COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT

JANUARY– DECEMBER 2003

 

1. Name of the Committee: Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs

2. Mandate of the Committee (vision, mission etc)

To monitor the acceleration of growth and development; to address the basic needs of the poor in the developing world, to build the South African economy; to combat international crime and cross-border crime; to promote democracy and good governance; and to build better Africa and a better world.

To ensure formulation, co-ordination, implementation and management of South Africa’s foreign policy and international programmes throughout the world; to ensure formulation of AU and NEPAD Institutions.

To monitor the management of the department, promotion of foreign relations, marketing of South Africa’s foreign policy, the management of South Africa’s immovable properties abroad, and facilitation of auxiliary and associated services.

    1. List of Entities Reporting to the Committee:

Department of Foreign Affairs

3. Chairperson’s overview (summary for the year)

3.1 The position South Africa has earned in international affairs since 1994 has raised the significance of this portfolio committee. This regrettably has not been reflected in either the status or the importance that parliament has accorded the PC on Foreign Affairs. Though the Minister and Deputy Minister have indicated their readiness to brief the committee as often as possible, it has not been possible to receive the Minister, except on two occasions owing to her busy schedule of meetings in the outside world. The Minister’s schedule is itself indicative of the position our country enjoys in world affairs.

This was greatly enhanced by our chairmanship of three important international bodies since 1994, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth and as first Chairman of the African Union. South Africa played host to three important international conferences during the life of this parliament – the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), the Summit on Sustainable Development and the African Union’s founding conference. Though members of the PC on Foreign Affairs participated in these, it was confined to the Chairperson and his deputy.

It would be advisable that Parliament facilitates the participation of a wider array of members in such conferences and adopts an attitude that will empower the members of the PC to improve their capacity to oversee the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Unfortunately, the last overseas trip the PC took, on the invitation of our High Commissioner to the U.K., saw Parliament adopt an extremely unhelpful attitude which entailed severe restrictions on the use of the Committee’s largely unused budget for foreign travel, to the inconvenience of committee members.

During the course of 2003 there has evolved within the PC on Foreign Affairs a very strong espirit d’corps amongst its members and a shared commitment to the Foreign policy goals of the South African government, despite party political differences on specific issues. In general terms the capacity of the members has been greatly enhanced, despite the unhelpful attitudes of our Parliamentary administration. It is expected that this PC can play an even more vigorous role in future, provided its efforts are not hampered by the administration.

4. Core objectives (responsibilities)

4.1 BRIEFINGS

 

BREIFINGS

DATE OF BREIFING

1.Discussion on Committee Programme

22 January 2003

2.Zimbabwe Consul –General :on the situation in Zimbabwe

29 January 2003

3.Palestine Legislative Council: on situation in Palestine

29 January 2003

4.British High Commissioner

05 February 2003

5.Minister of Foreign Affairs on Iraq

12 February 2003

6.Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs: on Sahrawi Republic and Morocco

19 February 2003

7.Zimbabwe Church Leaders :on the situation in Zimbabwe

20 February 2003

8.EU Parliamentary Delegation :on Iraq, Middle East and Zimbabwe

26 February 2003

9.Department of Foreign Affairs Budget

12 March 2003

10.International Committee of the Red Cross

19 March 2003

11.Russian Ambassador :on South Africa/Russian Relations

26 March 2003

12.Protocol relating to establishment of Peace and Security Council of AU

26 March 2003

13.SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence & Security Co-operation

01 April 2003

14.Committee Programme and adoption of Minutes

02 April 2003

15.Protocol relating to establishment of Peace and Security Council of AU -Finalization

09 April2003

16. Democratic Republic of Congo: by the Department of Affairs

16 April 2003

17. SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence &Security Co-operation

14 May 2003

18. SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence & Security Co -operation

21 May 2003

19. South African Bilateral Relations Relations with Egypt Senegal

28 May 2003

20. Spanish Foreign Policy, Middle East, North America and Mediterranean

04 June 2003

21.Minister of Foreign Affairs :on Madagascar

18 June 2003

22. Peace Process in the Middle East

25 June 2003

23. The Situation in Swaziland

25 June 2003

24. French Foreign Minister

26 June 2003

25. DDG of Foreign Affairs: on situation in Angola

13 August 2003

26. Vietnamese Delegation

27 August 2003

27. Irish Ambassador: Gerard Corr

03September 2003

28 East African Legislative Assembly

05September 2003

29. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs: on situation in Burundi

10September 2003

30. Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs consider the Petition of the Royal Swazi Families and Swazi Chiefs /Nation

17September 2003

31.Deputy minister of Foreign Affairs: NEPAD &AU

12November 2003

32.DDG of Foreign Affairs: AID to Africa &Feedback on the Africa Renaissance and International Co –operation Fund

19November 2003

 

4.2 International agreements / Protocols

Southern African Development Community (SADC), Protocols on Politics, Defense and Security Co-operation

Establishment of Peace and Security Council of the African Union

Petition of the Swazi Royal Families and Swazi Chiefs/ Nation

4.3 Annual Reports

Letter dated 9 October 2003 (See ATC, 13 October 2003) explaining the delay in the tabling of the Annual Report and the Financial of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

4.4 Amendment

PC on Foreign Affairs recommends that for overseas travel Members should be allowed to travel business class and not economic class for trips longer than 9 hours, and that it should be paid from the committee ’s budget.

5. Committee activities

Invitations for Chairperson – Any invitation received on behalf of the Committee and not in his/her individual capacity:

Conferences: South African High Commissioner in the United Kingdom. This conference forms part of a much wider initiative undertaken by the Government as the nation prepares itself for its second decade of freedom.

6. Financial statements

Provincial visits - costing

Catering

Oversight

 

7. COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEE

MEMBERS

DATE APPOINTED (IN CURRENT PARLIAMENT)

DATE DISCHARGED

African National Congress

Ainslie, Mr AR*

    

Bapela, Mr O*

    

Cindi, Miss NV*

    

Gogotya, Mr NJ*

    

Hajaig, Ms F

    

Jordan, Dr ZP

    

Lobe, Ms MC

  

31/03/03

Lockey, Mr D*

   

Luthuli, Dr AN*

24/03/03

  

Mabuza, Mr DD

24/03/03

  

Magazi, Miss MN

   

Mahomed, Ms F

    

Maunye, Ms MM*

    

Makanda, Mr WG*

20/05/03

  

Mokoena, Mr AD*

    

Mngomezulu, Mr GP

   

Mudau, Mr NW

    

Ramgobin, Mr M

    

Salojee, Mr E

31/03/03

  

Sithole, Mr DJ

    

Sigwela, Mr EM

   

Solo, Mr BM*

    

Yengeni, Mr TS

    

Zita, Mr L

    
     

Democratic Alliance

    

Camerer, Ms SM*

25/05/03

  

Eglin, Mr C

    

Seremane, Mr WJ

    

McIntosh, Mr GDB*

10/06/03

  
     

Inkatha Freedom Party

    

Lucas, Mr EJ*

    

Mars, Ms I*

    

Van der Merwe, Mr JH

    
     

New National Party

    

Geldenhuys, Dr BL

    

Olckers, Ms ME*

18/02/03

  
     

United Democratic Movement

    

Madikiza, Mr GT

16/05/03

  
     

Africa Christian Democratic Party

    

Madasa, Adv ZL

    
     

Freedom Front/ Vryheidfront

    

Mulder, Dr PWA

    
     

Pan African Congress of Azania

    

Pheko, Dr SE

    
     

United Christian Democratic Party

    

Ditshetelo, Mr PHK*

    

 

 

  1. LEGACY REPORT :(OUTSTANDING ISSUES FOR HANDING OVER TO THE NEW COMMITTEE AFTER 2004 ELECTIONS)

Briefing by Brazilian Ambassador

Briefing on Swaziland-by Department of Foreign Affairs

Role of the relationship of PC on Foreign Affairs to Department of Foreign Affairs

Inter-relationship between International Relations Committee and AU Working Group.

As a recommendation, the PC on Foreign Affairs proposes that for overseas travel Members should be allowed to travel business class and not economic class for trips longer than 9 hours, and that it should be paid from the committee’s budget.

 

 

9 FORMAL ADOPTION OF ANNUAL REPORT BY THE COMMITTEE

Annual report of the PC on Foreign Affairs having been put to the Committee was adopted on 25 November 2003.

 

………………………….. ………………………..

Dr ZP Jordan, MP Date

Committee Chairperson

 

 

 

………………………………. …………………………

Ms.Nonceba Mahlanyana Date

Committee Assistant

 

 

……………………………….. …………………………….

Mr N Lala Date

Control Committee Secretary