: DA Chief Whip in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, Pine Pienaar.
The annual Taking Parliament to the People, whereby the Provincial Legislature holds a full sitting in an Eastern Cape town, will be held in Alice from 5-7 October at the Lovedale FET College.
DA Chief Whip Pine Pienaar says this is an opportunity for local residents to meet and interact with the MEC’s of the various departments as well as the members of the provincial legislature.
“This is a chance for us to promote and entrench democracy,” he said.“People who cannot come to Bhisho are given the prospect to see democracy at work. The programme for the week is focussed on direct participation from the public on issues that they can change to better their lives. These are issues that affect people directly.
“We encourage people from all walks of life that live in Alice and the surrounding towns to use this opportunity to interact with government. It is important to remember that this is a programme of the government as a whole, not of the ruling party only,” he said.
The programme includes the tabling of various committee reports as well as Annual Reports by all the provincial government departments. The public will be given the opportunity to comment and ask questions about the various reports. The full programme is as follows:
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
08:00-08:30 Media lock-up
08:30-11:00 Party Caucuses
11:00 Plenary:
11:00-11:20 (1) Presentation of Report of Portfolio Committee on Education.
11:20-12:00 (a) Questions & comments by the public on the report.
12:00-13:00 (b) Replies by Members & MEC’s to Questions & Comments.
14:15-14:25 (2) Presentation of Report of Portfolio Committee on Health.
14:25-14:40 (a) Questions & comments by the public on the report.
14:40-15:00 (b) Replies by Members & MEC’s to Questions & Comments.
15:00- adj. (3) Tabling of Annual Reports.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
11:00 Plenary:
11:05-12:00 (1) Questions for oral reply.
12:00-12:20 (2) Presentation of Report of Portfolio Committee on Agriculture.
12:20-13:00 (a) Questions & comments by the public on the report.
14:00-15:00 (b) Replies by Members & MEC’s to Questions & Comments.
15:00-15:20 (3) Presentation of Report of Portfolio Committee on Economic Affairs.
15:20-16:00 (a) Questions & comments by the public on the report.
16:00-17:00 (b) Replies by Members & MEC’s to Questions & Comments.
Thursday, 7 October 2010
10:00 Plenary:
10:05-10:25 (1). Presentation of Report of Portfolio Committee on Roads & Public Works.
10:25-11:05 (a) Questions & comments by the public on the report.
11:05-12:00 (b) Replies by Members & MEC’s to Questions & Comments.
12:00-12:20 (2) Presentation of Report of Portfolio Committee on Transport.
12:20-13:00 (a) Questions & comments by the public on thereport.
14:00-14:30 (b) Replies by Members & MEC’s to Questions & Comments.
14:30-15:00 (3) Presentation of Report of Portfolio Committee on Local Government & Traditional Affairs.
15:00-15:30 (a) Questions & comments by the public on the Report.
15:30-16:00 (b) Replies by Members & MEC’s to Questions & Comments.
16:00-17:30 Debate of Portfolio Committee Reports on Education, Health, Agriculture, Economic Affairs, Roads & Public Works, Transport and Local Government & Traditional Affairs.
With regards to Education:
Since the establishment of FET Colleges in 2003, there is still no approved and signed salary structure and conditions of service for staff members in this sector.
I, for one has retired at the end of September 2010 and is re-appointed by college council till the end of 2010. This delay in formalising the FET College salary structure and conditions of service left me with a pension considerably lower than that of a teacher with the same number of teaching experience.
The reason why lecturers are worse of than teachers is that the salary increases for teachers in the past 4 years did not apply to lecturers whiche left us with a deficit of about 35%!
The bargaining council for FET colleges is delaying the process of salary structures because of SADTU’s participation or non-participation, because they either absent themselves from crucial meetings or do not deliver on time when tasks were given to members of the (interim?) bargaining council.
The performance of the EASTERN CAPE Eduacation Department in these matters is extremely disappointing because the do not consult or attend invitations to college lecturer meetings.
* PLEASE HELP US AND SPEED UP THE PROCESS! Get structures, funding for infra-structure and suitably qualified persons in place.
* How could they ever start something like FET Colleges in the place of Colleges of Continuing Education (Upgrading of teacher
qualifications), Community Colleges and Technical Institutions which was working effectively and empowered people with the
necessary skills.