Cape Town - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is, later today, Wednesday 15 March 2017, poised to engage with members of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) during oral replies to questions on a number of issues of national interest including South Africa’s position regarding the intended withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the background of the recent Gauteng North Court decision on the matter.
 
Among key issues the Deputy President is expected to provide oral replies includes, matters concerning question on the national minimum wage, SANAC’S efforts to reduce gender-based violence, the protection of the poultry industry and avoid job losses, and alignment of provincial development plans with the National Development Plan (NDP).
 
On the national minimum wage, members of the NCOP have requested to be briefed on measures that NEDLAC has undertaken to determine the human resource and organisational capacity to monitor and enforce compliance with the proposed national minimum wage of R20-00 an hour that is expected to come into effect on 01 May 2018.
 
Equally Deputy President Ramaphosa, who also chairs the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), will brief members of the NCOP on efforts to reduce the HIV epidemic as well as on the national strategy to reach out to the sex worker sectors against the background of the current legislation that outlaws sex work.
 
The Deputy President is once more expected to brief the NCOP on programmes that government has embarked upon to deal with recent acts of violence and protests in various communities against drugs and crime in general. In his previous interaction with members of the National Assembly, Deputy President Ramaphosa condemned the violence in the communities and stressed that South Africans are not xenophobic.
 
Deputy President Ramaphosa has also been requested to reflect on the need to protect South Africa’s poultry industry and avoid job losses.
 
In the context of the National Development Plan, Deputy President Ramaphosa will brief members of the NCOP on government efforts to ensure alignment of provincial government development plans with the National Development Plan as part of efforts to address challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.