Parliament is silent on whether it will return to full operation under Level 1 of the COVID-19 lockdown. Since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown in March declared by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the institution has been using what it calls a hybrid system where no more than 50 members are present in the chamber while others join the proceedings online.
Parliament is back again this week after a short spring recess a month ago.
Some political parties such as the Democratic Alliance and Congress of the People (COPE) have already called for Parliament to return to normal in its work now that the country is on Alert Level 1.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced the country’s move to Level 1:
They believe that if other public institutions like schools and hospitals are now operating optimally, Parliament should also lead by example.
The National Assembly alone consists of 400 members of lawmakers. How COVID-19 lockdown protocols will be implemented should Parliament return in full operation, remains to be seen.
More than 20 committee meetings are expected to be sitting this week.
This includes a two-day session of what is called a Sector Parliaments Programme to be hosted under the theme: Towards an Oversight Framework for Sector Parliaments.
