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The phrase “Order! Honorable members!” in all probability it will be replaced by “Hush, honorable members!” in the coming weeks, as Parliament will rely on technology to conduct its business.
On Thursday, Parliament’s presiding officials announced that the legislature will resume its affairs immediately, with a particular focus on exercising oversight over the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the implementation of the blockade.
The portfolio committees directly affected by Covid-19 would be asked to step up their oversight commitments, especially during the closing period.
The committees that the President of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise, identified were: cooperative governance and traditional affairs; Health; police; commerce and industry; the Joint Permanent Defense Committee; basic education; higher education, science and technology; transport; small business development; Finance; appropriations; employment and work; human settlements, water and sanitation and social development.
READ | 14 parliamentary committees to step up oversight of Covid-19
Although Parliament’s updated program had not been published at the time of writing, two committees have indicated what comes first on their agendas.
Chairperson of the Police Portfolio Committee, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, said the committee would call the police and the Independent Police Investigation Directorate (IPID) to respond to allegations of police overstep in enforcement of police regulations. blocking.
On Friday, Philly Mapulane, chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology, said the committee would hold a virtual meeting on Tuesday to assess the impact of the closure on the higher education sector.
Virtual meetings
The committee will receive an information session from the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Blade Nzimande, on the plans of the department, the universities and the Colleges of Education and Technical Training (TVET) to rescue the academic year 2020.
Parliament has already held a virtual committee meeting, where the Health Portfolio Committee met with Health Minister Zweli Mkhize and experts via the Zoom video conferencing app. Thursday’s briefing with presidents was conducted through Microsoft teams.
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Committee meetings are expected to be held through these apps, and members will be logged in remotely. The public will also have access through Parliament’s YouTube channel and other social media channels.
The Chief Whips Forum is developing rules for these meetings. Parliament is also devising a way to do oral questioning sessions with members of the executive.
The UK parliament, which will return from its recess next week, is also allowing members to work from home via videoconferencing, its speaker Norman Fowler said in a statement.
As in South Africa, Fowler said oral questions posed a particular challenge for them in the UK.
British parliamentarians, however, are concerned that a virtual Parliament may have difficulty holding Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government to account for the much-criticized response to the pandemic, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, in the United States, President Donald Trump was criticized and the legality of his express plan to suspend the United States Congress was questioned. Congress has continued its work, although taking into account social distancing.
Legislatures in various countries continued their work with smaller meetings, while others, such as India, suspended Parliament indefinitely.
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