Parliament hosts public hearings on Green paper on NSP

By Ofentse Mokae
24 October 2009

Parliament’s Ad hoc committee on the Green Paper on the National Strategic Planning will host public hearings on the matter.

The hearings are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at parliament where members of the public will be afforded an opportunity to voice their opinions on the Green Paper.

The green paper which was released by minister in the presidency responsible for National Planning Commission Trevor Manuel last month, was met with mixed reactions by labour unions.

In a media statement NEHAWU said while they acknowledged the Minister’s emphasis on the need for broad consultation with social partners and society at large on the long-term vision due to come out of the planning process undertaken by the NPC, they were still worried on a number of issues.

“We believe that it is only proper that the Green Paper should be considered in the impending Alliance summit and that this should take place prior to further processes in parliament and government,” the statement said.

Cosatu the umbrella body for most labour unions, during its 10th Congress last month called for a total overhaul of the content of the paper.

Secretary General Zwelinzima Vavi was quoted as saying the Green Paper represented a massive turf battle in Cabinet.

He said this had sidelined certain ministers and, referring to Manuel, had positioned others at the centre of processes.

“Cosatu felt the Green Paper usurped the powers of former trade unionist, now Economic Development Minister, Ebrahim Patel,” Vavi said.

The Green Paper is a consultation document setting out a proposed policy position, in this case the position of national government on planning at the centre of government.

It also deals with institutional framework for planning and describes the outputs of planning.