Questions and Replies

Reply:

 

COMPILER DETAILS

NAME AND SURNAME:

CONTACT:

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Minister approves and signs the Parliamentary Reply to Parliamentary Question 247.

 MR Z DANGOR

DIRECTOR–GENERAL: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

PARLIAMENTARY REPLY 55 IS APPROVED / NOT APPROVED / AMENDED.

COMMENT/S

 

 

 

 

MR RO LAMOLA, MP

MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

Reply:

1. The Ministerial Committee on the Efficient Management of the Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimages was established by former Minister GNM Pandor with the mandate to investigate complaints from the affected community regarding the administration and management of the annual Hajj pilgrimage by South African citizens; and to submit a report to the Minister following consultations with, inter alia, the Muslim community and relevant organisations, including SAHUC, SAMTAO, and the United Ulameh Council of South Africa (UUCSA), as well as constitutional bodies, in particular the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission). Its mandate did not include an oversight role. The oversight role resorts constitutionally under auspices of the chapter IX institution, i.e. the CRL Rights Commission which is constitutionally mandated to protect the rights of religious communities.

2. The Ministerial Committee fulfilled its mandate and presented its report to former Minister Pandor on 31 January 2024. DIRCO is constitutionally mandated to formulate, promote and execute South Africa’s foreign policy, i.e. government-to-government engagements with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to provide consular assistance to South African citizens abroad.

3. The South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC) was constituted by the community in 1995 in a process that was facilitated by the late Deputy Minister of the then Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr Aziz Pahad. The Cultural, Religious and Linguistics (CRL) Rights Commission is constitutionally mandated to protect the rights of religious communities.

 

COMPILER DETAILS

NAME AND SURNAME: Mr H Basson

CONTACT: [email protected] Ext : 11749

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Minister approves and signs the Parliamentary Reply to Parliamentary Question 191.

 

MR Z DANGOR

DIRECTOR–GENERAL: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

PARLIAMENTARY REPLY 191 IS APPROVED / NOT APPROVED / AMENDED.

COMMENT/S

MR RO LAMOLA, MP

MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

Additional Information

Reply:

South Africa’s foreign policy approach to conflict is based on her experience with dialogue that led to peaceful resolution of conflicts and a negotiated transition. As member of the SADC, South Africa has supported and encouraged diplomatic efforts aimed at the peaceful resolution of the conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. These efforts are spearheaded by President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola, in pursuit of his mandate by the African Union (AU) as the Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa, and Mediator designated to maintain the dialogue between the DRC and Rwanda.

The success of the Luanda Process to get the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda on 30 July 2024 to agree on a ceasefire between the parties to the conflict in the East of the DRC, is commended. The agreed ceasefire will be supervised by the Ad-hoc Verification Mechanism reinforced by intelligence experts from the three countries (Angola, DRC and Rwanda) and other entities.

On 8 August, President Ramaphosa undertook a Working Visit to Luanda, Angola, and amongst others, received a briefing from President Lourenço on mediation and the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Rwanda and DRC, and the agreed framework for its implementation.

South Africa reiterates its support of the Luanda Process, the Nairobi Process and other multilateral initiatives aimed at finding sustainable peace in the eastern DRC, such as the 2013 Framework Agreement for Peace, Security, and Cooperation in the DRC and the region. Together with the regional and international organisations such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the East African Community (EAC), the United Nations, South Africa will deploy its bilateral goodwill and support the full implementation of the ceasefire which could lead into permanent cessation of hostilities. In addition, President Ramaphosa has appointed a Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular, in order to support ongoing efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the eastern DRC. The President’s Special Envoy does maintain continuous dialogue with all the role players in the region.

 

COMPILER DETAILS

NAME AND SURNAME: Forster Masuku

CONTACT: Ext 10688

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Minister approves and signs the Parliamentary Reply to Parliamentary Question 227.

 

MR Z DANGOR

DIRECTOR–GENERAL: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

PARLIAMENTARY REPLY 227 IS APPROVED / NOT APPROVED / AMENDED.

COMMENT/S

MR RO LAMOLA, MP

MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

 

Reply:

According to the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA):

1. The Appeals Committee has declined to consider the appeal and resolved to refer the matter back to the Preliminary Committee of Inquiry for reconsideration because Mrs. Cole introduced new evidence/information that did not serve and was never considered by the Preliminary Committee of Inquiry. The Committee is in the process of seeking the respondent’s response to the new information before the matter serves before the Preliminary Committee of Inquiry for reconsideration. This matter will serve before the Preliminary Committee of Inquiry once in receipt of the response from the respondent or should the respondent fail to respond within fourteen days after receipt of this new evidence/information.
2. Not applicable at this time.

END.

Reply:

The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is an independent statutory body that regulates the professional conduct of health professionals. The Council is funded though professional registration fees and no public funds are allocated to the HPCSA. The HPCSA is not required to comply with the Public Finance Management Act and finances of the HPCSA are governed by finance policies determined by the Council of the HPCSA.

According to the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA):

1. The matter relating to expenditure for personal benefit was dealt with in terms of the HPCSA Policy which provides for monies spent in such circumstances to be recovered.
2. The matter was reported to the Council, which subsequently resolved that the funds used for personal benefit be recouped in line with the applicable policy. The Council further resolved to amend the policy to prevent future occurrences of this nature.
3. The Medical and Dental Professions Board meeting of the 20^th of June 2024 had resolved to recall the person concerned as its designated member to the Council to avert any possible reputational damage.
4. The Council amended the Credit Card and Entertainment Policy to ensure that:–
5. any expenses incurred utilizing an HPCSA Business Credit Card must be for business purposes only and should always be in the interest of the Council;
6. Utilisation of an HPCSA Business Credit Card must be in line with the approved annual budget of the Council; and
7. Under no circumstances may any private expenditure be incurred using the HPCSA Business Credit Card.
8. The funds reported to the Council as used for personal benefit were recouped as per the applicable policy.

END.

Reply:

The case is still pending in court. All of the leads that were received from the community have been thoroughly investigated, however, the leads have not revealed any positive information. At this time, the victim has still not been located, despite extensive and rigorous efforts by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and its partners.

Reply:

1. The are no surgical backlogs with reference to emergency surgeries as these are managed as soon as they present to hospitals. The surgical backlogs that are experienced in our hospitals are for elective surgeries and these are at varying degrees in provinces. One of the reasons why there are surgical backlogs is the limited number of skilled specialists in our hospitals. These backlogs are pronounced in provinces where there are no Medical schools, such as Limpopo Province, North-West province, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga. The types of surgeries that have backlogs include: orthopaedics, general surgery, urology, ophthalmology, maxilo-facial, cataract, ear nose and throat, neurosurgery, and gynaecology. All provinces have put measure in place to manage these backlogs which include but not limited to surgical marathons, outreach to lower level facilities to reduce up referrals, capacitation of Regional hospitals to do some of these surgeries and upgrading aging equipment in theatre. It is to be noted that backlogs are a moving target, as surgeries are conducted, the backlog numbers reduce.
2. No

END.

Reply:

1. The Department of Employment and Labour has implemented the no work experience requirement in entry level posts and will continue advocating for more learnerships and internships to ready entrants into the labour market.
2. As much as the competency and responsibility of supporting industrialisation in the minerals sector in order to create factories for purification and the entire value chain does not rest with the Department of Employment and Labour, work in this space falls into the collaboration commitment with sister departments, that Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) is very much keen on. We plan to lead DEL to upping the ante pertaining to coordination work of all job creation initiatives, interventions, creativity and innovations that are found in various government departments, spheres of government as well as public agencies.
3. The Department of Employment and Labour through the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) supports numerous initiatives under its Labour Activation Programme (LAP) aimed at stimulating employment and ensuring employability. Moreover, through the UIF that works closely with Public Investment Company (PIC), the Department has supported different sectors of our economy to create employment.

Reply:

The case is still pending in court. All of the leads that were received from the community have been thoroughly investigated, however, the leads have not revealed any positive information. At this time, the victim has still not been located, despite extensive and rigorous efforts by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and its partners.

Reply:

1. The Government is concerned about the contribution of administered prices to the high cost of living. As an importer of both crude oil and refined products, South Africa is also exposed to the movement of crude oil prices. The Fuel Levies and Road Accident Fund (RAF) on both diesel and petrol are administered by the Minister of Finance and this Department implements levies which are voted for in parliament. A Ministerial Task Team to review the fuel pricing regime has been established and it must be given a chance to do its work.
2. No. The department is not considering the nationalisation of Sasol Limited but is focusing on the operationalisation of the South African National Petroleum Company.

Reply:

1. (a) According to the information received from Provincial Departments of Health, (funded posts as per DPSA directive on management of vacant posts) on 31 July 2024, in the Public Health Sector, the vacancy for (i) Senior Managers (i.e. Level 13 -16), (ii) Doctors and (iii) Nurses consolidated across different categories of Nurses (i.e. Professional, Registered and Assistant) is per the table below:

Provincial Vacancy Rates (%)
Category	EC	FS	GP	KZN	LP	MPU	NW	NC	WC
Medical Doctors	7.8%	22.4%	8.1%	11.3%	17.6%	18.5%	10.0%	14.0%	5.48%
Nurses	5.0%	28.0%	7.9%	11.8%	5.94%	9.94%	14.0%	21.0%	7.56%
Snr Management	23.4%	24.1%	5.0%	27.7%	3.23%	24.6%	18.0%	44.0%	5.56%

(b) Due to general budget cuts introduced by National Treasury, the Compensation of Employment (CoE) has been negatively affected and therefore not all vacant posts can be filled simultaneously. This has resulted in stringent measures being implemented to control the filling of positions including key line function posts to avoid over expenditure on CoE, which amongst others includes:

• Prioritisation of the posts in the Annual Recruitment Plan – where funding permits
• Prioritisation of the posts for conditional grant funding
• Filling of replacement posts considered and approved monthly.
• Provision of internship and community service programmes as part of augmenting services.

Provincial Departments have identified positions to be filled during the 2024/25 financial year through Annual Recruitment Plans (ARPs). Following approval of the ARPs against the available budget, provinces continue to recruit and fill positions accordingly through the use of adverts. There is ongoing communication through various platforms, including joint CFOs Forum and National Human Resources Committee, thus affording Provincial Departments opportunity to report on challenges experienced regarding recruitment.

(c) Headcount reductions increase workloads for the remaining staff, leading to higher stress levels, and decreased job satisfaction. However, the remaining staff continue to provide good quality clinical services. The loss of personnel through non-filling of posts being vacated has an impact on the number of patients that can be attended to.

2. The major challenge faced in recruiting and appointment of professionals is the budget cuts that were introduced by National Treasury, restricting filling of vacant posts.

In addition to the funding problem for recruitment, there are professional categories that remain low in terms of production and availability in the country, especially specialists such as Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, Theatre Nursing, ICU Nursing, etc. These shortages have been confirmed during a joint meeting with Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and South African Nursing Council (SANC) which prepared response to Department of Home Affairs to confirm list of critical skills to be considered for foreign workforce.

END.

Reply:

Find reply here

Reply:

(a)(i) The total number of staff employed and /or provided as Ministerial support in Minister’s private office is five (5).

(b)(i) Job Title	(b)(ii) Annual Remuneration Package	(b)(iii)Highest level of qualification
1. Chief of Staff – Salary Level 14	Salary Notch: R1 641 933 (Level 14, 10th notch) Role Playing Allowance: R 7 330 per month (R87 960 per annum). Total all-inclusive annual package: R1 729 893. This was offered to match the package he was paid in his previous employment.	Bachelor of Arts (NQF Level 7)
2. Assistant Appointment and Administrative Secretary – Salary Level 9	Salary Notch: R 444 036 (Level 9, 1st notch) 37% in lieu of benefits: R164 293 Role Playing Allowance: R 7 330 per month (R87 960 per annum). Total all-inclusive annual package: R696 289	Advanced Diploma in Business Management (NQF Level 7)
3. Receptionist – Salary Level 5	Salary Notch: R216 417 (Level 5, 1st notch) 37% in lieu of benefits: R80 047 Secretarial Allowance: R1667 per month (R20 004 per annum) Total all-inclusive annual package: R316 468	Bachelor of Public Administration Honours (NQF Level 8)
4. Household Aide x 2 – Salary Level 3	Salary Notch: R155 148 37% in lieu of benefits: R57 404 Total all-inclusive annual package: R212 552	National Senior Certificate (Matric) (NQF Level 4).

(a)(ii) The total staff employed in Deputy Minister Dr. ND Masemola’s private office is three (3).

(b)(i) Job Title	(b)(ii) Annual Remuneration Package	(b)(iii)Highest level of qualification
1.Parliamentary and Cabinet Support - Salary Level 11	Salary Notch: R849 702 (Level 11, 1st notch) Role Playing Allowance: R 7 330 per month (R87 960 per annum). Total all-inclusive annual package: R937 662	Bachelor of Education Honours (NQF Level 8)
2. Community Outreach Officer – Salary Level 11	Salary Notch: R849 702 per annum (all-inclusive) No role play allowance payable as per DPSA Financial Manual of 2019.	Advanced Diploma in Management (NQF Level 7)
3. Receptionist – Salary Level 5	Salary Notch: R216 417 (Level 5, 1st notch) 37% in lieu of benefits: R80 047 Secretarial Allowance: R1667 per month (R20 004 per annum) Total all-inclusive annual package: R316 468	National Senior Certificate (Matric) (NQF Level 4)

Departmental support to the Office of the Minister

(b)(i) Job Title	(b)(ii) Annual Remuneration Package	(b)(iii)Highest level of qualification
1. Administrative Support and Coordination – Salary Level 11	Salary Notch: R1000 908 (Level 11, Top notch)	Bachelor of Technology (BTech) in Management (NQF Level 7)
2. Parliamentary and Cabinet Officer – Salary Level 11	Salary Notch: R849 702 (Level 11, 1st notch)	Bachelor of Administration (NQF Level 7)

(a)(ii) A total of six (6) employees are appointed to provide Ministerial support in the private office of Deputy Minister Prince: Zolile Burns-Ncamashe, MP.

(b)(i) Job title	(b)(ii)Annual remuneration	(b)(iii)Highest level of academic qualification
Private & Appointment Secretary	R1 003 890.00	BTech: Public Management
Parliamentary & Cabinet Support	R849 702.00	ND: Human Resource Management
Community Outreach Officer	R849 702.00	BCom: Economics
Receptionist	R216 417.00	ND: Tourism Management
Household Aide	R155 148.00	Senior Certificate
Household Aide	R155 148.00	Senior Certificate

 

End.

Reply:

Find reply here

Reply:

It should be noted that all adolescents who are under 16 years of age are regarded as pregnant minors.

The first health care worker who comes into contact with a pregnant minor must take a proper history, document the information and provide the necessary health care in line with standard guidelines. This includes provision of individualised counselling where appropriate.

In addition, it is mandatory for all pregnancies in adolescent girls younger than 16 years of age to be reported using Form 22 (Reporting of Abuse or Deliberate Neglect of Child) contained in section 110 of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. In line with the instructions on the form, the completed form must be submitted to either the Provincial Department of Social Development (DSD), a designated child protection organisation or a police official. In practice, the reports are usually submitted to the local DSD service point.

(a) Department of Social Development (DSD)

Following submission of Form 22, the case should be investigated by the assigned/designated social worker who should conduct a home visit, and manage the case according to DSD protocols.

The Department of Health, in collaboration with the DSD, conducts quarterly webinars on capacity building on mandatory reporting of child abuse and/or neglect.

(b) South African Police Service (SAPS)

As noted above, reporting of all cases pregnancy in minors under 16 years of age is mandatory and such cases may be reported to a SAPS official either directly by a health care worker, or by a DSD official after case investigation.

(c) National Prosecuting Authority

The department does not interact directly with the National Prosecuting Authority with regards to pregnancy of minors. Forensic Health Nurses, who have received specialised training, work with the NPA with regards to cases of rape and sexual assault.

 

END.

Reply:

(a)(i) The total number of staff employed in the Minister’s private office is six (06).

(a)(ii) The total number of staff employed in the Deputy Minister’s private office is two (02).

(b)(i) Job Title	(b)(ii) Annual Remuneration	(b)(iii) Highest level of academic qualification
Chief of Staff	Seconded from the Department of Correctional Services R 1 437 165.00	National Higher Diploma: Correctional Services Management and Post Graduate Diploma: Labour Law (42 years correctional service experience)
Media Liaison Officer	R1 216 824.00	Bachelor of Laws (7 years’ experience)
Parliamentary Liaison	Seconded from South African Police Service R1 216 824.00	Grade 12 (27 years ministerial office experience)
Assistant Appointment & Administrative Secretary	Seconded from the Department of Correctional Services R332 217.00 (the official receives an Acting Allowance of R9 318.25 per month)	B Tech in Credit Management (14 years ministerial office experience)
Registry Clerk	Seconded from the Department of Correctional Services R308 154.00	National Diploma: Public Management (10 years ministerial office experience)
Receptionist	R216 417.00	Grade 12 (4 years ministerial office experience)

(b)(ii) Job Title	(b)(ii) Annual Remuneration	(b)(iii) Highest level of academic qualification
Head of Office	R1 216 824.00	BTECH in Public Management (10 years executive council office experience)
Receptionist	R216 417.00	Grade 12 (10 years executive council office experience)

END

Reply:

1. a) In terms of the employment statistics, Huawei had employed 57% local people and 43% foreign nationals as at 31^st March 2024. This is an improvement from employing over 90% foreign nationals around 2022.

b) The progress made by Huawei South Africa as agreed in 2022 to replace staff members who are foreign nationals is as follows; in terms of EE Report 2023 as submitted by Huawei South Africa to the Department of Employment and Labour; foreign nationals occupy 60% of all positions in

top management; 53% in senior management; 64% in professionally qualified/ middle management; and 35% of all positions at skilled technical/ junior management level. There are no foreign nationals employed at the lowest level, which is the semi-skilled level in the organisation. The Department of Employment and Labour will continue to monitor the progress of employment of local people at management levels as these are significant strategic decision making positions that influence the transformation agenda in the country.

2. The Department of Employment Labour participates in joint inspections together with the Department of Home affairs and South African Police Service (SAPS) to ensure that the employment of foreign nationals is done within the prescripts of the law. During the joint inspections, Labour Inspectors enforce employment laws to non-compliant employers while the Immigration Officers from the Department of Home Affairs assisted by SAPS deal with undocumented foreign nationals who are in employment.

3. The Department has developed a Draft National Labour Migration Policy (NLMP) and Draft Employment Services Amendment Bill that was released for public consultations after approval by Cabinet. The two documents were subsequently adjusted and processed, after written and oral submissions and negotiations were received from NEDLAC. The revised documents were submitted to the Presidency for the secondary Socio Economic Impact Analysis System (SEIAS) process and the State Law Advisors Certification process. We are in our last leg of Directors General Cluster consultations and I will be presenting the final Draft NLMP and Draft Employment Services Amendment Bill to Cabinet for approval during October 2024 for referral to Parliament to commence with its process.

Reply:

(i1) he number of cases, per specified crime, for which suspects were arrested in the 2023/24 financial year, but which were withdrawn due to insufficient evidence, is as follows:

• Murder cases – 9.
• Hijacking (includes carjacking and truck-hijacking) – 18.
• Rape cases – 1 416.

(2) The South African Police Service (SAPS) cannot determine the total number of cases that the National Prosecuting Authority refused to prosecute in 2023/24, due to insufficient evidence.

(3)(a) A total of 4 153 alleged incidents of wrongful arrest were registered, during the 2023/24 financial year.

(3)(b) Claims totalling R 2 241 082 675.00 were filed with the SAPS, however, it should be noted that this is not the amount that would potentially be paid to claimants.

(4) This information is not readily available on the Case Administration System (CAS) / Investigate Case Docket Management System (ICDMS). A detailed analysis will have to be conducted, per station, in order to provide this information. Case dockets will have to be extracted from archives and manually perused to identify the cases that relate to this request. This will be an extremely time-consuming exercise, which, given the operational policing requirement, would not practical, as it will divert critical resources, thereby impacting negatively on service delivery.

Reply to question 113 recommended/ not recommended

GENERAL

NATIONAL COMMISSIONER: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE

SF MASEMOLA (SOEG)

Date:

Reply to question 113 approved/ not approved

MINISTER OF POLICE

MR ES MCHUNU, MP

Date:

Reply:

It is crucial to emphasize that our foreign policy closely aligns with our nation's domestic priorities as outlined in the National Developmental Plan Vision 2030. Our economic diplomacy efforts, including trade, tourism, and investment promotion are pivotal in our global economic programs. These concerted activities have yielded concrete results, significantly contributing to increased investments and job creation in the post-COVID-19 era. Furthermore, our initiatives have spurred a notable rise in tourism, thereby substantially bolstering economic growth and creating employment opportunities for our fellow South Africans, consequently aiding in alleviating poverty. It is important to underscore that our economic diplomacy initiatives are intricately integrated with and complementary to the development goals delineated in the National Development Plan, New Growth Path, Sectoral Masterplans, Operation Vulindlela, Energy Action Plan, and other pertinent frameworks. Consequently, our emphasis remains steadfast on attracting foreign direct investments, recognizing their crucial role in generating employment and catalyzing economic expansion, thereby supplementing our endeavours in job creation.

 

COMPILER DETAILS

NAME AND SURNAME: Palesa Rachidi

CONTACT: 060 994 5547/ [email protected]

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Minister approves and signs the Parliamentary Reply to Parliamentary Question 226.

 

MR Z DANGOR

DIRECTOR–GENERAL: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

PARLIAMENTARY REPLY 226 IS APPROVED / NOT APPROVED / AMENDED.

COMMENT/S

MR RO LAMOLA, MP

MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

Reply:

The 44^th Ordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government was held on 17 August 2024 in Harare, Republic of Zimbabwe. The deliberations and outcomes of the Summit and its preceding meetings do, in our view, reflect the aspirations of the region to advance democracy, development and the protection of human rights in terms of SADC’s Treaty, SADC’s Vision 2050 and the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030. Some of these issues do correspond with aspirations enshrined in our Constitution, the National Development Plan 2030 and other normative frameworks that we have adopted over the years.

Regarding the advancement of democracy, the Summit noted that this year alone 6 SADC Member States were scheduled to have elections. South Africa and Madagascar both successfully held elections in the first half of 2024, while Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Mauritius will be holding elections between September and November 2024. The holding of regular democratic elections, which have been observed by SADC Election Observation Missions (SEOMs), are consistent with the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.

Regarding advancement of development, Summit received and deliberated on the SADC Executive Secretary’s report which shows that region is making progress in the implementation of RISDP 2020-2030 (SADC’s development plan) although there is still more work to be done in Pillar II (Industrial Development and Market Integration). Full implementation of SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063 will go a long way in improving the region’s performance in this Pillar.

Summit also deliberated on issues such as food security, access to water and sanitation, the status of health, gender parity and commitment to end Gender-Based Violence, environment conservation and mitigation of climate-induced disasters and approved the Declaration on the Protection of Persons with Albinism, among others – all of which, either directly or indirectly, find expression in Chapter 2 of our Constitution (The Bill of Rights). To add to the advancement of human rights agenda, South Africa signed Declaration on Accelerating Action to End AIDS as a Public Health Threat by 2030 and Agreement Amending SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. Implementation of these legal instruments is the responsibility of respective Departments.

 

COMPILER DETAILS

NAME AND SURNAME:

CONTACT:

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Minister approves and signs the Parliamentary Reply to Parliamentary Question 232.

 

MR Z DANGOR

DIRECTOR–GENERAL: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

PARLIAMENTARY REPLY 232 IS APPROVED / NOT APPROVED / AMENDED.

COMMENT/S

MR RO LAMOLA, MP

MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

Reply:

1. A case of Common Assault with CAS 114/07/2024, at uMkomaas has been opened and is being investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
2. Measures were taken by South African Police Service (SAPS), as a departmental investigation was initiated and no further action will be taken against the identified member(s), as per investigation report.

Reply:

The National Disaster Management Centre continues to work closely with Provincial Disaster Management Centers, Municipal Disaster Management Centers and in collaboration with the sector departments and community based organisations to conduct awareness campaigns to communities staying in disaster high risk areas. However, there is no date set by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to move persons from dangerous areas in KwaZulu-Natal and other provinces as the matter is outside the legislated mandate of the Department. COGTA, continues to coordinate and collaborate with the relevant organs of state across the three spheres to promote the implementation of applicable legislation, as well as the enforcement of by-laws that regulate the settlement of people in dangerous areas. The movement of specified persons from dangerous areas to areas of safety is the responsibility of the Department of Human Settlements working in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. The movement of the specified persons is also dependent on the availability of suitable (safe) land, financial resources and the application of policy in the allocation of housing.

In terms of the relocation of households from disaster prone areas, the National Department of Human Settlements has collaborated with the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, to locate all the informal settlements that are on dangerous zones using drone technology. Once located, the province or eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality must then permanently relocate the affected households to new serviced land parcels where the construction of permanent houses will ultimately take place. This relocation is funded through Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant (ISUPG) that is allocated annually to KZNDHS and City of Ethekwini based on business plans approved by the Minister of Human Settlements.

 

End.

Reply:

On 15 April 2023, the South African Government coordinated an emergency evacuation of all the diplomatic staff, including the Ambassador and South African nationals that were based in Sudan at the time. The evacuees arrived at the OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa on 30 April 2023.

Due to the intensity of the ongoing conflict, the humanitarian catastrophe has increased. Unfortunately, South Africa is currently not in a position to formulate a humanitarian response to the affected communities of Sudan due to ongoing security challenges.

 

COMPILER DETAILS

NAME AND SURNAME: Brian Sebola

CONTACT: Cell: 083 628 0928 (Email: [email protected])

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Minister approves and signs the Parliamentary Reply to Parliamentary Question 242.

 

MR Z DANGOR

DIRECTOR–GENERAL: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

PARLIAMENTARY REPLY 242 IS APPROVED / NOT APPROVED / AMENDED.

COMMENT/S

MR RO LAMOLA, MP

MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

DATE:

Reply:

The main priorities for digital transformation and service improvements are outlined in greater detail below, focusing on three key areas:

1. Digitally transforming DHA through automation and advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.
2. Enhancing the efficiency of frontline office operations.
3. Implementing fit-for-purpose regulatory compliance solutions and services.

By automating processes and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), we aim to reduce the time spent on routine tasks, thereby enhancing the overall service experience. Improving current adjudication processes and systems is a key focus, supported by a collaborative effort between the DHA and our business partners.

We recognize that the current system fragmentation hinders the seamless experience we strive for at DHA. To address this, we are working towards a single-view, integrated National Identification System (NIS). Additionally, we must strengthen the capabilities of our foreign missions and ensure robust connectivity across all Home Affairs offices.

Security remains a top priority; all changes will be implemented with stringent security measures to protect identities. The ongoing digitization of records, which aims to improve search capability, is progressing well and is expected to significantly reduce wait times for document copies in the future.

Reducing queues at our service points is another critical priority. Factors such as system outages, counter setups, and inefficient processes all contribute to this challenge. We are collaborating with the CSIR to review and optimize service availability.

We are adopting a one-stop service model, akin to the Epping Office in Cape Town model, to streamline front-office operations. This includes integrating walk-ins and the queue management system with the Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS). Expanding our footprint to 100 banks is part of our strategy to foster a culture shift towards more modern and efficient methods.

Improving internal and external communications is essential to driving positive changes at the Home Affairs Contact Centre (HACC), and modernising the DHA website will enhance the user experience.

In summary, the DHA is committed to driving digital transformation through automation and Artificial Intelligent (AI), thereby enhancing the efficiency of frontline operations, and ensuring regulatory compliance with fit-for-purpose solutions. By focusing on system integration, security, and service improvements, we aim to deliver a seamless, modernized experience for all stakeholders while reducing wait times and fostering a culture of innovation and efficiency across the organisation.

END.

Reply:

(a) The Department of Tourism received 4000 written submissions, of which 500 were duplicates. All submissions were duly considered before finalisation of the document.

(b) The Department of Tourism has submitted the White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa to the Cabinet Secretariat for the Cabinet’s consideration in September 2024. As soon as the Cabinet approves it, it will be introduced to Parliament.

Reply:

a) None

b) Not applicable

 

Reply:

The Honourable Member is requested to refer this question to the Minister in Presidency, as Brand SA is not part of the Portfolio of Tourism.

(a)– (c) Not applicable

 

Reply:

No official from the department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation attended the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Reply:

Yes, the NPC has issued several advisory notes for both 2023 and 2024. The NPC released three specific advisories: On Early Childhood Development, the National Spatial Development Framework, and the National Macro-Organisation of Government as noted below.

1. Early Childhood Development

(a) The NPC issued an advisory in March 2024 on Early Childhood Development (ECD) titled, ‘Effective Cross-departmental and Inter-Governmental Coordination in Early Childhood Development: The First Step in Developing the ECD Sectoral Strategy for the 2024-2029 Medium-Term National Development Plan’, to make a case for a set of urgent interventions to address challenges in the coordination mechanisms in achieving an integrated ECD sectoral strategy, which is expected to inform the 2024-2029 Medium-Term Development Plan.

(b) To coordinate ECD at national level, the NPC recommends that the Minister in the Presidency urgently convene an inaugural meeting of a Ministerial ECD working group/inter-ministerial subcommittee of the Social Protection, Community and Human Development Cabinet Cluster to meet MTDP timeframes. The ministerial subcommittee and its Directors-General cluster counterpart should be coordinated and led by the Minister of Basic Education and be comprised of the Ministers and Directors-General of Basic Education, Social Development, Health, Public Works and Infrastructure, and Cooperative Governance.

2. Advisory on the Implementation of the National Spatial Development Framework

(a) An advisory on the implementation of the National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF) was issued to the Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in August 2023.

(b) The advisory outlined some of the NPC’s recommendations, advice, and guidance on implementing the NSDF. The NPC’s involvement in the NSDF process was to ensure that the NSDF reflects the NDP’s goals and objectives and is a workable mechanism for implementing the NDP. The NPC recommended that the NSDF functions be clearly outlined to improve efficiency, consolidate related functions, and enhance coordination. The spatial planning function must also result in improved spatial transformation in line with the NDP’s objectives.

3. Advisory on the 2024 National Macro Organisation of Government (NMOG) Process
a) The NPC issued an Advisory to the Presidency on the NMOG process in November 2023.

b) The macro-organisation of the state is one of the NPC’s priority areas in response to Chapter 13 of the NDP about building a capable and developmental state. The NPC advised that the reconfiguration of government must not simply be about alignment with the new administration every five years but a deliberate strategic intention to build state capacity and institutional capability and to deal with the coordination challenge across the spheres of government. It also recommended that all the work related to the state-owned enterprises should be aligned with the broader reform initiatives in the sector, as spearheaded by the Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Council and mooted in the National State Enterprises Bill.

Most recently the National Planning Commission held a bilateral with the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME). The Commission advised the DPME on priorities for the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) and what it should focus on.

Reply:

a) What total number of jobs will be created by:
(i)Working for Tourism (ii)The Expanded Public Works Programme and related infrastructure projects	For the 2024-25 financial year, the Working for Tourism Expanded Public Works Programme has a target of 5,820 Work Opportunities. The infrastructure and maintenance projects will contribute to 331 Work Opportunities.
(iii)The Tourism Incentive Programme	The support mechanisms under the Tourism Incentive Programme aim to achieve various objectives, which include: promoting operational efficiencies by reducing pressure on the electricity and water resources of the country and ensuring an uninterrupted visitor experience for tourists; increasing growth, transformation and stimulating more inclusive participation in the tourism sector in line with the targets of the Tourism B-BBEE Sector Codes; improving access to markets and facilitating capital investment to stimulate enterprise growth and improve competitiveness. While the enabling support will stimulate enterprise growth and expansion, jobs are created by the Private Sector that receives the incentive grant from the Department of Tourism. An accurate measurement of jobs created can be reported at the end of the 2024-25 financial year.
(iv)Other specified marketing efforts	The following marketing platforms created jobs: Africa’s Travel Indaba (ATI) 2023 economic impact was as follows: Contribution to GDP: R1.2 billion Contribution to employment: 2 295 jobs Meetings Africa 2023 economic impact was as follows: Contribution to GDP: R388 599 039 Contribution to employment: 753 jobs Basic Quality Verification (BQV) programme The Basic Qualification Verification (BQV) Programme, led by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa, focuses on supporting homestays and other emerging tourism products in VTSDs. It is a structured development programme that enables tourism accommodation products that do not meet the core grading requirements to access trade and provide access to funding opportunities within the sector. The programme was launched in 2021 with the Eastern Cape as the pilot province and trained 15 unemployed graduates. In the reporting year, the project rolled out to KwaZulu-Natal with 29 graduates trained as assessors. For FY 2024/25 BQV rollout in Gauteng, 15 unemployed graduates will be recruited as evaluators for the duration of the programme. Domestic Summer Campaign 2023 The Summer Campaign had a significant economic impact, creating 914 jobs, supporting 85 businesses and involving 81 SMMEs.

 

 

b) What are the details of the envisaged contribution of the specified programmes and marketing efforts to the revenue of
(i) Department of Tourism	None of the programmes under the TIP generates any revenue for the Department of Tourism. None of the Department's programmes generate revenue for the Department of Tourism.
(ii) SA Tourism	SA Tourism generates revenue through Grading Fees, Africa Travel Indaba and Meetings Africa. SA Tourism generated revenue in the 2023/24 financial year, which is listed in the table below.   Grading Fees Africa Travel Indaba Meetings Africa   R'000 Revenue 15 995 31 163 60 008 Expenses - 11 547 - 30 982 - 59 579 Net Contribution to Revenue 4 448 181 428

Reply:

a) The full details of the projects that SA Tourism will undertake in the 2024-25 financial year.

The Annual Performance Plan for the 2024-25 financial year was tabled on 2 April 2024 (ATC no. 43 of 2024) and details all SAT programmes for the financial year 2024/25. It includes the following programmes:

Programme 1: Corporate Support

Programme 2: Business Enablement

Programme 3: Leisure Tourism Marketing

Programme 4: Business Events

Programme 5: Tourist Experience

b) The expected contributions of each project to economic growth and job creation.

Tourism is a vital sector for South Africa. In the first Quarter of 2024, it contributed more directly and indirectly to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than transport, mining, and agriculture and nearly matched the government's contribution to GDP.

The total contribution of the impact of tourism will be accurately measured at the end of the 2024/25 financial year.

END

Reply:

 

The total number of tourists who visited the Republic from France in the past three years:
2023 to 2024	62 838 (Jan-Jun 2024) 119 974 (Jan-Dec 2023)
2022 to 2023	76 077 (Jan-Dec 2022)
2021 to 2022	19 761 (Jan-Dec 2021)

Source: Stats SA, Tourism and Migration Report (2021-2024)

Reply:

The Mopani District Municipality, the Implementing Agent for the project, is currently implementing Phase 1 of the Giyani Reticulation of 55 Villages covering 24 villages. Project progress is at 85% and 9 villages are already receiving water. The balance of 15 villages of the 24 villages being reticulated as part of phase 1 of the project, are due to receive water by December 2024.

a) With regard to the remaining 31 villages that are yet to be reticulated, the Mopani District Municipality (DM) is currently supplying water through water tankers, existing bulk pipelines, RDP standard standpipes and in some cases, through yard connections mostly from groundwater sources (boreholes).

b) Mopani DM is in the process of applying for Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) funding to implement Phase 2 of the reticulation project for the remaining 31 villages. Due to financial constraints and the need to ensure proper planning, phase 2 of the project will be implemented under the 2025/26 financial year at an estimated cost of R2 billion.

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Reply:

No employees from the Department of Public Service and Administration attended the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in their official capacity. Therefore, no costs were incurred in relation to the Paris Olympic Games 2024.

End

Reply:

a)  No officials attended the Paris Olympic Games

b) No costs were incurred.

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Reply:

a) and (b):

The Public Service Act 1994 (PSA) mandates the DPSA to support the MPSA in establishing norms and standards relating to the conditions of service and other employment practices for employees within the public service. The employment and utilisation of foreign nationals in the Public Service is governed by the Constitution and is in line with the Public Service and Immigration Acts. Section 10(a) of the Public Service Act, 1994 – states that “No person shall be appointed permanently, whether on probation or not, to any post on the establishment in a department unless he or she- (a) is a South African citizen or permanent resident”. Regulation 64 3(b) of the Public Service Regulation, 2016 gives effect to this section and states that– “An executive authority shall not employ a foreign national, unless- in the case of a temporary appointment, he or she is a permanent resident or he or she has been issued with an appropriate permit in terms of the Immigration Act.”

In terms of Larbi-Odam and others v MEC for Education (North-West Province) and another 1996 (12) BCLR 1612 (B), Constitutional Court ruling, foreign individuals with permanent residency status enjoy the same rights as South African citizens including in employment. The categorization of the information below, would therefore, include permanent residents and sometimes, South Africans with dual citizenship.

The MPSA issued Policy on the Utilisation of Foreign Nationals to Address Human Resource and Skills Needs (Policy) in the Public Service is being revised into a Directive to promote professionalisation, align with new developments in the Future World of Work and provide clear guidance on recruitment, selection, and secondment procedures of foreign nationals.

The table below contains information drawn from PERSAL. It displays the total number of 6,220 foreign nationals employed across National and Provincial Departments and Government Components as of 31 July 2024.

6,220 makes up 0.5% of the estimated 1 2 million public servants and encompasses the total of both temporary employees engaged for specific durations and those who have acquired permanent residency status.

Table: 1

Number of foreign nationals appointed in the Public Service by department and Government component as on 31 July 2024
National/ Provincial department or Government component			Number
Total			6 220
Eastern Cape	Total		579
	Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs		2
	Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism		1
	Education		337
	Health		208
	Human Settlements		2
	Office of the Premier		2
	Provincial Treasury		5
	Public Works and Infrastructure		4
	Rural Development and Agrarian Reform		11
	Social Development		4
	Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture		1
	Transport		2
Free State	Total		235
	Agriculture and Rural Development		4
	Community Safety, Roads and Transport		2
	Education		53
	Health		161
	Human Settlements		3
	Provincial Treasury		1
	Public Works and Infrastructure		4
	Social Development		7
Gauteng	Total		1 705
	Agriculture and Rural Development		16
	Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs		2
	Community Safety		1
	Education		826
	Health		839
	Human Settlements		3
	Infrastructure Development		7
	Office of the Premier		1
	Provincial Treasury	Infrastructure Financing Agency	1
		Provincial Treasury	1
	Roads and Transport		5
	Social Development		3
KwaZulu-Natal	Total		647
	Agriculture and Rural Development		13
	Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs		4
	Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs		4
	Education		271
	Finance		2
	Health		345
	Public Works		7
	Transport		1
Limpopo	Total		291
	Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs		1
	Economic Development, Environment and Tourism		1
	Education		114
	Health		163
	Provincial Treasury		1
	Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure		10
	Sports, Arts and Culture		1
Mpumalanga	Total		653
	Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs		5
	Education		465
	Health		175
	Human Settlements		4
	Public Works, Roads and Transport		4
National	Total		724+D23
	Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development		27
	Basic Education		15
	Cooperative Governance	Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent	17
	Correctional Services		9
	Employment and Labour		6
	Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment		16
	Government Communication and Information System		1
	Health		3
	Higher Education and Training		291
	Justice and Constitutional Development	Justice and Constitutional Development	201
		National Prosecuting Authority	5
	Mineral Resources and Energy		1
	National Treasury	Government Pensions Administration Agency	2
		Government Technical Advisory Centre	10
		National Treasury	7
	Office of the Chief Justice		1
	Office of the Public Service Commission		1
	Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation		1
	Police		13
	Public Enterprises		1
	Public Service and Administration		3
	Public Works and Infrastructure		27
	Science and Innovation		3
	Social Development		4
	Statistics South Africa		3
	Trade, Industry and Competition		6
	Transport		2
	Water and Sanitation		48
North West	Total		608
	Agriculture and Rural Development		12
	Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs		1
	Education		221
	Health		367
	Office of the Premier		1
	Provincial Treasury		1
	Public Works and Roads		2
	Social Development		3
Northern Cape	Total		425
	Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Affairs		5
	Economic Development and Tourism		1
	Education		280
	Health		136
	Provincial Treasury		1
	Roads and Public Works		1
	Social Development		1
Western Cape	Total		353
	Agriculture		3
	Cultural Affairs and Sport		1
	Economic Development and Tourism		2
	Education		126
	Environmental Affairs and Development Planning		3
	Health and Wellness		199
	Infrastructure		12
	Local Government		1
	Mobility		1
	Police Oversight and Community Safety		1
	Social Development		3
	The Premier		1
Data source: PERSAL
Excluding Defence and State Security Agency

End

Reply:

(a)(i) Eleven (11).

(ii) Seven (7).

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

Office of the Minister
(i) Job Title	Salary Level		Number of posts		(ii) Annual Remuneration Package			(iii) Highest level of academic qualification
Special Advisor	13-16		2		R 1 216 824-R 2 259 984			Not yet appointed
Chief of Staff	14		1		R 1 436 022			LLB
Private and Appointment Secretary	13		1		R 1 216 824			Not yet appointed
Media Liaison Officer	13		1		R 1 216 824			Not yet appointed
Parliamentary Officer	13		1		R 1 216 824			Not yet appointed
Community Outreach Officer	11		1		R 849 702			Not yet appointed
Assistant Appointment and Administrative Secretary	09		1		R 608 329.32			Not yet appointed
Receptionist	05		1		R 296 491.29			Not yet appointed
Household Aide	03		2		R 212 552.76			Not yet appointed
Total			11
Office of the Deputy Minister
(i) Job Title		Salary Level		Number of posts		(ii) Annual Remuneration Package	(iii) Highest level of academic qualification
Head of Office		13		1		R 1 216 824	Master of Management
Private and Appointment Secretary		12		1		R 1 003 890	Not yet appointed
Parliamentary and Cabinet Support		11		1		R 849 702	National Diploma
Community Outreach Officer		11		1		R 849 702	Not yet appointed
Receptionist		05		1		R 296 491.29	Grade 10
Household Aide		03		2		R 212 552.76	Grade 10
Total				07

Reply:

a)  Water is provided through tankers from various stakeholders who had aided with treated water from the Swartland Water Treatment Plant in Malmesbury as follows:

Tanker Provider	Quantity	Tanker Capacity (litres)
Cape Winelands District Municipality	2	10 000
Drakenstein Local Municipality	1	10 000
Swartland Local Municipality	2	10 000
Coca Cola	2	35 000
Gift of the Givers	2	5 000
George Local Municipality	1	35 000
Swartland Local Municipality	1	6 000
Total tankers capacity		171 0

The three 35 000 litre tankers are solely used to distribute potable drinking water from the Malmesbury Water Treatment Plant to the other tankers to allow distribution within the affected areas. Community members collect drinking water from the roaming smaller capacity tankers/trucks. The municipality has also received 5 000 three litre containers from Darling Dairy to ensure that the containers used by the community members to collect the treated water from the trucks meets quality standards. It was confirmed that the tankers were distributing water between 06h00 and 23h00 daily.

These measures are in line with the Water Services Act 108 of 1997 under Section 9(1), Compulsory Norms and Standards, which stipulate:

A Water Service Institution must take reasonable measures to ensure that where water supply is interrupted for a period of more than 24 hours including where an emergency is declared, consumer has an alternative water supply which: -

a) Consist of at least 10 litres of potable water per person per day, and

b) Is made available at strategically determined points of delivery that are relatively convenient and safe

An emergency level of water service is aimed at meeting displaced people’s need for potable water for drinking and hygiene within 24 hours of the onset of a sudden or declared emergency or disaster situation and for as long as the situation persists.

Efforts are underway to source mobile facilities for sanitation as reported in the JOC meeting.

b) The teams on site have reported to the Joint Operations Committee (JOC) a period of 8 weeks for complete restoration from 09 August 2024. The technical scope has been finalised and contractor appointed. Materials have been ordered and as soon as they are delivered, construction will commence.

c) The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has recommended that the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development must conduct a national audit on all their properties where there are dams and apply for classification and registration with the departmental Dam Safety Office, should those dams meet the requirements to be classified as dams with a safety risk. When dams are registered with DWS, it is easier to regulate them as we will be having them in our database. There are currently 5703 registered dams in the departmental register of dams with a safety risk a dam with a safety risk is defined as dam having a vertical wall height of at least 5 m and able to store more than 50 000 m³ (or 5 mega-litres).

When dams are registered and regulated, it is mandatory for the owner to submit dam safety evaluation report to the department’s Dam Safety Office once every five years. In that way, we are able to detect if there is any findings and recommendations stemming from the report, which must be implemented by the owner to ensure the safety of the dam. The department has these registered dams geo-referenced on Google Earth, however, it is not possible to know which dams are registered or not unless we have to search for them either physically or using the above-mentioned Google Earth platform.

The Department is also capacitating the Specialist Unit: Dam Safety Regulation through the creation of additional human resources and this will assist in increasing our regulatory capacity.

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Reply:

Neither the Minister or any official from Department of Correctional Services travelled to France to attend the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in their official capacity.
 

Reply:

a) The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has identified national priorities for Teacher Development for a three-year circle. In 2024/25 the following initiatives/priorities are being addressed:

• Learning Recovery Programme
• Sign Language
• Reading
• Digital Skills – Remote learning, teaching and training (Skills for the Changing World)
• Foundation Phase & Intermediate Phase Mathematics/Numeracy
• Novice Teachers’ Induction and Mentoring
• ECD; and
• Occupational and Vocational subjects content.

b) DBE is currently working with the EDTP SETA to strengthen the policy framework through the review of the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development (ISPFTED) and the National Framework for Teacher Education and Development (NFTED). DBE has strengthening collaboration with DHET to improve the quality of programmes and instituting induction programme. The Provincial Education Departments have the Skills Levy that is used to roll-out programmes. They also allocate a portion of the voted funds. DBE has also developed a Strategy for Coordination and Resourcing of Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) programmes which will assist PEDs and DBE in coordination the use of skills development funding. Provinces have also established Provincial Teacher Development Institutes and District Teacher Development Centres as local hubs for professional development. These hubs are in all education districts in the country. They are supported by DBE partners such as Vodacom to equip and connect them. Teachers use these hubs for training as well as to access digital programmes and materials. DBE has also expanded access through online Teacher Development platform and strengthening the institutional mechanisms (Including the National Institute for Curriculum and Professional Development (NICPD). Furthermore, DBE together with PEDs have established Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). DBE also works with the Teacher Union Collaboration (TUC) programme where Teacher Unions rollout critical CPTD Programmes. Through Funza Lushaka, the Department funded and supplied the sector with teachers in different phases with the following throughput:  For Intermediate and Senior/FET Phases the subjects provided are Mathematics, Science, Technology, Engineering. For Foundation Phase we provide teachers with Language and Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy.

c) The Department has developed impact assessment tools to determine the impact of CPTD programmes. Furthermore, DBE collaborates with the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT), VVOB and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) such as Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of Johannesburg (UJ), etc.

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Reply:

The question relating to schools to be repaired and renovated in North West, all provinces and districts  falls under the Executive Authority of the respective Members of the Executive Council (MEC) for the respective provinces. The Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MEC's for Education in Provinces as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134 (5)(b) of the NA rules. 

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Reply:

(a&b) Department of Home Affairs and SITA are engaged in a project of phasing out diginet / copper links to the offices which are often vandalised and cause prolonged downtime. Diginet has been replaced at nine offices as part of phase one earmarked for conclusion in 2024/25 financial includes 35 offices. Phase two which will be implemented during the next financial year covers 22 offices.

END.

Reply:

a) No official from the Department of Home Affairs attended the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in an official capacity.

b) No expenditure was incurred by the Department of Home Affairs in relation to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

END

Reply:

(1)&(2) Syndicate activities are identified through reported cases, during investigations and analysis of data. The department is committed to rooting out fraud and corruption and as a result, the Branch: Counter Corruption and Security Services continues to reinforce collaborative efforts with law enforcement agencies through regular engagements and projects.

Cases involving officials are referred to the Directorate: Employee Engagement for disciplinary action and acts of criminality are referred to law enforcement agencies for criminal action. If investigations necessitate suspension, employees are suspended or precautionary transferred to a less risky environment while investigations proceed.

END.

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a) The common practice in the mining sector is to build all change houses on surface for both female and male mineworkers. The main purpose of these change houses is to change from civilian clothes to the mine’s personal protective equipment (PPE) at the start of the shift and vice versa at the end of the shift. For health and safety reasons, all mineworkers are prohibited from accessing underground workings without the appropriate PPE. So, if the change houses were located underground, mineworkers were going to be exposed to hazardous conditions underground before changing into their Personal Protective Equipment or Clothing.

b) The Department has compiled a guideline for the compilation of the mandatory code of practice on the selection and provision of PPE for Women in Mining in the South African Mining Industry. In addition, the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate continuously monitors compliance with the provisions of the Mine Health and Safety Act including health and safety matters affecting women in mining. Where non-compliance is identified, the necessary statutory instructions are issued to order compliance.

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