How many seats in parliament

Happening in Parliament This Week Members of Parliament MPs return to a busy programme this week after a month-long constituency programme and the recent local government elections. The Children's Amendment Bill [B]. Amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution.

Report of the Independent Panel on the Public Protector. Covid The world is facing a medical emergency far graver than what we have experienced in over a century. How to Make a Submission A submission is the presentation of views or opinions on a matter or piece of legislation under consideration by a committee of Parliament.

How to Petition Parliament A petition is a formal request to Parliament for intervention in a matter. Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill B Second Special Appropriation B Plant Health Phytosanitary Bill B Upstream Petroleum Resources Development B Act 11 of Special Appropriation Act Act 10 of Appropriation Act Act 9 of Division of Revenue Act Act 8 of Liquor Products Amendment Act Act 7 of Correctional Services Amendment Act Act 6 of Act 5 of The number of seats that a party has in the Assembly is in proportion to the number of voters that voted for it in the elections.

At its first sitting after a general election, the National Assembly elects the Speaker, the principal office bearer of the Assembly. The Speaker has many responsibilities which include constitutional, statutory in terms of the law , procedural and administrative powers and functions.

The duties of the Speaker fall broadly into three categories, namely —. Though the Speaker is a member of a political party, he or she is required to act impartially and protect the rights of all parties. In performing his or her functions, the Speaker is assisted by the Deputy Speaker and three House Chairpersons, each with specific areas of responsibility determined by the Speaker.

To ensure the proper functioning of the House, the presiding officers are assisted by the whips. Whips are party-political functionaries.

A whip is a member selected by his or her party to assist in organising party business, keeping members informed of party and parliamentary business, ensuring that members attend committee meetings and debates in the House, arranging for their members to speak in debates, and to perform many other duties. The Chief Whip of the Majority Party, by virtue of his or her party being the majority party, also has certain duties in relation to proceedings of the House.

Recognition is also given to the chief whip of the largest minority party. He or she is called the Chief Whip of the Opposition. As the leader of the largest minority party or largest party that is not in government , the Leader of the Opposition enjoys a special status in Parliament. The post is specified in the Constitution and the rules and is accorded a specific salary, though he or she has no specific duties in terms of the rules. There are three office bearers who facilitate liaison between Parliament and the executive.

The Leader of Government Business is appointed from the Cabinet by the President to take care of the affairs of the executive in Parliament. That includes the programming of business initiated by the executive and arranging the attendance of Cabinet Ministers in respect of parliamentary business. The Speaker may also select two members of the Assembly to act as Parliamentary Counsellors, one to the President and the other to the Deputy President. These members are responsible for facilitating communication between the Assembly and the offices of the President and the Deputy President.

Some of the tasks of the Assembly, particularly those involving detailed consideration of matters, are more appropriately performed by a smaller group than the Assembly sitting in plenary, i.

The House always has the final authority. In accordance with the powers given to it by the Constitution, the Assembly establishes a range of committees with assigned powers and functions. The committees are required to report regularly on their activities and to make recommendations to the House for debate and decision. There is a portfolio committee for each corresponding government department. The composition of the committees reflects, as far as is practicable, the numerical strengths of the parties represented in the Assembly.

As part of their oversight work, committees may also do site visits where they find out directly from the people at ground level whether the government is delivering on its promises. If a committee reports on a matter and makes certain recommendations, that report will be debated in a full sitting or plenary to give other members of the House an opportunity to engage with the content of the report.

The House may also decide only to note the report or it may refer the report back to the committee with an instruction to do further work.