Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma was due to deliver an update on his administration’s nine-point plan in Pretoria on Tuesday.
This will include resolving energy constraints, boosting township economies, scaling up private sector investment, beneficiation, agricultural revitalisation, and economic diversification through, among others, broadband rollout.
Asked about the plan, which was announced in February’s State of the Nation address, Zuma indicated there had been “progress” during Thursday’s presidential question slot in Parliament.
It’s the turn of his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa to field questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday. These include one on the controversial visa regulations, at the heart of a public spat between the home affairs and tourism ministers.
As the DA has called for a parliamentary debate of public importance on the regulations, leader Mmusi Maimane will tackle Ramaphosa on his statement that South Africa was “at the cutting edge of immigration and visa regulations”.
Ramaphosa is also set to answer questions on the National Development Plan, the country’s programme to reduce poverty and inequality by 2030, his engagements in Lesotho and recent visit to China.
Ministers in the security cluster, including police, defence, intelligence and home affairs, also face questions.
This session comes hours after the nine provincial police commissioners face queries from the police committee over their public backing of embattled national commissioner General Riah Phiyega, just after her submission to the president on why she should keep her job, despite the Marikana inquiry finding she had misled it.
The parliamentary police committee last week took a dim view of the provincial commissioners’ statement, saying it “is of the firm view that the statement of the said offices blurs the line between the role of civil servants/police officers and the executive consisting of elected representatives”.
The report of the special parliamentary Nkandla committee is expected to appear on Parliament’s agenda in one form or another this week, after it was adopted late on Thursday evening. On the back of ANC numbers, the committee endorsed Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko’s report that exonerated Zuma from repaying any of the R215 million Nkandla security upgrades.
It found “South Africans were misled about the opulence of the private residence of the president”, stating there was “no value for money” and a “gross inflation of costs”.
Among its recommendations was that “the executive ensure all necessary steps are undertaken to ensure the safety of the head of state and his family is not compromised”.
The ad hoc committee probing violence against foreigners is due to be be briefed by the inter-ministerial team.
The public works committee will go through the Expropriation Bill, clause by clause, after three days of public hearings on the draft law, which effectively does away with the willing seller, willing buyer principle in favour of the constitutionally enshrined fair, just and equitable compensation.
The National Assembly will, for the second time, try to adopt the Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill, which deals with income tax and transfer, and customs and excise duties. It couldn’t be passed last week due to the lack of a quorum.
The parliamentary week starts with on Tuesday’s joint sitting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces to debate Women’s Day under the theme “Women united in moving South Africa forward”.
Political Bureau