Questions and Replies

Reply:

According to information received from ALEXKOR

1. The contract was signed on or about 09 September 2011.
2. There was a rigorous tender process (based on stringent criteria) which was preceded by consultation with the Richtersveld community in early 2010, as indicated in the annual report of 2011. The procurement process was compliant with the PFMA and Treasury Regulations and there were no findings by the external auditors Price Waterhouse Coopers Inc.
3. The contract was signed by the CEO at the time, Ms Khetiwe McClain on 09 Septemeber 2011. No end date is specified on the contract and this is currently being reviewed. The contract is with Alexkor SOC Limited for the benefit of the Pooling and Sharing Joint Venture.

 

Reply:

According to the information received from Transnet

(a) (i)(ii) and (b)

The planning phase of the port and Rail development has shown that there exists a potential of 13 000 jobs that will be required for the port construction. Transnet’s short-term goal is to prioritize the training, development, and skilling of the local community from Richtersveld.

Reply:

According to information received from ALEXKOR

1. The SIU is still busy with its investigation. However, an interim briefing did not implicate officials employed by Alexkor nor the PSJV. Should the final report implicate any official appropriate action will be taken.
2. Security at the mine has been increased and a special unit has been appointed to maintain safety and prevent illegal activity.
3. An initiative through the Departments of Mineral Resource and Energy is in progress. Three local women have been identified and areas of work identified to accommodate them.

 

Reply:

a) The operating license information is stored on the Department’s Operating License Administration System (OLAS). According to OLAS the total number of taxis with valid operating licenses in Gauteng is:

• Minibus Taxis = 31 723
• Meter Taxis including ehailing = 7087.

The data on OLAS is also on the eNaTIS because for a taxi to acquire an operating licence it must have been registered on eNatis and have a vehicle licence.

b) The Registration Administrative System (RAS) is utilised to register taxi associations, their members and vehicles. The same number of operating licenses appearing on OLAS for Gauteng operators is captured on the RAS

Reply:

The response for question 1 and 2 are as detailed below for Free State, Limpopo and North West.

Please see attached:

Annexure A- Free State Province

Annexure B: Limpopo Province; and

Annexure C: North West Province

Reply:

1. There was no extension provided to departments, departments are gradually responding to circular HRD0301 by updating data on PERSAL.

2. Below are the responses for question 2 (a) and (b):

a) PERSAL is specifically designed for payment of employees’ salaries. The capturing of qualifications on PERSAL is currently not mandatory and until such time, when capturing of qualification on PERSAL is made mandatory, the Department cannot employ any punitive measures.

b) The Department of Public Service and Administration continues to monitor compliance in terms of the implementation of the PSR, 2016 and the Directive on compulsory capacity development, mandatory training days and minimum entry requirements for members of senior management service. Individual letters are prepared to Head of Departments requesting them to provide proof of qualifications for Senior Managers who were appointed during the implementation of the Public Service Regulations, 2016 and the said Directive.

End

Reply:

According to the information received from Transnet

The matter is being handled by the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality as it is their sewer pump that has failed. TNPA is the affected party in this case. It is recommended that the question be referred to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) as they are the responsible ministry in this instance. 

Reply:

1. The road P31 from the intersection with N3 Van Reenen’s pass to Ladysmith in the Alfred Duma local municipality has an extent of 28km. The maintenance repair for this road includes various maintenance activities listed in the table below.

No.	(a) Budgeted amount	(b) Detailed work to be carried	(c) Section of road to be repaired	(d) Date that work will be carried	(e) Expenditure
1	R 992 000	Blacktop patching (Pothole)	0.5km to 2.5km	November 2022	No expenditure to date
2	R 992 000	Line marking and road studs	0.00km to 3km	November 2022	No expenditure to date

Reply:

According to the information received from Transnet

This question does not apply to TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) and should be redirected to the Northern Cape Provincial Government.

Reply:

The road R34 is P393

As a Short-term intervention, the local office has a maintenance contract responsible for the drain cleaning and verge maintenance in addition, the district has utilised the internal teams to repair the current potholes on the R34 on a regular basis.

As a Medium-Term intervention The Department does have a plan for the Rehabilitation of road P393. However, the department has appointed IDT as the implementing agent with the 1st batch of projects in the planning stage to be implemented later in 2022/23 financial year. P393(R34) is anticipated to be in the 2nd batch which considering design procurement and all the applicable stages will anticipate work on the ground in the 2024/25 financial year.

Reply:

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA)

ACSA acknowledges that from time to time some passengers may have difficulty in way finding; and where it is established that there are recurring problem areas, these are resolved at an operational level either by installing temporary or permanent new signage. Other initiatives taken to assist passengers are passenger agents who are on the floor as well as at strategically placed information desks located in the terminal.

We are also aware that there are opportunities for further enhancement of our signage in general, however this is not a current key priority. The limited funding that we have available for repairs, maintenance and capital projects is deployed to essential assets that need to be brought back into operations after being mothballed during COVID, and for asset maintenance and refurbishments to ensure operations are sustainable. As traffic recovers further, and the financial resources are made available we will embark on other projects that will further enhance our operations, signage being one of them. The signage interventions that will be considered for implementation at that stage includes fixed and variable electronic signage, further enhancements to the ACSA app way finding section, and floor maps.

 

Reply:

1. Based on the figures below (revenue that National Treasury received from the Levy), it can be estimated to be about 2.2 %.

“In the revenue year 2021/22, the Health Promotion Levy (colloquially referred to as the sugar tax) contributed a total of R 2,259,832,000.00* in the revenue collections that were reported by the South African Revenue Service. The R 2,259,832,000.00* collected reflects R2, 182,323,000.00* in domestic levy and R77, 510,000.00* in an import levy. Overall the FY2021/22 collections represent a growth of 6.92% on the FY2020/21 collections of R2, 113,606,000.00 (R2, 046,177,000.00 domestic levy and R67, 429,000.00 in import levy). “

* All figures for FY2021/22 are preliminary pending auditing processes.

The following are the actual amounts that the Department received:

• R50m in 2018/19
• R40m in 2109/20
• R49 699m in 2020/21
• R53.5 in 2021/22
• R48 366 00 in 2022/23

2. (a) The Department spent the HPL as follows

• 2018/2019 :

• • Wellness Campaign to create awareness and screen for HIV, TB, Hypertension and Diabetes in all provinces (Cheka Impilo).

• • Events in provinces to raise awareness on Cancer and to introduce the provinces to the Breast and Cervical Cancer Strategy which was approved in 2017.

• 2019/2020:

• • Funds were spent on expanding the scope and coverage of Cancer Awareness Campaigns to all provinces.

• 2020/2021:

• • Spending on Campaigns was not possible due to Covid-19 restrictions. However, funds were directed toward public education and awareness programs on Covid-19.

• 2021/2022:

• • There was a continuation in the allocation of funds for public education programs on Covid-19.

• • Funds were spent on phase one of the National Dietary Intake Survey

• • SABC Side-by-Side Campaign on Child Health.

• • Planning for the National Non-Communicable Diseases Campaign

• 2022/2023:

• • The HPL is being used to fund Phase two of the National Dietary Intake Study (NDIS).
  • National Non-Communicable Diseases Campaign. Funds will be used for the purchases of screening devices, consumables and community health worker training material for the Campaign. The key objective is for CHWs to screen for hypertension and diabetes and link patients to care.
  • Launch of the National Strategic Plan for NCDs and the commemoration of the World No Tobacco Day

(b) Hundred percent (100%) of the HPL levy is spent for health promotion, awareness, disease/injury prevention and disease related research.

3. (a) Non-communicable diseases (hypertension, diabetes, cancer, mental health), communicable diseases (HIV, TB, Covid-19, water and vector borne diseases), Violence and Injury

(b)

• In 2021 PRICELESS reported evidence-based gains from the HPL, including

• • The national urban household purchases of taxable beverages by

volume fell by 51% (Kantar) with a 29 % decrease in sugar intake.

• • In a self-reported Langa survey of young adults ( 18- 39 y), on taxable

beverages showed a 37% reduction by volume and 31% decrease in sugar intake

• • In a Soweto Study of teenagers , young adults, and older adults, the frequency of Sugar Sweetened Beverages intake amongst heavy consumers fell from 10 beverages per week pre HPL to 4 beverages per week one year post HPL
• As at August 2022, the country achieved 94% of the target population knowing their HIV status as part of the 90-90-90 targets. The achievement can be attributed to the Wellness Campaign (Cheka Impilo) that influences health seeking behaviour, including condom distribution and treatment adherence.

• In 2022, the Department approved the National Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2022 – 2027 (NSP NCDs) which adopts an integrated person centered approach and is inclusive of population level interventions. The NSP NCDs aims to promote wellness, reduce modifiable risk behaviour, enhance management and control of non-communicable diseases in particular hypertension and diabetes and empower communities, patients and their families.

• The 2022/23 Annual Performance Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 Reports confirm increased heath seeking behaviour as the total screened for diabetes for Q1 was 2 550 479 which increased to 6 242 487 in Q2 and Total screened for hypertension for Q1 was 2 654 572 which increased to 6 366 095.

4. (a) (i) The Department commenced the Dietary Intake survey in 2019 but it could not be completed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

     (ii) The Department completed the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in 2021.

(b) (i) The results of the Dietary Intake Survey will become available in June 2023.

(ii) The GATS results provide statistics on tobacco use, cessation, second hand smoke, economics and the role of other players in the environment including the media. This survey is available on the internet.

(c) Results from surveys (international and national) are used to inform strategies for combating burden of disease conditions.

.

END.

Reply:

1. All appointments in the public health sector are advertised in accordance with job specifications that outlines required qualifications and the job description that assists in (a) monitoring that only qualifying applicants are recommended by the interviewing panel. Applicants are also required to submit their certified copies of qualifications prior to commencement of duty to the employer. This monitoring is further supported by a functionality on the PERSAL System that requires the employer to capture the qualifications of the incumbent against the position in question, (b) assuring that the recommended candidate has the right qualification and caries the required relevant skills and attributes that enables him/her to perform specialized jobs in the public health care sector.

2. There is 0 number of unqualified personnel employed in the (a) National and (b) Provincial public healthcare sector since 1 January 2022.

 

END.

Reply:

(1) (a) The National Department is not aware of any mismanagement and/or misspent of funds by any of its officials on this programme. The funds are assigned to the programme and transferred to the Department of International Relations and Corporation and Cuba when received from the Province for students in Cuba.

In South Africa they are transferred to Universities by the National Department of Health for students.

(2) (a)(b)(i)(ii) There are no audit investigations we are aware of relating to the mismanagement or misspent of money for the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Collaboration Programme in the Department of Health.

END.

Reply:

Find here: Reply

Reply:

Find here: Reply

Reply:

1. Yes, initial inspection was conducted on 07 October 2022 and a follow up on 24 October 2022 by health inspectors, now called Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) from Zululand District Municipality. The EHPs did not find any evidence of ants in food provided to patients. There is a pest controller providing pest control services in the kitchen. An inspection of food premises was done from the storage, preparation, transportation to the ward, to providing food to patients and was found to be complying with required prescripts. Patients were also interviewed to determine if there was any incident where food provided had ants and no patient witnessed that incident and no further complaint was received by the EHPs.

2. Yes, EHPs have visited the facility which was found to be in compliance with minimum standards as it is in possession of a valid Certificate of Acceptability issued for compliance with the provision of the Foodstuff Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972, as amended and its regulations. Furthermore, as a proactive prevention measure, a comprehensive report with recommendations to the facility on implementation of the clean-as- you-go principle including provision of rodent proof at the storeroom was compiled.

END.

Reply:

Find here: Reply

Reply:

1. Yes, the NHLS has awarded a contract to ZaMlangeni Holdings for the transportation of blood samples and other medical specimen for a period of five years (05) years, with effect from 01 September 2022.

2. (a) The appointed service provider commenced with the service of collecting and transportation of medical specimen on 01 September 2022 and

(b) Delivered to all the laboratories for analysis. There was a seamless transition between the new and old service providers, however there were some teething problems on the first day in some areas. Management put interventions to resolve the challenges and avoid disruption of service. The services are currently running smooth in all areas across the country.

3. (a) The company has special purpose vehicles for the transportation of medical specimens and

(b) their drivers are all certified to transport dangerous goods. The pictures of the cars, licence discs and compliance certificates of the drivers are hereto attached.

4. The NHLS has not concluded any agreement with the majority union, NEHAWU for the absorption or takeover of the transport companies as those companies are not part of the NHLS / NEHAWU bargaining forum.

END.

Reply:

Based on the recent feedback from Steve Biko Academic Hospital, a service provider was appointed at the beginning of October 2022 for the servicing of the chillers including air conditioners. The hospital has 5 out 6 chillers currently running at optimal levels. The two broken air conditioners has been fixed and the temperatures are now perfect in their theatres. And they are being monitored on a daily basis by the recently appointed service provider.

END.

Reply:

The question by Honourable Member does not indicate what kind or type of training referred to in the above question. It is recommeded that the member be specific on what type of training is referring to in order for the department to respond accordingly.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

I have been informed that the project in question is being implemented by the Department of Defence and not the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.

Therefore, (a), (b), (c) and (d), Fall away.

Reply:

1. (a) There are 3369 students recruited to the programme since inception.

b) A total of 2617 has graduated from the Programme.

c) The total of 2 617 students mentioned in (b) above, after completion of their integration in South African local universities are/were allocated to various health facilities for a two-year medical internship and then proceed to fulfil a one-year Community Service Programme in rural and underserved areas.

d) The National Department of Health has requested the numbers that are currently still employed form Provincial Departments of Health, since the PERSAL System does not have a functionality that provides such granular data since inception of the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Programme.

2. (a) The doctors from the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Programme assume appointment to the department as qualified medical doctors like any other doctor trained in South Africa, this also include termination of employment. The termination of duty is therefore based on grounds that are deemed necessary for termination in terms of the scope of practice of medical doctors or it may be voluntary as is the case with any other employee.

(b) This cannot be quantified specifically for the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Medical doctors.

(3) (a) Costs incurred when students in Cuba

The following are average costs incurred and are fixed cost per student per year, depending on the Rand/Dollar Exchange Rate at the time of transfer, is reflected below:

• Preparatory (one year) : $2000.00 per students
• 1st – 5th Year (per student) : $5000.00
• Stipend (per student per year) : $2400.00
• Additional costs include two return flight tickets during six years and additional flight ticket in case of death of immediate family member. The tickets cannot be costed as it also depends on the Rand/Dollar Exchange at the time.

Level	Tuition Fees	Meals & Acc.	Ave. cost Med. Ins.	Stipend	TOTAL
Preparatory	$6000.00	$6022	$450	$2400.00	$14, 872.00
1st – 2nd Year	$12, 500	$6022	$500	$2400.00	$21, 422.00
3rd – 4th Year	$11, 500	$6022	$500	$2400.00	$20, 422.00
5th Year	$13, 500	$6022	$600	$2400.00	$22, 522.00

b) Costs incurred for integration in the local Universities

Tuition fees charged by South African universities during the integration since inception until 2018 varied from one university to another. After the agreement signed with local universities, the cost of integration per student has been standardised since July 2018 and adjusted according to annual Consumer Price Index. Students have all to be in the clinical training platform for 18 months which translates into three (3) semesters. Additional costs include transportation of the final year students to local universities which depends on the mode of transport and distance to the university.

The following are the average costs incurred in South Africa:

• July 2018 – June 2019 : R231 325.00 per student (R115 662.50 per semester).
• July 2019 – June 2020 : R241 734.63 per student (R120 867.31 per semester).
• July 2020 – June 2021 : R252 612.68 per student (R126 306.34 per semester).
• July 2021 – June 2022 : R260 696.28 per student (R130 348.14 per semester).
• July 2022 – June 2023 : R277 641.54 per student (R138 820.77 per semester).

Amount outstanding are not readily available for both Cuba and local Universities as we are in a process of receiving and paying invoices for the 2021 to 2022 financial year for Cuba, and 2022/ 2023 Financial year for local Universities.

END.

Reply:

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) regularly provides documents for public and stakeholder comment as feedback can assist to strengthen policy documents.

Section 195(1)(e) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act No. 108 of 1996), prescribes that Public administration must be governed by the democratic values and principles enshrined in the Constitution, including the principle that the people’s needs must be responded to, and the public must be encouraged to participate in policy-making.

Copies of the dtic Policy documents are available on the Department website: www.thedtic.gov.za.

-END-

Reply:

The Maquassi Hills and Mamusa Local Municipalities are currently not under intervention in terms of Section 139 (7) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

  

Reply:

The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) informs me that it uses standard industrial classification codes (SIC) that does not include the level of detail set out in the question. For example, if a company’s business is in the computer industry, it will be classified as Information and Communication Technology and will not be specific as to whether that entails Artificial Intelligence or Robotics etc. The Companies Act, 2008 (Act No. 71 of 2008), did away with the concept of primary business being contained in a Companies Memorandum of Incorporation and made same general.

-END-

Reply:

(a) and (b) No, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) will not use the Report on the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegation of State Capture to investigate whether the Departments and/or Entities reporting to her contributed towards state capture.

(a) On reading the various reports, there is an indication that there are no parts of the report that are relevant to the Departments and Entities reporting to the Minister of COGTA. Although, there are certain issues affecting a municipality that were highlighted in the report, there are no specific findings and/or recommendations in relation to the affected municipality. Officials from the Department have collaborated with officials from the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) to assess all the recommendations emanating from the various reports of the Commission. Should this broader assessment in collaboration with the DPME identify matters that require my attention, I will ensure that the necessary steps are taken, especially where legislative or institutional changes would be required and prepare motivated implementation plans, indicating how each recommendation ought to be addressed.

(b) Not applicable.

 

Reply:

a) (i) (ii)

The total amount that was allocated to the Commission for Khoi-San Matters (i) during the 2021-22 financial year was R6,320,135,18 and in the 2022-23 financial year R9,781,111.00

The following table indicates the (b) Breakdown of expenditure on (i) traveling, (ii) accommodation and (iii) administration for the public meetings per province as at the beginning of October 2022:

Spending Item	2022/23 FY	2021/22 FY
Traveling (Summary)	R307,790.17	R94,878.90
Eastern Cape campaign	R55,590.94	R0.00
Free State Campaign	R15,762.19	R0.00
Gauteng Campaign	R0.00	R0.00
Kwa-Zulu natal Campaign	R25,270.66	R0.00
Limpopo Campaign	R23,595.00	R0.00
Mpumalanga Campaign	R22,401.49	R0.00
Northern Cape Campaign	R34,163.76	R0.00
North-West Campaign	R0.00	R0.00
Western Cape Campaign and Launch in the prior FY	R43,928.72	R94,878.90
Accommodation (Summary)	R185,760.00	R18,500.00
Eastern Cape campaign	R10,080.00	R0.00
Free State Campaign	R23,040.00	R0.00
Gauteng Campaign	R0.00	R0.00
Kwa-Zulu natal Campaign	R25,920.00	R0.00
Limpopo Campaign	R23,040.00	R0.00
Mpumalanga Campaign	R23,040.00	R0.00
Northern Cape Campaign	R28,800.00	R0.00
North-West Campaign	R23,040.00	R0.00
Western Cape Campaign and Launch in the prior FY	R31,680.00	R18,500.00
Administrative costs (Summary)	R 66,529.19	R12,402.35
Eastern Cape campaign	R12,323.12	R0.00
Free State Campaign	R10,001.66	R0.00
Gauteng Campaign	R0.00	R0.00
Kwa-Zulu natal Campaign	R12,158.85	R0.00
Limpopo Campaign	R3,258.97	R0.00
Mpumalanga Campaign	R2,382.82	R0.00
Northern Cape Campaign	R10,771.86	R0.00
North-West Campaign	R3,565.89	R0.00
Western Cape Campaign and Launch in the prior FY	R12,066.02	R12,402.35

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

REPLY:

• I have been informed by the Department that the Public Works Green Building Policy as approved and signed on the 31st of May 2018, in section 10.4, paragraph 3 states that DPWI will develop guidelines and minimum standards for the management and recycling of construction waste. These guidelines and minimum standards are incorporated into the relevant specifications for the construction works of DPWI throughout the procurement process.

• Recoverable waste shall be dealt with before disposal to sites. The Department, through the Indigenous Knowledge Systems is planning to roll-out rammed earth techniques in utilising crushed and compacted construction waste including earthworks waste. The excess material shall be disposed of, spread, and roughly levelled where permitted on-site.

• Within the DPWI’s procurement processes, credits shall be awarded to contractors who adhere to alternative and innovative greening ideas during construction including disposal of construction waste.

• The Public Works Green Building policy, in terms of green procurement, stipulates that the DPWI will adopt the Green Building Public Procurement Policy where all contractors and/or sub-contractors are mandated to provide detailed Waste Management Plans in accordance to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as regulated by the National Environment Management Act 107 of 1998 and the Public Works Green Building Policy.

• Furthermore, the Green Building National Framework, states that the Certification of green contractors and products will be adapted in the construction sector to ensure recognition as credited green building practitioners, contractors, or suppliers, hence this initiative will benefit the sector through materials that will not be disposed of, to the landfill sites and repurposed for other uses. It will also ensure confidence in the contractor’s ability and knowledge of disposing of construction waste.

• In addition, the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) is planning to develop a best practice or standard related to optimising the reuse of waste from construction. This will include the requirement for waste management plans.

• In line with interdepartmental cooperation, DPWI provided an input to the Operation Phakisa work stream championed by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) regarding plans around the management of construction waste. The management of construction waste is expected to provide job creation and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Reply:

The question by the Honourable WF Faber is vague. It would assist the response if the Honourable Faber were to indicate the specific structures and/or fora external to Government to which he refers.

Reply:

(a) According to the Provincial Department of Health, there is no waiting time for first trimester clients, however the waiting time for second trimester clients is from one week to four weeks, and also there is no waiting time for both trimesters (first and second) for clients requesting ToP services.

(b) As part plan to ensure that women do not suffer the fate of carrying unwanted babies to term, due to the lack of access to termination services, the department has published information on the Termination of Pregnancy on various provincial websites, with the details of the facilities that offer the service. The facilities that provide the services further display the packages of services that are delivered including ToP.

END.

Reply:

(a) Cases of suspected transgression/misconduct are investigated in line with the Labour Relations Act and other labour related legislation and prescripts. Recommendations of investigation reports are implemented.

(b) Training and education on being sensitive to the needs of all patients is part of the undergraduate curricula of all health cadres. Inservice training on the management of sexual assault victims and gender-based violence is available to health workers.

 

END.

Reply:

1. Yes, the Department has received correspondence regarding maintenance of infrastructure at Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court. On 27 February 2020, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) handed over the site to the contractor in order to carry out planned maintenance to the entire building of the Magistrate’s Court but the project was disrupted due to COVID-19 lockdown regulations. However, as soon as the restrictions were lifted and the contractor came back on site, the local business forum intimidated the workers, and added to the delay. The contractor returned on site from 1 August 2022.

2. I have been informed about the collapse of the roof at the Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court.

a) The DPWI provided a report, titled “Preliminary Investigation Report: Current Condition of the Roof Covering and Safety of the Building”, dated 21 September 2022. Thereafter, a full investigation report on the current condition of all wooden roof trusses will be provided. Once the survey is completed, the Department is expecting to receive the cost estimates of the damages from the DPWI.

b)  A contingency plan was compiled together with all the stakeholders at the magistrates’ court as follows:

1. Potchefstroom Magistrate engaged JB Marks Municipality to assist in identifying alternative accommodation. The Municipality made the Town Hall and the Traffic Court available for use by the Department.
2. The District Courts B and E were accommodated at the Town Hall for all cases where the accused persons are out on bail or warning.
3. The Regional Court is accommodated at the Traffic Court for all cases where the accused persons are on bail or warning.
4. All Regional Court matters, where the accused persons are in custody including sexual offences related matters, are heard at the Regional Court.
5. All the cases, whereby the accused persons are in custody including first appearance matters and bail applications, are dealt with at the only available court room, Regional Court 3.
6. The Children’s Court matters are dealt with at the boardroom of the Head of Court.
7. The rest of the Family Court matters (Domestic Violence and Protection from Harassment) including District Civil Court matters are dealt with at the dedicated Children’s Court.
8. The quasi-judicial functions (Small claims, Maintenance applications, Clerk of the Civil Court, Cash Hall, Offices for the Magistrates Regional and District and Public Prosecutors) are accommodated at the additional office space made available on the 1st floor.
9. Transport is made available to transport members of public, accused persons on bail/warning and witness to the respective alternative accommodation.
10. To ensure effective implementation of the contingency plan, 08:00 morning meetings are held with all the JCPS stakeholders to discuss the circumstances prevailing on a daily basis.

3. On 20 September 2022, the Department issued a media statement, titled: “Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Office temporarily evacuated after roof collapse”.

Reply:

(1) (a) The reasons will be established through a formal investigation.

(b) The staff involved will be subjected to a formal investigation in line with the Labour Relations Act and other labour related legislation and prescripts. Recommendations of investigation reports will be implemented.

(2) The nurse who was on duty when this incident occurred has not been suspended yet, because she has been on sick-leave ever since the incident. She will be served with the required disciplinary process communication instruments on her return. Should her absence be prolonged, the Eastern Cape Department of Health will serve her with these instruments while at home.

END.

Reply:

1. (a) Before students leave for Cuba, they get orientation about their stay and study in Cuba and the socioeconomic status in Cuba and some of the strengths of the medical training, this includes safety measures, living conditions. Upon arrival in Cuba, the Cuban authorities also orientate them about safety issues.

(b) Students from South Africa receive 200 USD per month to supplement their needs over and above what they are provided for by the Universities in Cuba. South African students are also provided with additional essential items when a need arise, an example is during the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest consignment was sent in June 2022 to alleviate challenges their challenges in Cuba.

(c) There are three support levels for students, from time to time, delegations from Provincial Health Departments including the MECs and Deputy Minister of Health, visit Cuba, and travel to various Provinces in Cuba to meet with the students. Where there is tragedy such as death of a student, or next of kin, Psychologist and/Psychiatrist are sent to Cuba where there are emergencies. All Provinces also provide online counselling of students from time to time. The Cuban authorities also provide psychological and psychiatric treatment for students, however where there is real need for students to come back home for further treatment, students are accompanied back home to receive that treatment.

(d) The following structures were also established to provide a support mechanism for integration of students from Cuba, these are:

i. The Ministerial task Team (MTT)

The MTT is comprised of Deans of Medical Schools/Health Sciences Faculties or their representatives, representatives from National Treasury and National Department of Higher Education and Technology. In developing an effective strategy for integration of large groups, the Minister of Health appointed the MTT whose terms of reference are:

• To co-ordinate and facilitate the process of engagement with all stakeholders in order
• To ddevelop comprehensive and detailed implementation plans for each province and associated university in order to ensure the successful re-integration of the students in the expanded Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro Medical Collaboration Programme into the final year undergraduate medical programme.
• To pprovide oversight, monitoring, evaluation and support to Provinces and Universities to ensure that deadlines as determined within these implementation plans are adhered to and met.
• To develop and implement a Primary Health approach to under-graduate medical training and to ensure the transformation of undergraduate medical training to incorporate some of the strengths of the Cuban model of training.
• To provide oversight to the process to ensure that quality standards as required by the HPCSA as well as the Ministry of Public Health of Cuba are met.
• Facilitate communication and coordination between all stakeholders to overcome challenges and hurdles.

The MTT has a subcommittee Academic Review Committee (ARC) that:

• focuses on Academic performance of students in all the Medical Schools/Health Sciences Faculties where they are allocated on their return.
• All Universities participating in the Programme have appointed Academic Coordinators who are responsible for the day-to-day management of the programme.
• These coordinators also monitor academic performance of the students including clinical practice and provide interventions at an operational level in terms of academic progress of students.

The Academic Coordinators have a direct link with the Academic Review Committee (ARC) which focuses on the Academic performance of the students in South Africa relation to:

• students who are not progressing well and recommend remedial programmes
• monitor progress of all students in the different levels in Cuba
• Request for regular reports on students from all Universities
• Advocate for issues of standardization amongst participating universities
• Advocate for curriculum review, changes with focus on PHC & District Health Care through the Curriculum Subcommittee amongst others.

ii. Joint Academic meeting (JAM)

The JAM is an Academic structure is comprised of the Deans of Medical Schools/Health Science Faculties responsible for Medical Education in South Africa and the Medical Education University Deans in Cuba. It was established in 2010. Its function among others is to:

• conduct of oversight in relation academic teaching, training, and learning including discussion around curriculum development and alignment to prepare the students when they return in South Africa.
• share of experiences between the two countries in terms of academic performances of students but also looking at areas that need improvement.
• monitor performance of students when they are in Cuba and their performance in South Africa after their return.
• share and align policies, procedures applied in Cuba and where there is a need for alignment of review in the pursuit for academic excellence including good clinical practice amongst others.
• The JAM is held annually alternating between the two countries. The first JAM was held in Cuba in 2010 followed by the second in Durban 2011 and the in 2019 at Walter Sisulu University from the 3 to 4 July University. The JAM was supposed to be held in CUBA in 2020 but could not materialize due to COVID-19, however it was held in Cuba from the 23 to the 24 October in 2022.

iii. South African Committee of Medical Deans (SACOMD)

This structure has been existing however in terms of the integration Programme the NMFC Programme is also discussed at meetings of SACOMD some of which relates to:

• Expansion of the training platform for the re-integration process and future expansion.
• Move towards Primary Health Care approach in teaching and training.
• identify the requirements to expand the training platform.
• Collaborates with Department of Health to monitor Memorandum of Agreements (MOU) signed between Universities and the Department of Health.

2. (a) The bursary contract elements are standard for all bursaries for the Department of Health. In terms of the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Collaboration additional elements are added in the bursary contract:

• running costs such as, return air tickets twice (during second and fourth year) during their training in Cuba for vacations in South Africa,
• transportation costs for bereavement in SA (for close family members only), this is restricted to “immediate family member” referred to the parents/ legal guardian(s), brother(s); sister(s) and spouse of the bursar,
• stipend whilst in Cuba, expended by the Department on behalf of the bursar
• the bursar will be allocated to an authorised medical university on return to South Africa to complete his or her medical degree;
• the bursar will complete his/her study at the University of the Republic of Cuba for the first six years of the course, and a designated university in South Africa for the final year of the course.

(b) The only condition where the bursary can be declared null, and void is when it is a fraudulent document.

(c) (i) If it is a fraudulent document, it should be terminated when this is known and confirmed and

(ii) the student might be liable for paying back the money or legal action will be taken against the student

 

END.

Reply:

All official government policy and review documents must be widely consulted with and made known to the public in all its manifestations.

Reply:

The procurement of COVID-19 vaccines followed a two-step process:

1. Availability of clinical evidence from randomised controlled clinical trials which formed the basis of the Advisory from the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19 vaccines. This advisory is available on the SA Coronavirus website.

2. Procurement following prescripts of the Public Finance Management Act made available from National Treasury.

The procurement prescripts, available on the National Treasury website, are applicable to all government departments and are not unique to the NDoH.

END.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

(1)

a) I have been informed that disciplinary processes will be instituted against employees who may be fingered in the malpractices as soon as internal investigation is concluded.

b) The department has developed a task team that monitors and ensures the smooth running of the process.

2. Empowerment initiatives for Women, Youth & People with disabilities are tabled below:

As per Quarter 1 REPORT

April -June 2022/2023 Financial Year from SCM

INITIATIVES	ACHIEVEMENTS	DISAGGREGATED DATA ON BENEFICIARIES
		WOMEN	MEN	YOUTH	DISABILITY
				MALE	FEMALE	MALE	FEMALE
Participation of designated Groups in the DPWI Programmes through Procurement For all transactions within quotation threshold, a mandatory Preferential Procurement Requirements for B-BBEE Level 1, 2 & QSE/EME applies.	Majority of quotations awarded to Designated Groups in line with Preferential Procurement Regulations 2017	475 Transactions to the value of R24 442 932,97	858 Transactions to the value of R77 674 599,64	224 Transactions to the value of R23 816 608,54	97 Transactions to the value of R10 839 286,51	1 Transactions to the value of R384 999,54	1 Transactions to the value of R2 9000,00

3. The department leverages its procurement spend to promote transformation and empowerment of historically disadvantaged individuals and designated groups as listed in the Preferential Procurement Regulations of 2017. The department has implemented a transformation agenda that utilizes pre-qualification criteria and mandatory subcontracting when inviting bids and quotations.

For the period 01 April 2022 – 31 August 2022, 62 tenders worth R 329 224 983 were awarded to designated/ targeted groups. 57 of these tenders to the value of R316,797,325 were awarded to Level 1 BEE service providers and 5 tenders to the value of R12,427,658 were awarded to Level 2 BEE service providers.

The targeted (designated) groups benefited as follows;

• Black majority owned, 60 awards (97%) to the value R283,838,371
• Women black owned, 15 awards (24%) to the value of R26,256,604
• Youth black owned, 8 awards (13%) to the value of R30,734,232
• Contractor Co-operative, 4 awards (6.5%) to the value of R2,125,567
• Companies in Rural/ Underdeveloped/ township areas, 26 awards (44%) to the value of R50,940,120

The above statistics are indicative of the department’s commitment to empowerment and transformation.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

Background

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (“DPWI”) was informed by the Telkom Retirement Fund (“TRF”) itself on 07th March 2015 that the subject property was still on the market, which led to the Department investigating the viability of the property and an eventual acquisition in 2015 for use as government accommodation.

The Telkom Towers Complex comprised of 10 buildings that measure 221,954m² with a gross lettable office accommodation area of 115,480m². There are 2234 parking bays totalling 60,624m². However, the PPS building which, until today, remains a National Key Point Building would not be available to a new owner as Telkom required to lease this building indefinitely.

The migration plan from SAPS into Telkom towers was delayed since December 2015.

Response

In order to respond to the immediate upgrade requirements for the Telkom Towers North Building and Annex buildings, a project was commenced through the Development Bank of Southern Africa (“DBSA”) as Implementing Agent to DPWI, in accordance with the SAPS migration plan. The site was handed over to the contractor on the 24th June 2019 and practical completion was obtained on 31st August 2021. The DBSA has not been an implementing agent for Telkom Towers since 2015, as they were only engaged to complete two buildings out of the entire complex.

The DBSA is a government owned entity and development finance institution under the National Treasury. The Independent Development Trust (“IDT”) is also a government owned entity under the DPWI. On or about 22 June 2022 the National Treasury approved the inclusion of IDT as an Implementing Agent for the DPWI. The DPWI and IDT are currently finalising the Memorandum of Agreement for collaboration and cooperation as an Implementing Agent on DPWI’s infrastructure portfolio.

Reply:

The challenge with the question in respect of Retshidze is that it is general and as such it is difficult for the department to respond in a specific way. The table here below provides general responses in line with the areas that were covered by the Retshidze report.

 

a) The plans of the department concerning Free State Health Issues and (b) date to address the issues of access to health care are in the table below:

Item	Challenge raised by Ritshidze	Plans of the department	Date
Shortages of staff	79% of facilities again reported being understaffed and unable to meet the needs of public healthcare users this year	There currently are budget pressure and as such the department is not able to appoint a new staff	The department will prioritize critical post for 2023/24 budget and over the MTEF
ART	66% of PLHIV would like to collect ARVs closer to their home (66% last year)	The department is planning on increase pick up points for the ARVs so that the patients can collect their treatment closer home The department will also reopen more adherence clubs that were affected during COVID19 Districts have developed differentiated of care models and welcome back campaigns towards reach 95-95-95	March 2023 extended to April 2023 for budget in the new financial year.
Infrastructure and cleanliness	90% of facilities need some additional space 25% of public healthcare users reported that facilities were “dirty	The infrastructure unit has received approval to allocate additional funding to maintenance and refurbishment of facilities earmarked for ideal clinic programme The department has appointed EPWP to assist with cleaning at health facilities to argument the current shortages	March 2023
Waiting times	4:31 hours was the average waiting time after the facility	The department planned to decant more patients who are more stable on treatment to reduce backlog waiting time	The department plans to appoint staff in the MTEF period
Men specific services	9 sites had no male specific services at all	The department plan to pilot a men’s clinics to HIV and testing, , male medical circumcision and other services	April 2023
Availability of medication	13% of respondents said they had left or knew someone who left empty handed (8% last year)	There are currently no shortage of ARV and monitored weekly using SVS Facilities are implementing and monitoring redistribution to ensure sustainability of medicine .	Ongoing
Key population	0% facilities report any key population specific services at all	The department has employed 25 peer educators to promote access for access for key population Also do demand creation for key population The plan is to expand the peer educators service over the METF to insure accessibility to key population	April 2023

Some of the key general activities and plans

• Welcome back strategy was started in 2020/ 21 financial year but not fully implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The department planned to re- train all categories of staff.
• To strengthen adherence to treatment through reviving adherence clubs.
• Implementation of the track and tracing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
• Monitoring of Medicine availability is done through Stock status report.

END.

Reply:

The National Department of Health (NDOH) welcomes the initiative by SSP to investigate stockouts in the provinces and has considered the recommendations made in the SSP report. It should be noted that the overall medicine availability has improved significantly over the years, since 2014. In any supply chain, supply challenges do arise from time to time.

In the April to June 2022 period, the reporting period of the SSP report, contracted suppliers reported challenges impacting on the supply for some contraceptives. These challenges included Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) shortages, production delays and quality control issues which affected the manufacture of both tablets and implants. Additionally, the contract for the implants was ceded from one supplier to another, which resulted in interruptions in supply until the process was complete.

The NDOH continuously engages the suppliers to identify any possible supply challenges, to adjust the demand forecast (where necessary) and to work together to mitigate the risks. Furthermore, the NDOH established a decision-making forum where all provinces are represented; to identify interventions aimed at addressing any medicine supply challenges, to improve medicine availability and to reduce the potential impact of stock outs.

Where supply constraints are identified, the NDOH works with the provinces to identify and implement interventions to minimize stock outs and impact on patients. These interventions are informed by the cause of the supply challenge:

• Where the supply constraint is due to operational matters e.g., machine breakdown, labor unrest, theft, post importation testing, etc. the NDOH would source products from alternative local suppliers with registered products using the quotation process.

• Should the supply constraint result in a longer term supply challenge, such as regulatory matters including amendments to the dossier that requires approval from South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), including a change/addition of an active pharmaceutical ingredient source and/or manufacturing site, the transfer of ownership of dossiers which results in a change of marketing authorization, delays in the issuing of the permits for imported medicines, manufactured products requiring additional quality checks by SAHPRA, etc. and no alternative local suppliers with registered products are available; an application would be made to SAHPRA for the acquisition of unregistered medicines for human use in South Africa Act use in terms of Section 21 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act. For example, when the Medroxyprogesterone injection was unavailable, Section 21 was sourced to minimize impact on patients.

Since the publication of the report, the supply of all contraceptives has stabilized and the NDOH is not aware of any supply constraints for contraceptives at present. The overall medicine availability indicates that there is sufficient stock to meet the patient demand and is currently at 90.5%.

END.

Reply:

InvestSA reports on metrics outlined in the dtic’s Annual Performance Plan, which sets out the key actions to be undertaken. By acting as a facilitator in the business eco-system, Invest SA plays a role in companies investing and expanding. The outcomes are in turn reported on as set out below.

The following six examples as outlined in the dtic Annual Report presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition, provides tangible evidence of targets being attained:

• R176 billion-investment pipeline.
• 642 investor consultations for rapid implementation
• Assisted with the evaluation of 305 visa recommendations for technical experts of various companies
• 54 ease of doing business engagements i.e., Technical Working Groups, Business meetings , Stakeholder engagements
• 179 intra-company transfers, critical skills and permanent residency visas facilitated.

There are several more examples of outcomes achieved by Invest South Africa and I will report on some of these to the Portfolio Committee when reporting on the department’s quarter 1 and quarter 2 performance for this financial year.

Reports are generated internally through the branch in cooperation with other branches such as the Economic Research and Policy Branch in the Department.

Reports are generated internally and there are no costs involved.

Quarterly reports are compiled by Invest SA based on reports submitted by companies.

-END-

Reply:

The National Department is consulting with the Provincial Departments of Health to get the full details and figures on this question. The response will be ready in a week or two and will be furnished to the Honourable Member as soon as it is ready.

END.

Reply:

(1)-(2) The National Department of Health has identified a priority list of health facilities that requires an urgent exemption either from Eskom or local municipalities. The Department has provided Eskom with a total of 212 priority hospitals across the country to be considered for possible exclusion from loadshedding on a phased approach, and 67% of them are supplied directly by municipalities, while Eskom supplies the remaining 33%. The current number of hospitals excluded from loadshedding across the country, has increased from 37 to 72 since the last public announcement by Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla in September, while more efforts are being made to implement exemption of health facilities in all the provinces as a matter of urgency in line with the commitment made to ensure that no province is left behind. The updated list of exempted facilities per provinces is as follows: Eastern Cape (7), Free State (14), Gauteng (17), KZN (15), Limpopo (10), Mpumalanga (4), Western Cape (4) Northern Cape (1), and North West (0).

The preliminary network analysis conducted revealed that, 28 hospitals in various provinces can be excluded from loadshedding by building new infrastructure at the estimated cost of R100 million. However, the team is investigating possible load curtailment for bigger hospitals as well as other alternative solutions.

 

END.

Reply:

1. Yes, the Department has received correspondence regarding maintenance of infrastructure at Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court. On 27 February 2020, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) handed over the site to the contractor in order to carry out planned maintenance to the entire building of the Magistrate’s Court but the project was disrupted due to COVID-19 lockdown regulations. However, as soon as the restrictions were lifted and the contractor came back on site, the local business forum intimidated the workers, and added to the delay. The contractor returned on site from 1 August 2022.

2. I have been informed about the collapse of the roof at the Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court.

a) The DPWI provided a report, titled “Preliminary Investigation Report: Current Condition of the Roof Covering and Safety of the Building”, dated 21 September 2022. Thereafter, a full investigation report on the current condition of all wooden roof trusses will be provided. Once the survey is completed, the Department is expecting to receive the cost estimates of the damages from the DPWI.

b) A contingency plan was compiled together with all the stakeholders at the magistrates’ court as follows:

1. Potchefstroom Magistrate engaged JB Marks Municipality to assist in identifying alternative accommodation. The Municipality made the Town Hall and the Traffic Court available for use by the Department.
2. The District Courts B and E were accommodated at the Town Hall for all cases where the accused persons are out on bail or warning.
3. The Regional Court is accommodated at the Traffic Court for all cases where the accused persons are on bail or warning.
4. All Regional Court matters, where the accused persons are in custody including sexual offences related matters, are heard at the Regional Court.
5. All the cases, whereby the accused persons are in custody including first appearance matters and bail applications, are dealt with at the only available court room, Regional Court 3.
6. The Children’s Court matters are dealt with at the boardroom of the Head of Court.
7. The rest of the Family Court matters (Domestic Violence and Protection from Harassment) including District Civil Court matters are dealt with at the dedicated Children’s Court.
8. The quasi-judicial functions (Small claims, Maintenance applications, Clerk of the Civil Court, Cash Hall, Offices for the Magistrates Regional and District and Public Prosecutors) are accommodated at the additional office space made available on the 1st floor.
9. Transport is made available to transport members of public, accused persons on bail/warning and witness to the respective alternative accommodation.
10. To ensure effective implementation of the contingency plan, 08:00 morning meetings are held with all the JCPS stakeholders to discuss the circumstances prevailing on a daily basis.

3. On 20 September 2022, the Department issued a media statement, titled: “Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Office temporarily evacuated after roof collapse”.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

I have been informed that the project is being implemented by the Department of Defence and not the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.

Therefore, (a), (b) (i) & (ii), (c) (i) & (ii) and (d), Fall away.

Reply:

1. The Health Sector as the user of health facilities required by GIAMA to produce User Asset Management Plan (U-AMP) which reflect the condition of the health facilities. This followed by development of Infrastructure Programme Implementation Plan (IPMP), which is a three-year costed plan, which indicates how these facilities will be attended, to bring them back to acceptable standard. The U-AMP table below is indicating that there are 265 hospitals and 1903 primary health care facilities that requires a certain number of upgrades and additions. However, it should be noted that all active health facilities are budgeted for maintenance and repair in every financial year through Equitable Share and Hospital Revitalization Grant.

Number of Facilities that register conditional rating of C3 (C3: urgent attention) as per 2020 U-AMP
Province	Hospital	Primary Health Care
EC	43	325
FS	29	12
GP	32	98
KZN	66	486
LP	2	385
MP	30	237
NC	14	71
NW	21	218
WC	28	71
TOTAL	265	1903

2. The current overall vacancy posts for all health care workers, which are providing both health related (16 070) and administration (4 764) functions/services in hospitals and clinics are 20834 posts, in the public health sector (i.e. in all 9 Provinces including the National Department of health) as recorded on the 30 September 2022 PERSAL System date set.

 

These recorded posts are both funded and unfunded posts in the System. Due to constrained budgets, a systematic process of approving funding and advertisements of posts by accounting officers in consultation with Provincial Treasuries is ongoing. This is to avoid exceeding Cost of Employment (COE) budgets.

 

END.

Reply:

The CEO of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has advised me that the following total production volumes were achieved for the 10 year period from 2013-2022:

• Phosphate rock: 18 860 000 tons (on average 73% of capacity)
• Mono-ammonium phosphate 2 678 000 tons (on average 59% of capacity).

The Mine and acid plant had not been operating at full capacity for a number of years. Improvements to the infrastructure, power supply and additional technical capacity is required to improve production and capacity utilisation. The IDC has regularly engaged the Foskor leadership to improve operational performance and works with Transnet on logistics and Eskom on the energy related issues.

Following operational improvements made and favourable market conditions, a projected improvement in output for the current financial year is expected to increase capacity utilisation at the mine to 95% and a substantial improvement at the plant.

The IDC is the majority shareholder in Foskor, holding 59% of the Foskor shares. The IDC does consider potential Strategic Equity Partners for businesses that it is involved in.

-END-

Reply:

The responsibility to determine the category of municipalities resides with the Municipal Demarcation Board.

Reply:

A large number of public comments were received by the due date and a few stakeholders requested additional time and were granted a short extension. Comments ranged from pro-forma views in favour or against the proposals; to substantive submissions that engaged specifically with the policy, legal or economic aspects of the proposals. These comments are currently being evaluated and considered by the Ministry.

Copies of submissions are not normally made available to the public or to Members of Parliament, as respondents to a request for comment did not make representations in anticipation that their comments would be made available to the public.

-END-