024 Military Ombud 2023/24 mid-term review and feedback on outreach programme (with Minister)
22 Feb 2024 SANDF Deployment (Operation Thiba); Committee Programme, Annual Report & Legacy Report
23 Nov 2023 National Conventional Arms Control Committee Third Quarter Report 2023; Committee report report on the oversight visit to Rheinmetall Denel Munition and Damen Shipyard
16 Nov 2023 Regular Force Medical Continuation Fund; SANDF deployment to counter illegal mining; with Deputy Minister
09 Nov 2023 Feedback on the Reserve Force Indaba; Reserve Force future plans; with Deputy Minister
26 Oct 2023 Revised SANDF HR Strategy; SANDF deployment; with Minister and Deputy Minister
19 Oct 2023 Feedback on engagements with the DFSC and the way forward; with Ministry
12 Oct 2023 Defence Force Service Commission 2022/23 Annual Activity Report
28 Nov 2023 ATC231128: Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence Following Its Engagement with Members of the South African Defence Industry at Rheinmetall Denel Munition and Damen Shipyard, Dated 23 November 2023
26 Sep 2023 ATC230926: Report of the Joint Study Tour of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence to Germany over the Period 25 June 2023 to 1 July 2023, Dated 21 September 2023
31 Mar 2023 ATC230331: Midterm Strategic Review of the South African National Defence Force, in Terms of Joint Rule 120 D, by the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Dated 23 March 2023
19 May 2022 ATC220519: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans on Budget Vote 23 (Department Of Defence) Dated 18 May 2022
19 May 2022 ATC220519: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans on Budget Vote 26 Department Of Military Veterans Dated 11 May 2022
05 Aug 2021 ATC210805: Report of the Oversight visit of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence to Review Military Deployments as part of Operation Prosper in the Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng Provinces over the Period 20 to 21 July 2021, Dated 30 July 2021
25 Mar 2021 ATC210325: Report of the oversight visit of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and the Portfolio Committee on Defence And Military Veterans To Selected Military Bases in Gauteng and to Selected Landline Borders over the Period 27 to 29 November 2020, dated 11 February 2021 and 18 March 2021
26 Feb 2021 ATC210226: Consolidated Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on Engagements with the South African Defence Industry Role-Players over the Period July 2019 to 6 November 2020, Dated 25 February 2021
03 Dec 2020 ATC201203: Report of the Lekgotla of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence with the Department of Defence and the South African National Defence Force on 16 and 17 October 2020, Dated 19 November 2020
03 Dec 2020 ATC201203: Report of the Mini-Symposium of Joint Standing Committee on Defence with Invited Experts on 3 September 2020, Dated 19 November 2020
03 Dec 2020 ATC201203: Consolidated Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on Engagements with the South African Defence Industry Role-Players over the Period July 2019 To 6 November 2020, Dated 19 November 2020
19 Jun 2020 ATC200619: Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on letters from the President on the Employment of the South African National Defence Force in the Mozambique Channel, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to Wuhan City in the Hubei Province of the People’s Republic of China, and in support of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other State Departments dated18 June 2020
11 Oct 2019 ATC191011: Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on the Extension of Employment of the South African National Defence Force for service in cooperation with the South African Police Service dated 10 October 2019.
29 Jul 2019 ATC190729: Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on the Employment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for service in cooperation with the South African Police Service dated 25 July 2019
09 Apr 2018 ATC180409: Report of the joint oversight visit of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans to Kinshasa and Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 25 to 29 March 2018, dated 9 April 2018
30 Apr 2015 ATC150430: Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on SA Defence Review 2014
19 May 2012 ATC121018: Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on the Joint Workshop of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence held in Arniston on Saturday, 19 May 2012, dated 13 September 2012. 2009
Report: Annual: Jan-Nov 2007
Report: Lohatla Army Combat Training Centre Oversight Visit
Report: Employment of SANDF to the DRC and within the Republic of South Africa
Report: SANDF employment service in cooperation with SAPS
Report: SANDF employment in Darfur, Sudan
Report: Makhado Air Force Base Oversight Visit
Report: SANDF employment in Uganda, Burundi and within RSA in cooperation with (SAPS)

There are no questions at this time.

Bill name Date introduced Number Status
Defence Amendment Bill 05 Mar 2008 B6-2008 Withdrawn

Attendance

2024 3 meetings Attendance rate 59%
2023 20 meetings 63%
2022 21 meetings 54%
2021 22 meetings 61%
2020 15 meetings 60%
2019 7 meetings 69%
Detailed attendance data by committee and MP Learn about our Attendance Methodology

Contact

Secretary to Committee

Nandipha Maxhegwana (Stand-in)

Tel: 021 403 3689

Cell: 060 551 1150

        072 832 4892


Email: [email protected]

Executive Secretary 

Andisa Kula (NCOP)

Email: [email protected]

Rethoma Michaels (NA)

Tel: 021 403 2203

Cell: 083 709 8429

Email: [email protected]

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