STATEMENT OF THE ANC PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS MEETING

ANC Members of Parliament deployed in both Houses of Parliament, the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), met today for the weekly meeting of the national Caucus to reflect on the work of its cadres and to plan for the week ahead.

The meeting received and deliberated on various reports relating to; amongst others, the work of the ANC Study Groups, the debate on the President's State of the Nation Address, the deployment of ANC MPs to various Parliamentary Constituency Offices across the country and the appointment of MPs to the positions of Parliamentary Whips in the NA.

The meeting noted the high level and quality team put together by the organisation to participate in the National Assembly's debate on the State of the Nation Address. Caucus expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness of all its MPs who participated in the debate.

Members of Parliament have a collective responsibility to the people of South Africa to ensure that the commitments made by the President in his State of the Nation Address are fully implemented. Consistent with our commitment to an activist Parliament, Caucus will pull all the stops to ensure that this institution regularly monitors and evaluates the work of government.

On the work of Study Groups, the meeting noted that the initial meetings of committees have taken place, to design and discuss the political approach of the ANC in all parliamentary structures. Study Groups are the organisation's political structures in Parliament and their input seeks to add value and strengthen the work of the committees of Parliament.

The meeting reflected on the process of deploying MPs to various Parliamentary Constituency Offices, also known as PCOs. It emphasised the importance of speeding up the conclusion of this process to ensure that the first constituency work period of this new term of Parliament, scheduled for July, is not adversely affected. Caucus has committed itself to finalise the deployment to PCOs of all its 299 MPs in both Houses by the end of June 2009.

The meeting received a briefing from the Secretary General of the ANC Youth League, Vuyiswa Tulelo, on the League's activities and plans throughout the month of June, which is traditionally known as the Youth Month. The Secretary General's input to Caucus came a day after the National Assembly held a Youth Day commemoration debate, themed: Celebrating a Vibrant Youth Voice.

The interest of the youth of this country and the daily challenges they face, particularly in the current socioeconomic environment, are issues that must strongly feature on the agenda of the Caucus and Parliament.

Caucus was briefed by the Chief Whip on the state of the Caucus, including the appointments of a number of MPs to the positions of Parliamentary Whips. The appointments follow our announcement recently of Chairpersons of Committees and are part of a process of capacitating the Fourth Parliament to fully dispense its functions.

Parliamentary Whips are responsible for the political management of the organisation within the institution. They are custodians of party discipline and form part of the Whippery, a structure headed by the Chief Whip of the Majority Party.

The work of Whips for this current term of Parliament is crucial to our endeavour to realise that which we have committed ourselves to: an activist Parliament that is uncompromising in the execution of its constitutional mandate and that regularly accounts to the people of South Africa.

The meeting wished these appointees well and assured them of their full support in the execution of their duties.

The new Parliamentary Whips in the National Assembly are as follows:

1. JABU ELSIE SOSIBO (KZN): Whip for the Standing Committee on Auditor-General; the Portfolio Committee on Constitutional Review; the Portfolio Committee on Private Members' Legislative Proposals and Special Petitions

2. WINNIE NGWENYA (Gauteng): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services

3. NTOMBIKAYISE TWALA (Eastern Cape): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

4. MUNTU DOREEN NXUMALO (Gauteng): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Arts & Culture

5. MMAMOLOKO TRYPHOSA KUBAYI (Gauteng): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education; the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education & Training

6. STELLA TEMBISA NDABENI (Eastern Cape): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Defence & Military Veterans

7. LINDA NELLIE MOSS (Western Cape): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Energy; the Portfolio Committee on Mining

8. NTOMBIKAYISE  SIBHIDLA (KZN): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Finance

9. GREGORY DAVID SCHNEEMANN (Gauteng): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Police

10. KGOMOTSO RUTH MAGAU (Free State): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Co-operations

11. PAMELA TSHWETE (Eastern Cape): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Health. Also responsible for Leave and Discipline.

12. DOROTHY RAMODIBE (Gauteng): Whip for the Portfolio Committees on Public Enterprises; the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities

13. MANDLENKOSI MBILI (KZN): Whip for the Standing Committee on Public Accounts

14. DUMA NDLELENI (North West): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Public Works

15. HELEN FLORA MATLANYANE (Limpopo): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land Reform

16. NKOSINATHI BENSON FIHLA (Eastern Cape): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on State Security

17. XOLISWA CAROLINE MAKASI (Western Cape): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Tourism

18. NTHABISENG PAULINE KHUNOU (Free State): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Transport. She is also responsible for House discipline.

19. PIET MOHLAMME MATHEBE (Limpopo): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs

20. RICHARD MZAMENI MDAKANE (Gauteng): Whip for the Portfolio Committees on Human Settlements; the Portfolio Committee on Labour

21. MARY-ANN LINDELWA DUNJWA (Eastern Cape): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Science & Technology

22. SIKHUMBUZO ERIC KHOLWANE (Mpumalanga): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Communications

23. MONDLI GUNGUBELE (Gauteng): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development

24. JEROME JOSEPH MAAKE (Limpopo): Whip for the Joint Budget Committee on Appropriation

25. CEDRIC THOMAS FROLICK (Eastern Cape): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation. He is also responsible for Programming.

26. MAGGIE MARGARET MAUNYE (Gauteng): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs

27. ZWELIFILE CHRISTOPHER NTULI (KZN): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Economic Development; the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry

28. DUMISILE GOODNESS NHLENGETHWA (Mpumalanga): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs

29. EBRAHIM MOHAMMED SULLIMAN (Northern Cape): Whip for the Portfolio Committee on Public Service & Administration

Statement issued by the ANC Parliamentary Caucus, Parliament of the Republic of SA, Cape Town, June 11 2009

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