Questions and Replies

Reply:

(1)(a) Please refer to the table below.

NO	PROPERTY DESCRIPTION	EXTENT	OWNER	Amount
1.	Erf 130 Weenen Township	19.3388ha	JL Buys	R61,906,100.00
2.	Portion 18 of erf 142	7,552 square metres	SJJ Le Roux
3.	Portion 19 of erf 142	3,040 square metres	SJJ Le Roux
4.	Erf 172 Weenen Township	23.7761ha	JL Buys
5.	Rem Ext of erf 273 Weenen Township	76.6651ha	SJJ Le Roux
6.	Rem Ext of erf 279 Weenen Township	35.4966ha	AJB Le Roux
7.	Erf 302 Weenen Township	172.8180ha	AJB Le Roux
8.	Erf 303 Weenen Township	47.6564ha	AJB Le Roux
9.	Erf 361 Weenen Township	16.7394ha	Now Trade 118 cc
10.	Erf 383 Weenen Township	4.5276ha	S Bhagwadeen Family Trust
11.	Erf 416 Weenen Township	3.0949ha	JA Du Plooy
12.	Erf 447 Weenen Township	84.3440ha	AJB Le Roux
13.	Erf 448 Weenen Township	142.5646ha	JL Buys
14.	Erf 173 Weenen Township	21ha	JL Buys
15.	Erf 174 Weenen Township	5ha	JL Buys
16.	Erf 389 Weenen Township	6ha	PR Buys
TOTAL			R61,906,100.00

(b) The settlement of the claim was delayed due to valuations of movable property and machinery. The Section 42D memorandum has been approved on the 28 March 2024 to settle all the 16 properties listed in the table above.

2. Please refer to the table below.

what are the details of farms and/or lots purchased for the Trust that are (a) rented	b) leased and/or used by third parties, including but not exclusive to the (i) names of persons and/or entities of each tenant/lessor/user	(ii) rent paid by each tenant/lessor/user	(iii) term of each rental or lease and/or use agreement and	(iv) details of the person(s) who entered into agreements with any tenants, lessors and/or users on behalf of the Trust?
Lot 384 Weenen GT & Lot 426 Weenen Township GT	Delene Wagner	R300 000 per annum for 16 rooms lodge Owl and elephant. R200 000 for the 28hectares.	The lease was signed in April 2015 as open ended until the trust secure funding to operate the farm.	Cleophas Mlambo

END

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Reply:

(1)(a),(b),(c),(d) Please refer to the table below.

(a) details of farms and/or lots that were transferred to the Trust including but not exclusive to the (a) farm and/or Lot numbers	(b) descriptions of the farms and/or lots	(c) extent of area	(d) price paid for each farm and/or lot;
Lot 384 Weenen GT & Lot 426 Weenen Township GT	Lot 384 Weenen GT & Lot 426 Weenen Township GT	35.9597	R3 235 000.00
Lot 414 Weenen Township GT	Lot 414 Weenen Township GT	22.5173	R110 000.00

(2)(a),(b)(i),(ii) Please refer to the table below.

what are the details of all (a) fixed b) movable assets purchased to be transferred to the Trust including but not exclusive	(i) a full description of each item	(ii) the price paid for each item and/or asset?
12 Chalet and 1 Conference building	12 Chalet and 1 Conference building	R3 235 000.00

END

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Reply:

1. No grants were paid.

(a),(b),(c ) Falls away.

2. Mr Cleophas Mlamo, Patrick Dladla, Lungisani Mlambo, Dumazile Ntuli late, Themba Mlambo late, Samson Welcome and Dwi Welcome the two withdrawn from Committee. and four trustees have since passed way.

3. No departmental official was appointed by the Master of the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court.

END

Reply:

1. From inception until 31 December 2023, 83 056 land claims have been settled, and 3 889 701 hectares of land were acquired at an amount of R25 billion. Financial compensation of R23 billion was awarded to beneficiaries. The restitution programme has benefited 2 345 547 individual beneficiaries who are members of 460 952 households and of those, 177 504 are female-headed households and 1 266 are headed by persons living with disabilities.

2. No. The Commission has set a target of 319 land claims to be settled and 339 land claims to be finalised in the 2024/25 financial year from a total of 5 944 outstanding land claims. The targets are aligned with the budget allocated. In addition to the budget allocated for the settlement of claims, an increase in human resource capacity would be vital as well as the implementation of the interim structure which is a key lever to the Backlog Reduction Strategy. At inception, the original structure of the Commission constituted 1 400 positions. However, the current start-up structure of the Department as of December 2020 states that the number of funded positions is 749 of which 693 positions are filled. This means that the Commission is presently operating at 50% of its original staff establishment

END

Reply:

The actual daily distribution of water for Rustenburg Local Municipality (LM) is same as consumption which is what is presented by both Rand Water and Magalies Water.

1. (a) Water volumes distributed to Rustenburg LM by Rand Water via the Barnardsvlei Reservoir up to 12 March 2024 are indicated below:

	Jan 24	Feb 24	Mar 24
Consumption (Ml/d)	4 141	3 973	1 474

b) Water volumes distributed to Rustenburg LM by Magalies Water up to 12 March 2024 is indicated below:

	Jan 24	Feb 24	Mar 24
Consumption (Ml/d)	1 512	1 428	451

c) The volume of water supplied through the Rand Water/Magalies Water partnership via the Bospoort reservoirs from January up to 12 March 2024 is as indicated below:

	Jan 24	Feb 24	Mar 24
Consumption (Ml/d)	739	643	193

2. (a) Total volume of water supplied to Rustenburg Local Municipality by Rand Water via both Barnardsvlei and Bospoort reservoirs in Ml/day is as indicated below:

Jan 24	Feb 24	Mar 24
162	156	159

(b) Rand Water provided 83 and 89 Ml/day to the mines in January and February 2024 respectively. None of the mines are supplied with water by Magalies Water.

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Reply:

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has established the Blended Finance Scheme to broaden access to affordable finance through the provision of grants which are intended to complement loans granted by Participating Finance Institutions (PFI) towards the commercialisation of Black producers, with the goal being to increase the number of Black producers in the agriculture and agro-processing sector.

Land Bank was the first PFI to be signed up by DALRRD through an agreement, covering a period of 10 years, effective from 2023 to 2032. The agreement caters for an allocation, to Land Bank, of a minimum R325m of annual grant funding by DALRRD for the first three years (2023 –2025) of the agreement.

The Blended Finance Scheme provides for a grant allocation of between 40% and 60% of the total approved facilities by the PFI:

• A maximum of 60% of the total funding required by a smallholder producer (not exceeding R5m for production support and R10m for land acquisition);
• A maximum of 50% of the total funding required by a medium scale producer (not exceeding R10m for production support and R20m for land acquisition); and
• A maximum of 40% of the total funding required by a large scale producer (not exceeding R40m for production support and R50m for land acquisition).

Whereas the loan portion of the transaction is priced at market related interest rates, the grant portion of the total funding comes at no cost to the beneficiary, and is not repayable. This means that the client only pays for between 40% to 60% of the total funding received. This funding structure is therefore, in itself, an affordable financing solution which mitigates against the effects of higher interest rates.

Reply:

The Table below reflects the details in this regard, according to the Provincial Departments of Health.

PROVINCE	Part 1 - CASES OF CORRUPTION	Part 2 - INVESTIGATIONS PROCESS	Part 3 - OPENING OF CRIMINAL CASES
Eastern Cape	a) number of cases is fifteen (15) b) amount of funds have been lost has not yet been quantified.	a) consequence management Out of the fifteen cases (15), four (4) cases have been concluded, three (3) cases are still under investigation. There is one (1) case in which there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations of corruption. The remaining 7 cases the investigation process is underway.	The department has initiated legal proceedings on the matter that relates to the issuing of fraudulent medical certificates (Case 03/2023 ECDOH).
Limpopo	a) number of cases is eight (8) b) amount involved is R1, 265, 418.	a) consequence management Of the eight cases investigation, seven (07) cases are complete while investigation on one (1) case is still underway. Fraud allegations on the three (03) cases could not be proved as a result they were closed. On the remaining four (04), internal disciplinary process is underway.	Only two (2) cases have been reported to the police.
Northern Cape	a) number of cases is one (1) b) amount of funds is R10 000 which the official accepted as a bribe.	a) consequence management The disciplinary process was instituted against the affected official and a sanction of three (3) months suspension without salary and a final written warning pronounced.	Yes, the case was reported to SAPS. (Hartswater) Case no. Case 88/04/2019. The matter went to court and the official was found guilty and a fine of R 120 000.00 or three (3) years imprisonment. Furthermore, the two (2) years of the sentence was suspended for 5 years.
KwaZulu-Natal	a) number of cases is six (06) b) amount involved that is R282 191,00	a) consequence management Officials involved have been subjected to disciplinary processes. An amount R138 741 was recovered.	One (01) criminal case has been opened and the Department intends to register more criminal cases upon proving the allegations of corruption.
Western Cape	a) There is one (1) case that was reported. b) Amount of funds involved could not be qualified (it relates that amount that was supposed to be levied against the service provider).	a) consequence management The official has been suspended. Investigation Officer appointed and disciplinary hearing follow.	Yes, SAPS case number SCI Equiry 04/03/2023
Mpumalanga	a) There are two (2) cases that are reported. b) Financial loss not yet qualified.	a) consequence management The investigation process not yet finalised	No criminal case that has been opened as the investigation is still underway.
Northwest	a) None b) None	a) consequence management None	None
Free State	a) Number of cases were reported are eight (8). b) Amount involved is that. R 2 806 141.66	a) consequence management Two (2) employees were dismissed. Four (4) resigned pending disciplinary process. Two (2) employees are undergoing disciplinary process	Yes, Three (3) cases are under investigation by SAPS. Five are prosecution level
Gauteng	a) There are six (6) cases that are reported. b) The amount involved is not yet qualified.	a) consequence management. The investigations are underway as a result no consequence management that have been implemented.	None

END.

Reply:

According to the Northern Cape Department of Health, Betty Gaetsewe Clinic has seven Professional Nurses, sufficient to run the facility according to Workload Indicator for Staffing Needs(WISN) prescripts. On the day of the incident, 22 February 2024, which may have left an impression that patients’ are turned away, three professional nurses were booked off sick. In addition another nurse was out in the field with the Human Papilloma Virus Vaccination campaign, while another was on annual leave. The number of professional nurses was thus reduced to three.

When the health district became aware of the situation, it seconded one professional nurse from Galeshewe Day Hospital to work at the clinic for a period of two weeks to mitigate the challenge. The number of professional nurses increased to four on that particular day and going forward.

The situation has since returned to normal.

END.

Reply:

The Table below reflects the details in this regard, according to the Provincial Departments of Health:

PROVINCE	RESPONSE
KwaZulu-Natal	1. (a) The allegations that are received from the whistle blowers in KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health are treated as “Anonymous” complainants in order to protect the identity of the whistle blower throughout the investigation process. Should the investigation reveal that there are elements criminality that needs to be reported to South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department will report the matter to SAPS and serve as the complainant based on the investigation findings and this will be done without making any reference to the whistle blower.
	2. Yes, approved copy is available. b) Yes, approved copy is available.
	3.Ta) he Department has an approved Fraud Prevention Strategy that has its implementation plan, the Whistleblowing Policy stipulates that irrespective of whether the reporting person chooses to disclose or not, their identity, the Minimum Information Security Standard (MISS) shall be always exercised, and information shall be communicated on a “need to know basis”. b) Fraud Prevention governance documents were adopted by the relevant policy steering committees and subsequently approved by the Head of Department, they are being rolled during the continuous Fraud Prevention Awareness workshops for implementation and adherence by all officials of the Department.
	4. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has a responsibility to protect the whistle blowers by ensuring that their identity remains confidential. The strategy is being communicated to all officials of the Department, through various channels of communication.
Mpumalanga	1(a) In the Department there are guidelines which are issued in terms of the Protected Disclosures Act, 2000 (Act 26 of 2000), and are aimed at assisting and protect employees who wish to disclose certain information. Employees who are reporting suspected cases of fraud and/or corruption are protected from retribution, vilification, or other consequences pursuant to the terms of the Department fraud and corruption.
	2. Yes, Mpumalanga Department of health has an approved Fraud Prevention Plan. a) Yes, Mpumalanga Department of health has an approved Whistle Blowing Policy.
	3. a) Fraud Prevention Plan was adopted and implemented by the Mpumalanga Department of Health and Risk Management unit regularly conducts training workshops on Fraud and prevention plan. b) Whistle Blowing Policy was adopted and implemented by the Mpumalanga Department of Health and Risk Management unit regularly conducts training workshops on Whistle Blowing Policy Statement.
	4. a) The Department does not have a full report with details on the outcomes of the strategy to protect whistle blowers however, the Department depends entirely on the Protected disclosure Act, 26 of 2000 that make provision for protection of employees.
Limpoppo	1. (a) The department has developed and implements the “Whistle Blowing Policy” and the underlying pillars of the policy to protect the Whistle blowers are: The whistleblowers are afforded option to report anonymously. The Whistleblowers’ identity is being protected at all times.
	2. The department has approved Fraud Prevention Plan. a) The department has approved Whistle Blowing Policy.
	3. a) Fraud Prevention Plan was adopted and implemented. b) Whistle Blowing Policy was adopted and implemented.
	4. Every effort is to ensure that the whistle blowers are protected and that their identity remains confidential.
Western Cape	4. (a) The department has a Whistle-blowing Policy document and there are relevant Annexures in place which supports the implementation of the Policy.
	2.  (a) The department has approved Fraud Prevention Plan which is implemented. (b) The department has approved Whistle Blowing Policy which is implemented
	3.  The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has adopted and implemented a Fraud Prevention Plan and Whistle Blowing Policy. The department issued Finance Circular: FAC6/2023 in which the Fraud Prevention Strategy was pronounced during September 2023. The Department will reissue a Fraud Circular annually with the most up to date polices.
	4.  The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness is unable to provide such a report as the majority of referrals related to suspected fraud, theft and corruption are reported directly through the Provincial Forensic Services (PFS) in line with the provision of the Whistleblowing Policy)
Free State;	(1) The department has an approved Whistle-blowing Policy in place.
	(2) (a) The department has approved Fraud Prevention and Implementation Plan. (b) The department has approved Whistle Blowing Policy and Implementation Procedure.
	(3) Both the Fraud Prevention Policy – Implementation Plan and the Whistle Blowing Policy were approved I the current financial year (2023-2024) 4. None
Gauteng,	1.  The process of development of a Whistleblowing in Gauteng is coordinated at the Office of the Premier, however the has department developed a guiding Draft Whistleblowing Policy which seeks to comply with Section 6(2) of the Protective Disclosures Act (PDA), that provides practice in terms of reporting and the investigation of wrong-doing and ensuring protection to those who employees who disclose.
	2.  Gauteng Department of Health's witness protection intent currently incorporated in the Draft Whistle Blowing Policy Draft, however a Whistle Blowing Policy Statement will be officially adopted before the end of the current end of the term.
	3) a) Since the implementation of the current interim Whistle Blowing arrangements, only two (2) cases were reported of officials being threatened and both the source of threats emanated from externally. In both instances the individuals involved had displayed confidence in the Department's commitment in protecting them. 4) the current interim arrangements in place have proven to be adequate, whilst awaiting finalization of the Witness Protection Policy, that is being coordinated at the Office of the Premier.
	4.  a) None
Northern Cape;
Northwest;	(1) a) Reporters are protected in terms of Protected Disclosures Act and the departmental whistle blowing policy from any form of detriment.
	(2) (a) Approved Fraud prevention policy and strategy for 2023/2024 are readily available. (b) Whistle blowing policy for 2023/2024 financial year is readily available.
	(3) (a) Fraud Prevention Policy and strategy were approved and implemented throughout the department. b) Whistle blowing policy was approved and implemented throughout the department
	(4) Reporters are protected in terms of Protected Disclosures Act and the departmental policy from any form of detriment.
Eastern Cape
National	1. (a) The National Department of Health is in collaboration with stakeholders such as Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the risk assessment was conducted which determined the need for whistle-blower protection or to strengthen the current exiting measures and mechanisms in the health Sector and the processes were enhanced through the above risk assessment. There NDoH has number strategies which are line national laws and policy frameworks that protect the whistle-blower, and they are reviewed, when necessary, especially when there is legislative framework. The Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum (HSACF) is playing a critical role in eradicating corruption and the protection of whistle blowers.
	2. (a) The NDoH has the following strategic documents in place:- Fraud Prevention Long Term Plan;. Fraud Prevention Policy; Fraud Prevention Strategy; and Fraud Investigation Procedure
	3. Both the Fraud Prevention Plan and Whistle Blowing Policy were adopted and subsequently approved by the Accounting Officer.
	4.  It is common practice that upon finalizing any collaborative assignment, it is incumbent and becomes essential that the National Department of Health and its stakeholders share the good practice through available mechanisms by adopting a comprehensive approach to benefit the public and interested parties

END.

Reply:

According to the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS):

a) The Forensic Chemistry Laboratory has done one Fentanyl test since 01 January 2023.

b) The one test that was done was positive.

END.

Reply:

1. (a) Total amount outstanding for 2023/24 financial year on accruals sits at R210,711,150.55;

(b) More than 30 Days to over 121 Days.

2. 357 suppliers have not been paid within the prescribed requirement of 30 days.

END.

Reply:

a) The dates of finalisation and the implementation of the plan to establish a whistle-blowing protection and risk assessment and mitigation in the procurement system within the health sector could not be confirmed yet as the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is still in the process of workshopping provinces to assess their risks and development strategies to mitigate the identified risks in their respective provinces. So far only the Free State Province has taken the offer and is participating in the workshop, no other provinces have indicated their intention to participate yet.

b)  It is intended that the plan will be implemented after the workshops are completed.

END.

Reply:

(a) and(b)

The Land Redistribution and Tenure Reform programme acquired 239 farms while the Land Restitution programme acquired 970 farms from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023 at the cost of R2 138 billion and R4 304 billion, respectively.

c) The Department through its Land Development Support programme has supported a total of 244 land reform farms across the country.

d) Production inputs budget allocated to the farms amounts to R543 081 million.

e) Since the farms were funded in different financial years, they are currently under implementation at different stages of production based on the type of commodity’s production cycle.

f) In line with the standard of the programme, each approved farm had an estimated net profit of at least R350 000 per production cycle as per approved business plan(s). The applicable production standards are used to ensure that enterprises are funded at their commercial entry level considering the available natural resources and support required to ensure sustainability and growth.

Reply:

(a) The Commission on Restitution of Land Rights (CRLR) does not keep a record of strategic partnerships entered into by settled land restitution claimants. Once property is transferred, the transferee may enter into partnerships in their own legal capacity. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has however, through the Land Development Support (LDS) Programme, assisted fourteen (14) restitution projects.

(b)(i),(ii) Please refer to Table 1 below. The support model used involves commodity organisations and if there is no commodity organisation DALRRD supports the farms using internal capacity.

Acronyms: –

SAFDA – South African Farmers Development Association

DALRRD – Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

NERPO – National Emergent Red Meat Producers’

RESTITUTION PROJECTS SUPPORTED THROUGH LAND DEVELOPMENT AND POST SETTLEMENT SUPPORT PROGRAM UNDER FOOD SECURITY AND AGRARIAN REFORM:
Province	Project Name	Approved Budget	Development Partner
KwaZulu Natal	*Dludla Community Enterprise (Pty) Ltd	R16 223 878.16	SAFDA
	*Emakhasaneni Investment (Pty) Ltd	R6 359 353.32	SAFDA
	*Prince Sitheku Agriculture (Pty) Ltd	R6 468 951.04	SAFDA
	*Ubumbano Agri (Pty) Ltd	R8 315 983.35	SAFDA
KwaZulu Natal Total	R37 368 165.87
Mpumalanga	*Arxifusion (Pty) Ltd (Phuthanang CPA)	R4 543 373.50	None (DALRRD)
	*Laughing Waterfall Farming Projects	R7 765 340.16	SAFDA
	*Lubambiswano	R2 217 382.11	None
	*Mandzindza Communal Property Association	R1 903 220.71	NERPO
Mpumalanga Total	R16 429 316.48
North West	*Dikgatlhong Holdings (Pty) Ltd	R0.00	None (DALRRD)
	*Doornkop 166 Boerdery (Pty) Ltd	R4 932 957.83	None (DALRRD)
	*Khutso-Naketsi Communal Property	R57 220 257.41	Former Owner
North West Total	R62 153 215.24
Northern Cape	*Mazelfontein/Katlani CPA NPO	R3 578 732.47	None (DALRRD)
	*Motsamai Lucas Mokubung Trading (Pty) Ltd	R10 576 771.84	None (DALRRD)
	*Schamboua Communal Property Association	R26 790 520.74	Raisins SA
	*Smallvish Toeslaan Holdings (Pty) Ltd	R17 052 111.89	None (DALRRD)
Northern Cape Total	R57 998 136.94
Grand Total		R173 948 834.53

END

Reply:

(1) As a means of addressing scarce and critical skills in the sector, the Department coordinates an External Bursary Scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to increase the pool of scientists and skilled professionals. The Department rates veterinary science as one of the scarce skills; as such each year bursaries are awarded to qualifying young people to pursue this field of study at the University of Pretoria. Since inception of the bursary scheme, a total of 106 young people benefited from financial assistance to study Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) at the University of Pretoria and 84 successfully completed their studies while 22 are currently in the system.

The Department has further established a Compulsory Community Service (CCS) programme that ensures that newly graduated veterinarians serve the country for at least one year before they choose gainful employment in industry and other sectors. The Department has been able to deploy an average of 140 veterinarians every year. In addition, the Department has worked with the Department of Higher Education and Training to identify a possible second faculty to train veterinarians and related professionals.

(2) The registration of veterinarians who qualified overseas is done immediately with universities that have equivalence with the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC). The Department and the SAVC provided opportunities for those who qualified overseas and did not meet the requirements for registration to write exams and if they pass, they may practice in the country.

Reply:

1. Yes.

The Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has attended to all the disputes as reported through several Special General Communal Property Association (CPA) meetings which were held in January 2022. The meetings resolved all the matters that were in dispute and all parties agreed to hold an elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 12 March 2022. The concerned group leader was invited to all meetings but did not attend; however, the CPA meetings were fully quorated.

The conciliator was appointed after the AGM through the Land Rights Management Facility – Motlhamme Attorneys’ to deal with the concerned group complaints; however, the conciliator found it difficult to proceed due to lack of cooperation by the concerned group leaders and the contract was terminated.

2. DALRRD has agreed with the concerned members and the CPA committee in a meeting on 22 January 2024 to reappoint the conciliator in terms of section 10 of the CPA Act. The success of this process is however dependent upon cooperation by the concerned group members.

3. Yes. the AGM of 12 March 2022 was properly constituted and fully quorated, the Committee is legitimate, and their duties are regulated in terms of clauses 6 and 10 of the Rooiwal Communal Property Association. However, DALRRD is addressing the issues raised by the concerned group members regarding the elective AGM.

Reply:

The development of a modern Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) production facility would be an international showcase of South Africa’s capabilities.  As this is a specialised building, highly skilled external consulting engineers and other specialists have been appointed to develop a concept layout and detailed design of the manufacturing process.

The following key steps have been completed:

• Construction related firms such as engineering, architectural, electrical, mechanical and construction to design plan and implement the construction of the new FMD factory have all been contracted
• A process engineer to develop the design or layout of the infrastructure (piping, bioreactors, purifiers, centrifuges, etc.) that will be used in the manufacturing process has been appointed. 

• A well-designed production process is essential for optimisation of the factory design, particularly for obtaining qualifications for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) which is required not only for export purposes but also by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) to grant the manufacturing license for the factory.
  • A Project Manager to manage the construction has already been recruited.

The next steps are as follows:

• Obtain all the regulatory permits and approvals for the construction of the facility. These will be secured by the firms contracted to project manage the construction phase of the project.
• Start the construction phase of the factory. The building must have certified engineering features to ensure that the highest international standards and compliance are achieved and that a world-leading environment for both staff and animals is provided.

The table below provides a summary of the key steps in the process:

 

PHASE	ACTIVITIES
Design phase [underway and expected to be completed and signed off - 1st quarter of financial year 2024/25]	Below are the appointed service providers for the development of the new FMD vaccine factory at Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Campus (OVR): Process engineering firm; Architectural firm; Mechanical Engineering firm; Electrical Engineering firm; Civil & Engineering firm; Quantity Surveying firm; Wet Services Engineering firm; and Fire Services Engineering firm. The above appointed service providers have commenced and are almost finished with various stages of the pre-construction documentation and processes which entail the design and planning, infrastructure and bulk services provision and project budget.
Construction [24 – 36 months; expected to start at the beginning of August 2024]	Ordering of specialised equipment for vaccine production; Construction of building according to specifications; and Issuing of compliance certificates of completion in relation to National Building Standards.
Validation [approximately 18 months, followed by full commercial production]	Foot and mouth disease vaccine trials; and Inspection.

 

The coordination between the different appointed service providers is underway to ensure that the building meets the minimum standards in preparation for the construction of the new facility, with accurate user specification requirements, detailed design diagrams, and cost estimates.

 

Reply:

 

(1)(a),(b) The Commission on Restitution of Land Rights does not have any record for Maele Trust. The Honourable Member is requested to provide more information and location of the said trust to enable the Department to respond to the question.

(2)(a),(b)(i),(ii) Falls away.

(3) The Commission does not have any record of land claims in respect of Maele territory.

(a),(b) Falls away.

END

Reply:

Honourable Member, I would like to draw your attention to the Media briefing held on 17 March 2024 in which I comprehensively clarified the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the Circular and the steps taken by the Department to address any consequential concerns emanating therefrom. I have also previously addressed this matter in Parliament in February 2024 during the SONA Debate and on the occasion of the oral responses session of the JCPS Cluster held on 28 February 2023.

In my presentation on the occasion of the Media briefing which is attached as Annexure A, I further clarified how the Department would assist those short-term visa holders who applied, inter alia, for visa extensions and who still did not yet receive their application outcomes, whether negative or positive. I must also refer you to paragraphs 2 – 4 supra on page 3 of the Media briefing in which clarity is given regarding the removal of undesirable status for those applicants who may have been purported to have overstayed.

At the time of the Media briefing there were only 6 known cases received of persons who were negatively affected by the Circular. The Department will continue to assist and resolve these matters upon receipt of specific cases.

END.

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Reply:

(a) The total amounts spent on litigation in the past five financial years are set out in the table below:

Litigation	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23
Private firms / Legal advisory services	R3 705 014.84	R6 534 888.04	R8 133 418.97	R13 098 140.58	R37 125 379.29
Litigation / State Attorney / Legal advisory services	R3 668 104.53	R68 627 682.00	R30 378 709.89	R59 539 803.93	R64 447 571.48
Total	R7 373 119.37	R75 162 570.04	R38 512 128.86	R72 637 944.51	R101 572 950.77

(b) The amount spent on litigation since 1 April 2023 to 29 February 2024 is set out in the table below.

Litigation	2023/24*
Private firms / Legal advisory services	R79 974 608.85
Litigation / State Attorney / Legal advisory services	R37 718 387.48
Total	R117 692 996.33

END.

Reply:

1. No. There is no system in place to regulate the price for communal land since the land is held in trust by the Minister on behalf of communities and is not for sale.
2. No. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development does not use any reference guide to allocate land to foreign nationals as foreign nationals are not eligible for land allocation in terms of Government’s land reform programme.

Reply:

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Reply:

(a) In terms of clause 12.5 of the Rooiwal Communal Property Association’s constitution, individuals who are non-members of the Communal Property Association (CPA) can be elected to the executive committee of the CPA.

(b) The Restitution of Land Rights Act, 1994 (Act No. 22 of 1994) does not disqualify a person who holds political office from being a claimant or a beneficiary, therefore in terms of Rooiwal CPA’s constitution, politicians who are members of the CPA representing their family household, can be elected to the executive committee of the CPA.

(c) Clause 7 of the Rooiwal CPA’s Constitution allows for election to the executive committee of family members provided that they are members of the Rooiwal CPA.

Reply:

 

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development relies on the Trespass Act, 1959 (Act No. 6 of 1959) to prohibit the invasion of vacant land.

The Act provides for:

“Prohibition of entry or presence upon land and entry of or presence in buildings in certain circumstances:

(1) Any person who without the permission-

(a) of the lawful occupier of any land or any building or part of a building; or

(b) of the owner or person in charge of any land or any building or part of a building that is not lawfully occupied by any person,

enters or is upon such land or enters or is in such building or part of a building, shall be guilty of an offence unless he has lawful reason to enter or be upon such land or enter or be in such building or part of a building.”

Reply:

The Department did not allocate an amount of R150 million for small scale farmer training and capacity building.

(a),(b),(c),(d),(e) Falls away.

Reply:

Since April 2022 to date, the Department of Home Affairs reported criminal cases against 9 officials who resigned and who were identified for unlawful activities. Other cases are being probed by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) in line with the Presidential Proclamation on the Department of Home Affairs.  

END. 

Reply:

No. It is important to note that the Social Assistance legislation only provides for receipt of the CSG up to the month in which the child turns 18. However, the same beneficiaries would be eligible to apply for COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant.

In addition, through the National Integration Social Protection System (NISPIS) programme, DSD links CSG beneficiaries to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), should they wish to pursue their education at institutions of higher learning and they are exempted from NSFAS means test.

Furthermore, government provides for other support services to ensure that vulnerable children complete their education such as no fee schools in poor communities, school nutrition programmes, free primary health care at public facilities, free basic services, and subsidised housing for poor households. A combination of social protection interventions create powerful opportunities to multiply the impact of children’s grants in achieving comprehensive social and economic developments through integration to additional services.

Reply:

a) Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Municipality (WMM)

Storage:

• WMM Local Municipality (LM): mechanization center at Mbizana Rural Enterprise Development (RED) Hub at Dyifani (Ward 31) that has 2 silos for maize storage.
• There are also 4 multi-purpose sheds that will assist with the storage and packaging of agricultural products in WMM LM at Mbongweni (Ward 14), Ndakeni (Ward 8), Nyaka (Ward 18) and Mbenya (Ward 32).
• Mzamba food security is utilising 2 silos for maize storage.
• Twelve storage tanks were provided in 2013 to 12 maize projects at Mbongweni (Ward 14), Elityeni (Ward 28), Mbongwana (Ward 21) and Nomlacu (Ward 26).

Processing Machinery:

• WMM LM: Mbizana RED Hub has a milling plant that processes white maize and there is a potato washer.
• There are 2 maize dryers in the RED Hub which are used to dry maize to the required moisture content before storage.

b) Mthatha

• Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform OR Tambo office received one application from the Mthatha area in the 2021/22 financial year requesting a grain storage facility along the R61. The District Screening Committee agreed to support the request for the establishment of the facility along the R61 as it is a high grain-producing corridor in the OR Tambo District. However, due to infrastructure backlog and financial constraints, the facility is planned to be implemented from the 2024/25 financial year as a multi-year project. A budget of R1 200 000 has been set aside for the first phase, that is, planning, design, and earthworks, which are expected to be completed in the 2024/25 financial year.
• Mthatha Service Centre is within the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, comprised of Mqanduli and Mthatha. At Mqanduli, the Department in partnership with COGTA established a RED Hub meant to store and process grain produce into livestock feed and maize meal. The grain storage capacity is 2 250t. Smallholder farmers around Mthatha and Mqanduli are selling their produce to the RED Hub for storage and processing of grain into the above-mentioned products.
• On vegetable production, smallholder farmers are utilising the Kei Fresh Produce market for both storage and selling their produce. The establishment of the Market was funded and supported by OR Tambo Municipality. Currently, Eastern Cape Development Cooperation is establishing a pack house to improve the shelf life of fruit and vegetables.

c) Matatiele Local Municipality

Wool Commodity:

• Three multi-purpose sheds for wool shearing, classification, sorting, and storage were constructed between 2020 and 2023.
• Qhobosheaneng multi-purpose sheds in Qhobosheaneng village Ward 15.
• Sonwabile multi-purpose sheds in Madlangala village Ward 11.
• Matias multi-purpose sheds in KwaMzongwana location Ward 9.

• Two multi-purpose sheds are still under construction, to be completed in 2024/25.
• Simunye multi-purpose sheds in Chibini village Ward 5.
• Magadla multi-purpose sheds in Magadla village Ward 10.

• Two multi-purpose sheds are to be implemented in the 2024/25 financial year.
• Ramafole multi-purpose sheds in Ramafole village Ward 24.
• Moiketsi Reserve multi-purpose sheds in Moiketsi village Ward 14.

Grain Commodity:

• Two grain pack sheds for grain storage, packaging, processing, branding, and marketing are in the 2025/26 plan, recommended to be implemented over the next three years.
• Horncroft Farm in Cedarville Ward 26.
• Try Again Farm in Ongeluksnek Ward 10.

• One grain pack shed is in the application process to be implemented in the 2025/26 financial year.
• Esbi Khaya Farm Ongeluksnek Ward 16.

Reply:

Section 72(1)(a) of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No. 56 of 2003) (MFMA) requires the Accounting Officer to assess the performance of the municipality during the first half of the financial year taking into account:

1. the monthly statements referred to in section 71 for the first half of the financial year;
2. the municipality’s service delivery performance during the first half of the financial year, and the service delivery targets and performance indicators set in the service delivery and budget implementation plan;
3. the past year’s annual report, and progress on resolving problems identified in the annual report; and
4. the performance of every municipal entity under the sole or shared control of the municipality, taking into account reports in terms of section 88 from any such entities.

Therefore, the issues to be considered by the accounting officer to recommend whether the adjustments budget is necessary are not only limited to subsection (iii) as indicate in Section 72(a) of the MFMA. It must also be noted that after the performance assessment and adjustments of the budget, the municipality must adjust the Service Delivery Budget and Implementation Plan accordingly.

In addition, Section 28(2) of the MFMA read together with regulation 23 of the Municipal Budget and Reporting Regulations (MBRR) provides details on the types of adjustments budget that can be considered and the timeframes. Therefore, the adjustments budget as a result of Section 72 performance assessment, must be undertaken according to regulation 23(1) of the MBRR. In terms of regulation 23(1), the municipality can table an adjustments budget referred to in Section 28(2)(b), (d) and (f) of the MFMA in the municipal council at any time after the mid-year budget and performance assessment has been tabled in council, but not later than 28 February of the current year.

Reply:

(a) None, since it is not part of the National Treasury’s mandate.

(b)(i) None

(b)(ii)(aa)(bb)(cc)(dd) & (ee) None

Reply:

Swimming South Africa (SSA) indicates that they require additional information to respond to these questions as they are unaware of these incidents.

Reply:

The Department has engaged with Swimming South Africa (SSA) in relation to the questions asked and submit the following responses.

1. Swimming South Africa indicates that Africa Aquatics encouraged South Africa’s participation at the Olympic Games, however SSA has the final decision on the matter and declined SA’s participation due to the team not meeting SSA’s criteria.

2. The Minister is not able to indicate whether the rest of the African countries were invited to the Olympic Games as this is a matter for Africa Aquatics and the International Olympic

Committees, however, the Minister is aware that South Africa did receive an invitation to Participate at the Olympic Games for the water polo teams.

A). Yes, the SA Water Polo Team attained qualification to the Olympic Games which has not be accepted.

B). The water polo team achieved qualification by virtue of being ranked position 1 on the African continent, however, SSA’s criteria for Olympic qualification requires the team to attain position 12 in the world. The water polo team has not achieved this qualifying standard.

3. No, the Minister has not found anything to this effect.

Reply:

(1)(a) Department of Correctional Services (DCS) developed a departmental control committee to ensure that procurement to the value of R1 million is approved by the committee. The terms of reference are to ensure daily oversight on procurement transactions, with focus on procurement wherein bidding processes are not followed.

(1)(b) DCS reports all procurement processes through National Treasury and furthermore the procurement manual including delegation has been revised to ensure fairness and competitiveness.

(2) With reference to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigation, it was found that there was a breach in procurement processes with disciplinary referrals due to non- compliance. However the services were rendered and paid for, therefore no recovery efforts were recommended by the SIU.

(3) DCS has revised the procurement policies and standard operating procedures to strengthen systematic issues to ensure the segregation of duties in the procurement environment.

END.

Reply:

The Ministry engaged Swimming South Africa (SSA) who provided the following responses:

(a). Considering limited resources, grassroots programmes are primarily focused on water safety education and teaching swimming as a life skill in areas where there are facilities. Noting that of approximately 25,000 schools in South Africa, 22,000 do not have swimming pools. Swimming Pools in schools is limited to private schools where water polo is practiced.

(b). Due to financial constraints, Swimming South Africa (SSA) in conjunction with World Aquatics can only provide annual training programmes to coaches and technical officials on an alternative basis. This is an average of 30 people trained annually in accredited courses.

Reply:

The 2020 European Union Nations Cup was cancelled by the organizers due to the worldwide COVID 19 pandemic and any payments made by team members were re-imbursed to them. SSA paid and carried the costs of the team entries which was not refunded by the organizers.

Reply:

I have not been informed about the said situation at the Nomoya Masilela Museum, as this is a Provincial Museum and thus under provincial competence.

Reply:

The Code of Conduct for Legal Practitioners referred to by the Honorable Member has been published by the Legal Practice Council on the 29 March 2019 (Government Gazette No 42364 of 29 March 2019) and is available on the website (www.lpc.org.za) of the Legal Practice Council.

Reply:

The department has not allocated any new budget for the 30 Year celebration of Democracy in South Africa. However, the department aims to utilise all standing national days in 2024 to observe the yearlong celebration. In this case, the department intends to celebrate the 30 years anniversary of democracy in South Africa through the Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, and the Africa Day under the ambit of Africa Month which falls before the 29 May 2024.

 

Reply:

1. As Minister of Government Department in the Republic of South Africa, I do not have oversight or authority when it comes to International Federations, and I am therefore unable to comment on this matter.

2.(a). The current Executive Committee was elected on 15 January 2022, and has been serving Swimming SA since then.

(b). Unfortunately, I am not aware of any organizational failures within the Swimming SA, however, I will request my department for a full report on the alleged persistent failure in the organisation.

Reply:

The Honorable Member should note that :-

1.(a). Participation in the Olympic Games is determined by the relevant International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) regulations and qualification process as determined from time to time in consultation with relevant International Federations (IF), which is the same process followed for Water Polo sport.

(b). South African Sport Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) in consultation with National federations, have the sole authority for the entry and or withdrawal of athletes and teams from (IOC) International Olympic Committee’s Events.

(c). Following the 2021 Olympic Games and 2023 Fukuoka World Championships, the Swimming South Africa (SSA) High Performance Committee reviewed the performance of all aquatic disciplines, namely (Artistic Swimming, Diving, Open Water Swimming, Swimming and Water polo) in August 2023.

This review was necessary necessitated to ensure that the performance standards of athletes and teams in the SSA Aquatics Disciplines continually improve in relation to international performances and be competitive for Paris 2024 Olympics Games and beyond.

The Criteria adopted is as follows:

Artistic swimming

Achieve a top 20 ranking at Doha World championships 2024 to be eligible for continental qualification.

Diving

Achieve a top 12 ranking at Fukuoka world champs (1st round) or achieve a top 12 ranking at Doha World championships 2024.

Open water

Achieve a top 20 ranking at Doha 2024 World championships to be eligible for a continental qualification.

Swimming

Achieve an Olympic A qualification time standard at the SA Olympic trials in April 2024; should athletes not achieve the Olympic A qualification time standard at the SA Olympic trials in April 2024, the Olympic A qualification time standard achieved during the World Aquatics window period, will be considered. Relay qualification will take place at the 2024 Doha World Championships where the top 13 placed teams will qualify. 

Water polo

Achieve a 12th place ranking at Doha World Championships 2024 to be eligible for a continental qualification.

(2)(a). Participation in the Olympic Games is determined by qualification criteria determined by the IOC in consultation with IF which in this case is World Aquatics. Athletes and teams must comply with the IOC qualification standards and are not invited to participate, including the participation of Teams from Africa.

(b). SASCOC as the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and Swimming as the National Federation respectively, have authority in relation to the relevant national legislation and affiliation to the IOC and World Aquatics for their related functions in South Africa. As a department we are not in a position to speculate on sport development in Africa.

(3). Yes, there was collaborative process, in that following the review by the SSA High Performance Committee in August 2023, the recommendations were presented to and adopted by the SSA Executive Committee and the General Council at the Annual General Meeting in August 2023.

Reply:

(a)(b)(i)(ii)The National Department of Basic Education does not collect information, as part of its framework of regular monitoring, collect information to the level of the detail that is requested, that is, area of specialisation and grade. The Honorable member is kindly advised to request the information directly from the Provincial Education Departments.

Reply:

 (a)(i)(ii)

Province	Number of Vacancies
EAST CAPE	6 111
FREE STATE	1 117
GAUTENG	3 898
KWAZULU-NATAL	7 044
LIMPOPO	4 933
MPUMALANGA	1 931
NORTH CAPE	726
NORTH WEST	1 205
WESTERN CAPE	4 497
NATIONAL	31 462

 

(b) The filling of vacant posts at schools is an ongoing process to ensure that there is no class without a teacher for all grades. For Post Level One vacancies, schools are allowed to recruit at local level and immediately as the vacancy occurs and make temporary appointments. These appointments are then made permanent upon ensuring that the educator meets the requirements of the post. By law, a temporary appointment in a vacant substantive post must be made permanent after three months. In the case of promotional posts, schools are allowed to make acting appointments, especially for critical posts such as those of Departmental Head and Principal while the formal recruitment and selection process is undertaken. In addition, in order to address immediate workload challenges that result from vacant promotional posts, schools are allowed to appoint temporary educators against a vacant promotional post until the vacant promotion post is filled.

Reply:

No, municipalities are not reporting to the Department on the use of virtual meetings.

Whilst the Department does not monitor whether council meetings are virtual or physical, learning from experience during COVID-19, we encourage municipalities to explore cost effective ways of conducting council business where feasible. Councillors also receive tools of trade, hence, it is possible for council sittings to be held virtual. It is our view that this approach can result in significant savings for the municipalities which can be redirected to service delivery priorities.

However, we continue to implore on municipalities to be cautious in whatever decision they take because it is important that the principle of inclusive governance is adhered to and promoted at all times, including at a citizenary level. This will ensure that our principle of participatory democracy is upheld in the business of council.

End.

Reply:

According to information provided by KZN Provincial CoGTA, the disciplinary hearing for the official in question commenced on 23 June 2017. It is mentioned that his Attorney passed away in April 2018 and all files were taken by the Law Society. The official then requested copies of all documents from the Municipality in order for him to consult and instruct his new Attorneys, Nxumalo and Partners. Due to the loss of vital documentation by the Municipality, the Municipality was unable to proceed with the matter and his case was withdrawn by the Municipal Council. He resumed duties in the Municipality on 26 November 2018.

End.

Reply:

1. It is not mandatory for public servants to be members of (a) a medical scheme, however, employees who are on salary level 1 to 5 receive 100% medical subsidy if they join GEMS on the Tanzanite One Benefit Option. Employees on salary level 6 to 10 who join GEMS receive 75% medical subsidy and can join any benefit option of their choice. Employees from salary levels 11 upwards structure their salaries and are not compelled to be members of any medical scheme as they do not receive medical subsidy. The police service has its own medical scheme, called POLMED.

2. It is not mandatory for public servants to be members of Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS). The total number of public servants who are Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) members is (a) 688 052 and (b) this number constitutes 55.6 % of the total number of public servants. The number of police service members on POLMED is 146 855 and this constitutes 80% of the police service. State Security Agency (SSA) and Defence are excluded in these numbers.

End