Pretoria - The independent high-level panel set up to assess key legislation passed by Parliament since 1994 is inviting the public to make inputs on its programme.
The public has until July 20 to respond to the call and submit input on four focal areas namely: the review of legislation; assessment on the implementation of legislation; identifying gaps in legislation as well as proposing action steps that impact on specific areas of legislation.
The 17-member panel, which is chaired by former President Kgalema Motlanthe, was appointed in January by the Speakers Forum led by National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Thandi Modise.
The panel is expected to conduct its work through three committees namely: the Committee on Tripartite Challenges of Inequality, Poverty and Unemployment, the Committee on Land Reform and the Committee on Social Cohesions and Nation-Building.
The Committee on Tripartite Challenges of Inequality, Poverty and Unemployment focuses on the growth, poverty and inequality encompassing wage inequality, wealth distribution and unequal labour regulatory environment, unemployment, poverty and access to basic services; unequal access to quality education and health care; spatial inequality and skills development.
The Committee on Land Reform focuses on land redistribution and restitution in the context of redressing skewed patterns of land ownership based on the past laws and practices that were racially discriminating; land reform in the context of the inequality and poverty alleviation; security of tenure and rural people’s capacity to protect and enforce their land rights in the face of countervailing interests and land reform, sustainable livelihoods and rural development.
The Committee on Social Cohesions and Nation-Building focuses on racial, tribalism, xenophobia and sexism discrimination; social economic exclusion; redress and transformation; levels of trust among and between citizens and institutions and social solidarity and active participatory citizenship.
The high level panel believes that inputs from the public will play a significant role in assisting it to perform its task.
Submissions could be written or oral and may be presented in any language and individuals or organisations making submissions may be invited to make an oral presentation during provincial public hearings in order to provide more clarity.
The following information should be included into the submission:
- Name of the committee to which submission is made
- Title of submission
- Name of the person or organisation making submission
- Contact address and daytime contact number, but if for private reasons one does not wish those details to be publicly released with submission, then explanation should be made in a covering letter and exclude the information from the submission itself.
- Details of the organisation where relevant, including organisation’s aims, membership, structure and position in the organisation. An indication should also be made on whether a submission was made on behalf of the organisation or on an individual capacity.
- An indication whether a person making the submission would be able to also attend public hearings to be held in each province to make a further oral presentation of the submission.
Submissions may be sent via e-mail to Highlevelpanel@parliament.gov.za, via post to Parliament of the RSA, P O Box 2164, Cape Town, 8000, For attention – Leanne Morrison (EPMO - Assessing the impact of Legislation Project).
Submissions must be marked for the attention of the relevant committee. – SAnews.gov.za
