Seventy years after women marched on the Union Buildings to resist apartheid pass laws, Parliament this week marks that anniversary in two separate forums while pressing ahead with legislative and oversight work that touches the daily lives of millions of South Africans.
The week opens on Tuesday at 14:00, when the National Assembly takes up the Independent Municipal Demarcation Authority Bill, a measure that repeals and replaces the 1998 Municipal Demarcation Act. The new bill establishes a dedicated authority to determine municipal boundaries, delimit wards, conduct capacity assessments and create an appeals mechanism aligned with constitutional requirements. At the same hour, the National Council of Provinces holds a Women’s Day debate under the theme “Empowered Women, Empower Nations,” honouring the legacy of those who defied apartheid pass laws in 1956.
Thursday carries its own weight. Programming Committee meetings in both the National Assembly and the NCOP convene at 08:30 to plan upcoming business, review draft programmes, examine committee reports and consider pending bills. Later that day, at 14:00, ministers from the Peace and Security Cluster and the Social Services Cluster face questioning by delegates in an NCOP virtual plenary. The Peace and Security Cluster includes the Minister of Home Affairs; the Social Services Cluster includes the Minister of Higher Education. Section 92(2) of the Constitution makes Cabinet members accountable, collectively and individually, to Parliament for the exercise of their powers and the performance of their functions. These sessions are where that accountability becomes visible.
Thursday and Friday also see the National Women’s Parliament convene in Kimberley, Northern Cape, from 10:00 on both days. The gathering marks the 70th anniversary of the 1956 march under the theme “Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo: 70 Years of Resistance, 72 Years of Vision: Advancing Gender Justice, Equality and Resilient Economies for All.”
Meanwhile, 41 committee meetings run from Tuesday through Friday, covering ground that ranges from road accident claims to student funding and municipal finances.
On Tuesday, the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs receives briefings from the Minister and Department on the Immigration Advisory Board’s composition and a perceived conflict of interest involving one board member. The same committee hears from the Department and the Border Management Authority on the repatriation of undocumented foreign nationals, including figures on persons repatriated, associated costs and programme implementation. It will also consider and adopt a Motion of Desirability on the Electoral Commission Amendment Bill.
The Portfolio Committee on Transport examines the Road Accident Fund’s first-quarter 2026/27 performance, covering claims data, default judgments, settlements and progress in processing previously declined claims. Those claims were declined under a new RAF 1 form that a court subsequently invalidated. The committee also reviews the status of disciplinary action against RAF executive management members, alongside the Department of Transport’s fourth-quarter 2025/26 and first-quarter 2026/27 expenditure figures.
Water and sanitation receives attention through a workshop on the Water Services Amendment Bill, preparing committee members and support staff for public hearings. The Standing Committee on Appropriations hears from the Department of Cooperative Governance on the 1998 White Paper and Revised White Paper on Local Government, their effect on intergovernmental fiscal relations, the state of local government finances, municipalities in financial distress and preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections.
Wednesday brings a joint meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, focused on eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality’s 2024/25 audit outcomes. The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education receives a briefing from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme on progress with entity stabilisation since the administration period, a matter of direct consequence for students waiting on funding. The Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure examines the under-utilisation of Telkom Towers and other state-owned buildings while government continues spending on private leases, alongside a comprehensive report on all active leases.
Friday’s agenda includes follow-up engagements by the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements with provincial departments and municipalities in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the North West, revisiting recommendations from earlier oversight visits and addressing petitions. The Committee on the Presidency receives briefings on the coordination and implementation of State of the Nation Address commitments, with a focus on measurable outcomes, successes and weaknesses. It also hears about fast-tracking an architectural design for a digital dashboard to monitor mega infrastructure projects aimed at contributing to socio-economic development.
The Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament briefs on Parliament’s own first-quarter 2026/27 performance. Additional meetings cover agriculture, tourism, forestry and fisheries, science and technology, sport, arts and culture, and public service administration.
The full and regularly updated schedule is available at https://www.parliament.gov.za/committee-schedules. Whether the digital dashboard for infrastructure projects moves from design to deployment may prove one of the more telling questions to watch as the week closes.