Report of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Land Affairs on NEPAD Conference Championing Agricultural Successes for Africa's Future, A Parliamentarians Dialogue, dated 29 August 2006:

The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Land Affairs having participated in the above-mentioned conference, reports to Parliament as follows:

1. Introduction and Background:

The NEPAD Conference, Championing Agricultural Successes for Africa’s Future, A Parliamentarians Dialogue, took place at the Erinvale Spa Somerset West from 15^th until 18^th May 2006.

The conference was organised by the African Union/NEPAD, and its partners, the PAN African Parliament, Capacity Building International Germany (InWent), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA).

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee for Agriculture and Land Affairs, Hon. Ms D.G. Nhlengethwa delegated by the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Ms. Baleka Mbete opened the conference, which provided a unique opportunity for Members to interact, learn and shape the destiny of Africa’s agricultural future.

South Africa was the host country for this event, which was attended Parliamentarians from all corners of Africa.

Broad based economic growth and poverty reduction in Africa will require significant increases in agricultural growth. Given that 80% of Africa’s poor work in agriculture and that the urban poor spend the majority of their income on food, only agricultural growth can simultaneously increase real incomes of Africa’s rural and urban poor.

Yet over the past four decades, agricultural growth has failed to keep pace with Africa’s demographic bulge. Africa remains the only developing region where per capita food production has fallen over the last four decades. Declining funding by African governments and donors has contributed to this decline by eroding the quality of Africa’s key agricultural support institutions in research, extension, education and farmer organisations.

To counter these dangerous trends, African heads of Government and State, in their Maputo Declaration of May 2003 pledged to make agriculture top priority and to increase funding for agriculture to 10% of total budget outlays up to approximately 6%.African Parliamentarians heading agriculture and budget committees will play a decisive role in translating those commitments into reality.

2. Objectives of the conference:

The conference brought together African Parliamentarians with farmer groups, private sector representatives, researchers and donors. The overall objectives were as follows:

To raise the awareness of parliamentarians on the importance of agriculture for poverty reduction and economic growth
To briefly review the agricultural constraints and share significant success factors in stimulating agricultural growth and food security.
To identify early actions and medium term interventions
To review evidence on agriculture’s role as a motor of aggregate economic growth and poverty reduction
To examine significant successes in African agriculture and factors decisive in enabling that superior performance
To identify and discuss forward looking issues affecting agricultural growth
To solicit participant input on feasible means of monitoring Maputo Declaration commitment by African heads of state to increase budgetary allocations for agriculture to 10% of total government spending
To identify follow up necessary support for parliamentarians to pursue a successful agricultural agenda.

3. Delegation of the committee:

The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Land Affairs made a decision in its committee meeting held during 2005 that resolved that as the host country it was necessitated that the full committee attend the conference. The attendance of Members of the committee was as follows:

Ms D.G. Nhelengethwa (ANC) (Chairperson); Ms B. Thomson (ANC); Mr S. Abram (ANC); Mr T.D.H. Ramphele (ANC); Mr D.M. Dlali (ANC); Adv. S.P. Holomisa (ANC); Ms L. Ngwenya (ANC); Mr C.H.F. Greyling (ANC); Ms C. Nkuna (ANC); Ms H.M. Blose (ANC); Ms. B.M. Ntuli (ANC) ; Mr Nel (DA); Dr A.I. Van Niekerk (DA); Mr E.J. Lucas (IFP); Mr. Bici (UDM); Ms C. Zikalala (IFP); Mr Ditshetelo (UCDP) and Dr Pheko (PAC).

The delegation of the committee was accompanied by the following support staff: Ms M. Koff (Committee Secretary); Ms N. Mafani (Secretary to Chairperson); Ms Z. Jara (Committee Assistant) and Ms T. Pepeteka (Committee Researcher).

4. International representation:

Parliamentarians from the following countries were represented at the conference:
Egypt; Ghana; Nigeria; Burundi; Cameroon; Gabon; Ethiopia; Kenya; Mali; Mozambique; Senegal; Rwanda and Malawi. Other organisations who were presented were: The International Food Policy Research Institute, the World Bank, The African Union Commission; The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD); The Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Co-operation (CTA); Centre'de Coope'ration International en Recherche' Agronomique pour le De'veloppment (CIRAD); InWent (Internatioale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

5. Conference Programme:

Conference format:

The conference programme was divided into two main areas i.e. plenary sessions and working group discussions.

Plenary:

The Plenary sessions enabled the conference participants to start deliberations with a common understanding of the context of the agricultural sector, its challenges and what the best practice models for agricultural growth are.

Working group discussions:

To facilitate diversity and inter-parliamentary discussion, participants in the conference were divided into working groups. Within these working groups participants were given questions to debate and to provide recommendations. The outcomes of which were then further debated upon within plenary.

6. Presentations:

The Conference programme constituted of plenary sessions, which included the following presentations which are available on request.

The Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP)
Agricultural Growth and Poverty Reduction in Africa
Past Performance and Future Prospects for Agricultural Development and Food Security in Africa in support of CAADP.
The future of Small farms
The Cassava Transformation, Africa’s Best Kept Secret in Support of CAADP (Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme).
Seeds of Success: The Maize Revolution in East and Southern Africa
Agriculture Technology for Africa’s Future: Options, Capacity and Required Investments in the Context of FAAP.
Globalisation, Concentration and Supermarkets: Implications for African Smallholders
Governance on African Agriculture: Parliamentarian Interactions with Farmers and Agribusiness
Country Agricultural Policy: Uganda’s Plan to modernise Africa.
Monitoring Maputo Commitment for Increasing Funding for African Agriculture in the context of CAADP (Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme).

7. Discussions of the Conference:

Section 1: The Importance of Sustained Agricultural Growth

Sustained Agricultural growth is necessary of Africa is to stimulate economic growth and to reduce poverty. Over 70% of Africa’s poor work in agriculture; a majority of them are women. Meanwhile, Africa’s poor spend half their income on food staples. Thus, agriculture has the greatest potential to simultaneously increase production and productivity while enhancing incomes for the majority of Africa’s poor, and at the same time raise real incomes of the urban poor by reducing the cost of food staples. Members further recognised that agricultural prosperity stimulates demand for non-farm goods and services, generating large spill-over growth in other sectors of the economy and driving large GDP growth multipliers. Further, agricultural growth improves national food security and drives rural prosperity and wealth creation which in turn help in stemming the rural – urban migration.

Section 2: Prospects for Success:

The conference recognised that African farmers and agricultural policy makers have achieved a series of substantial successes in agricultural development, although these have proven inadequate in number and scale to counter Africa’s rapid demographic growth. Many of these successes have endured for decades, without being scaled up. The development of Tropical Manioc Selection (TMS) varieties of cassava have launched to decades of breeding breakthroughs in most regions of Africa. The development and diffusion of modern, high-yielding varieties of maize from the 1960’s onwards, have transformed this imported cereal from a minor crop into the continents major source of calories today. By crossing African and Asian varieties of rice, African rice breeders have developed a hardy, high yielding upland "NERICA" variety of rice which is spreading rapidly in West and Central Africa. Further, members noted that in recent decades African farmers have successfully contested highly competitive export markets for high value agricultural products—including cotton, coffee, livestock and horticultural products—for Europe, the Middle and Far East.
Reviews of past successes suggest a regular confluence of three key ingredients. First, is new more productive technology that lowers costs and makes farming more competitive and profitable. Second is a focus on growing markets. Third is high-level political, which has consistently proven essential for creating favourable policy environments and ensuring adequate budget allocations to agricultural support institutions and related infrastructure.

Looking forward, medium term projections suggest that the largest immediate opportunity for agricultural growth lie with the anticipated explosive growth in Africa’s internal and sub-regional markets for food staples. Flexible responsiveness to high-value and niche export markets can supplement this with opportunities for external growth. Both domestic and export markets can supplement this with opportunities for value addition up-and downstream input supply and processing industries. Africa’s abundant resource base can underwrite these gains provided African governments can maintain sustained policy follow ups to maintain favourable policy environments and provide necessary public goods- such roads, power legal institutions and research- that the private sector will not supply.


Section 3: The Role of Public Policies and Investments

The conference further recognized that a modern African agriculture must view farmers as entrepreneurs seeking profit through access to credit and productivity-enhancing technologies in order to compete in growing domestic and export markets. Indeed, Africa’s farmers have proven inventive and resourceful as well as highly responsive to new opportunities. Input suppliers, together with agribusiness processing and distribution networks form vital links between farmer and final output markets. Public policy must provide a favorable environment for sustained agricultural production and agribusiness. Access to land and security of tenure, a solid legal framework, stable macroeconomic policy and well-functioning support institutions provide a necessary foundation for agricultural prosperity. However, members expressed concern about the scourge of HIV/AIDS and other debilitating diseases. Harmonized access to continental, regional and sub-regional markets enhances prospects for sustained agricultural growth, particularly in rapidly growing markets for food staples. Fair trade conditions and prices are a necessary part of this favorable incentive system. Likewise, significant public investment will be required in rural roads, electricity, and other infrastructure as well as in agricultural research and extension of new, more productive technologies. Returns to public investment in agricultural research and development prove consistently high, both in Africa and elsewhere. Yet Africa, on average, has continued to under invest in its key productive sector. While Green Revolution Asian countries invested 15% of their budgets in agriculture, on average, African governments today allocate only 6%.

Similarly, the conference acknowledged that public investments necessary to sustain rapid agricultural growth will require a significant boost in African government budgetary allocations for agriculture. Recognizing this imperative, African Heads of State and Government agreed, at the African Union Summit in July 2003, to make agriculture a top priority and to raise budget allocations for agriculture to a minimum of 10% of their individual countries’ total public spending, by 2008.

Section 4. What is required to achieve the CAADP goals?

Conference Recommendations

The conference recommends that achievement of the CAADP (Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Progamme) goals will require concerted action at multiple levels:

AU/NEPAD level

Communicate the Maputo Declaration to all stakeholders, including governments, relevant ministries, parliaments, civil society and private sector.
The NEPAD Secretariat and AU Commission should enhance the monitoring of these agreements, including the Maputo Declaration for all member states.
Provide a website with real-time information on spending targets and achievement.
Harmonize definitions of agriculture and total spending. Support the NEPAD initiative on agricultural expenditure tracking within government institutions and the necessary budget translations.
Host regular, sub-regional seminars to include government, Parliament as well as representatives from the farmer’s organizations.

National level
.
Immediately internalize, formalize and institutionalize the Maputo Declaration (MD) in national budgeting process. Prepare Cabinet memoranda; provide high-level briefings within government, legislative branches as well as stakeholder groups. Integrate the MD into national medium-term planning and budgeting systems.
Improve the quality of agricultural investment allocations.
Enhance internal capacities to utilize budget allocation effectively and efficiently.
Develop transparent and efficient accounting systems that will accurately track actual expenditures on a timely basis.
Initiate national peer review mechanisms whereby government, legislature and civil society can monitor progress towards this goal.
Engage and enhance the capacity of farmer organizations, civil society and other beneficiary groups on follow up and expenditure monitoring.
Document and showcase past agricultural successes.
Make agricultural education and image attractive.

Parliamentarians
.
Designate the agriculture and associated committees of parliament to monitor progress towards the CAADP goals.
Annually verify the implementation of the CAADP programme, including progress towards the Maputo Declaration by reviewing annual budget allocations and actual expenditure.
Engage in sub-regional dialogues.
Alert constituencies, including the youth, men, women and political parties, to the importance of agriculture and increased investment in agriculture.
Require briefing by the executive to parliament on all initiatives related to agriculture.
Monitor government progress in achieving the Maputo Declaration.
Introduce private member resolutions advocating achievement of the MD.
Parliamentarians should take a leading role in fighting HIV/AIDS.
Encourage exchanges of experience and mutual learning with other parliamentarians and technical experts.

Development partners:

Encourage development partners to prioritize agriculture again and provide matching grants to support African governments that display commitment to CAADP.
Support capacity building efforts among African governments, parliaments and parliamentary groups.
Support regional and sub-regional parliamentary fora on agriculture.
Provide technical backstopping on technical issues affecting agricultural technology, development and trade.
Provide links to industrialized country parliaments and policy makers so African parliamentarians can communicate the interdependence of African and developed country farm policies.

7. Conclusion:

The NEPAD Conference provided a platform to facilitate inter-governmental partnership and collaboration in terms of agricultural development. This unique opportunity provided a forum for discussion, and created an environment for collective learning and co-ordinated action in terms of agricultural development as a means to poverty alleviation.

3. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HOME AFFAIRS FROM JANUARY – DECEMBER 2005

OVERVIEW

This report gives an overall account of activities performed by the Committee as wellas services rendered by the officials to members. The National Assembly as a peopledriven institution and its delivery cannot be measured against tangible results, but against the quality of services provided to the people of South Africa. In other words the performance of our committee should not be measured against the number of sitting days or the number of Bills passed in a particular year, but against the quality of performing its constitutional duties. During the period under review, the committee worked towards fulfilling the Vision and Mission of the national Parliament.

The Committee derives its authority from the Rules of the Assembly, Joint Rules of both Houses and the Constitution of the Republic. Parliament, as the assembly of freely elected representatives of the people of South Africa, has a mission to represent, and to act as a voice of the people, in fulfilling their constitutional functions of passing legislation and scrutinising the actions of the executive.

Parliament’s vision is to build an effective peoples institution that is responsive to the needs of the people and that is driven by the ideal of realising a better quality of life for all South Africans. The vision will be reached through the implementation of strategic objectives namely:

Building an oversight process that ensures a quality process of scrutinising and overseeing government’s action, and that is driven by the ideal of realising a better quality of life.

Further build a people’s Parliament that is responsive to the needs of the people of South Africa, deepening public participation and involvement, and being people –centred.

Build an effective and efficient institution through the Service Delivery Improvement Programme.

VISION

The vision of the Committee is to see the establishment of an efficient and effective Department of Home Affairs that provides quality, accessible services to all our citizens.

MISSION

The mission of the Committee is to work towards the goal of a better life for all.

STATUTORY BODIES

The Committee exercises oversight function on the following statutory bodies:

Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)

The Independent Electoral Commission is one of the Constitution’s Chapter 9 state institution in support of constitutional democracy. The primary responsibility of the Commission is to manage elections and to establish and maintain the national common voter’s roll. Additional functions of the Commission are described in section 5 of the Electoral Commission Act, 1996.

Films and Publications Board (FPB)

The Film and Publication Board is a statutory body established by the Film and Publications Act (1996) as amended. The act regulates the creation, production, possession, exhibition and distribution of films, interactive computer games and publications. The board is also responsible for monitoring adult premises.

Government Printing Works (GPW)

The Government Printing Works provides stationary related items to government departments, the provincial governments and local authorities. The GPW also provides related services to other African countries, such as printing high security documents for Namibia, Malawi and Swaziland, and ballot papers for the Tanzanian government.

MEETINGS

As in the past, committee work consumed most of the Members time during the period under review. This was as a result of the activities the Committee was engaged with.

During the period under review, the following matters appeared on the Committee agenda:

22 February 2005 – discussing Committee programme for 2005

17 May 2005 – briefing by the Department of Home Affairs on draft strategic plans for 2005/6 and progress review of 2004 strategic plans

11 August 2005 – briefing by Bosasa on the operations of Lindela

11 August 2005 – meeting with refugee stakeholders on programme development and preparations for public hearings on the plight refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa

24 August 2005 – briefing by the Minister of Home Affairs, Ms N Mapisa- Nqakula, on latest developments that were happening in the department regarding Lindela

30 August 2005 – Public hearings on the plight of refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa

13 September 2005 – briefing by the department on security issues of Identity Documents (IDs) and passports

25 October 2005 – briefing by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on their annual report, 2005

15 November 2005 – briefing by Vodacom, MTN, SABC, cell C, and Hustler Magazine on pornography advertisements (pornography in general/ adult material)

14 December 2005 – briefing by e.tv and the Daily Voice on adult material (pornography)

BILLS

For the period under review, no legislation was referred to the committee for consideration and report.

OVERSIGHT VISITS

For the period under review, the committee undertook seven oversight visits on different occasions.

Visit to Immigration Office, Cape Town International Airport and Cape Town Harbour
Background to the visit

On 14 June 2005 the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs visited the Cape Town International Airport and the Harbour in the Western Cape Province. This follows a meeting with the officials whereby the Committee pledged to re-visit them to assess the progress made with regard to the issues raised previously.

A multi-party delegation led by the Chairperson of the Committee, Mr H P Chauke, was comprised of the following persons: Mr K W Morwamoche (ANC); Mr M P Sibande (ANC); Ms N B Gxowa (ANC); Ms S V Kalyan (DA) and Mr M Swart (DA). Mr M R Mankge (Committee Secretary) and Ms L Martin (Committee Assistant) accompanied the delegation for support.
Objectives of the visit

The purpose of the visit was to understand the progress made so far about the issues raised during the meeting held with senior immigration officials in February 2005. There were numerous problems affecting the staff such as, but not limited to, the low salaries, late payment of salaries, shortage of staff, lack of transport for staff working irregular hours and other concerns.

Visit to Department of Home Affairs, Port Elizabeth
Background to the visit
The Committee undertook a visit to the Department of Home Affairs in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Province on 01 June 2005. This was part of the series of oversight visits planned for in the Committee’s program for the year 2005.

The following members made up the delegation for the visit: Mr H P Chauke (ANC); Mr P Sibande (ANC); Mr W M Skosana (ANC); Ms S V Kalyan (DA); Mr I S Mfundisi (UCDP); Mr M T Likotsi (PAC). Mr M R Mankge (Committee Secretary) accompanied the Committee.

Objectives of the visit

The committee paid a surprise visit to the Department, including the Immigration Office, in the province as part of its oversight responsibility to check how the Home Affairs services were rendered to the public.

National Conference Against Pornography, Port Elizabeth
Background to the visit

The committee visited the Eastern Cape province from 01 – 03 June 2005 to attend a National Conference Against Child Pornography hosted by the Films and Publication Board (FPB) in conjunction with the Department of Home Affairs.

The following members made up a delegation for the conference. They were Mr H P Chauke (ANC); Mr P Sibande (ANC); Mr W M Skosana (ANC); Ms S V Kalyan (DA); Mr I S Mfundisi (UCDP) and Mr M T Likotsi (PAC). Mr M R Mankge (Committee Secretary) also accompanied the delegation as part of the support staff.
Objectives of the visit

The aim of the visit and the conference was to come up with a sustainable program of action that seeks to educate and inform the South African public about the effects and dangers of child pornography to society at large. Further, this was an attempt to strengthen the relations between government, business and civil society organisations based on the program of action.

Visit to Independent Electoral commission and Government Printing Works, Tshwane

Background to the visit

The committee visited the Independent Electoral Commission and the Government Printing Works on 14 June 2005 as part of the Committee’s oversight duty.

The visit was comprised of the multiparty-delegation headed by Mr H P Chauke (ANC). Other members were Mr W Skhosana (ANC); Ms S Kalyan (DA) and Ms I Mars (IFP). Mr R Mankge (Committee Secretary) and Ms L Martin (Committee Assistant) accompanied the committee as the support staff.
Objectives of the visit

The aim of the visit was to get the briefing by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on state of preparedness for the forthcoming local government elections. The committee also visited Government Printing Works (GPW) to understand the factory’s operational matters, security of official documents and processing systems.

Visit to Department of Home Affairs, Free State Province

Background to the visit

As part of the Committee’s program for the year 2005, an oversight visit was undertaken to various offices of the Home Affairs Department in the Free State Province from 15 to 17 August 2005.

A delegation for the visit was comprised of the following: Mr H Chauke (ANC); Ms M Maunye (ANC); Mr P Sibande (ANC); Mr I Mfundisi (UCDP); Prof E Chang (IFP) and Ms C I Ludwabe (ANC). Mr R Mankge (Committee Secretary) accompanied the delegation.
Objective of the visit

The purpose of the visit was to understand the state of readiness by the Home Affairs Department in preparations for the forthcoming Local Government elections. Further, the Committee wanted to observe Identity Documents (IDs) campaigns, and to study child-online birth registrations. The committee also wanted to observe the border posts used as a transit zones between South Africa and Lesotho and view the systems used to control the movement of people. And lastly, to understand the challenges faced by immigration officials and the department.

Visit to Department of Home Affairs, Northern Cape Province
Background to the visit

The Committee undertook an oversight visit to Northern Cape from 17 to 19 August 2005. The visit was undertaken as part of the Committee’s programme for 2005 oversight responsibility.

The following members formed a delegation for the visit: Mr H Chauke (ANC); Ms M Maunye (ANC); Mr I Mfundisi (UCDP) and Ms I Ludwabe (ANC). Mr M R Mankge (Committee Secretary) accompanied the delegation to the Northern Cape.
Objectives of the visit

The purpose of the visit was to understand the state of readiness by the Home Affairs Department in preparations for the forthcoming Local Government elections. The Committee also wanted to study the ID campaigns as well as on-line childbirth registration. Further, to understand the challenges faced by immigration officials and the Home Affairs Department.

Visit to Department of Home Affairs, KwaZulu-Natal
Background to the visit

The Committee undertook a visit to KwaZulu-Natal from 25 to 27 August 2005. The visit was one of the Committee’s oversight trips planned for the year 2005.

A delegation for the KwaZulu – Natal visit, under the leadership of Mr H P Chauke (ANC), was comprised of the following members: Ms M Maunye (ANC); Mr R Sikakane (ANC) and Ms S Kalyan (DA). Mr M R Mankge as the Committee Secretary accompanied the delegation.
Objectives of the visit

The purpose of the visit was to understand the state of readiness by the provincial Home Affairs Department in preparations for the forthcoming Local Government elections. Part of the plan was to check Identity Documents (ID) campaigns and observing the on-line childbirth registration. The committee also wanted to understand the challenges faced by immigration officials in the Department of Home Affairs.
INTERNATIONAL VISITS

For the period under review, the committee undertook three international visits to the following countries:

Visit to Mozambique
Background to the visit

The 2005 year programme for the Committee reflected amongst other things the international visits to the Southern African counterparts of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia for discussions on the SADC protocols on free movement of persons. On their first leg of the visits, the Committee went to Mozambique from 22 to 28 June 2005.

Under the leadership of Mr H P Chauke, the multi-party delegation to Mozambique was constituted of the following persons: Mr S S Vundisa (ANC); Mr W M Sikhosana (ANC); Ms N F Mathibela (ANC) and Ms S V Kalyan (DA). The delegation was accompanied by Mr M R Mankge as the Committee Secretary.
Objectives of the visit

The aims of the trip were four-fold. They were:

Policy coordination pertaining to waiving of visa fees. In March 2005 South Africa launched a New Immigration Branch (NIB), and protocol on free movement which is still to be signed. Challenges exist at ports of entry, like informal crossing at Imbuzini border, which the committee wanted to look into.

The committee further wanted to understand why there is an increasing number of non-Mozambicans like Nigerians, Angolans and Pakistanis arrested in South Africa with false documents from Mozambique.

Other problems relate to deportation of illegal Mozambicans from South Africa.

The problem of drug and human trafficking using Mozambique as a gateway to South Africa and the rest of the world also necessitated some exploration.

Visit to Zimbabwe
Background to the visit

The Committee undertook a visit to Zimbabwe from 10 to 13 October 2005. This was part of the Committee’s SADC study tours planned for the year 2005.

The following members formed a delegation for this visit: Mr P Chauke (ANC); Mr W M Skhosana (ANC); Mr K W Morwamoche (ANC); Ms I Mars (IFP); Mr M Swart (DA) and Mr M R Mankge (Committee Secretary).
Objectives to the visit

The Committee aimed to hold talks with their Zimbabwean neighbours on the SADC protocols on free movement of persons, and understand the implications of these agreements. The Committee also needed to observe and have an understanding of the immigration processes so as to prevent the abuse of privileges. They also wanted to have discussions on the deportation of illegal immigrants. The intention was also to study the refugee laws and the electoral laws of its neighbour.

Visit to Namibia
Background to the visit

The Committee undertook a trip to Namibia from 17 to 19 October 2005. A delegation for the visit was formed by Mr P Chauke (ANC); Mr W M Skhosana (ANC); Mr K W Morwamoche (ANC); Ms I Mars (IFP); Mr M Swart (DA) and Mr M R Mankge (Committee Secretary).
Objectives of the trip

The purpose of the visit was five-fold, such as

Holding discussions with Namibian counterparts on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) protocols on free movement of persons, and understand the implications of these agreements
To observe and have an understanding of the migration processes so as to prevent the abuse of privileges
Discussing deportation of illegal immigrants
To visit the border posts as to understand its operations and challenges
To look at the refugee laws of its neighbour and their electoral laws

FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT

The Portfolio Committee attached great importance to its oversight duty as required by the Constitution, and specifically financial oversight. A structured programme for financial oversight was developed, adopted and followed. Departments tabled their Budgets and Strategic Plans for 2005/2006.

Senior Departmental managers and Chief Executive Officers of the public entities were requested to appear before the committee to explain the state of their finances and to answer questions from members. The Portfolio Committee then considered these reports and compiled a Committee Report containing its findings and recommendations.

The report of the committee on financial oversight was tabled, discussed and adopted and referred to the House.

The recommendations adopted by the House were conveyed to the Departments and public entities for implementation in terms of Rule 307 of the Assembly.

ANNUAL REPORTS

Annual Reports play an important role in the processes of oversight function of Parliament. Annual report is an important mechanism by which department accounts to Parliament. Section 65 of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act No. 1 of 1999) requires that the executive authority responsible for a department or public entity must table in the National Assembly the annual report and financial statements and the audit report of those statements.

For the period under review, the following annual reports were referred to the Committee for consideration and report:

Independent Electoral Commission, Annual Report 2004/ 2005
Films and Publications Board, Annual Report 2004/ 2005
Government Printing Works, Annual Report 2004/ 2005
Department of Home Affairs, Annual Report 2004/ 2005

However it must be noted that due to the delays on the audit of the financial statements of the Department of Home Affairs, the department did not table its report in 2005 as required by the PFMA. The GPW was also affected, and it would be able to present its report before the Committee on 17 May 2006 while the department is scheduled for the 26 May 2006.

OTHER REPORTS

During the period under review, the under-mentioned reports were considered, adopted and referred to the House:

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on oversight visit to Immigration Office, Cape Town International and the Cape Town Harbour, 14 June 2005

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on Oversight Visit to Department of Home Affairs, Eastern Cape, 01 June 2005

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on the National Conference Against Child Pornography held in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, from 01- 03 June 2005

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on Oversight Visit to Independent Electoral commission and Government Printing Works in Tshwane, 14 June 2005

MEMBERSHIP

Changes have been made to the membership of the Portfolio Committee, as at the 07 November 2005. The Committee has 16 active or full members. The table below shows the committee members and their status.

Table 1: Members of the Committee