Schedule
Procedure to be followed in the investigation and determination of allegations of misconduct and contempt of Parliament
Notification to member
1.A member charged with misconduct or contempt must receive written notice of all allegations and charges against him or her. The notification must be delivered to the member at least five working days before the hearing. The notice must also clearly indicate the date, time and venue of the hearing, that the member is entitled to be assisted by a fellow member and that the member may request the committee to allow legal representation by a person who is not a member.2.If it is not possible to serve the notice personally on the member, the sheriff may be requested to serve such notice.Outside legal representation
3.In complex cases or cases involving complicated evidence or legal issues, and where the committee is of the view that such legal representation might be essential for a fair hearing, the committee may allow the member charged to be represented by a legal practitioner who is not a member.Explanation by member
4.If the member wishes to give an explanation after receiving the notice, he or she may do so either verbally or in writing. Such explanation may also be presented at the hearing.Initiator
5.The committee must nominate a member or a person who is duly qualified, but who is not a member of the committee, to act as the initiator for the duration of the hearing. the initiator presents the evidence regarding the allegations and may cross-examine the member and any witness giving evidence on behalf of the member. At the conclusion of the hearing, the initiator may address the committee on the evidence presented before it and may also propose a penalty to be recommended by the committee in its report.Plea to charge
6.The initiator must put the charge(s) to the member and the chairperson must request the member to plead to the charge(s). If the member so wishes, he or she can also give a plea explanation. If the member refuses to enter a plea, the chairperson must enter a plea of not guilty.Hearing
7.The member has a right to be present at the hearing. the committee, initiator and the member may call witnesses and these witnesses may be questioned by the chairperson, initiator, the member or the legal representative, either directly or through the fellow member. Members of the committee may also put questions to the member, but only through the chairperson or with the permission of the chairperson. After all the witnesses have been called, the member or fellow member may sum up the evidence and make a presentation to the committee.8.If after receiving the notice the member fails, without just cause, to attend the hearing, the committee may proceed in the absence of the member.Penalty
9.If the committee finds the member guilty of misconduct or contempt, the member, fellow member or legal representative must be given an opportunity to present mitigating factors to the committee before the committee reports to the house. Such representation may be verbal or in writing. The initiator may also address the committee on aggravating or other factors.Suspension of member
10.In order to facilitate an investigation in terms of section 12 of the act against a member in circumstances where there is a possibility that the member may interfere with evidence or witnesses or in circumstances where the allegations are of a very serious nature, the speaker may request the house to suspend the member. Such suspension may be with or without remuneration and may not be for longer than 14 days. A member who has been suspended must leave the parliamentary precincts, and may not, during the period of suspension, without the permission of the speaker -(a)enter the precincts for whatever purpose; or(b)participate in any activity of Parliament or any committee.11.Before the speaker requests the house to suspend the member, the member must be informed in writing of the request and must be afforded an opportunity to give reasons within a reasonable period why he or she should not be suspended.12.After the house has resolved to suspend the member, the speaker must inform the member in writing of the suspension and the period of its operation prior to it taking effect.Appendix A (Rules 35 to 40)
Policy for attendance of members of Parliament during plenary and meetings of Parliamentary commitees and forums
(As agreed to by the Joint Rules Committee on 5 March 2014)1. Definitions
In this policy, unless the context indicates otherwise —“Assembly” means the National Assembly;“attendance” refers to the presence of a member at a plenary, extended public committee, sectoral parliament, a meeting of a parliamentary committee, a recognised parliamentary forum or on an approved oversight activity;“Council” means the National Council of Provinces;“Chief Whip” means the Chief Whip of the Majority Party in the National Assembly;“Chief Whip of the Council” refers to the Chief Whip of the NCOP, as elected in terms of Rule 21(1) of the rules of the NCOP or acting in that capacity;“committee” refers to all committees of the Assembly and the Council, joint committees, ad hoc committees, standing committees, multiparty whips’ forums and their task teams, provincial whips’ forum, internal committees and recognised parliamentary forums;“Family member” refers to a relative by blood, marriage, adoption, fostering, traditional kinship or a life partner (including guardian, grandparent and in-laws) of a member or a person who stands in a bona fide domestic or household relationship with the member, including situations in which some dependency or support role for the member is implied;“Formal institution of education or training” is an institution registered or accredited with the Department of Education, Council on Higher Education or the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA);“member” with reference to —(a)the Assembly, means a member of the Assembly; and(b)the Council, means a permanent delegate to the Council.For the purposes of this policy, the term “member” excludes members of the Cabinet and Deputy Ministers and special delegates of the Council, members of provincial legislatures and representatives of Salga;“parliamentary business or work” refers to parliamentary activities sanctioned in terms of the Constitution, the programme of Parliament, an instruction of the Presiding Officers or a decision of a House or its committees or party work sanctioned by the political party or a member and which is related to the work of Parliament;“party whip” refers to a member appointed by his or her party or recognised as such;“party leader” refers to a member appointed by his or her party or recognised as such;“party work” refers to activities sanctioned by the political party of a member;“private business” refers to any work done, either for remuneration or not, by a member that does not relate to his or her responsibilities as a member but excludes political party work;“primary caregiver” in the context of this policy refers to a spouse or life partner who takes primary responsibility for an adopted child under the age of two years or a child born from a surrogacy agreement;“provincial whip” refers to a member designated in terms of Rule 173(1)(c) of the NCOP;“recess” with reference to —(a)a House, means a period determined as a recess by the Programme Committee of the House, or by resolution of the House, during which the business of the House is interrupted; or(b)both Houses, means a period determined as a recess by the Joint Programme Committee, or by resolutions adopted in the Houses, during which the business of both Houses is interrupted;“session” refers to periods that the Assembly or Council are convened for plenary and periods set aside for meetings of parliamentary committees and forums, as well as formal oversight activities of Parliament or its committees and forums, in terms of the programme of a House or the joint programme of Parliament;“sitting day” refers to a day on which the Assembly or the Council sits in plenary and includes committee meetings;“spouse” means a spouse or partner in a marriage or civil union partnership in accordance with the Marriage Act, 1961 (Act No 25 of 1961), Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, 1998 (Act No 120 of 1998) or the Civil Union Act, 2006 (Act No 17 of 2006);“three-line whip” refers to instructions issued by the chief whip of a political party or his or her representative or instructions issued by the Chief Whip of the Council to attend to the business of the House, including plenary sessions and meetings of committees;“working day” in terms of parliamentary work means any day of the week except —(a)Saturday and Sunday; and(b)a public holiday in terms of the Public Holidays Act, 1994 (Act 36 of 1994), and, if such a public holiday falls on a Sunday, also the Monday.2. Rationale for policy and minimum standards for attendance
(1)Section 47(3)(b) of the Constitution provides that a person loses membership of the Assembly if that person is "...absent from the Assembly without permission in circumstances for which the rules and orders of the Assembly prescribe loss of membership”. Section 62(4) (e) of the Constitution provides that a person ceases to be a member if that person "is absent from the National Council of Provinces without permission in circumstances for which the rules and orders of the Council prescribe loss of office as a permanent delegate.(2)Rules 35 to 40 of the Assembly rules provides for instances where a member wants to be absent from sittings of the House or its committees for 15 or more consecutive sitting days, i.e. a member will need the Assembly’s or committee’s approval. It does not, however, provide for loss of membership or punitive measures should such approval not be sought or granted.(3)In terms of Rule 25 of the Council a person ceases to be a Permanent Delegate of the Council if that person is voluntarily and without leave absent from the Council for 15 consecutive sitting days. Furthermore, a Permanent Delegate seeking leave to be absent from the Council for 15 or more consecutive sitting days must apply for such leave from the Council.(4)The Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act, 1998 provides in Section 3(5) that the payment of salaries and allowances of members "...is subject to the rules and orders of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces”. The Act therefore provides a legal basis for which deductions from members’ salaries for unauthorised absences from parliamentary work may be made to the extent that relevant rules are in place.(5)It is accepted that political parties are responsible for managing members’ leave and that a member’s absence from Parliament should be controlled by the political party which the member represents. However, each member has a dual responsibility - towards their political party and towards Parliament as an institution.(6)While it is emphasised that plenary sittings and committee meetings are the first priority of members, the nature of their duties is such that it is essential that members are entitled to be away from Parliament, with permission, to attend to their responsibilities to voters, their constituency, their party, interest groups and to represent Parliament at workshops, seminars and on local and overseas visits.(7)The multiplicity of activities in which members are engaged makes it necessary for a simple yet effective policy to control the attendance of members when Parliament is in session. This policy would therefore apply during parliamentary sessions and any official activity, but not to recess periods for which holiday leave would be applicable.(8)This policy will not apply to instances where a House has, by resolution, imposed a sanction on a member in terms of the suspension of the member’s privileges and right to a seat in parliamentary debates or committees.(9)While in the National Assembly political parties and in the Council the Chief Whip of the Council after consultation with political parties regulate the leave of their members, it is done against certain minimum standards that are required in terms of attendance of members at plenary and committee meetings. The ensuring of attendance at plenary and committee meetings continues to be a principal function for political parties. Whips from the various political parties should be responsible for ensuring adequate representation at all plenary and other official activities of Parliament.(10)As a general principle political parties in the Assembly and the Chief Whip of the Council in the Council have an obligation to ensure that —(a)Parliament is able to function by taking decisions as required; and(b)members are present at committee, forum and plenary meetings and that failure to do so may result in sanction being imposed on a member. However, a collective decision by a political party to break quorum by withholding their participation at such meeting is excluded from this general provision.(11)It should be borne in mind that in the Assembly political parties and in the Council the Chief Whip of the Council after consultation with political parties largely regulate the leave of their members for up to 15 days. However, according to the rules of the Assembly and the Council, after 15 or more consecutive days, the leave of the House must be obtained to condone further absence.(12)Attendance in Parliament includes the obligation to fulfill the duties imposed upon members by the Constitution and the Rules of the House. A member cannot excuse himself or herself from attending a plenary session or committee meeting when attendance is made compulsory by standing or other orders. Therefore, Parliament should have an enforceable attendance policy which allows for non-attendance by members as specified in the rules.(13)Minimum standards regarding absence should be set to allow Parliament to impose sanctions for members as contemplated in the Constitution.(14)In this regard the provisions of the Constitution (Sections 53 and 65) which provide respectively the quorum requirements for decisions to be taken by the Assembly and Council may be used to provide a minimum standard for attendance in terms of plenary sessions.(15)The Constitution also requires special majorities for decisions on the following:(a)Extension of states of emergency;(c)a question to be decided in terms of Section 75 of the Constitution in the Council;(d)Section 76 Bill rejected by the Council;(e)Bills changing the seat of Parliament;(f)removal of the President;(g)motions of no confidence in the President or Cabinet;(i)appointment and removal of members of Human Rights Commission, Commission for Gender Equality, Electoral Commission, Auditor-General and Public Protector;(j)appointment and removal of certain members of the Public Service Commission, and(k)appointment of inspector to monitor the intelligence services.(16)When decisions of this nature are to be taken, a “three-line whip” approach should be applicable, which would involve a strict instruction to attend and vote issued by the respective political parties in the case of the Assembly or Chief Whip of the Council in the case of the Council.(17)Committees play a vital role in the parliamentary process and assist the respective houses in performing their constitutional functions. Committees may be appointed to deal with two main areas of work: the work of Parliament (legislation and oversight) and Parliament’s internal arrangements and procedures. While committees may proceed with their business regardless of a quorum being present, they do require a quorum before any decision can be taken. In Assembly committees, a quorum would be the majority of members of the committee, while in Council committees a quorum is dependent on the matter on which a decision is being taken, i.e. in certain instances it will be based on the number of members of the committee but in the case of matters that impact on the provinces decisions are taken on the basis of provincial mandates.(18)If there is a conflict between this policy, rules and standing orders of the Houses, the rules and standing order of the Council and the Assembly, respectively, shall prevail.3. Purpose of the policy
The purpose of this policy is to —(1)Provide minimum standards for attendance of members in the business or activities of Parliament, including plenary sittings, committee meetings, study tours, workshops, parliamentary forums or any other parliamentary activity sanctioned by Presiding Officers or a House or its committees;(2)define the different categories of leave of absence for members;(3)provide an equitable and consistent application of leave for members;(4)provide guidelines for consequences of unauthorised absence; and(5)provide a mechanism for recourse for grievances in respect of the application of this policy.4. Scope of application
(1)The policy applies to members of the Assembly and members of the Council.(2)The policy applies to the attendance and absence of members of Parliament during parliamentary sessions.5. Categories of leave
The following categories of leave are provided for:(1)Family responsibility leave is granted to a member on the grounds of illness of his/her child, illness of his/her spouse or life partner, illness of his/her extended family or death of his/her spouse, adopted child, grandchild, sister, brother or a member of the extended family. A member is entitled to 5 (five) working days family responsibility leave annually, provided that a sick certificate or death certificate is provided.(2)Compassionate leave is granted to a member in exceptional circumstance where the member’s Family Responsibility leave has been exhausted, but he or she still requires additional leave. This leave is limited to 5 (five) working days annually.(3)Maternity leave is granted for 4 (four) consecutive months. A member may commence maternity leave at any time from four weeks before the expected date of birth, unless otherwise agreed. A member who has had a miscarriage during the third trimester of pregnancy or bears a stillborn child is entitled to maternity leave for six weeks after the miscarriage or stillbirth.(4)Parental/adoption leave is granted for 4 (four) consecutive months to the primary caregiver in a civil union or civil marriage in the event of the adoption of a child under the age of 2 years upon receipt of an adoption order from the Children’s Court. This leave will also be granted to the primary caregiver of a child born from a surrogacy agreement on receipt of a birth certificate.(5)Spousal leave is granted to an individual partner, who is not the primary caregiver, in a civil union or civil marriage following the birth or adoption of a child under the age of 2 years. A member is entitled to 3 (three) weeks spousal leave provided that a birth certificate or adoption order from the Children’s Court is provided.(6)Political party business leave may be granted to a member on request from his or her political party in order to engage in political work outside the precincts of Parliament. A member must clearly specify in writing the number of days required and present communication from the leadership of the member’s party confirming that the member requires party political leave. This leave is limited to 30 (thirty) working days annually, however should the member be absent for 15 or more sitting days the approval of the house will be required.(7)Private business leave may be granted to enable a member to conduct his/her private business. A member is entitled to 5 (five) working days private business leave annually, provided that the business interests are approved by the political party and declared to Parliament in terms of the Code of Ethics.(8)Study leave is granted to a member who is registered as a student of a formal institution of education or training or a member who is registered for a course with a formal institution of education or training. A member is entitled to 2 (two) working days leave for preparation for an exam and 1 (one) day for writing of an exam upon providing proof of the date of the examination.(9)Cultural or religious leave may be granted to a member on request. A member is entitled to 2 (two) days cultural or religious leave annually.(10)Sick leave is granted due to the illness or injury of a member. A member applying for sick leave must ensure that the application for leave is accompanied by a medical certificate if the member is absent for more than 2 (two) days. A member is entitled to 15 (fifteen) working days sick leave annually. Where sick leave is not taken in a year it may be transferred to the next year in a 3-year cycle.(11)Special leave may be granted when a member requests, on approval of the political party, for extraordinary purposes or incidents not limited to appearing before a court, traditional initiation, cultural training, to undertake special research or attend block study classes, to attend a workshop, seminar or conference either locally or internationally. The member must state the purpose and the number of days required. This leave is limited to 5 (five) working days annually.6. Procedure for granting leave
(1)All applications for absence from the Assembly must be approved by the whip designated by the political party.(2)In the case of the Council, after obtaining approval from his or her political party, a member must also inform the relevant Provincial Whip and the Chief Whip of the Council who will where applicable, based on the work of the Council, consult with the member or his/her party leadership to approve or reject the leave.(3)If a member is not able to apply for leave him/herself another member or representative of his/her party may do so.(4)Should the reasons provided by the member or his or her representative when applying for leave be found to not warrant the granting of the specified number of days, this will be communicated to the member, the political party whip and in the case of a member of the Council to the Provincial Whip and the Chief Whip of that member’s political party.(5)Should a member fall ill during the leave period, the member may have the leave credited from the first day of the member falling ill provided that a medical certificate is provided.7. Period of leave
(1)The period for which leave may be granted, other than maternity leave and parental/adoption leave, may not exceed 15 (fifteen) consecutive sitting days of either the Assembly or the Council.(2)If a member is absent for more than 15 consecutive sitting days a motion must be tabled stating the reason for absence and the period of continued absence.(3)The House will then need to agree to this motion for the leave to be granted.(4)Should the House not agree to the motion granting leave, reasons for such decision must be provided to the member and his/her political party.8. Sanctions in respect of absences
(1)If a member is absent for 15 or more consecutive sitting days of the Assembly or the Council, without authorisation, the member loses his/her seat.(2)If a member is absent from 3 consecutive meetings of a committee to which he/she is appointed as a full member, outside of a sanctioned absence agreed to by the member’s political party, a sanction may be applied to the member by either the Assembly or the Council to the effect of a fine of R1000 for each day of absence. The rules must provide for such a monetary sanction to be imposed.(3)In the case of the Council if a member is absent during a “three- line whip” without being on authorised leave in terms of this policy sanctions may be applied to the member by the Council.(4)This policy does not replace any procedures established by any of the Houses to be followed in the investigation and determination of allegations of misconduct and contempt of Parliament.9. Record of leave applications
(1)All political parties in the Assembly must keep proper records of the leave of their members. However, it is the responsibility of the member or political party concerned to inform the Chairperson of a committee or duty whip of their absence from a committee meeting or sitting of the House.(2)In the Council leave records must be kept by the Chief Whip of the Council.(3)In the event of sanctions in respect of absence, documents must be submitted to Parliament’s administration prior to any sanctions being affected.(4)The Tables of the respective Houses should receive in advance the relevant documents of a motion for extension of leave and before any administrative action can be taken in terms of the loss of a member’s seat.(5)Attendance records of members should be published annually by Parliament in the Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports document.10. Recourse for grievances in respect of the application of the policy
(1)Any member who feels aggrieved by the sanction imposed upon him/her in terms of this policy may lodge a formal appeal to the Speaker of the Assembly or the Chairperson of the Council.(2)If the Speaker or the Chairperson is unable to resolve an appeal by a member, they may, establish or make use of an existing multi-party committee to consider instances where a member is aggrieved by a sanction imposed.(3)The committee should report its findings to the House to which the member belongs.11. Communication of the policy
In the Assembly each party, and in the Council the Chief Whip of the Council, must ensure that this policy is communicated to all members on the day of its signing or at least 10 days after a member is sworn in as a member.Appendix B (Rule 101)
Special majorities required in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996
When the Constitution requires a decision to be taken by special majority, then in all cases, even where there is consensus on the question, a vote count must be conducted to record whether a sufficient number of members are in favour of the question.Part 1 – General matters
1. States of emergency (Section 37(2)(b))
The Assembly may extend a declaration of a state of emergency for no more than three months at a time.The first extension must be by a resolution adopted with a supporting vote of a majority of the members of the Assembly (minimum 201 ayes).Any subsequent extension must be by a resolution adopted with a supporting vote of at least 60 per cent of the members of the Assembly (minimum 240 ayes).2. Bills amending the Constitution (Section 74)
Sections 1 and 74(1) of the Constitution may be amended by a Bill passed by the National Assembly with a supporting vote of at least 75 per cent of its members (minimum 300 ayes).Any other provision of the Constitution may be amended by a Bill passed by the National Assembly with a supporting vote of at least two thirds of its members (minimum 267 ayes).3. Ordinary Bills affecting provinces not agreed on by Mediation Committee or rejected by the Council (Section 76)
If the Mediation Committee is unable to agree within 30 days of a Bill introduced in accordance with Section 76 being referred to it, the Bill lapses unless the Assembly again passes the Bill, but with a supporting vote of at least two thirds of its members (minimum 267 ayes).If the Mediation Committee agrees on the Bill as passed by the Assembly, or if the Mediation Committee agrees on another version of the Bill and it is not passed by the Council, the Bill lapses unless the Assembly passes the Bill with a supporting vote of at least two thirds of its members (minimum 267 ayes).4. Bill changing the seat of Parliament (Section 76(5))
A supporting vote of the majority of Assembly members is needed to amend Section 42(6) of the Constitution, changing the seat of Parliament (minimum 201 ayes).5. Motion of no confidence in the President of the Republic or Cabinet (Section 102)
A supporting vote of a majority of members of the Assembly is needed to pass a motion of no confidence in the President of the Republic or the Cabinet (minimum 201 ayes).Part 2 – Appointment of office-bearers or their removal from office
6. Removal of the President of the Republic (Section 89)
The National Assembly, by a resolution adopted with a supporting vote of at least two thirds of its members, may remove the President from office on grounds outlined in Section 89 of the Constitution (minimum 267 ayes).7. Removal of judges (Section 177)
A judge may be removed from office only if the Judicial Service Commission has made a finding in terms of Section 177 of the Constitution and the National Assembly calls for that judge to be removed by a resolution adopted with a supporting vote of at least two thirds of its members (minimum 267 ayes).8. Appointment of Public Protector or Auditor-General (Section 193(5))
A resolution for the recommendation of candidates for appointment as Public Protector or Auditor-General must be adopted with a supporting vote of at least 60 per cent of the members of the Assembly (minimum 240 ayes).9. Removal from office of Public Protector or Auditor-General (Section 194(2))
A resolution of the National Assembly for the removal from office of the Public Protector or Auditor-General must be adopted with a supporting vote of at least two thirds of the members of the Assembly (minimum 267 ayes).10. Appointment of Inspector-General of Intelligence (Section 210)
The President, as head of the national executive, must appoint an inspector to ensure civilian monitoring of the intelligence services and the appointment must be approved by a resolution adopted by the National Assembly with a supporting vote of at least two thirds of its members (minimum 267 ayes).11. Appointment and removal of members of the Electoral Commission, Commission for Gender Equality and South African Human Rights Commission (Sections 193(5) and 194)
Recommendations for the appointment or removal of members of the Electoral Commission, Commission for Gender Equality and Human Rights Commission must be approved by a resolution adopted with a supporting vote of a majority of the members of the Assembly (minimum 201 ayes).12. Appointment of members of Public Service Commission (Section 196(8))
Recommendations for the appointment of five members of the Public Service Commission must be approved by a resolution of the Assembly adopted with a supporting vote of a majority of its members (minimum 201 ayes).Appendix C (Rule 73)
Standard operating procedures: Removal of member from Chamber and precincts
(1)If a member refuses to leave the Chamber, the presiding officer asks the Serjeant-at-Arms to remove the member from the Chamber.(2)The Serjeant-at-Arms approaches the member(s) to explain in a respectful manner that the instruction of the presiding officer must be complied with and that failure to do so can constitute a grave offence and have serious implications, including that the member(s) may need to be physically removed from the Chamber.(3)If the member still refuses to leave, the Serjeant-at-Arms indicates to the presiding officer that the member refuses to comply, whereupon the presiding officer informs the House that the Parliamentary Protection Services are to be called upon to assist.(4)The Parliamentary Protection Services personnel enter the Chamber upon the instruction of the presiding officer, and proceed to remove the member(s) concerned under the direction of the Serjeant-at-Arms.(5)Members of the public in the gallery who participate in disorderly conduct will be removed by the security services.Rule on virtual meetings in terms of National Assembly Rule 6 (Unforseen eventualities)
Part A – Purpose
The purpose of this rule is to enable the National Assembly and its committees to hold compliant virtual meetings using technological platforms.Rule 6 of the National Assembly Rules provides that the Speaker may give a ruling or frame a rule in respect of any eventuality for which the rules or orders of the House do not provide, having due regard to the procedures, precedents, practices and conventions developed by the House and on the basis of constitutional values and principles underpinning an open, accountable and democratic society. A rule framed by the Speaker remains in force until the House, based on a recommendation of the Rules Committee, has decided thereon.The Rules of the National Assembly remain in operation and are supplemented by this rule in order to provide for virtual meetings.Part B – Application of rule
This rule applies to –(a)sittings of the National Assembly in the event a physical sitting is not possible, as determined by the Speaker;(b)meetings of committees in the event a physical meeting is not possible, as determined by the chairperson.Part C – Notice and venue of meeting
In terms of this rule –(a)the Speaker or chairperson of a committee shall issue a notice and agenda for a virtual meeting, which must include the date and time of the meeting;(b)all documents of the meeting shall be distributed by electronic means to which Members have access; and(c)the venue of a virtual meeting shall be deemed to be Cape Town as the seat of Parliament.Part D – Privilege and order in meetings
In a virtual meeting –(a)members shall have the same powers, privileges and immunities which they ordinarily enjoy in parliamentary proceedings; and(b)where relevant, current rules on order in public meetings and order in debate shall apply.Part E – Presiding Officers
In a virtual meeting the Presiding Officer or Chairperson of a committee shall have all the powers as provided for in the current Rules.Part F – Quorum
In a virtual meeting –(a)the quorum requirements shall be those as determined by the Constitution and the Rules; and(b)members who have accessed the meeting via the secure link sent to their email address shall be deemed present for the purposes of establishing a quorum, taking a decision or voting on a matter.Part G – Voting
In a virtual meeting –(a)members shall be entitled to cast their votes either electronically, by voice or by having their vote recorded by their respective whips;(b)the procedure to be followed is predetermined by the Speaker and directives are announced in the meeting by the Presiding Officer or Chairperson of a committee;(c)only members who are present when a vote is called shall be permitted to vote;(d)the results of a vote are announced and, where possible, the names of members and how they voted are recorded in the Minutes of Proceedings; and(e)members must ensure that their votes are correctly recorded.Part H – Public involvement
Access to proceedings must be facilitated in a manner consistent with participatory and representative democracy and wherever possible a virtual meeting must be livestreamed.Addendum – Process Guidelines
1.The Secretary to Parliament together with authorized officials and technical teams are responsible for technical support to facilitate virtual meetings.2.The Secretariat must be given at least 3 days’ notice of a meeting.3.Pre-conference testing must take place at least a day before the meeting.4.Technical support must be available during a virtual meeting.5.The Secretariat must maintain the minutes and records of the proceedings.6.The Secretariat must maintain a system that is capable of verifying the votes cast either electronically or manually.7.Political parties must provide a signed copy of the votes cast for or against a question by their members, to the Secretariat within an agreed timeframe to ensure verification of results. This record may be submitted electronically.