A rare spotlight fell on the second chamber of Parliament, the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), which sat for two days this week when it dealt with a battery of legislation already passed by the National Assembly, including Bills that have a strong bearing on the business community.
Members of the second House appeared to enjoy the new-found attention from lobby groups and the media — who tend to focus on the larger National Assembly and its more extensive committee system.
But with the Assembly session delayed until the second week in November, a ripple of excitement could be felt in the corridors.
And the business community came out in force, with their lawyers, at public hearings on perhaps the most controversial Bill passed by the second House — the Postal Laws Amendment Bill — which has sent alarm bells ringing for courier services companies as it may impact badly on the private parcel delivery service.
Under pressure from the courier lobby to hold hearings, the committee sat on Tuesday — the day before the measure was passed in the NCOP — only to be stopped by African National Congress chief whip Enver Surty, who said the meeting was irregular.
The Bill, he noted, had already been passed by the committee the previous week. The NCOP, however, later agreed to refer the matter back to the committee.
After assurances by Department of Communications deputy director general Phumelele Ntombela-Nzimande — that the Bill reserved the market only for items of 1kg and below to be delivered to post boxes and street addresses by the South African Post Office — the committee opted not to alter the measure.
Although the Democratic Alliance does not want the president to sign the measure — but rather, to refer it back to Parliament for revision — a parliamentary official said it could be signed into law as early as Friday.
Other Bills passed without amendment can also be signed into law.
Meanwhile, the Liquor Bill was passed with less fanfare, although a minor wording change means that it must return to the National Assembly, probably in mid-November.
The Bill gives the minister the power to grant distribution and manufacturing licences subject to employment, job creation and competition criteria.
Likewise, the Petroleum Products Amendment Bill — which allows for a cap of retail outlets in relation to consumption levels while taking black economic empowerment concerns into account — was passed, but with an amendment to a section dealing with the conditions for granting a wholesale licence for petroleum products.
Extending this to manufacturing licences, this section initially excluded the sale or purchase of any petroleum products other than those drawn from coal, natural gas or vegetable matter.
In other words, synfuels and crude oil are fine, but hydrocarbons are proscribed. This Bill is also expected to go back to the National Assembly in November.
Other Bills passed by the House this week included:
The Unemployment Insurance Amendment Bill, which extends unemployment payments to domestic workers with more than one employer;
The Special Pensions Amendment Bill, which provides for the exclusion from the right to a pension by anyone who is member of the Government Employees Pension Fund, where recognition of service in the non-statutory (liberation) armies had already been taken into account;
The Petroleum Pipelines Bill, which allows parties other than the national government to become active in the ownership and operation of petroleum pipelines;
The Electoral Laws Amendment Bill, which effectively allows for the next election to take place.
People working abroad (other than for the government) are excluded from voting.