The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) is scheduled to rise on Thursday.
However, its members will remain in office until after the scheduled elections and until the day of the first sitting of the Provincial Legislatures.
The National Assembly, which held its last sitting on 20 March, also remains competent to function until 7 May 2019, which is a day before the elections.
Before they deliver their farewell speeches on Thursday, NCOP members will, amongst other things, consider 13 Bills.
These are the Division of Revenue Bill, the Carbon Tax Bill, the Customs and Excise Amendment Bill, Public Investment Corporation Amendment Bill, Financial Matters Amendment Bill, Public Audit Excess Fee Bill, National Land Transport Amendment Bill, National Gambling Amendment Bill, Copyright Amendment Bill, Performers’ Protection Amendment Bill, Foreign Service Bill, Property Practitioners Bill and the Electronic Deeds Registration Systems Bill.
Also scheduled for consideration are six international agreements, tabled in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution.
This section says certain international agreements bind the Republic only after they have been approved by resolution in both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.
The agreements are the World Intellectual Property Organisation Copyright Treaty; the World Intellectual Property Organisation Performances and Phonograms Treaty; the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, 2012; the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Environmental Management for Sustainable Development; and the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to include Hydrofluorocarbons.
Thursday’s sitting is also scheduled to consider reports of the Select Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs on termination of section 139(1)(b) interventions issued to eMadlangeni and Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Local Municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal and the inspection loco on notice of interventions issued, in terms of section 137 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, to Naledi Local Municipality in North West.
Also scheduled for consideration is the in loco inspection on the notice of intervention issued in terms of section 139 (1) (b) of the Constitution in Abaqulusi Local Municipality and the in loco inspection on the notice of intervention issued in terms of Section 139 (1) (b) of the Constitution in Endumeni Local Municipality. – SAnews.gov.za
