Questions and Replies

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

1. (a) What (i) total number of employees of his department are currently working from home?

The Department has 377 employees as of 1 September 2022 of which 50% (188) work remotely at any given day while the other 189 report to the office at any given day. Employees rotate reporting to the office and maintain 50% attendance. Senior Management Service (SMS) are required to report the office 3 days per week and 2 days for non-SMS.

(ii) Number of such employees have special permission to work from home?

There are 2 employees who have applied for reasonable accommodation to work from home due to ill-heath in line with the Policy and Procedure on Incapacity and ill-heath Retirement. Their applications are currently being processed for consideration and therefore work from home until the outcome of their applications.

(iii) Are the reasons for granting such special permission?

The Department has approved a staggered return to the office with a 50% rotation in line with Code of Practice on Managing SARS-COV2 in the Workplace and the Environmental regulations for Workplaces. In ensuring that the department does not expose employees to unconducive working conditions, it has maintained the staggered reporting to the office as a mitigation. There is a long-term project registered with the Department of Public Works to upgrade the building.

(b) On what date will such workers return to their respective offices?

Employees will continue reporting to the office in the staggered manner until the department has secured an alternative office which is June 2023. Employees who have applied for reasonable accommodation due to ill-heath will work from home until the outcome of their applications as recommended by the Health Risk Manager.

2. Whether he will make a statement on the matter?

Not applicable.

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

CORPORATE SERVICES BRANCH

a) BRANCH:	CORPORATE SERVICES (ALL DIRECTORATES)
i) Total number of employees currently working from home	0
ii) Number of employees who have special permission to work from home	0
iii) Reasons for granting such special permission	Not Applicable
b) What date will such workers return to their respective offices?
Not Applicable

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND DIRECTORATES/UNITS REDERING DESIGNATED FUNCTIONS UNDER ITS AUSPICES

a) Directorate:	Chief financial Officer	Financial Management	Supply Chain Management	Development Support	Public Entities
i) Total number of employees currently working from home	0	0	0	0	0
ii) Number of employees who have special permission to work from home	0	0	0	0	0
iii) Reasons for granting such special permission	None	None	None	None	None
b) What date will such workers return to their respective offices?
Not Applicable

PLANNING, POLICY AND STRATEGY BRANCH

a) BRANCH:	PLANNING, POLICY AND STRATEGY (ALL DIRECTORATES)
i) Total number of employees currently working from home	0
ii) Number of employees who have special permission to work from home	0
iii) Reasons for granting such special permission	Not Applicable
b) What date will such workers return to their respective offices?
Not Applicable

COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING BRANCH

a) BRANCH:	COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING BRANCH (ALL DIRECTORATES)
i) Total number of employees currently working from home	0
ii) Number of employees who have special permission to work from home	0
iii) Reasons for granting such special permission	Not Applicable
b) What date will such workers return to their respective offices?
Not Applicable

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT BRANCH

a) BRANCH:	SKILLS DEVELOPMENT BRANCH CHIEF DIRECTORATES: INDLELA, NSA AND SETA COORDINATION
i) Total number of employees currently working from home	1 employee is currently working hybrid (from home and office) at SETA Coordination.
ii) Number of employees who have special permission to work from home	1 employee stated above was given special permission to work hybrid.
iii) Reasons for granting such special permission	She was granted special permission due to her critical but stable condition with comorbidity (lung problem).
b) What date will such workers return to their respective offices?
It is not possible to specify when she will fully return to office since her ill-health and state of vulnerability is unpredictable. She needs to be given reasonable accommodation to continue working.

BRANCH:	University Education
Total number of employees currently working from home	2
Number of employees who have special permission to work from home	2
Reasons for granting such special permission	Ill-health and family responsibility
What date will such workers return to their respective offices?
It is not possible to specify when they will fully return to office since her ill-health

BRANCH:	TVET
Total number of employees currently working from home	0
Number of employees who have special permission to work from home	0
Reasons for granting such special permission	N/A
What date will such workers return to their respective offices?: N/A

Reply:

The Department does not collect data on student loans of students from both (a) private and (b) public tertiary institutions who owe South African banks. South African financial institutions are the owners of loan contracts between students/parents and guardians and subsequently the requested data.  Financial institutions should have such data.

Reply:

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Reply:

(a)(b)(i)(ii) The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) is still busy with the criminal investigation, since it was reported in June 2022 and as such, the DPCI would like to maintain the integrity of this ongoing criminal investigation without publicly divulging the steps that are being taken

Reply to question 2465 recommended

GENERAL NATIONAL COMMISSIONER: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE
SF MASEMOLA
Date: 19-09-2022

Reply to question 2465 approved

MINISTER OF POLICE
GENERAL BH CELE, MP
Date: 21/09/2022

Reply:

1. (a) (i) (ii) A decision has not yet been taken on whether the term of office for Heads of Department (HODs) should be increased or not. Research and internal consultations are ongoing. This includes recommendations from the National Development Plan (NDP, 2012) which highlights the importance of the stability of the administrative leadership of the Public Service as well as a stable political-administrative interface on the performance of State institutions and for effective service delivery. The initial intent of a 5-year contract was to ensure that there is synergy in terms of the MTEF and MTSF to improve planning and execution of budgets and strategy. Experience has shown that this practice is often not aligned, as HoDs exit the system for various reasons and new ones come in more often than not in the middle of these cycles. Incumbents in HoD posts should ideally be in a position beyond the tenure of the political head for purposes of business continuity and delivery of the mandate.

(b)(i)(ii) Noting that the PMDS policy for HoDs require annual performance contracting and assessment, it is unlikely that changes to the tenure of HoDs will impact policy changes to the PMDS. It should be noted that measures to improve the performance of HODs and the rest of the Public Service are an ongoing process. The Department is however reviewing the Performance Management and Development System for the entire Public Service, including for HODs to ensure that the administrative capacity at DG level becomes about their capability; performance and capacity to manage and deliver.

2. Yes, research was conducted. This research considered data of DGs and HoDs from 1994 in terms of the measures that contributed to long lasting contracts, institutional performance and stability. The research conducted presented the option to keep the five (5) year contracts or increase them. Further consultations held on the outcome of the research, encouraged different schools of thought in the context of the research. This gave rise to considering the tenure with the options to retain the 5-year contracts or consider longer contracts with stricter performance reviews. Benchmarking was also conducted on the tenure of HoDs around the world and the impact on service delivery and performance of both the institution and the HODs.

3. (a) The intended impact is likely to be improving the stability at the leadership level which will in turn improve the operational and service delivery output of a department. As reported in 2 above, research has shown that where there is stability at the HOD level, the operational and organisation performance increases.

(b) This is a policy position which is being considered as part of the professionalization of the Public Service, there is no date, at this stage for implementation and a decision regarding the tenure of HoDs needs to still be formalised. The work related to this is in progress and still being consulted.

4. The amendments to the Public Service Act, 1994 consider the proposals made pertaining to same and an Amendment Bill is being proposed with due regard to the functions expected from the Head of Public Service. The consideration for longer term contracts go hand in hand with the original powers to be given to a HoD and the involvement of the Head of Public Service to support the President in the management of career incidents of Heads of Departments and at Provincial level the DG of the Province supporting the relevant Premier.

End

Reply:

(1) The Guide for Members of the Executive is publicly available of the website of the Department of Public Service and Administration and is available to Dr Schreiber. (2)(a) The Guide for Members of the Executive was last amended on 13 April 2022; and (b) The last amended Guide for Members of the Executive came into operation on 13 April 2022.

End

Reply:

(a) & (b) (i) (ii) The role of a Head of the Public Service is provided for in legislative amendments to the Public Service Act, 1994. The draft Public Service Amendment Bill envisages this role to be undertaken by the Director-General in the Presidency to, amongst others, support the President in managing the appointment and career incidents of national heads of department. The processing of the Public Service Amendment Bill is underway and it is anticipated that the Bill will be submitted to Parliament in the 2022/2023 financial year. As an interim measure, the Director-General in the Presidency has already been tasked with this role and support in this regard has been provided for in the Presidency. The matter related to tenure is still subject to consultation. The research and the policy development to inform the tenure of heads of department is still underway as part of the project on the professionalization of the Public Service. Once completed, the necessary amendments will be factored in the further amendment to the Public Service Act.

End

Reply:

a)  The draft Compulsory National Water and Sanitation Services Norms and Standards has been certified by the State Law Advisor.

b) Certification of the initial phase Social Economic Impact Assessment by the Presidency is expected by the end of September, whereafter it will be published for public comment for a period of 60 days.

c) Publication of the Norms and Standards for public comments depends on the certification from Presidency, but the target is to publish by 15 October 2022.

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Reply:

1.a) During the Strategic Dialogue, the delegations of South Africa and the United States held fruitful discussions in the Trade and Investment and Infrastructure Commissions, amongst others. Discussions centred largely around the following topics, which are aimed at supporting economic recovery in South Africa and the continent.

• The establishment of a bilateral Trade and Investment Forum/Advisory Council: This body will have a strong focus on investment matters at a strategic level but will also deal with trade issues as they emerge. Its objective is to significantly boost trade and investment levels. It was proposed that the Forum be anchored by the DTIC, but also include participation by organisations such as Business Unity SA (BUSA) and business chambers.

• JET-P: The US indicated that it would consider providing additional funding based on the strength of the Investment Plan and its level of ambition. The Investment Plan will outline the investments required to achieve South Africa’s ambitious NDC targets and enable a just transition. The US offer amounts to just over US$1 billion. The bulk of this funding will be deployed to private sector projects through the US Development Finance Corporation (DFC), with the rest of the funding comprising small grants provided through a range of US aid agencies in the energy sector (up to $10m of grants and $10.5m of technical assistance).

• Extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA): South Africa advocated for the renewal of AGOA beyond 2025 in line with the African Common position, as it will open opportunities for enhanced exports to the US market, including value-added products from South Africa. The US pledged to support South Africa to maximise its advantages in this regard.

• Agriculture: South Africa called on the US to address non-tariff barriers around expanded market access for animal and plant products, which include poultry, egg products, avocado and citrus. An Agriculture Task Force has been established to focus on constructive collaboration, which will assist in resolving some of these market impediments on a product by product basis.

• Removal of tariffs: The removal of Section 232 tariffs on South African steel and aluminium imports into the US will allow for increased exports and assist with job creation. South Africa lobbied for a country exemption from these tariffs.

• Improvement of the Trade and Investment climate: Both sides agreed to review regulatory issues that stand in the way of greater levels of two-trade and investment, such as incentives in the film production and electric vehicle industries and South African concerns around anti-dumping duties.

• African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA): Both sides agreed that the AfCFTA and AGOA could play a pivotal role in boosting economic relations.

• Global Supply Chains: The parties expressed concern about the challenges posed by dysfunctional global supply chains and undertook to collaborate, support and learn from each other to overcome obstacles. This issue also impacted negatively on continental trade and on food security, where it is believed the two sides could cooperate.

1. (b) The trade and investment relationship with the US is mutually beneficial and has created jobs in both countries. South Africa offers an attractive investment proposition because of its solid industrial base, manufacturing capacity, advanced technology, and world-class financial sector. South Africa is well placed to be a springboard for manufactured exports in the region and to foster the drive for enhanced regional integration, industrialisation, and infrastructure development under the auspices of the AfCFTA. The US private sector sees numerous opportunities for productive investments, including in the digital and green economy, that could be a catalyst for the development of regional supply chains. This would boost employment in South Africa, especially for the youth, and contribute to skills development and technology transfer.

2. The Strategic Partnership encompasses targeted support for vulnerable groups. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provides funding and technical support for programmes and interventions, which include the following, amongst others:

• The PEFPAR DREAMS programme, which contains various interventions to address key risk factors that make girls and young women particularly vulnerable to HIV. These address social vulnerabilities of adolescent girls and boys and young men and women by expanding testing options for youth and specialised prevention, including through pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV, among children, adolescents, and youth.

• Partnership with the Department of Basic Education to strengthen the capacity of teachers to teach healthy sexuality and HIV education lessons that can improve life skills and reduce risky behaviours and early drop-out amongst school-going youth. The support is at national, provincial, district, and school levels to reduce the rate of new HIV infections among vulnerable youth, include the reduction of unwanted early teenage pregnancies, supporting direct linkages to health services, including the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) and retention of adolescent girls in schools.

• Through its Democracy, Rights, and Governance work, USAID supports the Masiphephe Network to strengthen the local governance response to Gender Based Violence (GBV). For the 2022-2024 financial years, the priorities will include improving access to justice to decrease the incidence of violence against children, adolescents, and young women.

Reply:

South Africa is not indifferent to what is going on in Ukraine. We are deeply concerned about the continuing conflict, the loss of lives and the deteriorating humanitarian situation. As a matter of urgency, there must be a cessation of hostilities, which would be the first step in a comprehensive response to the humanitarian crisis. We continue to stress that dialogue, mediation, and diplomacy are the only means to end the current conflict. As South Africa stated in the General Assembly, wars end when dialogue begins, and wars endure when there is no dialogue.

The international community must focus on finding a sustainable solution. It will not be found in isolating one party or bringing it to its knees. We do not want to go down the route following the Treaty of Versailles.

Constructive solutions focussed on addressing the humanitarian situation and promoting peaceful dialogue remains imperative. President Cyril Ramaphosa conveyed to all key stakeholders that South Africa stood ready to support the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, with a view to bringing the violence to an end as speedily as possible. We are fully cognisant of the deliberate opposition to our call for peace and negotiations and continue to hold the view that in the end, negotiations will end the conflict.

South Africa encourages all parties to return to the negotiating table and to approach dialogue with the spirit of compromise in order to move the process forward without accusing any party, something that will not be helpful in the efforts to resolve the conflict. South Africa would like to see intensified efforts at increased diplomacy utilising the United Nations, particularly the Secretary-General and other leaders who may be of weight in terms of persuading the interlocutors to negotiate a settlement to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Reply:

1. No, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) does not generally operate by issuing warnings to a country or focusing on specific incidents. I refer the Honourable Member to the Mutual Evaluation Report on South Africa (MER) (http://www.treasury.gov.za/publications/other/Mutual-Evaluation-Report-South-Africa.pdf) that the FATF published in October 2021, which is the core (and only) document that guides its assessment of South Africa’s performance or effectiveness with regard to the prosecution of financial crimes, particular its assessment of Immediate Outcomes 2 (on international co-operation), 6 (on financial intelligence), 7 (on money laundering investigations and prosecutions) and 8 (on confiscation). The Mutual Evaluation report does conclude that money laundering cases relating to state capture had not been sufficiently pursued in the past (up to November 2019 when the FATF assessment team came to South Africa for an onsite evaluation), and that cases referred to the National Prosecuting Authority by the Special Investigating Unit, were not being dealt with expeditiously.

The Mutual Evaluation report also identified that money laundering activities, in particular, major proceeds of crime generating offences, were being investigated and prosecuted to some extent, but only partly consistent with South Africa’s risk profile, and that wider money laundering activities by organized crime syndicates, including from those outside of South Africa, were not being sufficiently identified and targeted in the context of South Africa’s role as a regional financial hub.

2. FATF does not generally set any conditions against a country, and follows a specific methodology (https://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/methodology/FATF%20Methodology%2022%20Feb%202013.pdf) to follow-up on a country’s deficiencies as identified in the mutual evaluation report that it has adopted for a country. As you are aware, South Africa received a very poor ratings assessment in its 2021 mutual evaluation, and as a result, has been placed in an enhanced follow-up process, which involves more frequent reporting to the FATF, until South Africa has addressed all the deficiencies that were identified. South Africa was also placed in a one-year observation period (from October 2021 to October 2022). The methodology FATF follows is outlined in various documents adopted by FATF, and are all available on its website.

To avoid a FATF greylisting, South Africa would need to demonstrate to the FATF that it has addressed the deficiencies that were identified both in relation to technical compliance (the adequacy of Anti-Money Laundering and the Combating of the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) legal frameworks) and effectiveness (the implementation of the AML/CFT frameworks). South Africa needs to demonstrate to the FATF that it has made sufficient progress in addressing the 20 (out of 40) technical deficiencies that were identified, and show significant progress in addressing all 11 immediate outcomes deficiencies on effectiveness. The FATF Plenary in February 2023 will determine whether South Africa has made sufficient progress or not and whether to greylist South Africa.

3. No, it is not the sole responsibility of the FIC to address the deficiencies, but for Government as a whole to do so. Aside from Cabinet, responsible government departments and agencies include the National Treasury, the FIC, the South African Reserve Bank, the South African Revenue Service, the Prudential Authority, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, the Department of Social Development, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the Special Investigating Unit, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, the State Security Agency, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the National Prosecuting Authority, the South African Police Service’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS), the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of International Relations and Co-operation. Cabinet has mandated the National Treasury to lead and co-ordinate all the above-mentioned departments and agencies, and hence the Director-General of National Treasury chairs an Interdepartmental Committee on AML/CFT that comprises all these departments and agencies.

Reply:

1. (a) (i) None.

(ii) Not applicable.

(iii) Not applicable.

(b) Not applicable.

2. No. there is no need to make a statement. The Department implemented the provisions of DPSA Circular no 38 of 2022 dated 29 June 2022.

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Reply:

(1)(a)(i) One (1) employee of the Department of Public Service and Administration is currently partially working from home.

(ii) The employee has special permission to work from home,

(iii) The reason for granting such special permission is health experts.

(1)(b) it is expected that the employee will be returning to the office on a full-time basis in January 2023 as per the recommendation the health expects.

(2) I do not have any objection to making a statement on the matter.

End

Reply:

(1) According to PERSAL for 2021/2022, the total number of foreign nationals appointed are 1901. It must be noted that PERSAL is limited in terms of statistics specifically in circumstances where persons may have dual citizenship.

(2) Of the 1901 majority, 1475, are in Professional posts (Occupational Specific Dispensation).

(3) The policy on the utilisation of foreign nationals to address human resource and skills needs in the public service advocates to provide mandates and processes according to which departments can address their human resource and skills needs in respect of critical occupations and critical skills by utilising foreign nationals. In terms of section 10(1)(a) of the Public Service Act, 1994 no person shall be appointed permanently to a post unless he or she is a South African citizen or permanent resident. Foreign nationals who are not in possession of a permanent residence permit may therefore only be employed temporarily in departments. The central principle is that the employment of South African citizens and permanent residents must receive preference and the utilisation of foreign nationals through their appointment in Public Service departments must be effected as a last resort.

End

Reply:

Yes, Cabinet has put in place a process for government to consult all relevant players to not only discuss the consequences of a grey-listing by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), but what steps to take to prevent it. Such consultations have included the banking sector, but also many other stakeholders, in both the private and public sector.

Such consultations have been coordinated and led by the National Treasury, in its capacity as the chair of the Interdepartmental Committee on Anti-Money Laundering and the Combating of the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) that was established by Cabinet. The Committee includes officials from the Financial Intelligence Centre, the South African Reserve Bank, the South African Revenue Service, the Prudential Authority, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, the Department of Social Development, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the Special Investigating Unit, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, the State Security Agency, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the National Prosecuting Authority, the South African Police Service’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS), the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of International Relations and Co-operation. to address the deficiencies that were identified in the Mutual Evaluation report.

The Honourable member should note that the Mutual Evaluation Report (MER) on South Africa (http://www.treasury.gov.za/publications/other/Mutual-Evaluation-Report-South-Africa.pdf) published by the FATF in October 2021 did not identify weaknesses that relate to the prosecution of financial crimes only, but a variety of weaknesses in the country’s AML/CFT system. Some of the weaknesses relate to the availability of beneficial ownership information, weaknesses in confiscation, weaknesses in investigations, weaknesses in the generation of financial intelligence information and weaknesses in the implementation of targeted financial sanctions for terrorist financing and proliferation financing. Such consultations have already assisted the government in the drafting of the General Laws (Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing) Amendment Bill [B18-2022] that we I have just introduced in Parliament at the end of August 2022.

National Treasury has engaged with the Banking Association South Africa (BASA) and its member banks since the publication of the Mutual Evaluation report on the potential impact of a greylisting. The discussions have centred around the country’s efforts to avert a FATF greylisting as it could have adverse consequences for the country, including for trade and transactions with other countries. In particular, in the worst scenario where a country does not take remedial steps to address the deficiencies identified in the mutual evaluation report, domestic banks risk losing critical correspondent banking relationships with overseas banks, and more likely to be exposed to significant fines and penalties from overseas regulators, limiting or increasing the cost of doing business with foreign trading partners.

Reply:

The Red Tape Reduction initiative comprises officials from the Presidency working with officials from the Department of Small Business Development and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, under the direction of Mr Sipho Nkosi. We are finalising securing of dedicated resources to bolster this capability.

This work builds on existing government efforts to reduce red tape and improve the business environment.

Engagements have been held with stakeholders to identify a range of impediments on which to focus.

So far, over 100 impediments and obstacles have been identified. A shortlisting process has identified issues where it is possible to make progress in a relatively short time.

For example, work is currently underway to assist with:

• the backlog and delays in the issuing of tourism transport licences, together with the Department of Transport and the industry;

• the backlog and delays in issuing work visas especially with respect to inter-company transfers, together with the Department of Home Affairs;

• obstacles to small business growth in the informal and township economy.

Reply:

a) The table below provides a contrast of Remand Detainee populations at the various Correctional Centres before the admission of illegal minors and after admission. The arrested persons are detained at Heidelberg, Krugersdorp and Modderbee Correctional Centres.

Name of correctional centre	Number of remand detainees (18 July 2022)	Number of remand detainees (25 August 2022)	Percentage increase
Heidelberg	157	259	64.97%
Krugersdorp	1624	1901	17.06%
Modderbee	1791	1984	10.78%

b) Measures in place focused on strategies to reduce overcrowding as follows:

• Monthly Management Area Overcrowding Task Team meetings are held to distribute offenders between centers to alleviate overcrowding;
• A Regional transfer plan is implemented by transferring sentenced offenders to reduce overcrowding. Remand detainees cannot be transferred due to eminent court appearances;
• Implementation of section 63A of the Bail Protocol which makes provision for Heads of the Centre to lodge an application with the clerk of the court for review of bail for certain categories of remand detainees. Referrals to court are also done in line with section 49G of the Bail Protocol which also includes submission of details of remand detainees who have been in detention for longer than three months;
• The Department as participates in Case Flow and SAPS District Joint meetings during which overcrowding and more specifically arrests, prosecution, sentencing, detention, release and deportation of foreign nationals are discussed.

END

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Reply:

South Africa has successfully used its membership of multilateral formations of the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), Southern African Development Community (SADC), BRICS, Commonwealth, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), G20 and G77 to promote a fairer, just, inclusive, equitable and representative multipolar international rules-based system, based on international law and the principles of the sovereign equality of all States, respect for their territorial integrity and mutual respect for the interests and concerns of all.

South Africa believes that multilateralism needs to be built on solidarity and cooperation between international, regional and sub-regional mechanisms, which will lead to more effective and adaptive responses to crises. This has been South Africa’s experience in championing UN and AU cooperation during the three terms South Africa has served so far on the UN Security Council.

South Africa used its participation in the G20, G7 and BRICS to secure practical actions to address contemporary global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We were able to achieve important outcomes. One of these was an agreement that multilateral financial institutions would implement a year-long debt standstill to provide liquidity for the economies of low- and middle-income countries and funding for businesses that experienced losses under COVID-19 restrictions.

We also actively argued in these fora for Africa to be a vaccine producer to reverse inadequate vaccine access for Africa. Today, six African countries are developing vaccine production processes and establishing facilities for this.

In 2021, the UN Secretary General gave the global community new hope when he presented a global vision of inclusive and transformed multilateralism. He proposed adoption of a common agenda for humanity that will see us address climate change, conflict, poverty and insecurity in a manner that promotes inclusion, shared development and equality.

South Africa continues to derive great value from the BRICS partnership. Our joint call with India, a fellow BRICS member, at the World Trade Organisation for the temporary suspension of intellectual property rights so that COVID-19 vaccines and other new technologies treatments and diagnostics are accessible for developing countries was an important intervention in the fight against COVID-19.

The virtual BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre was launched in March this year, and that is one of South Africa's BRICS Chairship legacy projects.

One of the important priorities in the AU agenda is the maintenance of peace and the prevention of conflict. In August 2021 South Africa assumed the rotational chairship of the SADC organ on politics, defence and security cooperation. Our Chairship focused on the political and security situation in the Kingdom of Lesotho, in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Kingdom of Eswatini.

The goals of the international rules-based system are aligned with and advance the goals of South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP). South Africa’s foreign policy objectives are outlined in the vision set out in the NDP, namely, that by 2030, South Africa, informed by its national interests, should be a globally competitive economy and an influential and leading member of the international community.

By achieving Vision 2030, South Africa should promote and contribute to democracy, the rule of law, human rights and peace and security. Through the NDP, South Africa aims to address the challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty with a focus on driving a strong and inclusive economy.

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Reply:

The mentioned parolee was sentenced to twenty years in 2009 for murder and three counts of attempted murder. His sentence is set to expire on 2029/03/09. He completed his legislated Minimum Detention Period (MDP) on 2019/06/09 and was placed on parole on 2022/03/03 after serving twelve (12) years and nine (09) months of his 20 year sentence. He appeared before the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (CSPB) on numerous occasions during which he was granted (07) further profiles because of outstanding issues which needed to be well addressed before he could be granted parole placement.

The involvement or participation of victims in the CSPB processes of considering the offenders for parole placement is directed primarily by section 299A of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 which explains the right of a complainant to make representations in certain matters with regard to placement on parole, on day parole, or under correctional supervision further outlining that the court is to inform complainants and relatives (in the case of murder) when sentencing a person to imprisonment. In the event that the complainant intends to make representations they are to inform the Commissioner of correctional Services in writing and provide their address and to inform the Commissioner in the event there is a change of address.

Section 75(4) of the Correctional services Act 111 of 1998, provides that “Where a complainant or relative is entitled in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act, to make representations or wishes to attend a meeting of a Board, the National Commissioner must inform the Board in question accordingly and that Board must inform the complainant or relative in writing when and to whom he or she may make representations and when and where a meeting will take place”.

Numerous attempts to trace the victims of the crimes of parolee Mr M Harmse, were made with the assistance of Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and efforts were successful in tracking the victims on the count of murder, however, the victims of three attempted murder cases could not be found. Subsequent to successful tracing the victims were invited to participate in the Parole Board sitting which was held on 09 December 2019, during which both verbal and written submissions were made as part of the consideration for possible placement.

The Head Community Corrections confirmed that the Parolee is fully complying with his parole conditions.

END

Reply:

1. The current approved bed space at the Parys Correctional Centre is 68 and it should be noted that the infrastructure is aging. The construction of a new correctional centre has commenced on the existing site with an intention to add 176 new bed space.

2. The design of the new correctional centre as mentioned above is based on the new generation Unit Management principle which limits overreliance on human capital. Based on the design concept the Department will be in a position to manage the operational requirements with the current personnel establishment.

END.

Reply:

1. The Department produced a draft Position Paper on the revised parole system for South Africa which was intended to form a basis for discussion and consultation with all role-players and other interested parties on proposals with a view to finalise an appropriate new parole system for South Africa. The Position Paper was consulted with National Council for Correctional Services (NCCS), Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS), Medical Parole Advisory Board (MPAB), and Parole Boards for inputs.

Thereafter, the Minister referred the matter to the National Council for Correctional Services in terms of section 84(2) of the Correctional Services Act, 111 of 1998.

The recommendations of the NCCS have been submitted to the Minister for consideration with a view to the way forward.

2. The table below reflects the serious crimes have been committed by parolees since 01 March 2020:

Nature of offence	01 March 2020 to 31 March 2021	2021/2022	Q1 of 2022/2023
Attempted rape	5	2	0
Murder	111	176	50
Rape	180	167	47
Robbery	360	247	71
Assault GBH	144	159	31
Domestic violence	90	103	0
Robbery Aggravating	10	37	38
Attempted Murder	33	29	6
Sexual Assault	20	4	7
Theft	132	260	123
Fraud	46	25	3
Assault	14	18	26
Possession of firearm	16	11	11
Arson	7	11	0
Kidnapping	6	7	4
House breaking with intent to rob	9	16	0
Damage of property	9	19	19
House breaking and theft	9	18	66
Pointing of firearm	12	11	0
Possession of drugs	5	4	13
Possession of stolen property	1	9	17
Conspiracy to commit murder	0	1	0
Damage/ interfering with essential infrastructure	1	1	1
Hijacking	10	7	1
Indecent assault	2	1	0
Culpable homicide	3	0	0
Violation of the protection order	2	0	15
Theft from car	1	0	1
Stock theft	1	2	0
Intimidation	0	1	0
Trespassing	0	0	5
TOTAL	1 239	1 346	555

END.

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Reply:

(1) and (3) The two questions have direct implication to the work of the Members of Executive Council (MECs) of the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces, not the Minister of Basic Education and therefore the Hon Member is advised to submit the two parts of the question to the MECs of the two provinces. 

(2) The Minister of Basic Education in South Africa signed a cooperation agreement with the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education of Zimbabwe on 18 August 2022. The agreement is for cooperation in the field of basic education; including sharing best practices in curriculum, teacher development, national examinations, assessments, and infrastructure.

Reply:

The Presidency, including the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, has established a coordinating and monitoring mechanism for the implementation of recommendations and referrals arising from the investigations of the SIU.

The recommendations, referrals and actions of the SIU fall into five categories. These are (1) referrals for criminal investigation and prosecution to the National Prosecuting Authority, (2) referrals for disciplinary processes against officials implicated in wrong-doing to the accounting officers of affected departments and organs of state, (3) referrals for the restricting of suppliers of goods and services who have been implicated in wrongdoing, (4) recommendations for systemic reforms to financial controls, governance and related issues to prevent future occurrences, and (5) the recovery of money through the Special Tribunal.

The implementation environment is therefore highly complex, affecting law enforcement agencies, accounting officers across the three spheres of government and state-owned entities, and those departments mandated to perform oversight. These include the departments of Public Service and Administration and Cooperative Governance, which are responsible with overseeing disciplinary processes in the public service, and the National Treasury, which is responsible for restricting suppliers to government.

The first phase of establishing this coordinating and monitoring mechanism has been completed. This has involved information gathering, business process mapping and problem-solving engagements with the departments and entities central to the implementation of SIU recommendations. This work has produced detailed business process maps of the current implementation ecosystem and has revealed several opportunities for enhancements.

A centralised database has been created of all available information on the implementation of the recommendations, together with a prototype dashboard and analytical capability.

The enhancements that will be tackled in Phase 2 include aligning and standardising data protocols, establishing norms and standards in relation to recommendations, defining escalation procedures where inadequate performance is detected, automating data sharing and reporting processes between the different entities using digital technologies, and formalising structures for cooperation and problem solving.

Phase 2 will be implemented over a 12-month period starting in October 2022.

As part of Phase 1, the Presidency has collated and analysed information from the SIU, National Treasury, National Prosecuting Authority, Department of Public Service and Administration and Department of Cooperative Governance. The outcomes of this exercise have been used to produce a first monitoring report, which was presented to SCOPA on 6 June 2022.

As part of the Phase 1 activities, the Presidency has analysed various datasets to identify performance issues.

For example, as a result of the Presidency-led process, the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer set up interventions to speed up processes with the entities with the largest numbers referrals for restricting suppliers.

This intervention to improve coordination and monitoring of SIU recommendations is one part of a broader wave of action to build state capability to eradicate state capture, corruption and fraud in South Africa.

 

Reply:

Section 199(1) of the Constitution provides that the security services of South Africa consists of a single police service. Furthermore, in terms of Section 205(1) of the Constitution, the national police service must be structured to function in the national, provincial and, where appropriate, local spheres of government.

The National Commissioner is, in terms of Section 207 of the Constitution, responsible to control and manage the police service, in accordance with the national policing policy and directions of the Minister of Police. Section 207(4) of the Constitution, further provides that a provincial commissioner is responsible for policing in his or her province, as prescribed by national legislation and subject to the power of the National Commissioner to exercise control over and manage the police service.

The Minister of Police does not have policing powers and therefore cannot assign or transfer the responsibility of the National Commissioner to control and manage the single national police service to a member of the provincial Executive Council or to a Municipal Council.

Such transfer will be inconsistent with the provisions as contained in Chapter 11 of the Constitution, and accordingly, invalid.

The proposed change in the existing legal position will require amendment to the relevant provisions as contained in Chapter 11 of the Constitution.

Government does not have a policy on devolving policing powers to provinces as SAPS is a national competency.

However there is an Integrated Model of Policing Policy to operationalise the policy direction outlined in the National Development Plan and the 2016 White Paper on Policing for a professional and accountable police service, that is underpinned by prudent and efficient use of resources and the use of smart, modern policing approaches.

An integrated police service would act as a single collective voice for policing, helping to strengthen governance and accountability in all spheres of government, and ensure optimal coordination and alignment across the three spheres of government. An integrated approach would:

• enhance visibility and efficiency;
• ensure the most efficient use of resources;
• strengthen outcomes around building safe and resilient communities;
• address inconsistencies associated with the fragmented nature of policing at national and local levels, including the lack of uniform implementation of national policing standards across the board; and,
• provide a basis for the standardisation of policing approaches in order to ensure efficiency and value for money.

Reply:

a) The Department of Social Development after the term of office for the NDA board expired extended the term of the board and also advertised in the media for the nominations for new board. A first call for nominations to serve as Board members for the National Development Agency, was advertised in the media with a closing date of 30 March 2020.

There was a second call of nominations due to a limited pool of applicants that was attributed to COVID-19 Pandemic lockdown. The advert allowed for nominations to be sent through both email and hand delivery to the department. For the first advert a total number of hundred and sixty-four (164) applications were received, 4 did not have supporting documents as requested and were disqualified. Twenty-one (21) candidates were shortlisted and further 13 were shortlisted and interviewed. Interviews were conducted on 24, 25 November 2020.

The second advert was published and closed on the 08th of October 2021, with 67 candidates submitting their applications. 15 Candidates were shortlisted for interviews. The interviews were conducted on the 10th and 11th March 2022.

b) The department established a selection panel as stipulated in section 5 (1) (b) of the NDA Act. The panel were selected from representatives from the government, entity and civil society who are experts in the development fields. The selection panel that considered the applicants consisted of internal and entity members who interviewed the shortlisted candidates.

c) The following were the names of the panellist that were selected to shortlist and interview the NDA board candidates

NAME AND SURNAME	SECTOR	POSITION IN THE PANEL	EXPERTISE
1. Mr. Linton Mchunu	DSD - ADG	Chairperson	Economics/Development
2. Ms. T Memela - Khambule	SASSA _ CEO	Member	Corporate Governance
3. Mr. FP Netshipale	DSD- DDG	Member	Community Development
4. Mr. T Buthelezi	DSD - ADD	Member	Research and monitoring and Evaluation
5. Ms Brenda Sibeko	DSD - DDG	Member	Economist
6. Ms M Molamu	DSD – Disability	Member	Disability
7. Mr. N Ndlovu	NEDLAC	Member	Development
8. Mr. D Chinappan	DSD secretariat	Secretariat	Human Resource Management

d) The interviews were conducted initially physically for the first advert on the 24th and 25th November 2020 and later for the second advert virtually or through zoom link on the 10th and 11th March 2022.

e) List of all applicants for the NDA boards adverts cannot be provided until the recruitment processes are finalised.

f) Due to the fact that the appointment of the NDA Board Members has not been finalised, the list cannot be provided until recruitment processes are finalised.

g) A Cabinet Memo has been prepared and submitted for the consideration by Cabinet in June 2022. It is expected that any date in June cabinet will consider the memo to approve the NDA board for implementation.

h) It is expected that once cabinet approves the board appointment, the board will be constituted. It is expected that the NDA Board will be constituted not later than 30 July 2022.

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Reply:

The Department of Basic Education requested and assigned Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) to assist with shifting the Early Childhood Development (ECD) function from the Department of Social Development (DSD) to the Department of Basic Education(DBE). GTAC is a legally constituted government component of the National Treasury and provided technical and advisory services on the ECD function shift.   

Reply:

The question asked has direct implication to the work of the Member of Executive Council (MEC) of the Northern Cape Department of Education, not the Minister of Basic Education and therefore the Hon Member is advised to submit the question to the MEC for education in the Northern Cape province. 

Reply:

Given the severe economic and social challenges our country is facing, government has been working with social partners towards consensus on the key tasks that we need to undertake together to address these challenges.

While all of the constituencies represented in the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) – government, organised business, organised labour and the community constituency – share common objectives, they represent different interests, which must be taken into consideration.

The negotiations are continuing in earnest. We have almost finalised a ‘Framework for a Social Compact in South Africa’. The foundation of the social compact is a recommitment to the accelerated implementation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.

These negotiations have not prevented government from forging ahead with the implementation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan and far-reaching economic reforms in key network sectors.

Social partners are working towards finalising priority interventions on energy, transport and logistics, expanding infrastructure investment, support for SMMEs, fighting crime and corruption, social protection and expanding public employment programmes for the unemployed.

We remain committed to achieve a sustainable, inclusive and responsive social compact to support and accelerate our economic recovery.

Reply:

(1) (a) (i) The department currently does not have any employees working from home.

(ii) N/A - No special permission has been granted for any employee to work from home.

(iii) N/A

(b) N/A - All employees of the department are are currently reporting for duty to their respective offices.

(2) There is no reason to make a statement in this regard as the Department has complied with all the directives in this regard.

Reply:

The configuration of Education Management Information System (EMIS) at the current stage does not support the collection of this type of information. 

Reply:

The question asked has direct implication to the work of the Member of Executive Council (MEC) of the Northern Cape Department of Education, not the Minister of Basic Education and therefore the Hon Member is advised to submit the question to the MEC for education in the Northern Cape province.

Reply:

Since the Interim Constitution came into effect in 1994, the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been responsible for a national protection service.

The budget for the VIP protection services, which accounts for less than 2% of the total SAPS budget, includes:

• Provisioning of comprehensive protection to the President and Deputy President of the Republic, former Presidents and former Deputy Presidents, visiting Heads of State and spouses;

• Provisioning of comprehensive protection to 62 national dignitaries (28 Ministers, 34 Deputy Ministers, Speaker of Parliament, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP) and 124 provincial dignitaries (9 Premiers, 9 Provincial Legislature Speakers, 9 Provincial Legislature Deputy Speakers and 87 MECs), as well as ad hoc and foreign dignitaries that visit South Africa;

• Provisioning of comprehensive protection to the Chief Justice, Former Chief Justice, Constitutional Courts Judges, Judge Presidents and President of the Supreme Court of Appeal.

It is a well-established principle in jurisdictions across the world that the state should provide adeuqate protection to officials whose personal safety may be at risk by virtue of the positions they occupy.

Reply:

The Department has no policy on civvies. This is an SGB driven programme to raise funds for an identified project and has never been made compulsory to learners in schools where such practice is adopted.

Reply:

The question asked has direct implication to the work of the Member of Executive Council (MEC) of the Northern Cape Department of Education, not the Minister of Basic Education and therefore the Hon Member is advised to submit the question to the MEC for education in the Northern Cape province.

Reply:

The expenditure of the South African Police Service (SAPS) on catering and accommodation since February 2018 was incurred in the fulfilment of the constitutional and statutory responsibilities of the police.

Like all other expenditure items in the SAPS budget, catering and accommodation are a normal part of the cost of running a police service.

This includes instances where officials have to be accommodated away from their normal place of work due to specific operational needs and deployment requirements. Examples in recent years include public order interventions in various provinces, securing the national and local government elections, deployments in response to COVID-19, and deployments to police the July 2021 unrest.

There is no reason to replace a Minister on the basis of expenditure that forms part of the operational requirements of a police service.

Reply:

a) A total of 410 disputes were referred to adjudication of which 109 adjudication orders were issued. Out of 1 191 disputes referred for conciliation, 331 were resolved. All three regions experienced a backlog during the 2020/21 financial year, with the total number of outstanding disputes estimated at 3 335. The backlog was cleared up in the 2021/22 financial year.

The table below depicts the breakdown of the adjudication and conciliation of disputes per region:

 

REGION	REFERRED TO CONCILIATION	CONCILIATED	REFERRED TO ADJUDICATION	ORDERS
Gauteng	557	201	360	99
Kwa-Zulu Natal	297	50	16	6
Western Cape	337	80	34	4
TOTAL	1191	331	410	109

b) The performance information in the 2020/2021 financial year did not have a filtering method for adjudications that were dismissed in the 2020/2021 financial year. The SharePoint system incorporated dismissals from the 2021/2022 financial year onwards. Out of the 109 adjudications, the Community Scheme Ombud Service (CSOS) is unable to determine which adjudication orders were for dismissals.

 

c) CSOS does not capture performance information that refers to dismissals for technical reasons. They are categorised as “Dismissals”. The CSOS Assessment and Quality Assurance processes ensures the elimination of dismissals for technicalities.  Furthermore, adjudicators have the investigative powers to probe outstanding aspects of the disputes in order to proceed on the merits of the matter.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NUMBER: PQ 2783 (NW3374E)

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2 SEPTEMBER 2022

__________________________________________________________

MR J MARITZ

DIRECTOR: HUMAN SETTLEMENTS ENTITIES OVERSIGHT

DATE:

__________________________________________________________

Recommended / not recommended

MS S NGXONGO

ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL

DATE:

__________________________________________________________

Approved / not approved

MS MT KUBAYI, MP

MINISTER OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

DATE:

Reply:

The question asked has direct implication to the work of the Member of Executive Council (MEC) of the Eastern Cape Department of Education, not the Minister of Basic Education and therefore the Hon Member is advised to submit the question to the MEC for education in the Eastern Cape province.

Reply:

a) The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (the Department) started capturing data through the Integrated Case Management System (ICMS): Maintenance in 2019/2020. Therefore, this response is based on the data captured from 2019/2020 to 2021/2022 financial years.

The average turnaround time in respect of cases lodged for child maintenance orders and the issuing of child maintenance orders for the period 2019 to 2022 is tabulated below:

Region	Average days per case: 2019/2020	Average days per case: 2020/2021	Average days per case: 2021/2022
1. Eastern Cape	87.30	73.08	137.44
2. Free State	58.24	60.41	90.38
3. Gauteng	86.12	68.42	100.91
4. Kwa-Zulu Natal	69.86	61.01	103.85
5. Limpopo	93.11	62.09	109.48
6. Mpumalanga	105.08	60.72	87.81
7. North West	76.00	82.95	88.60
8. Northern Cape	52.49	55.10	66.12
9. Western Cape	67.11	74.64	84.04
Grand Total	81.02	66.99	102.02

*Maintenance on ICMS was only introduced in 2019, and data collection prior is not accounted for in this response

N.B: The turnaround time is calculated from the Date of Proper Service to the date on which the Court Order is granted. In 2019/2020, it took an average of 81.02 days to finalise a case, and it took an average of 102.02 days to finalise a case in 2021/2022. It took 21 days more to finalise a case in 2021/2022 when compared to 2019/2020 financial year.

b) From 2019/2020 financial year, there are 13 219 pending matters across all the courts nationally. The table below provides a Provincial breakdown”

Region	Number of Cases
1. Eastern Cape	1 377
2. Free State	1 236
3. Gauteng	3 199
4. Kwa-Zulu Natal	1 878
5. Limpopo	464
6. Mpumalanga	826
7. North West	1 110
8. Northern Cape	743
9. Western Cape	2 386
Grand Total	13 219

END

Reply:

According to the information received from SAA

a) (i) & (ii)

The matters raised in the letter by Air Service Licensing Council (ASLC) are being addressed by SAA and will be provided to the ASLC within or before the 90-day period as prescribed.

Some of the issues are administrative in nature, relating to SAA’s interaction with the Air Service Licensing Council (ASLC), the submission of financial statements and internal staff movements. With regards to the Takatso deal, this is being negotiated by Government, as the shareholder.

The questions raised in the letter do not impact on SAA’s current and future operations as well as the quality of the services provided by SAA. To that end, both local and regional services are continuing uninterrupted.

b) SAA has set itself an internal deadline of less than 60 days to respond from the date of the letter from ASLC.

 

Reply:

No. The Department’s policy review and development process is informed and guided by the National Policy Development Framework, approved by Cabinet in 2020. The process sets out the following:

(a) A political manifesto of the Governing Party is a public declaration of policy and programmes aimed at improving the lives of citizens. These priorities are further processed through the government for implementation.

(b) The Manifesto of the Governing Party is processed for implementation through the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF). The MTSF is the government’s strategic plan which reflects commitments made in the election manifesto of the governing party, as well as priorities of the National Development Plan (NDP).

The Framework guides the Department on policy review, policy development, policy authorisation, policy implementation and policy analysis. It sets standards and guiding principles for the entire policy making cycle and clarifies approaches to intra/inter departmental consultation and external stakeholder consultations during policy-making processes. The Framework enlightens the process through which a platform is created for an interaction between the Department and consultation with communities for participatory-based evidence.

In addition, since Housing is a concurrent function, the Department has a structured and systematic policy approval process which includes a multi-sectoral intergovernmental consultation forum in the form of the National Policy Task Team (NPTT). The NPTT comprises of Provinces, Metropolitan Municipalities, South African Local Government Association (SALGA); Human Settlements Entities, Civil Society, Chapter Nine Institutions, i.e. South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC); Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), etc. To establish the envisaged developmental impact, rationale, associated risks, cost estimates and quality standards, the draft policy is subjected to the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System (SEIAS) exercise at the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME).

If necessary, the draft policy will then be shared with the Chief State Law Advisor for concurrence. Thereafter it will be submitted for approval to a pertinent Ministerial Cluster, Ministers and Members of Executive Councils (MINMEC) and Technical MINMEC forums.

Reply:

No, there were no loan requests made or granted at the recent International Monetary Fund / World Bank Spring Meetings held in Washington DC. Loan requests are typically not discussed at the Spring Meetings.

Reply:

It is the Departments of Health’s policy to ensure that women have uninterrupted access to quality safe contraceptives that allow them to choose which one best suit their personal circumstances.

The National Department of Health (NDOH) manages contracts for approximately 1 200 line items including contraceptives. Thus, in ensuring that sufficient stock is available at facilities, a number of interventions have been implemented. These interventions are informed by the cause of the supply challenge.

• Where the supply constraint is due to operational matters, re is a delay e.g. machine breakdown, labour 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.
• During the contracting for medicines, it is a special contractual condition that suppliers provide the NDoH with information related to their buffer stock holding, plans within the pipeline and data related to deliveries made to facilities. The DoH uses this information to manage supplier performance including the imposition of penalties where appropriate. Furthermore, the data is used for planning purposes including demand and supply planning.

Medicine availability is monitored using supplier and provincial level data and this allows visibility of stock availability and as such allows for risk mitigation by the National Department of Health.

END.

Reply:

The Eastern Cape province has the following plans in place in preparations for the initiation season in December 2022, in order to prevent deaths of initiates prevalent in the that province: ambulances, proper nutrition and basic health care services

As part of the Customary Male Initiation, the House of Traditional Leaders coordinates the department Seasonal Contingency Plan which is used to prepare for the initiation season. This plan is used to coordinate the establishment of District Monitoring and Response Teams to ensure coverage of the areas where initiation schools are set up. The teams cover service areas such as clinical essential services and Ambulance Services that are to be on standby to respond to emergency calls from the initiation schools. The department further has the District Initiation Forums and working Committees which are part of Pre-Initiation preparations. These forums conduct awareness campaigns in local schools and communities to as they prepare for start of the initiations season

a) As part of the preparations for the initiation season, all Emergency Medical Service (EMS) ambulances are put on standby in the event of any emergency from the school. The Emergency Communication Centre is accessible as a free service on the 112-emergency number and the appropriate response will then be activated depending on the nature of the incident/illness. Through the District Initiation Forums and Working Committees, EMS is informed about the number and sites of all initiation schools within the province. In the event of an incident, the closest ambulance available to the initiation school will be activated. Given the large number of initiation schools, the number of days for initiation ceremonies and the day-to-day EMS demands, it will not be practically possible to allocate an ambulance to each school, because ambulance services is a response service rather than a service delivered at a given facility only and as such the province will not be able to place an ambulance at all initiation schools.

b) The provincial Department of Health through Nutrition sub-directorate will conduct a one-day workshop to be attended by at least one person per initiation school prior to the start of the initiation. The focus of the workshop will be on but not limited to the following:

• Screening for early identification of undernourished initiates
• Request form for nutrition supplements from the local clinic or hospital
• Provisioning of healthy, nutritious, and culturally acceptable foods including special diets e.g. diabetic diet
• Food safety principles within the context of the initiation schools

Some of the key areas which are part of the Pre-Initiation Preparations is to educate the communities and community leaders about is the importance of good nutrition

c) As per the Act directive and standard operating procedure to ensure eligibility of initiates, all boys going for initiation are referred for health assessment in all the Health Facilities. Basic medical assessment is done on all candidates to exclude and treat any pre-existing medical condition before the initiate is given a clinical clearance certificate as a precautionary measure from the Department for the boy to go for initiation. All boys with pre-existing health conditions are not allowed to go for initiation until such time that the condition has been controlled and such candidate is cleared by the health professional. Where a boy is on a chronic treatment, he and the family, including the Traditional Surgeon and Traditional Nurse, are educated on the importance of ensuring the treatment is continued eve for the duration of the schooling as prescribed by the doctor. Continuous monitoring of such initiates is conducted by the Department of Health monitoring teams.

END.

Reply:

According to the information received from Denel:

1. a.

(i) accommodation	(ii) travel	(iii) entertainment
R3 818 260	R4 813 537	R542 893 (Clients)

b.

2018-2019	2019-2020	2020-2021	2021-2022	2022-2023
R35m	R53m	R33m	R20m	R12m

2.

2018-2019	2019-2020	2020-2021	2021-2022	2022-2023
R1 850m	R1 590m	R770m	R589m	To be finalised

3.

Denel does not currently have any active contracts from the Russian Federation in its order book.