President Ramaphosa to answer these six questions in parliament on Tuesday

President Cyril Ramaphosa will field multiple questions from members of parliament on Tuesday afternoon.

At least six of the president’s answers will be for oral reply and will feature topics of national and international importance.  

The opportunity for Ramaphosa to respond to questions in person forms part of an oversight mechanism for members of parliament to hold the executive to account.

Ramaphosa Q and A

Ramaphosa will set the parliamentary tone for the week, after which ministers in the social services sector will field their own questions.

Here are the six topics for Ramaphosa to elaborate on:

Proposed mineral resource taxation

The ANC’s Mdumiseni Ntuli will be inquiring about the taxation of extracted minerals as a way to fund economic growth.  

Ntuli cited a World Bank report stating that governments globally were missing out on 60% of the potential revenue from exported minerals.

South Africa already has a Mineral Petroleum and Resources Royalty (MPRR) payable when transferring minerals extracted from the Republic. 

It has been in effect since March 2010 with all funds collected going to the National Revenue Fund.

Cost of basic household necessities

Statistics South Africa’s monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for April showed a 2.8% increase compared to the same period last year.

Since 2020, the CPI has fluctuated between 3% and 6% for the same mid-year period, exacerbated by the interest rate.

However, a National Planning Commission research report into cost of living trends showed that poverty rates since 2011 were broadly similar across various groupings.

DA’s George Michalakis will be asking what the president plans to do to shield South Africans from consumer pressures.

National policies for economic growth 

The same shows that while basic services in the country have expanded to wider areas, the quality of the services has declined.

This has had a particularly significant impact on low-income communities, with cities across the country struggling to provide greater economic opportunities.

“The composition of household income has remained largely unchanged over the period…confirming the importance of labour market income for escaping poverty,” the report read.

Freedom Front Plus’ Corne Mulder will be pressing the president on his policies for economic growth.

SA’s role in resolving Ukraine conflict

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky visited South Africa in April but left within hours after Kyiv, the Capital of Ukraine, was hit by a barrage of bombs.

Ramaphosa has met with both sides, but fighting has intensified, with Russia striking several more targets and Ukraine forced to recruit teenagers to the frontline, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

US President Donald Trump has vowed to end the conflict, but has thus far failed to do so. Perhaps Ramaphosa could offer insights into whether he discussed the matter with his US counterpart.

Are Indian, Coloured, Khoi, San and white South Africans African?

Patriotic Alliance Chief Whip Marlon Daniels will be asking the president about the classifications of race on government forms.

The Z83 form is a document that accompanies all applications for job positions within government departments and administrative offices.

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Daniels has previously asserted that the form may be discriminatory as it suggested Africans were separate from the country’s other demographics, or considered not African at all.

A petition was before parliament in 2022 that sought to remove the word ‘coloured’ from government forms altogether.

Commission of inquiry into apartheid-era investigations

The Presidency announced in April that it would establish a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into alleged attempts to stifle investigations into apartheid-era crimes.

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party will be asking about the progress of the inquiry and wants guarantees that it will not be a box-ticking exercise.

Ramaphosa’s office has deemed the inquiry necessary due to settlement discussions in court having been brought by families of victims of apartheid-era crimes

“Government will be seeking a stay of application on these outstanding matters pending the conclusion and outcomes of the Commission of Inquiry,” The Presidency stated in April.

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