Parliament to decide which committee to process bill for relocation of seat

PARLIAMENT was still to decide which of its committees should process the private member's bill introduced by EFF leader Julius Malema on the relocation of its seat from Cape Town to Tshwane.

This comes after the bill was considered by the Joint Tagging Mechanism for classification as a section 76 bill, which affects the provinces, ahead of its referral to a portfolio committee.

National Assembly Secretary Masibulele Xaso said although the view was that the bill would be processed by the public works and infrastructure portfolio committee, there was still a discussion with the parliamentary legal services unit.

“Before it is referred to a committee, there is a step it must go through, which is the first reading,” Xaso said in reference to introducing and tabling the bill in the National Assembly.

He said the EFF had asked for the first reading of the bill.

“Once it has been debated, without a decision, then it must go to a committee. Public works has been mentioned.

“We discuss with legal services whether that is the best committee,” Xaso said.

Programming whip Mina Lesoma said they have received the private member's bill for its first reading in the National Assembly.

“As a matter of principle and consistency, it will be discussed at a mini-plenary and then referred to the relevant committee to deal with the private member's bill,” Lesoma said.

No date has been specified for its introduction in the National Assembly's current programme

The relocation of Parliament has been on the radar as far back as 2016 when former president Jacob Zuma said the government could save billions if it did not have to fly and accommodate government officials and politicians from the administrative capital in Pretoria to Cape Town, the country's legislative capital.

In his bill, Malema said the Constitution provided that the seat of Parliament was Cape Town, but an Act could be enacted to determine that the seat be elsewhere.

Malema said Parliament's current location created several problems for MPs, the cabinet, government and officials from organs of state and the broader society that wished to participate in legislative and oversight functions performed by national legislature.