MPs wrap up first term

PARLIAMENT’s first term of the year has come to an end with MPs finalising a number of issues.

In the past few weeks MPs approved a report into the inquiry into Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on her fitness to hold office.

The matter was approved by a majority of MPs after an independent panel chaired by retired Constitutional Court Judge Bess Nkabinde and including advocates Dumisa Ntsebeza, SC, and Johan de Waal, SC, found there was a prima facie case against Mkhwebane.

The public protector also lost another round in the Constitutional Court when it refused her leave to appeal her failed application against the judgment of the Western Cape High Court. Mkhwebane had wanted to block the inquiry into her fitness.

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni tabled the Budget, which has reprioritised spending as the government battles to contain the spread of Covid-19. Mboweni is projecting growth of 3% this year after the economy reopened.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation focused on reviving the economy, creating more jobs and injecting funding to fight Covid-19.

MPs were busy working on amendments to section 25 of the Constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation. The deadline for the ad hoc committee on land expropriation was extended to the end of May. This would allow the committee time to conduct oral submissions and finalise the process in the next two months.

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza has said they wanted to accelerate land reform in the country. As part of land reform, the government has provided 700 000 hectares of state-owned land for redistribution.

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille, tabled the Expropriation Bill to allow for the expropriation of land in the public interest or for a public purpose.

Parliament also discussed the vaccine roll-out with Health Minister Zweli Mkhize briefing the portfolio committees.

Opposition parties have been concerned about the slow pace of the roll-out of the vaccine after the government said a few months ago it wanted to inoculate 67% of the population by the end of the year.

But the government has said it has faced challenges including the shortage of the vaccines globally, which impacted on the delivery in South Africa.

The Medical Research Council told Parliament last week manufacturing of vaccines would be ramped up in July and this would result in more vaccines being distributed.