Portfolio committees to conduct oversight visits

Cape Town - Six of Parliament's portfolio committees will conduct oversight visits around the country this week.

Economic development

The portfolio committee on economic development will be visiting four provinces to assess progress in government funded job creation projects, it said on Sunday.

The committee would conduct oversights in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and Gauteng starting on Monday, chairperson Mathulare Coleman said.

Home affairs

The portfolio committee on home affairs will visit Gauteng to assess service delivery by the department and entities reporting to it.

"As part of the week long programme the committee will interact with the ministry of home affairs as well as senior management of the department," chairperson Lemias Mashile said.

The committee would also visit the Marabastad Refugee Reception Centre, Tirro Refugee Reception Centre, the Electoral Commission of SA, Government Printing Works and the Lindela Repatriation Centre.

Human settlements

The portfolio committee on human settlements will visit Limpopo to assess progress in housing delivery.

It would specifically focus on the implementation of a human settlements strategy, chairperson Nocawe Mafu said.

On Monday, the committee would get a briefing from the Limpopo provincial executive on how the province delivered on human settlements development programmes.

Mafu said it was important that the committee saw first-hand whether the province was adhering to the national government's strategy.

Sport and recreation

The portfolio committee on sport and recreation would from Tuesday to Friday conduct oversight visits to Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

It would assess the use of the Division of Revenue Act grant allocated to the provinces for the implementation of sport and recreation programmes and for providing sporting opportunities to communities, it said.

The committee would also assess the impact of facilities built through the assistance of the National Lottery and Sports Trust.

Rural development and land reform

The portfolio committee on rural development and land reform would from Monday to Friday conduct oversight visits to the restitution and land rights committee's offices in Upington and Pretoria, it said.

The committee would check the state of readiness for the lodging of new restitution claims, and assess the challenges and efficiency of the new electronic system, aimed at speeding up the claim process.

Arts and culture

The portfolio committee on arts and culture would visit three provinces this coming week, it said.

It would assess service delivery by the arts and culture department, with it beginning at the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape.

The museum was facing challenges, including the suspension of its CEO and the regression of its 2013/14 financial audit.

"The visit will seek to find workable solutions to these and other challenges faced by the entity," the committee said.