Date: 2 July 2019 (09:00)

The Speaker of the Free State Legislature, Hon. Zanele Sifuba, has convened the Official Opening of the Free State Legislature to take place on the 02 July 2019.

The purpose of this official first sitting of the house is to allow the Premier of the Province, Hon. Hixsonia “Sisi” Ntombela to table the State of the Province Address for the financial period 2019/2020.

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The State of the Province Address (SOPA) sets out key policy objectives and deliverables for the year ahead and the success experienced during the period under review.

The Free State Provincial Legislature is the primary legislative body of the South African province of Free State. It is unicameral in its composition, and elects the premier and the executive council from among the members of the leading party or coalition in the parliament.

The legislature also appoints Free State's delegates to the National Council of Provinces, allocating delegates to parties in proportion to the number of seats each party holds in the legislature.

The legislature has the power to pass legislation in numerous fields specified in the national constitution; in some fields, the legislative power is shared with the national parliament, while in other fields it is solely reserved to the Free State alone. The fields include health, education (except universities), agriculture, housing, environmental protection, and development planning.

The legislature oversees the administration of the Free State provincial government, and the Premier and the members of the Executive Council are required to report to the legislature on the performance of their responsibilities. The legislature also manages the finances of the provincial government by way of the appropriation bills which determine the Free State's provincial budget.

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