TOWARDS DEVELOPING A LONGER TERM PROGRAMME: SETTING THE FOUNDATIONS

August 2004

1. Need for More Information and Better Understanding

1.1 Several of us in the Portfolio Committee are new members. We also have a new Minister. The government is putting a new emphasis on the importance of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in fulfilling the country's developmental and transformation agendas. The Department is being beefed up to take account of this enhanced role. The Ministry and Department are currently engaged in more clearly defining their roles and aspects of their overall programme for this new five-year term of parliament, and will have greater certainty on this over the next few months. It is important therefore that we have more information and a better understanding of issues before we shape our Portfolio Committee programme.

1.2 Of course, this new emphasis will build on the old, on what we have achieved in this portfolio and the overall transformation over the past ten years.

1.3 Just as with the Ministry and Department, our Portfolio Committee programme will have to take significant account of the President's State of Nation and Budget addresses this year, and the Minister of Finance's Budget Speech.

1.4 To get more information on and a better understanding of the role, broad direction, programmes and structures of the Department, a workshop is to be held with the Department on 11 August. It will pick up on the issues raised at the Budget briefing of 9 June.

1.5 We also need more information on and a better understanding of the SOEs that fall within our portfolio. We will therefore receive briefings from each of them over the next few weeks. Essentially, the aim would be to get a better sense of the roles, goals, programmes, structure and financial state of the SOEs. We also need to examine the extent to which and the ways in which the SOEs are aligning their work to developmental and transformation goals.

1.6 We might also want to invite experts to share with us their views on some of the challenges in this portfolio.

1.7 There might also be other ways we can get more information on and a better understanding of the challenges of our portfolio. We need to discuss this further.

1.8 It is on the basis of the process set out here, and what is further decided collectively by us, that we will develop a longer-term programme. In short, in the next 3 months or so we will focus on better understanding the terrain. We will shape our longer-term programme on the basis of this understanding.

2. Defining a Distinct Role as Part of an Overall Role Shared with Other Committees

2.1 Understandably, there are overlaps, but we need to get a clearer sense from the Department about what their specific roles and responsibilities are compared to the Departments of Transport, Minerals and Energy, Defence, Water Affairs and Forestry, and Communications. This will significantly shape our distinct role and responsibilities compared to the parliamentary committees dealing with these portfolios.

2.2 We also need to discuss this with the other relevant committees so that we are clear about our respective roles and responsibilities and are better able to co- operate on those roles and responsibilities that we share.

2.3 We will also have to discuss with the other committees, structures for co- operation. The Economics Cluster Committee, which is to be established soon, is an obvious forum. But this will comprise about 11 portfolio committees. We may also need another structure that brings together the Public Enterprises, Transport, Minerals and Energy and Defence committees. Without exaggerating the need for and prospects of co-operation, we should explore this possibility with the other committees.

2.4 Where necessary and feasible, we should also hold joint meetings with each of these committees when dealing with overlapping responsibilities. For example, surely it would be useful at times to meet ESKOM in a joint sitting with the Minerals and Energy committee? In fact, it would be very useful to have a joint meeting with both the Minerals and Energy and Provincial and Local Government Portfolio Committees relatively soon to consider the restructuring of the electricity industry.

2.5 Where appropriate, we should share information and documents between the

relevant committees.

2.6 Given the greater stress of parliament as a whole on the need for committees to more effectively fulfill our oversight roles during this new five-year term, it has become even more necessary to be clear both about our respective specific roles and responsibilities as committees and the need for us to co-operate on our shared roles and responsibilities.

3. Greater Stress on Oversight Role

3.1 The Speakers Office and all the major authorities in parliament have stressed the need for committees to be far more effective in our oversight roles during the next 5 years. The President's speeches in the House have also set the tone. We simply have to deliver more and more effectively. So not just our Portfolio Committee, but all committees are under greater pressure. And not just committees, but Ministers and Departments too. And SOEs as well. So we all have to do more over the next 5 years.

3.2 We need to link our constituency work with our parliamentary work. And we need to be clear that our oversight role does not consist simply in calling the Department and SOEs and other agencies before our Committee and complaining about lack of progress; we need, in fact, as far as possible, to actively contribute to implementing agreed programmes, in co-operation with all the relevant stakeholders.

3.3 We also have to find new and more effective ways of fulfilling our oversight roles. We need to discuss this further.

4. Legislation

4.1 The Ministry and Department will not be introducing any bills this year.

4.2 The National Ports Authority Bill has to be finalized as soon as possible. The Transport Portfolio Committee takes responsibility for this, but we will also play a role. We might also have some responsibility to oversee the implementation of the Bill. These issues will be discussed further with the Transport Portfolio Committee.

4.3 There might also be bills before other relevant committees that affect our portfolio. If so, we will discuss with the committees concerned what role we could play.

5. Study Tours

5.1 We need to get a better sense of the SOEs falling within our portfolio. In consultation with the Department and SOEs we should consider visiting the SOEs towards the end of this year or early next year.

6. Technical Empowerment of Members

7.1 This is quite a complex and technically challenging portfolio. To be effective, we

need to improve our technical capacity. We have to collectively identify the arrears in which we need to improve our capacity and devise an ongoing capacity- building programme as soon as possible.

7. Research Support

8.1 To effectively fulfill our oversight and other responsibilities, we need research support. We will explore the possibilities of securing a full-time researcher for our Committee.

8. Co-operation with the NCOP Select Committee

9.1 Obviously, the NA and NCOP committees have their respective roles, but we should, where appropriate, co-operate. We need to discuss this further in our Committee and also raise the matter with the Select Committee on Public Enterprises.

9. Working with the Trade Unions and Civil Society Organisations

10.1 Obviously, we have to work closely with trade unions and civil society organizations. We need to discuss ways of doing this.

10. Organisation of the Portfolio Committee

12.1 There may, at times, be a need to confer on issues between Portfolio Committee meetings, especially during the constituency period. It is suggested that we have a Management Committee to deal with this. This could possibly comprise three ANC representatives and I each from the other parties. The Management Committee will focus mainly on process issues, but any major decisions taken will be brought before the Portfolio Committee.

3 Work and Fun

13.1 We have a lot of work ahead. Let's just do it! But let's try to make it fun as well!

Let's be creative and see how we can do this!

Details of Programme Follow

Wednesday, 4 August i.Initial Discussion on Programme

Wednesday, 11 August Workshop with DPE: Perspectives, Role,

Wednesday, 18 August Adoption of Bridging Programme -

Wednesday, 25 August ESKOM: Goals, Programmes, Structures,

Wednesday,1 September TRANSNET: Goals, Programmes, Structures,

Wednesday, 8 September DENEL: Goals, Programmes, Structures,

Wedenesday, 15 September SAFCOL: Goals, Programmes, Structures,

Wednesday, 6 October ALEXKOR: Goals, Programmes, Structures,

Finances 09:30

Wednesday, 13 October i. Role of South African SOEs in NEPAD

Wednesday, 20 October Progress on Aventura Restructuring 09:30

* Please note that meetings will usually be from 09:30 to 13:00. The II August

workshop will be from 10:00 to 16:00

1. Other issues to be considered include: Ministry's plans on investment by SOEs, administered prices, and the restructuring of the electricity industry.

2. it is on the basis of the consideration of the issues set out in this programme, and other issues that we decide on, that our longer-term programme will be shaped in late October or so.

THIS IS A DRAFT PROGRAMME AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE