[ Home ] [ Speeches & statements ]

The Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr MGP Lekota, briefed press on the movements of various members of the NCOP. These include the appointment of Mr BT Ngcuka, former Deputy Chairperson to the post of National Director of Public Prosecutor, the appointment of Mr SW Lubisi to the post of Speaker of the Mpumalanga Legislature and the appointment of Ms JL Kgoali to the post of MEC for Transport in the Gauteng provincial government.

Ms Kgoali had been replaced by Ms D Mahlangu from the Gauteng provincial legislature. Mr Lubisi's replacement has yet to be finalised. The NCOP hopes to finalise the appointment of Deputy Chairperson by the end of next week.

Mr Lekota said the NCOP National Conference in May 1998, had done much to clarify the role of the NCOP, especially with regard to its' oversight function both with regard to national government and provincial executives. He said the NCOP Select Committee on Liaison with Provinces had recently undertaken a visit to the Northern Cape Province.

The focus of this visit had been to examine working relations between the various spheres of government and between the legislature and executive in the province. This role in promoting good intergovernmental relations, is a role which the NCOP is expected to play against the background of Chapter 3 of the Constitution and the imperative of co-operative governance. While this is not the sole responsibility of the NCOP, the institution does have a principle role to play in this regard.

He said debates are taking place this afternoon across the nation in 7 provincial legislatures today on Section 185 of the Constitution. This had been arranged to coincide with the same debate in the National Assembly. The focus of this debate would to consider a mechanism to promote cultural, linguistic and other rights without promoting ethnicism in a negative fashion.

Since the NCOP National Conference and the Deputy President's keynote address, there had been marked improvement in the participation of provinces in the work of the NCOP. This is an encouraging development.

The NCOP is developing a convention with Cabinet to ensure that all s76 legislation is introduced in the NCOP. Hence, most new s76 bills in Parliament this term are being introduced in the NCOP. Mr Lekota thanked various Ministers and Directors General for their co-operation in this regard. He said the main intention of the arrangement is to ensure that provinces are afforded more time, and better opportunity to shape s76 legislation, instead of merely amending legislation shaped elsewhere.

With regard to Parliament's current program, Mr Lekota said 89 bills had been received in 1998. Parliament had passed 35 of these. Hence, 54 bills were still to be finalised. Cabinet had also indicated that another 37 bills were expected to arrive before the end of the year. If all these bills were received, this would mean Parliament still had 91 bills to finalise.

Cabinet had been asked to prioritise legislation and indicate to Parliament, and the NCOP in particular, which bills should be passed in 1998 and which bills the NCOP could pass in the '99 session.

Mr Lekota said President Mandela would deliver his mid-term address to the NCOP on Friday 7 August 1998. Further details of the day's program are available from the Secretary to the NCOP, Ms Marion Sparg.

The Deputy President would be delivering an address on national reconciliation to the NCOP on 9 September 1998.

With regard to the closing date of 23 September, Mr Lekota said no decision had yet been taken. This would hopefully be finalised once Parliament received a list of priority legislation from Cabinet.

With regard to the '99 parliamentary session, Mr Lekota said it had been proposed that Parliament opens on 5 February with the President's address to a Joint Sitting. Budget Day was expected to take place on 10 March 1998 and Parliament should be able to close by 24 March 1998. However, these were all proposed dates and no decision had yet been taken.

Issued by Office of Chairperson of NCOP
Tuesday 4 August 1998

Parliament of the Republic of South Africa
Office of the Secretary
National Council of Provinces
PO Box 15, Cape Town 8000

<EOD>