Question NW259 to the Minister of Trade and Industry
25 May 2020 - NW259
Cuthbert, Mr MJ to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry
(1)Whether he will furnish Mr M J Cuthbert with a copy of his department’s policy on sabbatical leave for officials; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether he will furnish Mr M J Cuthbert with a detailed list of the (a) officials that have taken sabbatical leave since 1 January 2019 and (b) time period that each official has taken off from work; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details, in each case; (3) (a) what was the total cost to the taxpayer for overseas travel undertaken by officials of his department and (b) are these costs in line with the travel policy of his department; (4) what (a) number of business class flights were taken by officials of his department from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2019 and (b) was the total cost of the specified flights?
Reply:
The sabbatical and travel policies of the two Departments that merged to form the DTIC, were developed and approved prior to the current administration and will be reviewed in due course in line with Government’s oveall policy position.
In respect of the specific questions posed, I have been advised by the Department that the following applies:
(1) The Department’s sabbatical leave is regulated in terms of the Bursary Policy which is an internal document.
The purpose of sabbatical leave is to provide employees with special leave opportunities for a maximum period of twelve (12) months to enable them to prepare for examinations, complete theses or projects in partial fulfilment of their studies. Operational requirements are considered and the line of studies should support the Department’s strategic objectives.
An employee who has been granted sabbatical leave is expected to enter into a contract to serve the Department for a period twice the sabbatical leave. This leave provision has positioned the Department as a learning organisation that promotes continuous learning and development of its employees. Another advantage arising from this provision is the retention of institutional skills and capabilities.
(2) The table below provides details of sabbatical leave since 1 January 2019. No officials from the Economic Development Department (EDD) were granted sabbatical leave.
|
(a) Officials who have taken sabbatical leave since 1 January 2019 |
(b) Period each official has taken off from work and details |
||
|
Period |
Duration |
Details |
|
|
Employee 1 |
1 February 2018 to 31 January 2019 |
12 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards a Masters in Industrial/Organi-sational Psychology |
|
Employee 2 |
9 February 2018 to 8 February 2019 |
12 months |
Attendance of classes towards a MBA |
|
Employee 3 |
1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 |
12 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards a PhD |
|
Employee 4 |
16 January 2019 to 31 March 2019 |
2½ months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards a Masters in Public Administration |
|
Employee 5 |
3 April 2018 to 3 April 2019 |
12 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards a PhD |
|
Employee 6 |
1 August 2019 to 31 October 2019 |
3 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards a Masters in Public Management |
|
Employee 7 |
16 August 2019 to 15 November 2019 |
3 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation |
|
Employee 8 |
1 March 2019 to 30 November 2019 |
9 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards an MBA |
|
Employee 9 |
1 April 2019 to 30 November 2019 |
8 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards an MBA |
|
Employee 10 |
1 May 2019 to 30 November 2019 |
7 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards an MBA |
|
Employee 11 |
1 September 2019 to 31 December 2019 |
4 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards a Masters in Law |
|
Employee 12 |
26 July 2019 to 25 January 2020 |
6 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards an MBA |
|
Employee 13 |
1 October 2019 to 28 February 2020 |
5 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards a Masters in Management (Public Policy) |
|
Employee 14 |
1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 |
12 months |
Doctorate in Business Administration |
|
Employee 15 |
1 October 2019 to 31 August 2020 |
10 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards a Masters in Business Management |
|
Employee 16 |
1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 |
12 months |
Research and writing a dissertation towards a PhD |
3) This information is disclosed in the dti’s Annual Report as part of the Goods and Services note to the Annual Financial Statements. All travel is in line with the Travel and Subsistence Policy of the department as well as National Treasury’s Instruction Note No. 04 of 2017/2018 on Cost Containment.
4) The dti had a total of 192 transactional business class tickets booked for officials at a total cost of R7 869 924. EDD had a total of 42 transactional domestic business class tickets booked for officials at a total cost of R395 472.
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