Question NW659 to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
16 April 2021 - NW659
Powell, Ms EL to ask the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
(a) What amount did the Department of Human Settlements and/or the entities reporting to her spend on the Women in Construction Summit hosted by the specified department in 2020, (b) what are the details of all (i) companies contracted and (ii) amounts paid to any component of the event notwithstanding (aa) key-note addresses, (bb) event organising and (cc) catering and (c) from which cost account were the amounts in respect of the specified summit paid?
Reply:
(a) The Women in Construction Summit held in 2020 was hosted by the National Department of Human Settlements. Entities reporting to me did not spend any amounts towards the Summit.
The amount that the Department of Human Settlements spent on the Women in Construction Summit was R1, 024,279.05.
(b) The department used a company contracted for hiring or rendering services in respect of travel, accommodation, venue and facilities for conferences, departmental meetings and events.
I am constrained and prohibited by the document titled “Guide to Parliamentary Questions in the National Assembly” from providing the Honourable Member with the name of name(s) of contractors involved in the Summit. The document referred to states that:
“Questions are to be framed as concisely as possible. All unnecessary adjectives, references and quotations are omitted. Names of persons, bodies and, for example, newspapers are only used in questions if the facts surrounding the case have been proven. As the mere mention of such names could be construed as publicity for or against them, it should be clear that this practice is highly undesirable. If a question will be unintelligible without mentioning such names, the Departments concerned are notified of the name (-s) and this phrase is used: ".......a certain person (name furnished)”
(aa) The key note address was delivered by the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation. The other speakers and presenters were from the Human Settlements and Water and Sanitation sectors and they were not paid.
(bb) The department has service level agreement with a management company and the service fees are stipulated in the contract between the two parties.
(cc) Catering for the Women in Construction Summit was part of the full day conference package.
(a) The amounts in respect of the specified summit were paid from the departmental branch budgets indicated below:
|
Cost Centre |
Amount paid (Rands) |
|
Governance Frameworks |
425 113.98 |
|
Governance Frameworks |
51 885.70 |
|
PPMU |
97 339.52 |
|
Corporate Services (Communication Services) |
336 039.85 |
|
Corporate Services (Communication Services) |
114 000.00 |
|
Total: |
1,024 379.05 |