CAPE TOWN – National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is cracking the whip on the executive saying parliament will no longer be accepting any new bills before next year’s elections.
Thirty-six bills are currently before the house for consideration.
Thursday Mapisa-Nqakula said with no departments responding to the extended deadline which had now expired she was not expecting any further submissions.
Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said despite deadline warnings she’s still not received an updated list of legislation that the sixth parliament is expected to process before the house rises next year.
“The deadline was the fourth of September and we have been patiently waiting. It is now the 21st of September. So, I don’t expect that there’s further work which will be coming from the side of the executive for consideration by parliament.”
With a constitutional court challenge to the electoral amendment bill still pending – Mapisa-Nqakula however said she’s concerned about the impact of a ruling on parliament.
The bill allows for independent candidates to stand in next year’s national and provincial elections.
Meanwhile, chairperson of committees Cedrick Frolick said committees won’t be allowed to go on overseas study tours unless their work is done.
“The committee cannot take the decision that due to time constraints and an election looming next year, they are not going to process certain pieces of legislation.”
Today the national assembly will be establishing an ad hoc committee to begin processing a controversial new intelligence law which proposes tighter security vetting of non-governmental organisations.