POLITICAL WEEK AHEAD: Parliament to debate Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address
MPs will talk for nine hours
23 June 2019 - 19:08 Genevieve Quintal
Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: ESA ALEXANDER
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first state of the nation address in the sixth administration will be scrutinised in parliament this week.
MPs will spend nine hours on Tuesday debating the speech, which Ramaphosa delivered last week.
The president promised expansive public spending and a commitment to the prudent management of public finances. He also outlined an extensive programme for the next five years.
LISTEN | The June 2019 Sona in 5 minutes
Ramaphosa said Eskom would sooner than expected get a portion of the R230bn in support from government, promised at the time of the budget. This is to alleviate its financial crisis and enable it to finalise its annual financial statements in the next few weeks. Without additional support the utility is not a going concern.
On Wednesday, Ramaphosa will have an opportunity to respond to issues raised in the debate.
The National Assembly will hold its first ordinary plenary sitting on Wednesday, when it is expected to elect house chairs and members of the Pan-African Parliament, and designate members to serve on the Southern African Development Community’s parliamentary forum and the Judicial Services Commission and the Magistrates Commission.
The ANC will nominate Cedric Frolick as chair. This after former minister Nomvula Mokonyane withdrew as an MP last month. The party had originally planned to nominate her for the position.
The National Council of Provinces will on Wednesday elect its house and committee chairs.
The state-capture commission of inquiry is on Monday expected to continue hearing aviation-related testimony from Kalandra Viljoen, director of Asset Movement & Financial Services.
For the first time since its establishment, the commission sat at the weekend. It heard how millions of rands flowed through a North West company that was irregularly put in charge of ground-handling services at the Mafikeng and Pilanesberg airports in 2015.
TimesLive reported that Koroneka Trading & Projects director Babadi Tlatsana told the commission her company was “hijacked” by SA Express commercial manager Brian Van Wyk, and used as a conduit to siphon money from SA Express and the North West government into the bank accounts of certain individuals.
A recording of her conversation with Van Wyk was played at the commission.
On Wednesday, auditor-general Kimi Makwetu will release the municipal audit results for the 2017/2018 financial year.
