Consideration and Adoption of Minutes

PUBLIC SERVICES SELECT COMMITTEE
21 November 2007
CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF MINUTES

Acting Chairperson: Mr R Tau (ANC, Northern Cape)

Documents handed out
None

Audio recording of meeting

MINUTES
The Chairperson stated that its previous minutes would be adopted at the meeting. The process of finalisation was a lengthy one which tool up to three or four months. This was a point of concern that needed further planning and intervention.

Mr A Watson (DA, Mpumalanga) raised concern with the nature of the six week cycle for passing of legislation. This entailed: the holding of public hearings in the provinces, the submission of negotiating mandates to the NCOP Committee which the Committee would then have to consider, and the second round for the final mandates. This left very limited time for the Committee to actually consider and study the Bill, with the result that Members had insufficient time to properly prepare an informed briefing on the Bill to their provincial legislatures.

Rev P Moatshe (ANC, North West) raised further concern with the nature of the introduction of Section 76 legialtion. He was of the view that it should initially be introduced in the NCOP and not in the National Assembly.

Mr Watson explained that the Constitution stipulated that either of the two Houses could receive Section 76 Bills, and it was thus not clear why Section 76 Bills were always introduced in the National Assembly first.

Ms M Oliphant (ANC, KwaZulu-Natal) agreed with Rev Moatshe and Mr Watson. The Committee bore the responsibility of enforcing its Constitutional rights in declaring the procedure unsatisfactory.

The Chair supported the need for the intervention.

Adoption of Minutes
The Committee effected certain technical and grammatical amendments to its minutes of meetings held on 20 June, 31 July, 5, 12 September, 10, 17, 24 October and 7 and 14 November and adopted them.

The meeting was adjourned.