ATC150811: Interim report and request for extension of deadline of Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Probing Violence Against Foreign Nationals, Dated 04 August 2015

Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Probing Violence Against Foreign Nationals

Interim report and request for extension of deadline of Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Probing Violence Against Foreign Nationals, Dated 04 August 2015

 

 

1. The Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Probing Violence Against Foreign Nationals (the Committee) was established by the National Assembly (NA) on 6 May 2015 and by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on 7 May 2015 in terms of Joint Rule 142. The Committee consists of 11 members of the National Assembly and 9 members of the National Council of Provinces.

 

1. In accordance with resolutions of the Houses, the mandate of the Committee is to:

 

1. inquire into the incidence of violence against foreign nationals and related matters while incorporating into its work the report and recommendations of the previous Task Team of Members of Parliament Probing Violence and Attacks on Foreign Nationals in 2008;
2. make recommendations where applicable;
3. exercise those powers as set out in Joint Rule 32 that may assist it in carrying out its task; and
4. report to the houses by 30 August 2015.

 

1. The Committee met on 4, 12 and 25 June 2015, and conducted oversight visits to affected areas in Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng from 6 to 11 July 2015 and the Western Cape on 4 August 2015. In its work thus far, the Committee has considered reports of the 2008 Task Team and related developments in 2015. These reports and related deliberations informed the programme agreed to by the Committee on 25 June 2015.

 

During its visits to Kwazulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape, the Committee engaged with a broad range of stakeholders, including but not limited to:

 

 

1. Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum Delegates;
2. Gauteng Provincial Government;
3. City of Johannesburg and EThekwini Municipality;
4. Traditional Leaders;
5. South African Police Service;
6. South African business owners;
7. Foreign national business owners;
8. Communities and their representatives;
9. Non-governmental organisations; and
10. Migrant representatives.

 

1. Prior to the expiry of its deadline the Committee plans to engage with the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, the Department of Labour and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA).

 

1. After deliberation, the Committee resolved that it will not be able to do full justice to its mandate to engage with all identified stakeholders in the time allocated. As such its draft adopted programme proposes extending the deadline to the end of September 2015, pending approval of both Houses. The extension would allow the Committee to process a number of written public submissions as well as to further engage humanitarian and non-governmental organisations, business representatives and local civic associations.

 

1. The Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Probing Violence Against Foreign Nationals hereby requests an extension of the submission of its final report to 30 September 2015.

 

 

 

Report to considered.