Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
MPs warned over bills rushed to Council of Provinces
SPEAKER Baleka Mbete has warned Parliament about bills that are returned by the Constitutional Court because of lack of consultation and being rushed to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to conclude them. Mbete said this week the Constitutional Court had on a number of occasions returned bills because of poor processing.
This came after parties in the programming committee complained about cabinet dumping 18 bills recently and asking that they be concluded soon. Parties said it was not possible to finish all the bills by the end of next month.
Even ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said it would be impossible to conclude the bills by the end of the current financial year.
There is however a grace period for parliament to finalise bills a few months after the deadline.
The Concourt has in the past returned among others the Land Restitution Rights Bill because of lack of consultation in the NCOP.
Parliament is yet to finish the Land Rights Bill, and it is hoped this will be done soon.
The Concourt ordered Parliament in 2016 to fix the Land Rights Amendment Bill by July this year.
This bill will now be presented to the National Assembly for adoption.
Parliament is in the race against time to meet the Concourt deadline on the Municipal Structures Bill.
Mbete said Parliament should be wary of side-stepping the provisions of the law in finalising bills before sending them to the NCOP for concurrence.
Those that were deemed to have not followed the proper processes have been challenged in the court.
Mbete said careful consideration should be given to avoid bills being returned to Parliament by the highest court in the land.
A few times the Constitutional Court has returned Bills because not enough time is canvassed for the views of the people.
“We must note that and the Deputy President’s office should note that.
“We embarrass ourselves by taking bills to the NCOP late.”
Mbete said this was akin to Parliament cutting its nose and spitting at our faces.
She later said there were not 18 new bills before Parliament, but 12 that needed to be finalised.
The opposition said it would not be possible to even finish these 12 bills in the next five weeks.
The DA’s John Steenhuisen said last year alone Parliament finished only 18 bills, and it was near impossible to finish the new 12 bills in a few weeks.