MBABANE – The statement allegedly made by the Minister for Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Jane Simelane, regarding the controversial plastics ban seems to have touched on a raw nerve.
The minister is alleged to have said that a Parliament select committee recommendation seeking to reverse the plastics ban is not binding.
However, it appears that she has now changed tune.
The statement is contained in the report of the ministry’s portfolio committee on the second quarter performance report for the current financial year.
The report contains responses to questions that were posed to the minister during a debate on the report last week.
The report was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday and one of the responses addressed a question on the current status of the plastics ban, which the House took a resolution that it should be paused for at least seven years.
During the sitting in the House of Assembly yesterday, Hhukwini MP said he had concerns with the findings contained in the report.
The findings were that the ministry insisted that the ban on the use of plastics still stands, despite a resolution of the House that the ban be extended for a seven-year period to allow for manufacturers to transition to no longer producing plastics.
This, the finding in the report stated, was subsequent to a recommendation by a Parliament Select Committee appointed by the House to look into the issue of the ban of plastics.
Also, the findings said that the ministry had given satisfactory responses to the comments and questions raised.
As a recommendation, the report said that the House should adopt the report.
However, Lushaba submitted that the finding gave the impression that the portfolio committee might have misled the House on the issue.
Standing up to also debate the issue was Nhlambeni MP Manzi Zwane, who submitted that if the report is passed, it must have a recommendation that directs the minister to withdraw the response she has given and that she be given three days to issue a public statement announcing that she upholds the resolution taken by the House to lift the ban.
On the other hand, Ngudzeni MP Charles Ndlovu appealed to his colleagues not to pass the report, as he was of the view that a resolution taken by the House needed to be respected, which means that Cabinet must implement it.
Deputy Prime Minister, Thulisile Dlamini sought clarity, saying that the last time she checked, the matter of the plastics ban was with the Government Assurance Committee (GAC).
At that point, Deputy Speaker Madala Mhlanga said the matter was still with the GAC and that ministries that did not implement resolutions taken by the House needed to be called to account.
Mhlanga then asked the Attorney General, Chief Sifiso ‘Mashampu’Khumalo to provide clarity since the MPs were now arguing that the powers of the House were being trampled upon, especially with the statement by the minister.
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MP Welcome lobbies for CJ’s vehicles, magistrates’ salaries
LOBAMBA – Mbabane East Member of Parliament Welcome Dlamini yesterday lobbied for the Chief Justice, Bheki Maphalala to be provided with the motor vehicles he is entitled to.
The MP did this through a submission, where he requested the House to amend the amendments contained in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs’ Portfolio Committee Report for the ministry’s second quarter performance, which was adopted yesterday.
Making his submission, the MP proposed that the report should be adopted with certain findings and recommendations.
The findings included that the Judicial Service Commission has embarked on a process to review the terms and conditions of service for magistrates, with a report in this regard being finalised and to be handed to the Ministry of Finance for consideration and implementation.
Another finding, which the Mbabane East MP proposed be included is that the Master’s Office is being operated on outdated laws.
Also, the MP proposed that a finding be included to the chief justice has still not been provided with motor vehicles for his use as provided by The Prescription of Salaries and Allowances of the Judicial Officers Legal Notice.
Furthemore, MP Welcome proposed the inclusion of a finding to the effect that the Judiciary operates under an acute shortage of courtrooms, judicial officers, assistant masters, assistant registrars, estate examiners, clerks, legal secretaries, typists and other support staff.
This, he said, has in turn resulted in a huge case backlog.
*Full article available in our publication.
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