A comprehensive announcement regarding the programme of both Houses of Parliament, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, will be made after a meeting on Tuesday.
Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said that a special meeting between the Presiding Officers of Parliament and the whippery will take place on Tuesday to consider the way forward in light of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement to curb the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Mothapo said after consultations with the whips and representatives of political parties, a decision has been taken to cancel the plenary sitting of the National Assembly scheduled for Tuesday.
“The National Assembly will now sit on Wednesday, 18 March to conduct urgent business that would have been dealt with on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, this will include the consideration of the Division of Revenue Bill. Subject to availability of members of the Executive, the time for the sitting on Wednesday is 10am,” Mothapo said in a statement.
Committee meetings will meet as scheduled until further notice.
NCOP cancels public meetings
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has also cancelled public meetings scheduled for Thursday in three Gauteng municipalities.
The public meetings were part of the three-day report back session of the NCOP's flagship programme, Taking Parliament to the People (TPTTP).
“The NCOP will only meet on Thursday to consider an urgent business: the intervention in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in terms of section 139 (1)(c),” Mothapo said.
On Sunday, President Ramaphosa announced a number of interventions to curb the spread of COVID-19 in South Africa. These include, amongst others, closing of schools from Wednesday, 18 March closing of 35 ports of entry and imposing a travel ban on foreign nationals from countries hardest hit by the Coronavirus pandemic.
The measures were the outcome of an emergency Cabinet meeting held on Sunday in Pretoria.
President Ramaphosa said the interventions were aimed at protecting South African citizens and the economy and reducing the impact of what he said was a medical emergency far graver than what has been experienced in over a century. – SAnews.gov.za
