Parliament holds its first virtual meeting as health minister addresses coronavirus pandemic
Parliament will hold its first-ever virtual portfolio committee meeting on Friday to receive information about the reported lack of protective equipment in health care facilities and the progress with Covid-19 screening across SA. Chairperson of the portfolio committee on health Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, of the ANC, said the committee’s teleconference meeting will be “attended” by health minister Zweli Mkhize.
TimesLIVE has established that provincial health MECs will also be part of the meeting, scheduled to start at 6pm. We are aware that the minister has been briefing the country regarding Covid-19, but we felt that as the committee leading in parliament on issues of health, we should be engaging with the minister, as there are other problems and programmes that we are detecting,” he said.
Parliament officials were scrambling on Friday trying to find a suitable technological platform that will allow full public access in line with parliamentary rules. The legislature was forced to make a U-turn and open the meeting to the media and the public after initially announcing that it will be private.
The parliamentary press gallery association, which represents journalists who cover parliament, objected to the decision to close the meeting, citing parliamentary rules. In a statement issued on Thursday, Dhlomo said: “The nature of a teleconference means that members of the media and the public cannot be part of it.
Following the PGA complaint, Cedric Frolick, the National Assembly chairperson responsible for committees, instructed senior officials to ensure media access to the meeting and that link-up details are shared with journalists before the meeting, adding “these virtual meetings are open to the media and any member of the public”. DA MP Siviwe Gwarube called for the convening of Friday’s meeting saying it was important for the health portfolio committee to discuss urgent issues pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic in SA.
In other news – EFF rejects calls to lift a ban on alcohol sales during Covid-19 lockdown
The EFF has rejected calls for the ban on alcohol sales during the Covid-19 lockdown to be lifted. The party’s statement comes after numerous liquor stores across the country were ransacked by criminal elements ahead of the Easter long weekend. A number of arrests have also been made of tavern owners and private individuals selling alcohol in contravention of the government’s lockdown regulations. Read more
Source: IOL
