Conservation and Environment Committee Conducts Oversight Visits in KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife Facilities

The Conservation and Environment Portfolio Committee is conducting in loco inspections in Ezemvelo Wildlife resorts and camping facilities in the Drakensberg area to check the conditions of Didima, Injesuthi Camp and the Royal Natal National Park on the 16th February 2022. On the following day, the committee will continue with the visits to other Ezemvelo Wildlife facilities including Chelmsford Reserve in Newcastle and Ngoye Forest Lodge Project.
Members of the committee have expressed concern over the state of roads leading to the resorts and camping facilities in the Drakensberg area which are poorly maintained.

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8 FEBRUARY 2022

TO ALL MEDIA

REPORTED CHAOS, EDUCATORS’ FIGHT AT A SCHOOL, THE KZN EDUCATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE INTERVENS

The Education Portfolio Committee has taken it upon itself to visit the school in the Zululand District after reports of educators fighting amongst themselves during school hours and in front of the learners.

The Committee will undertake this oversight visit on the 12 February 2022 at 10am. “The reports of this school are appalling, it is beyond anybody’s imagination that educators who we know should be exemplary to our children would do such a horrible thing”, said Hon Sifiso Sonjica, the Chairperson of the Committee.

The Committee has resolved to conduct its oversight work by visiting this school and observe for itself many disturbing incidences reported and provided to the Committee.

“Unconfirmed reports of lack of necessities such as water, electricity, grass not being cut at a school with just under 150 learners, with 13 classrooms but only 5 educators. We do not believe we want to see for ourselves what school is this school”, Hon Sonjica said in shock.

Telephonic media interviews will be arranged for reporters.

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Wesley Canham
0833767299
Media Liaison and PR

Schools Functionality Monitoring Programme continues today and will finish tomorrow with the debriefing meetings to conclude the visits across the province.

All Members of the Legislature are deployed throughout the province to monitor the functionality of schools as part of the Legislature’s oversight responsibility which has seen great impact on the delivery of quality education in the province.

KZN EDUCATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE CONGRATULATES THE CLASS OF 2021

The Portfolio Committee on Education in the KZN Legislature commends the Matric class of 2021 “on the outstanding achievement despite the difficult year”, said the Chairperson, Hon Sifiso Sonjica.

Hon. Sonjica on behalf of the Committee, appealed to those who have not passed to never despair and to consider alternative forms of empowering themselves as they are needed to make their contribution in building our communities. “Educators and parents have worked so well in most communities to bring about this 76.4% pass rate and we are excited and commend the work of the department in ensuring that systems are in place to support teaching and learning in a year where much time was lost due to, for example, the July unrest, and the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Hon Sonjica sends a strong message to parents who use their community issues to disturb teaching and learning and appeals to all parents to work to ensure that learners are not disturbed as they sit in classrooms to invest in their future.

“Next week we are embarking on the Schools Functionality Monitoring Programme to assess the readiness of schools as we start the new academic year. Some of the things we are looking at are working relations between communities and schools and the functioning of School Governing Bodies,” Sonjica concluded.

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Wesley Canham
0833767299
Media Liaison and PR

From the 11th to the 12th January 2022, Cogta Portfolio Committee is conducting oversight visits in Harry Gwala and Uthukela District Municipalities to assess the delivery of water and sanitation to the communities under these districts.

The visits are a follow up of the workshop which the committee held with the COGTA Department in 2021 to discuss the KZN Water Master Plan.

The Committee will visit other districts during the month of January to monitor the implementation of the Water Master Plan.

07 December 2021

MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LEGISLATIVE SECTOR LAUNCHES ITS SEMINAL PARLIAMENTARY INSTITUTE TO BUILD CAPACITY OF MEMBERS AND STAFF

The South African Legislative Sector (SALS), will on Thursday 09 December 2021, launch its flagship Institute known as the South African Parliamentary Institute (SAPI), that will be seized with the responsibility to train and develop the capacity of Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Provincial Legislatures (MPLs), including staff members who work for the sector.

The event will take place at National Parliament in the National Assembly Building in Cape Town from 18h15.

The South African Parliamentary Institute was conceptualized by the South African Legislative Sector (SALS).  In the Third Term (2004 – 2009), the then Speakers’ Forum resolved to strengthen the Legislative Sector towards ensuring that Parliament and Provincial Legislatures collectively become the backbone of a successful and representative democracy.   The Speakers Forum of the third term developed and adopted a Sector Policy and Strategic Framework for the Legislative Sector. This ensured that the sector collaboration was strengthened and the sector approach institutionalized.

The Speakers Forum of the 4^th term resolved, at the beginning of the Fourth Term (2009 – 2014), to continue with sector collaboration through implementation of strategic interventions and frameworks aimed at strengthening and entrenching a people-centred democracy in South Africa, strengthening capacity in law making and oversight, building an efficient legislative sector, and also strengthening the capacity to engage, participate in, and oversee international relations.

The sector collaborated with institutions of Higher Learning to develop sector specific capacity building programmes for Members and staff. This collaboration led to the implementation of successful programmes for Members with the first group of Members graduating in November 2011.

In the Fourth Term, the sector identified the need for a Sector Parliamentary Institute as one of the recommendations of the sector oversight framework called the Sector Oversight Model (SOM). To provide the sector with access to relevant information, identify relevant needs, design and deliver specific programmes, and conduct research, the Speakers’ Forum approved the establishment of the Parliamentary Institute in the Fifth Term with the establishment process approved in the Sixth Term.

The main purpose of the Parliamentary Institute is to enhance the effective and efficient functioning of Legislatures by providing capacity building interventions, technical assistance, and quality research and knowledge management. The mandate of the Institute will include the following:

• Enhance performance of Members and officials of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures by developing and implementing quality learning, training and development programmes that addresses performance, access and growth.
• Conduct quality research and provide up-to-date information to members of Parliament, Committees and Legislatures.
• Provide technical assistance to committees and Office Bearers in the legislative and policy related matters.
• Professionalize the Legislative Sector by offering professional development programs and seminars fostering Batho Pele values and ethos through the forums.
• Retention of institutional memory by establishing, coordinating and hosting of the alumni association of former members of the Legislative Sector. The Institute through alumni members will offer short term employment to former members with expert knowledge on a need basis.
• Coordinate knowledge exchanges programmes through educational study tours, field visits and outreach programmes for members and staff.

The media will be informed of the streaming information tomorrow to access the proceedings of the launch of the Institute.

Ends

Issued by

Communications Unit of KZN Legislature

For more information:

Sina Nxumalo: 0829060449

30 November 2021

TO    ALL MEDIA

2021 PARLIAMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES -KING CETSHWAYO DISTRICT

As we celebrate the International Day for People with Disabilities, the KZN Legislature, will hold its annual Parliament for People with Disabilities, from 1 to 2 December 2021, at the Indoor Centre in Melmoth, under Mthonjaneni Municipality.

The event is held every year to allow people with disabilities to engage and discuss issues that affect them in their daily lives. This is also a platform for the Legislature to involve various sectors in its legislative processes as part of its constitutional responsibility.   

“With this parliament we hope to address many barriers that people with disabilities face including socio economic barriers which continue to exclude people of this sector from participating in the mainstream economy”, Hon Phumzile Mbatha Cele, the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Quality of life commented.

Expected in this parliament is the debate by the disability sector around the theme, “Leadership and Participation of Persons with Disabilities Towards an Inclusive and Sustainable post COVID19”.

The discussions will ultimately lead to the adoption of resolutions that will be forwarded to the Legislature for further consideration and processing, and ultimately to the Members of the Executive Council for implementation.

Media is invited to cover the event.

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For more information, contact:

Wesley Canham                                          Nomusa Phungula

0833767299                                                  0722 94 7237

Media Liaison and PR                                 Media Liaison: Speaker’s Office

24 November 2021

MEDIA STATEMENT

KZN LEGISLATURE TO OBSERVE 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM FOR NO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

The 25^th of November marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. The day is also celebrated as the United Nation’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Members of the KZN Legislature, led by Hon Speaker Nontembeko Boyce, will observe this period through a series of activities in their constituencies monitoring this scourge and encouraging communities to report acts of gender-based violence (GBV) to law enforcement agencies and to the committees of the KZN Legislature.

This year’s campaign is themed: “The Year of Charlotte Maxeke –16 Days of Activism – moving from awareness to accountability”. It is the government’s effort to fight and ultimately conquer the scourge of violence directed at women and children.

This will see Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature joining members of the civil society, grassroots organisations, LGBTQI, non-governmental organisations and government departments to demand accountability for the protection of women and girls over the next two-weeks.

During the year, Legislature has already had a number of programmes and symposia, working with LGBTQI sector, traditional leaders, rural women, senior citizens and sex workers to intensify awareness in communities about the gravity of Gender Based Violence.

The Legislature urges all those who experience or witness acts of gender based violence to report these to law enforcement officers.

The institution, through its portfolio committees, will monitor the incidents of gender based violence and how relevant government departments and law enforcement agencies respond to these.

The Legislature will be issuing media alerts to inform media houses of several planned 16 Days of Activism activities to be undertaken by the Legislature during the next two weeks.

Ends

Issued by

Communications Unit of KZN Legislature For more information: