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The Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Ms Thoko Didiza, is leading a multiparty parliamentary delegation to the 56th Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) Plenary Assembly in Livingstone, Zambia, from 8 to 15 December 2024.

Established in 1997, the SADC PF is a regional inter-parliamentary body composed of 15 parliaments representing over 3500 parliamentarians in the SADC region. The member parliaments are Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Forum seeks to bring regional experiences to bear at the national level and to promote best practices in the role of parliaments in regional cooperation and integration as outlined in the SADC Treaty and the Forum Constitution. 

South Africa’s multiparty parliamentary delegation to the 56th Plenary Assembly includes Mr Kenneth Mmoiemang, Chief Whip of the NCOP, Ms Sylvia Lucas from the African National Congress, Mr Bonginkosi Madikizela from the Democratic Alliance, and Mr David Skosana from the uMkhonto WesiweParty. They will be sworn in as it is the first time since the national and provincial elections in May that the South African delegation attends a plenary of the SADC-PF.

The 56th Plenary Assembly is hosted by the Parliament of Zambia and will be held under the theme “Leveraging Technology and Innovation for Smart, Inclusive and Responsive Parliaments in the SADC Region.” The Plenary Assembly, the highest policy-making and deliberative body of the SADC PF meets twice a year on a rotational basis, with each of its 15-member Parliaments getting a turn to host. It provides a platform for consideration of matters of regional interest, among other things.

Back at Parliament, the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will hold its last two sittings on Tuesday and Wednesday. The National Assembly concluded its business for the year on Thursday, 5 December. Members of both Houses will be on constituency leave until Friday, 13 December. Their leave period will start on 17 December.

On Tuesday at 14:00, the NCOP is provisionally scheduled to consider four bills – the Older Persons Amendment Bill, the Special Appropriation Bill, the Global Minimum Tax Bill, and the Global Minimum Tax Administration Bill. Other items provisionally scheduled for consideration during the sitting are the Report of the Select Committee on Security and Justice on its Oversight visit to the Pollsmoor Correctional Centre on 11 September 2024 and the House’s Three-Sphere Planning Report.

Wednesday’s plenary starts at 9:30 and is provisionally scheduled to consider the Adjustments Appropriation Bill and the Report of the Select Committee on Appropriations on the Proposed Division of Revenue and the Conditional Grant Allocations to Provinces and Local Government. The House will conclude its business for the year on the day, with farewell speeches from various provincial delegates to the Council.

Only two committees of the NCOP are scheduled to meet this Tuesday. Details are as follows:

TUESDAY, 10 DECEMBER 

Select Committee on Land Reform, Environment, Mineral Resources and Energy: Briefing by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy on Provincial Conditional Grants - Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management (EEDSM) Grant, Electrification and Energy Programme and Project Management, Consideration and adoption of minutes. Virtual Meeting Platform. 10:00 – 13:00

Select Committee on Appropriations: Consideration and adoption of Reports on 2024 Adjustments Appropriation Bill and any bills tabled, and proposed division of revenue and the conditional grant allocations to provinces and local government. Virtual Meeting Platform. 10:00 – 13:00

Issued by Parliament