Parliament on debates on budget votes in National Assembly

Several mini-plenaries dealing with budget votes will take place this week from Tuesday to Friday at Parliament. After the Minister of Finance has tabled the budget and relevant Bills, outlining the government's spending plans and revenue collection strategies, each parliamentary committee has hearings on the budget vote for its Government Department and its entities.

Budget vote debates allow Parliament to formally discuss and give input on departmental plans and budget allocations. The committees scrutinise the departmental budgets and annual performance plans and also check whether the Department kept the promises it made for the previous year and whether it spent taxpayers’ money properly.

Meaningful public participation and parliamentary oversight over budget processes increase social ownership of the budget and enhance the effective allocation of funds while reducing wasteful prioritisation.

The constitution requires Parliament to engage actively with the budget process in the interests of good governance and financial transparency. In 2009, Parliament passed the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act. This Act grants Parliament the authority to amend the overall budget and the budgets of specific national government departments and entities.

The mini-plenaries are the extension of the National Assembly (NA), and the same rules and protocol applied during NA plenary sittings for photographers and broadcasters also apply during the mini-plenaries.

The rules are as follows:

FILMING: No filming is allowed by outside videographers. Film and sound footage, i.e. live feed, may be obtained from the Broadcast and Audiovisual Unit of Parliament. Broadcasters can apply for a live feed through the Parliamentary Communications Services’ Media Relations Unit. Please apply at least one day before the sitting you wish to cover.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Permission must be sought to photograph proceedings. Photographers can apply to the Parliamentary Communication Services Media Relations Unit. Please apply at least one day ahead of the sitting you wish to photograph.

• Photographers granted permission to take photographs of proceedings may not use a flash or tripod.
• Photographers granted permission must follow instructions from Parliamentary Communication Services and Parliament Protection Services officials.
• Photographers must wear a bib for the duration of their stay.
• A media organisation must have commissioned photographers seeking permission to photograph proceedings.
• Official photographers attached to government departments or entities must also obtain permission from the Parliamentary Communication Services Media Relations Unit and submit their applications through their official email addresses.

Details of this week’s (1 to 4 July) Budget Vote debate mini-plenaries are as follows:

TUESDAY, 1 JULY
14:00 – 16:00
(1)    Debate on Vote 22: Correctional Services (Good Hope Chamber)
16:30 – 18:15
(2)    Debate on Vote 27: Office of the Chief Justice (Good Hope Chamber)

WEDNESDAY, 2 JULY
10:00 - 12:00
(1)    Debate on Vote 40: Transport (Good Hope Chamber)
14:00 – 16:00
(2)    Debate on Vote 14: Statistics South Africa (Good Hope Chamber)
(3)    Debate on Vote 33: Human Settlements (M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building)
16:30 – 18:15
(4)    Debate on Vote 11, 7 & 12: Public Service and Administration (National School of Government and Public Service Commission (Good Hope Chamber)
(5)    Debate on Vote 34: Mineral and Petroleum Resources (M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building)

THURSDAY, 3 JULY
14:00 – 16:00
     (1) Debate on Vote 17: Higher Education (Good Hope Chamber)
     (2) Debate on Vote 31: Employment and Labour (M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building)
16:30 – 18:15
     (3) Debate on Vote 6: International Relations and Cooperation (Good Hope Chamber) 
     (4) Debate on Vote 20: Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (M46, Ground Floor,    
          Marks Building)

FRIDAY, 4 JULY
10:00 - 12:00
(1)    Debate on Vote 28, 24 and 21: Police (including Independent Police Investigate Directorate and Civilian Secretariat for the Police Service) (Good Hope Chamber)
(2)    Debate on Vote 39: Trade, Industry and Competition (M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building

13:00 - 15:00
(3)    Debate on Vote 4: Government Communications and Information System (Good Hope Chamber)

Note to media

Members of the media wishing to attend the NA Mini Plenaries physically should send their details (full name, name of media house, ID or passport number) to Mr Mlindi Mpindi at mmpindi@parliament.gov.za and to Mr Manelisi Ntsodo at mntsodo@parliament.gov.za. For enquiries related to budget vote debates filming and photography, please contact them on 081 716 7329 (Mr Mpindi) and 081 716 2021 (Mr Ntsodo).

NB: Members of the Parliamentary Gallery Association will use their Parliamentary access permits cards.

Members of the public may follow the proceedings live on Parliament TV (DSTV Channel 408) via the live stream on Parliament’s YouTube channel, Facebook and Twitter pages. Please see the links below.

You may subscribe to the Parliament YouTube channel to receive instant notification of live feeds.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParliamentofRSA
Facebook: https://facebook.com/ParliamentofRSA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ParliamentofRSA

Enquiries: 
Moloto Mothapo 
Cell: 082 370 6930

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