The Select Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday adopted its report on the Appropriation Bill after conducting public hearings for a day.

The adoption of the report took place a day before the National Council of Provinces votes on the Bill to seal the budgeting process for 2025/26.

However, the adoption was despite a submission by the lobby group, the Institute of Race Relations (IRR).

Committee chairperson Tidimalo Legwase said the IRR raised concerns on the Appropriation Bill that was adopted by the National Assembly last week.

Legwase said she had consulted the parliamentary legal services and Parliament Budget Office on the issues raised by the IRR.

“We agreed that the matter does not reside with this committee,” she said.

Legwase stated that they did not invite the IRR to present, in order to avoid reopening public participation after the hearings had concluded.

“We noted the point raised by the IRR. It is an issue we will consider, and we have noted it. It is unfortunate that it is outside the scope of this committee.”

Parliamentary legal advisor Frank Jenkins said the IRR’s submission related to the issues related to black economic empowerment, issues that were not for budgetary appropriations.

“We are busy trying to finalise the funding for all government services in terms of the Appropriation Bill,” Jenkins said.

He said the Bill did not fall foul of the constitutional provisions, and the ideological and policy direction were not for the committee to deal with.

Jenkins indicated that the issues raised by the IRR should be addressed by the finance committees in both Houses.

“This is where the debate fits in better,” he added.

Legwase said they had paid close attention to the allocations in response to the social and economic needs of the people, with particular focus on poverty alleviation, job creation, and access to basic services.

“It was a long journey from the first to the third budget presentations,” she said.

After the parliamentarians made amendments to the draft report that was prepared by the committee secretariat, the report was adopted.

The National Council of Provinces will today pass the Appropriation Bill after it was sent by the National Assembly for concurrence.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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