The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) is deeply disappointed by the removal of the International Relations and Cooperation debate from the NCOP agenda, scheduled for June 20, 2023, in conjunction with Home Affairs . This decision was made without providing any explanation or consulting with opposition parties in the NCOP.
Initially, the International Relations and Cooperation debate was included in the program for discussion at the Whips Forum Meeting on May 10. However, when the program was presented at the Programming Meeting on May 11, the debate was unexpectedly removed without any prior consultation.
This development is highly concerning, especially as South Africa is facing international scrutiny regarding its stance on Russia. It is crucial that we have the opportunity to engage in a debate on this budget vote, particularly as the risk of losing our membership to AGOA looms over us.
While it may be argued that International Relations and Cooperation do not impact the provinces to the same extent as Home Affairs, the reality is that it affects the provinces significantly. Thus, this argument loses its validity.
The DA in the NCOP strongly demands the reinstatement of the International Relations and Cooperation debate. We believe it is essential to discuss the state of South Africa’s global position. Furthermore, we call upon the Chief Whip of the NCOP, the Honorable Seiso Mohai, to provide an explanation for the unilateral removal of this debate.
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