Question NW1444 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
10 July 2020 - NW1444
Tarabella - Marchesi, Ms NI to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1) Whether her department requested the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) to assist Grade 12 learners by providing locally-produced 32-inch television sets which saw the USAF-IDTV/01/2020 tender being put out; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, why was the specified tender cancelled only to be put out again under a different reference number; (2) why did USAASA deem it fit to provide TV sets to learners instead of other technological devices such as laptops and/or tablets; (3) which areas in the seven provinces are earmarked to receive the TV sets; (4) by what date does USAASA envisage to complete the whole process from the bidding to the delivery of the TV sets to households; (5) (a) what total number of Grade 12 learners have applied to receive a TV set and which schools are the learners from, (b) which company and/or companies won the bid to supply the TV sets to Grade 12 learners and (c) for what total amount, including the relevant breakdown of costs, was the tender awarded to?
Reply:
(1) - (5) The Department of Basic Education is a beneficiary to a project initiated and implemented by USAASA, an agency of the Department of Communication and Digital Technologies. All the administration and the rollout of the project rest with USASSA. The Honourable Member is therefore advised to direct the question to the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, which may have all the answers to the questions.