ATC230509: Report of National Assembly Rules Committee on Establishment of New Portfolio Committee and Clustering of Ministers for Questions

Rules of the National Assembly

 

Report of National Assembly Rules Committee on Establishment of New Portfolio Committee and Clustering of Ministers for Questions

 

1. Introduction

 

The National Assembly Rules Committee (the Rules Committee) met on 25 April 2023, when it considered, among other things, the impact of the appointment of new Ministers on the establishment of portfolio committees, and the clustering of Ministers for Questions.

 

The Speaker, as Chairperson of the Rules Committee, hereby presents the report of the Rules Committee for the information of Members, dated 28 April 2023, as follows:

 

2.       Establishment of new portfolio committee

 

In terms of Assembly Rule 225, the Speaker acting with the concurrence of the Rules Committee must establish a range of portfolio committees; assign a portfolio of government affairs to each committee; and determine a name for each committee. Rule 226 provides that a portfolio committee consists of the number of Assembly members that the Speaker may determine with the concurrence of the Rules Committee in each case, subject to the provisions of Rule 154, which deals with the composition of committees generally.

 

On 6 March 2023, the President announced changes to his Cabinet. Among these changes, was the appointment of two new Ministers in the Presidency, namely, for Electricity; and for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. Currently, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation falls within the domain of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration.    

 

The Presidency is configured as follows:

• Minister in The Presidency – responsible for Government Communication and Information System (GCIS); State Security; Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA).
• Minister in The Presidency – responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME).
• Minister in The Presidency – responsible for Electricity.
• Minister in The Presidency – responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.

 

2.1      Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

 

The Minister does not have a specific budget. The Minister’s responsibilities form a dedicated programme which is located in The Presidency. In the circumstances, the Rules Committee did not deem it necessary to establish a separate portfolio committee to oversee the Minister of Electricity.

 

2.2      Minister in the The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

 

The Minister has a department which has its own budget. The Rules Committee agreed that a new portfolio committee be established for this Ministry which will allow for expanded accountability by the Presidency to Parliament as regards the mandate and functioning of this portfolio. The committee will consist of 11 members composed as follows: ANC 6, DA 2, EFF 1 and other parties 2 and be named the Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.   

 

 

3.       Clustering of Ministries for Questions

 

In terms of Assembly Rule 138(1), questions for oral reply by Ministers must be dealt with in accordance with a clustered system of government portfolios, as determined by the Rules Committee from time to time.

 

1. The Sixth Parliament is coming to a close and substantive changes to the clustering of Ministers may not be feasible. For this reason, the Rules Committee resolved that Ministers in the Presidency be allocated as follows:

 

1. Cluster 1 (Peace and Security = Minister in The Presidency (State Security))
2. Cluster 3 (Governance = Minister in The Presidency (GCIS and MDDA))
3. Cluster 3 (Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation)  
4. Cluster 4 (Economics = Minister in The Presidency for Electricity) as a stand-alone Minister.

 

CLUSTER 1 - Peace and Security	CLUSTER 2 - Social Services	CLUSTER 3 – Governance	CLUSTER 4 – Economics	CLUSTER 5 – Economics
·         Defence and Military Veterans	·         Basic Education	·         Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs	·         Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development	·         Public Enterprises
·         Home Affairs	·         Health	·        Government Communication and Information System and Media Development and Diversity Agency	·         Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment	·         Public Works and Infrastructure
·         International Relations and Cooperation	·         Higher Education, Science and Innovation	·        Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities	·         Communications and Digital Technologies	·         Small Business Development
·         Justice and Correctional Services	·         Human Settlements	·      Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation	·         Employment and Labour	·         Tourism
·         Police	·         Social Development	·         Public Service and Administration	·         Finance	·         Trade, Industry and Competition
·         State Security	·         Sport, Arts and Culture		·         Mineral Resources and Energy	·         Transport
	·         Water and Sanitation		·      Electricity