Policy speeches: A weird and wonderful process

The main business of the Bhisho Legislature this week will be the debates on the policy speeches presented by the members of the provincial executive committee last month.
It’s a weird and wonderful process.

• The portfolio committee chairman presents the report – he reads it. At the start of the week this takes 20 minutes but as Friday approaches it is generally reduced with only the findings and recommendations read.
• Questions are then put on the report to members of the committee by other members of the Legislature
• Questions on the report are then put to the MEC
• All the parties contribute their pennyworth
• The MEC replies.
• Each report should, according to the speaker’s list, take some two hours and 20 minutes.

The Legislature is meeting in the “Good News Centre” – quite inappropriate some would say – because the Chamber of the Legislature is being refurbished. The bill for this financial year is R10 million.