The number of Portfolio Committees in the National Assembly will increase from 27 to 30.
This was the proposal in the National Assembly Rules Committee meeting last night.
One of the pressing issues was the reconfiguration of these committees, given the expansion of the new National Executive .
A subcommittee to look into the seating arrangements of political parties in the House will also be considered as some of the parties are now part of government.
Secretary to the National Assembly, Masibulele Xaso says, There are 32 ministries that have been established and therefore we are proposing that 30 portfolio committees be established that are in line with the ministries that have been created. And what we are saying also towards the end in the Sixth Parliament, we had 27 portfolio committees. The increase is occasioned by the separation of Agriculture from Rural Development and Land Reform, Science and Technology from Higher Education as well as the creation of Electricity and Energy. Correctional Service (was also) separated from Justice and that Electricity (Ministry) did not have a portfolio committee before and now it does. We also state that this excludes joint committees.
