Page:Republic of South Africa Constitution Act 1983 from Government Gazette.djvu/22



REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA CONSTITUTION ACT, 1983 “standing committee” means a joint committee which, in terms of joint rules and orders applicable to it, is established for the duration of the Parliament concerned and is competent to exercise or perform some or all of its powers, duties and functions also while Parliament is prorogued.

(2) Joint rules and orders may provide for any or all of the following matters, namely―

the establishment of standing committees on general affairs; the constitution of any such committee, including its chairmanship and the representation of political parties, including opposition parties, in such committee; the manner in which and the circumstances under which any matter may be referred to any such committee; the powers, duties or functions of any such committee in connection with a matter referred to it; the manner in which any such committee may make any decision; the submission of any proposal to any such committee by a member of a House who is not a member of the committee; the operation of a decision of any such committee on a matter referred to it, in relation to any further business and proceedings of a House in connection with that matter; the order and conduct generally of the business and proceedings of any such committee,

but the preceding provisions of this subsection shall not be construed as defining or limiting in any manner the matters or any matter that may be dealt with or provided for in joint rules and orders or as requiring any matter to be dealt with or provided for in such rules and orders.

(3) Joint rules and orders shall provide for at least one standing committee on bills dealing with general affairs.

65. (1) A Minister who is a member of the Cabinet, and any deputy to such a Minister, has the right to sit and to speak in any House, but may only vote if he is a member of a House and only in the House of which he is a member.

(2) A member of a Ministers’ Council who is not a member of any House or of the Cabinet has the right to sit and to speak in the House of which the members are of the same population group as the members of the Ministers’ Council in question, but may not vote therein.

66. The State President may by proclamation in the Gazette summon any House for the dispatch of business in connection with own affairs when Parliament is not in session, and may prorogue the House in like manner before the commencement of the next ensuing session of Parliament.

67. (1) A joint sitting of the Houses shall be called by the State President by message to the Houses.

(2) The State President may call such a joint sitting whenever he deems it desirable, and shall call such a joint sitting if requested to do so by all three Houses.

(3) The Speaker of Parliament shall preside at such a joint sitting.

(4) The Speaker shall determine the rules and orders for the order and conduct of the proceedings of such a joint sitting.

(5) No resolution shall be adopted at any such joint sitting.