South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel is scheduled to present his budget speech and introduce the Division of Revenue Bill on Wednesday February 21 next year, according to a draft parliamentary programme.
While some MPs are still in Cape Town — select committees of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) are still meeting until the end of the month — the bulk of members have returned to their constituencies. Members of the National Assembly are scheduled to return for committees from Wednesday January 17 following annual leave and constituency leave periods.
The provisional programme indicates that members of the NCOP will return for committee meetings from Thursday January 18.
President Thabo Mbeki is scheduled to officially open Parliament with his State of the Nation address at a joint sitting of the National Assembly and NCOP on Friday February 9.
The debate on the State of the Nation address in the National Assembly is scheduled for Tuesday February 13 and Wednesday February 14 and his reply is marked down for Thursday afternoon, February 15.
The plenary on the Division of Revenue Bill is provisionally marked down for Wednesday March 28 2007. — I-Net Bridge