Pretoria - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Wednesday reply to questions from Members of Parliament on several issues of national importance, including various aspects of the proposed National Minimum Wage.
The Presidency on Monday said this will be the Deputy President’s last engagement with Members of the National Assembly in the fourth quarter of the 2016 legislative programme.
This comes against the backdrop of the recently proposed level of the National Minimum Wage unveiled by a Panel of Advisors appointed by Deputy President Ramaphosa to advise the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) Committee of Principals on the level at which the National Minimum Wage can be set.
The Committee of Principals, comprising representatives of labour, business, government and communities, was tasked by President Jacob Zuma during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2014 to look into the issue of wages, wage inequality, labour relations and the National Minimum Wage.
“Since the announcement of the proposed National Minimum Wage, Deputy President Ramaphosa has been meeting bilaterally with Nedlac social partners to receive feedback from their constituencies and to find common ground among the partners to move the country forward on the issue of the National Minimum Wage,” said the Presidency.
Among the issues that members of the National Assembly raised regarding the National Minimum Wage is the issue of affordability and whether it could be extended to foreign nationals.
The Deputy President is also expected to brief the National Assembly on measures being taken to consolidate existing relations between members of the Executive and Parliament as part of efforts to ensure accountability to the national legislature.
Deputy President Ramaphosa will use the opportunity of the interaction with Members of Parliament to brief the assembly on national efforts by government, business and labour to create a positive climate for investments to grow the economy and create more jobs for the people. This comes hot on the heels of the recent decisions of S&P, Moody's and Fitch rating agencies to retain the current status of South Africa's credit rating.
Deputy President Ramaphosa will also update MPs on plans to fight the scourge of HIV and Aids, particularly on plans to reduce the rate of new HIV infections especially among young women and girls.
“South Africa has recently launched a new HIV vaccine trial as part of efforts to push back the HIV epidemic.”
The Deputy President is also expected to brief the national assembly on ship-building training opportunities for South African students arising from his recent working visits to Vietnam and Singapore to consolidate political, economic and trade relations between South Africa and the two countries.
Vietnam boasts one of the largest ship-building facilities in the world. In this regard a number of South African students are currently enrolled for Masters Degrees in ship-building in Vietnam. - SAnews.gov.za
