Questions and Replies

Reply:

According to the information received from Eskom

a) Eskom’s Generation fleet is unreliable and unpredictable because its plants have been run for over 10 years at exceptionally high utilisation factors, with less than adequate maintenance. there has been insufficient investment in maintenance as a result of inadequate ENERGY capacity and years of tariffs that were not reflective of prudent and efficient costs. Together with inadequate capacity on the system, this unreliability and unpredictability has led to load shedding and this also means that the risk of load shedding remains if there are more breakdowns than predicted in the base planning scenarios.

b) A reduction in the risk of load shedding depends on two factors. Firstly, an additional 6 000MW is required to be commissioned. This is being driven by the DMRE. Secondly, Eskom needs to improve the reliability and predictability of the coal fleet. This requires adequate financial resources and “space” on the system to execute the required additional reliability maintenance. To achieve this, Eskom is driving the Generation Turnaround Programme that includes focussing on the Seven Strategic Initiatives that include the 2035 Strategy, the 9-Point Plan and the Reliability Maintenance Recovery Programme.

In addition, special programs to deploy experienced personnel to assist power station managers, and a mentoring and training program is also being put in place to improve operational efficiency.

the negative impact of criminality, corruption, sabotage and fraud must also be taken into account. urgent law enforcement measures must be put in place to combat this.

please be assured that the management is very aware that agility, accountability and responsiveness is critical to the more efficient operation of plant.

Reply:

Moses Kotane Local Municipality (MKLM) provided for installation of high mast lights in Ward 6 in its current 3-year capital budget plan and 2021/22 Integrated Development Plan. According to MMKLM, MKLM installed high mast lights in Motlhabe village in Ward 6 this financial year and has planned to install high mast lights in Mapaputle and Molorwe villages in Ward 6 in the 2022/23 financial year by the 30th of June 2023.

Reply:

Currently, SAFCOL has a total of 189 747 hectares with plantable area of 120 644 hectares. As a result, only 116 695 hectares is planted and 3 949 hectares is “Temporary Unplanted” (TUP). This is approximately 3% of the total ,which was maintained for the past 5 years, is in line with annual industry targets.

The Department of Public Enterprises has since requested SAFCOL to consider assisting the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) in reducing its TUP which is currently above 30%, either by leasing or managing plantations near its operations in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KZN. This will not only reduce unlimited risks DFFE is currently exposed to but also increase rural employment and sawlog availability for supply of raw material to small and medium business in response to sector transformation and addressing the Commercial Forestry Masterplan objectives.

Furthermore, DPE has encouraged SAFCOL to ensure that it remains a preferred partner post the land settlement process as currently 57% of SAFCOL land under operation is under land claim. This is in collaboration with DFFE and the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform.

Reply:

According to the information received from Alexkor

1. (a) Ms Leilani Swartbooi was never appointed as CEO or Acting CEO of the PSJV.

(b) Ms Swartbooi was appointed to act in the position of Mr Bowers, the General Mine Manager, for the period 8 February 2022 to 14 February 2022 while Mr Bowers was on leave.

(c) Mr Bowers is still the General Mine Manager of the PSJV. He was never removed from this position.

(2) Mr Bowers has not been removed from the performance of his duties and there has been no change to his remuneration package.

Reply:

a) Work on the drafting of the Framework began in June 2020. Work on the draft was delayed as increasing Covid-19 infections and stringent Covid-19 Regulations required that immediate action and interventions be embarked upon wherever possible to mitigate against their impact on court operations and court efficiency.

The Directions issued by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services contained some of the interventions such as, e.g. the keeping of Priority Rolls; Court staffing arrangements etc, whilst the Court Optimisation Committee, an intervention led by the Deputy Minister, sought to address challenges and bottlenecks being experienced at the court level by bringing together justice stakeholders and members of the judiciary.

As the rate of Covid infections dropped and the Alert Levels changed accordingly with less stringent Regulations, work could resume on bringing about a more permanent and long-term solution to the long-standing issue of criminal case backlogs.

It should be highlighted that addressing the causes of criminal case backlogs requires the buy-in of all stakeholder departments. For this purpose, extensive consultations were conducted, including workshops. Both external stakeholders as well as internal stakeholders had to be consulted in the drafting and finalising of the Framework, before it could be submitted to the Minister. Consultations began in early July 2021 and continued until November 2021. The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster was also consulted on various occasions through the Development Committee (Sub-Committee of the JCPS Director-Generals’ Cluster). Several versions were submitted for guidance until the final draft Framework was submitted to the Minister on 22 March 2022.

The Framework provides for the establishment of a National Steering Committee comprised of senior officials of all stakeholder departments and entities, viz. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Department of Correctional Services, the Department of Health, the National Prosecuting Authority, Department for Social Development, Legal Aid South Africa, the South African Police Service, and so forth. The National Steering Committee would also need to include representatives of the Judicial Accountability Committee (Magistrates).

The initial responsibility of the National Steering Committee will be to finalise, through various consultations, Memoranda of Understanding between the stakeholder departments and entities outlining each respective department or entity’s responsibility and commitment to perform their individual line functions that they are required to do within their respective mandates, so as to contribute to the reduction of criminal case backlogs.

Each stakeholder department or entity will, in turn, be finalising Annual Performance Indicators within their areas of responsibility, each of which will feed into an overall JCPS Indicator with the desired outcome being reduced criminal case backlogs.

These tools seek to ensure on-going monitoring of performance and the progress being made in reducing the criminal case backlogs consistently and progressively.

Already existing regional and district structures will deal with challenges at local, district and regional level with matters that cannot be resolved at these levels being escalated to the National Steering Committee.

b) The draft Framework will be finalised after the inputs from the Lower Courts Judiciary have been obtained. It must be stressed that these consultations must still take place. Court performance and court efficiency fall within the purview of the judiciary. The Department plans to begin the implementation of the Framework with the convening of the National Steering Committee after consultations with the Lower Courts judiciary have taken place and their inputs have been incorporated.

The Framework aims to provide for a long-term mechanism to address criminal case backlogs. However, the Department has developed an Action Plan to be implemented immediately to address challenges which have a negative impact on the courts and which fall within the Department’s responsibility.

The Action Plan includes interventions such as, amongst others, -

1. Priority Courts identified in terms of highest backlogs and the development of priority rolls;
2. Continuous Rolls - Matters involving multiple accused to be placed on continuous roll for trials;
3. Backlog Courts established where feasible;
4. Client-Liaison Meetings with service providers e.g. CRT service providers
5. Additional Human Resources;
6. Psycho-social support for court officials to improve on the rate of absenteeism;
7. Repairs and Maintenance (IT) - Regional Heads and ISM meet with service provider every Wednesday to track progress;
8. Additional Equipment Procured (IT);
9. Facilities interventions such as procurement of portable battery packs and generators, facilitation of the carrying out of minor maintenance works and procurement of mobile units to be used as court rooms and testifying rooms; and
10. Security measures for the courts.

Reply:

a) The Department has not concluded any commercial contracts with (i) the government of the Russian Federation and/or any other entity based in the Russian Federation since 1 April 2017.

b) None of the Human Settlement Entities have concluded commercial contracts with (i) the government of the Russian Federation and/or any entity based in the Russian Federation since 1 April 2017.

Reply:

The public finances are governed by legislative prescripts and regulatory frameworks that stipulate the conditions including the roles and responsibilities of all relevant stakeholders. It is therefore important that the accounting officers of organs of state and stakeholders ensure that funds are utilised in accordance with the applicable regulatory frameworks. For the response and recovery measures of the recent flooding, government through relevant organs of state has strengthened the monitoring systems through the following key measures:

1. Tracking of expenditure by National Treasury where changes to the fund and project segment have been implemented in the Basic Accounting System (BAS),
2. Tracking procurement where all institutions affected by the flood disaster must report to National Treasury all procurement transactions related to flood interventions,
3. Real time auditing by the Office of the Auditor-General focussing on the following areas:

Prevention – testing the implementation of the preventative controls and the remaining risks will be reported to the accounting officer/authority, 

Detection - high-risk transactions will be subjected to an audit and key observations reported to the accounting officer/authority; and

Reporting on work done by the AGSA, the outcome thereof and the responses by accounting officers and authorities to any weaknesses identified are reported in a special report. The audits are meant to provide independent assurance on whether public funds have been appropriately accounted for and were used for its intended purpose.

Reply:

1. Indeed, there was a security incident at Tswelopele Correctional Centre on 05 March 2022, wherein one (01) official was injured and two (02) offenders died. It can be confirmed that eight (08) and not seventeen (17) officials were immediately placed on precautionary suspension pending outcome of the investigation. The investigation has been finalised and consequence management is to be applied following departmental protocols including the review of suspensions.

2. Trauma management is provided to the officials who are exposed to acts of violence from offenders. Trauma counselling is provided by the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) officers of the Department.

END

Reply:

In response to the questions above, the National Prosecuting Authority has informed me as follows:

1. Orlando CAS 150/08/19

It was declined to prosecute the matter, as the case docket contained very scant evidence. Mr Tshepo Mhlongo, provided a very cryptic statement where he mentioned that he is the lawful owner of a certain property and alleged that Sibusiso Duma and his two brothers are collecting rent. The accused denies this allegation. The decision to decline a prosecution was made on 11 December 2019. The Investigating Officer was informed that he may re-submit the case docket once further admissible evidence that objectively supports the allegation made by Mr Mhlongo is obtained. Up to date, no such evidence has been obtained.

2. Orlando CAS 220/11/2019

The matter is on the court roll as prosecution was instituted. This matter is partly heard and Mr T Mhlongo is again the complainant herein. The State of Disaster that existed, the non-availability of Legal Aid South Africa, the absence of accused on more than one occasion, the non-availability of the docket and the non-functioning of the court recording machine are cited as reasons for the number of remands. The matter was remanded to 22 April 2022 for continuation of the trial. The Presiding Magistrate came from another court to attend to the partly heard matter, but unfortunately the matter could again not proceed due to a faulty recording machine. The case was subsequently remanded to 21 June 2022 to court “A” for hearing further evidence. The State’s case is not closed yet as the Investigating Officer still needs to testify.

3. Orlando CAS 551/04/2018

This matter involves the brother of Mr T Mhlongo who is called Lincoln Mhlongo. This matter was finalised on the 29 August 2019 wherein the accused was found guilty of assault and sentenced to twelve (12) months imprisonment which was wholly suspended for five (5) years.

4. Orlando CAS 133/10/2015 (with Orlando CAS 513/04/2019)

These matters are being dealt with at the Office of the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) under DPP ref 10/2/4/3-306/19 and as per the latest correspondence to the South African Police Service (SAPS) Provincial Head, Gauteng Detectives dated 30 March 2022, it is clear that there are still investigations outstanding and a return date of 14 April 2022 is stated for an update from SAPS side. SAPS is supposed to advise the DPP’s office on the appointment of an expert who will do a voice comparison.

5. Orlando CAS 40/10/2019

The complainant is also Mr T Mhlongo. This case is also on the court roll after prosecution was instituted. On 07 May 2021, warrants of arrest were authorised against the two (2) accused. As warrants of arrest were issued, it is unclear when the warrants will be executed as this function falls within the ambit of SAPS.

6. None of the cases mentioned above were withdrawn.

Reply:

Attached find here: Reply

Reply:

It is important to note that the Fire Brigade Services Act, 1987 (Act 99 of 1987) is the primary legislation regulating the provision of fire services. Section 5 (1)  a controlling authority shall appoint a person who possesses the prescribed qualifications and experience, as chief fire officer to be in charge of its service. In response to the above questions:

a) What  action has she taken to hold municipalities accountable for such irregularities?

The Directorate facilitated the process of developing Fire Service career path as part of Municipal Staff Regulations which will come into effect from 1 July 2022.

b) What oversight mechanisms has her Department implemented to monitor the redress of the situation?                                                

The Department is in the process of developing an oversight mechanism for Municipal Fire Services career path once the Regulations is effective. The Directorate will monitor and support the implementation of the Municipal Staff Regulations.

The link to the Municipal Staff Regulations is below

https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202109/45181gon891.pdf

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Reply:

The funding made available to the Solidarity Fund, like that of all donors, are not ring-fenced to individual projects. The reports of the Solidarity Fund, setting out its work is obtainable from its website at https://solidarityfund.co.za/

In respect of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), the following information has been provided:

• the NLC approved micro pro-active funding of R 10 Million for basic and essential hygiene goods, food parcels and cooked meals to assist the most vulnerable groups. To ensure that the approved funds reach affected citizen, the funds were allocated to fifty-four (54) organisations across the country. The above intervention assisted in providing immediate relief programme to affected communities.
• The NLC concluded that many Non-Profit Entities (NPEs) were at a brink of collapse because of the nation-wide lockdown. The NLC approved further funding of R 150 Million to assist NPEs to stay afloat. The fund targeted mainly the operational cost of the organisations. In order to ensure that the approved funds yield the envisaged return, the funding was divided into two categories:

(1) R 100 Million will fund operational cost for the qualifying NPOs and

(2) R 50 Million will be for macro projects that will assist in cross-functional relief programme nationally.

(b) The list of organisations that received R10 million for food and hygiene hampers is attached as Annexure A.

(c) The list of organisations that received R150 million for relief fund to assist struggling non-profit organisations to keep afloat and cross functional relief programmes is attached as Annexure B.

In terms of the Covid Fund Relief, R145 799 864 was allocated from the R150 million. There was a saving of R4 200 136 from the amount that was approved. Details of the beneficiaries and different categories have been attached in Annexure B.

-END-

Reply:

Bid number DPE07-2021-2022 relating to the Appointment of Service Provider to assist with determining the Optimal Operating Model for the State’s Diamond Assets

Status: It was cancelled due to the changed of circumstances, there is no longer a need for the services requested.

Reply:

I have been advised by the IDC and NEF as follows:

Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)

The IDC set aside a R800 million fund that gave financial support to companies providing essential supplies to address the COVID-19 Pandemic. This fund includes R300 million from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme (MCEP). The table below provides details of the companies supported by the COVID Essential Supplies Fund.

National Empowerment Fund (NEF)

The NEF set aside R200 million to provide financial assistance to companies that manufacture and supply essential products for Covid-19. A total of R211 million support was approved to the following beneficiaries:

-END-

Reply:

1. (a) and (b) Yes. The Department was consulted on the development of a framework aimed at professionalising the public service and its inputs were shared with the Department of Public Service and Administration. A copy of the submission is annexured hereto.

2. Apart from participating in various processes during the development of the said framework, the Department recently promulgated the Municipal Staff Regulations setting out uniform standards and procedures governing career incidents of municipal staff below management echelon. The Regulations were consulted with the Minister of Public Service and Administration whose valuable inputs were received and incorporated into the Regulations.

BACKGROUND:

1. Government in its transformation role of enuring that South Africa becomes a truly nonracial and democratic country, it continues to be grappling with developmental challenges. To respond to these challenges, in 2012, government adopted the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030 as a long-term strategic goal to address the triple challenges of reducing poverty, inequality and unemployment. In the context of the role of the state, Chapter 13 of the NDP envisions South Africa as a Capable and Developmental State. The NDP further makes an assertion that the state needs to play a transformative and developmental role. Accordingly, this requires a well-run and effectively coordinated state institutions with skilled public servants who are committed to the public good and capable of delivering consistently high quality services, while prioritising the nation’s developmental objectives.

2. To realise the above mentioned NDP 2030 vision, in 2018, the Public Service Commission conducted a roundtable discussion on the professionalisation of the pubic service. The roundtable recommended that the implemnentaion of key recommendations in Chapter 13 of the NDP need to be fasttracked, led by Office of the President. These include the creation of the Administrative Head of the Public Service and a strengtherned role for the Public Service Commission. It further recommended that the DPSA should be the champion of the project to professionalise the Public Service.

3. Emanating from the above, the Minister for the Public Service and Administration approved the publication of the draft National Implementation Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Service for public comments. The Framework recommends among other provisions, that the public service be merit-based and insulated from party politics. Five critical professionalisation pillars are proposed, namely;

a) Pre-entry recruitment and selection within the public service

b) Induction and onboarding

c) Planning and performance management

d) Continuous learning and professional development

e) Career progression and management of career incidence

4. A number of stakeholders, including government departments, professional bodies, civil society organisations etc were invited to participate and make written submissions during the consultation process.

Reply:

Attached find here: Reply

Reply:

The Department has no commercial contracts with the government of the Russian Federation

Reply:

(a) The Auditor General signed off on the 2019/20 audit report on 18 December 2020, and the 2019/20 Annual Report was sent to Parliament for tabling on 30 September 2021.

(b) The main reason for the delay was the interactions between Management and the Auditor-General and the disputes that arose from the Auditor-General’s findings that ultimately led to a disclaimer opinion being issued.

END

Reply:

The Department of Cooperative Governance (DCOG) will be strengthening the support to municipalities in the following:

• The development and implementation of disaster management plans as per Sections 38, 39, 52 and 53 of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002;
• The assessment of submitted disaster management plans to check amongst others the level of compliance with the Disaster Management Act as well as the alignment with the guidelines on “development and structure of a disaster management plan”.
• Whether these plans incorporate disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation measures for inclusion into municipal programmes and projects as required for by the priorities and targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030).
• Engagement sessions with municipalities and Provincial Disaster Management Centres within respective provinces to discuss the respective assessment feedbacks. 

DCOG will continue to collaborate with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) in supporting the district municipalities to develop the district climate change adaptation plans as well as providing capacity building programmes to the district municipalities on climate change with the view to facilitate mainstreaming of climate consideration into the municipal planning system. This will be done with the development of various tools such as Greenbook and Let-respond Toolkit which are aimed at offering the municipality with tools that could be used in planning for climate change response.

The above-mentioned inter-institutional support complements the current and planned work of the NDMC on disaster management planning and Impact Based Early Warning training with the South African Weather Service. The NDMC and the South African Weather Service will conduct Impact Based training for all districts in KZN for the 2022/23 financial year. The South African Weather Service and the NDMC will continue issuing of weekly Impact Based Early Warnings for approaching severe weather systems, especially in eastern coastal area. The NDMC will continue to distribute seasonal plans to all disaster management stakeholders highlighting hazard prone areas for medium term planning. and informed decision-making.

Reply:

Makhado Local Municipality (MLM) is currently constructing the culvert bridge and the progress on the 3rd of May 2022 is as per pictures below. According to MLM, the completion date is the 31st of May 2022.

Reply:

(a) Provincial Disaster Management Plan (s)

It is encouraging to note that all provinces submitted their disaster management plans to the NDMC. Following submission of the plans by these organs of state, the NDMC assesses them to check amongst others the following:

• Level of compliance with the Disaster Management Act of 2002, other relevant legislative frameworks, policies and bylaws.
• Alignment with the guidelines on “development and structure of a disaster management plan”.
• Whether these plans incorporate disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation measures for inclusion into sector programmes and projects as required for by the priorities and targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030).

The NDMC further provides written feedback as well as hold engagement sessions on this feedback with provinces through Provincial Disaster Management Centres (PDMCs) as the custodians of these plans.

(b) District Disaster Management Plan (s) 

It is encouraging to note that 38 District Municipalities and 7 Metropolitan Municipalities submitted their disaster management plans to the NDMC. Following submission of the plans by these organs of state, the NDMC develops the “municipal support schedule” in line with the APP project to “provide support to a number of municipalities in priority disaster areas to prevent, prepare and mitigate disaster risks through implementation of applicable disaster management plans”. In line with the developed Support Schedule, the NDMC assesses these identified disaster management plans to check amongst others the following:

• Level of compliance with the Disaster Management Act of 2002, other relevant legislative frameworks, policies and bylaws.
• Alignment with the guidelines on “development and structure of a disaster management plan”.
• Whether these plans incorporate disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation measures for inclusion into sector programmes and projects as required for by the priorities and targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030). 

The NDMC further provides written feedback as well as hold engagement sessions with municipalities and PDMCs in the provinces within which municipalities whose disaster management plans were assessed belong. The NDMC further developed the “Support Plan” to assist and guide municipalities to address identified challenges prohibiting them to develop fit-for-purpose disaster management plans. Also, the NDMC developed “Guidelines on the integration of DRR, IDPs and DDM-One Plans of each District and Metropolitan Municipalities”. Both (Guidelines and the Support Plan) will be rolled out in all the provinces through the Provincial Disaster Management Centres (PDMC) for the duration of the current financial year. The  DG of DCOG regularly writes letters to Accounting Officers within provinces and municipalities for non-submission of, as well as a reminder to update and review their plans that were previously developed and are outdated.

To complement all NDMC efforts in (a) and (b) above, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) supported all district municipalities to develop the district climate change adaptation plans. Furthermore, all provinces have been supported to develop their provincial climate change adaptation strategies. DFFE further provided capacity building programmes on climate change to all district municipalities with the view to facilitate mainstreaming of climate change considerations into the municipal planning system. This was done with the development of various tools such as Greenbook and Let-respond Toolkit which are aimed at offering municipalities with tools that could be used for climate change response planning. All the inter-institutional support complements the current and planned work of the NDMC on disaster management planning and Impact Based Early Warning training that the NDMC does with the South African Weather Service. In the 2022/23 financial year, the NDMC and SAWS will conduct Impact Based training for all districts in KZN. Both will continue to issue weekly Impact Based Early Warnings for the approaching severe weather systems, especially in the eastern coastal area. The NDMC Autumn and Winter seasonal plans highlighting hazard prone areas will also be distributed to all disaster management stakeholders in the province of KZN for the medium-term planning.

Reply:

According to the information received from Alexkor

The audit process has taken longer than expected. In this regard, the Company requested a concession for late submission of their integrated report. The new interim board is working as expeditiously as possible to finalise the integrated report.

Accordingly, the approval of integrated report and publication of the same will be concluded at the annual general meeting (AGM), to be held in a fortnight at the latest.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

(1)

(a) I have been informed by the Department that the entrances to the property were previously boarded up. However, vandals have since removed the boards at the entrances and regained access. Subsequently, on 1 May 2022 the Department’s Security Division conducted a site visit, during which it was established that is not feasible to brick up / board up the openings of the buildings due to the extent of the damages to the building. A decision has been taken to deploy a security company to monitor the remains of the building as well as to prevent further vandalism and any illicit activities from taking place. The security company will be appointed by June, so as to allow the SCM processes for the appointment to unfold.

(b) The Department will deploy a security company to monitor the property. Subsequent to our previous response, the Client Department, South African Police Service, has expressed interest in the property for official accommodation purposes.

A Technical team has visited the site to conduct a Technical Condition Assessment of the facility to quantify the extent of the damage as well as costing. The Assessment Report will be finalized by the end of May 2022. The outcome will determine whether the nature of the work to be done is of a capital nature or it is work that can be done by our in-house team.

(2)

(a)

(i) Approvals: Depending on the outcome of the Technical Condition Assessment on the extent and cost of the damage, a formal process of registering a project for budget allocation purposes will be followed during the budget process of the 2022/23 financial year.

(ii) Authorities: Currently not applicable.

b) Timeline: A Project Execution Plan will be developed and available once the Assessment Report has been finalized by the Technical Team.

c) Status of the subdivision – This is no longer required.

d) Proposed timeline – Not applicable as the subdivision of the property is no longer required.

Reply:

Ward 26 falls under the Eskom Licenced Area of Supply which is the Wonderkop area. Ward 26 is situated on private land and Eskom has since asked landowners for consent to electrify the area. No response has been received and the local municipality (Madibeng) has been asked to assist with the process. Electrification of the area can therefore only resume as soon as all the above issues are resolved.

Reply:

Water Service Authorities (WSAs) are required to monitor the quality of drinking water as per the South African National Standard 241 (SANS 241). The SANS 241 is a drinking water specification that provides the minimum requirements for potable water to be considered safe for human consumption. These requirements include microbiological, chemical and physical properties of water.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) monitors the management of drinking water quality compliance by WSAs and further engages the WSAs where non-compliance is detected. WSAs are required to register for the monitoring programme on the DWS’s Integrated Regulatory Information System (IRIS). The monitoring program indicates the sampling point, frequency of monitoring and what determinants are monitored. All the drinking water quality results must be uploaded on the IRIS as required.

According to DWS, DWS has resuscitated the Blue Drop Certification Programme which aims to address the challenges associated with the provision of water. This programme seeks to implement a proactive drinking water quality risk management approach to ensure that quality failures are minimised, but when and where it inevitably occurs that acceptable responses are implemented to safeguard affected communities.

In the event of non-compliance to provide access to potable water, section 63 of the Water Services Act, No. 108 of 1997 provides, among other things, as follows:

“(1) If a water services authority has not effectively performed any function imposed on it by or under this Act, the Minister (Minister of Water and Sanitation) may, in consultation with the Minister for Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development (then), request the relevant Province to intervene in terms of section 139 of the Constitution.

(2) If, within a reasonable time after the request, the Province—

(a) has unjustifiably failed to intervene; or

(b) has intervened but has failed to do so effectively, the Minister (Minister of Water and Sanitation) may assume responsibility for that function to the extent necessary—

• • 1. to maintain essential national standards;
    2. to meet established minimum standards for providing services…”

In light of the above, it is suggested that this parliamentary question be redirected to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).

Reply:

(a)(i) People who have lost their IDs are already being helped. The Provincial Manager of Home Affairs in KZN has attended meetings of the Disaster Management Center since its inception. The Center provided him with a list of affected people/families. The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs led a campaign to trace such people, offer them identity documents and these are in two forms, (a) Temporary Identity Certificate (TIC) )which they get same time on the scene. (b) An application for a smart card which is issued after a week. All these are provided free of charge.

(ii) Yes their applications are fast tracked, because this is a special project.

(b) The people who have lost their documentation are already in the system, i.e the National Population Register (NPR), hence this whole exercise is a replacement exercise, where there is no chance of fraud.

END

Reply:

1. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD) has implemented a wide range of security measures within its information processing environment, intended to prevent any unauthorized access to and/or use of sensitive information and ensure that the confidentiality, integrity and availability of personal information remain protected. These security measures are categorized into two (2) groups as follows:

a) Managerial controls, including a set of approved, published and implemented information security policies, standards, procedures and guidelines. Awareness of the existing information security policies and cybersecurity risks within our information processing environment is proactively and regularly being promoted amongst DoJ&CD’s users to ensure positive security behaviors and adherence to prescribed rules.

b) Technical Controls – In addition to the native security features provided by our systems and platforms, we have deployed a set of automated security tools and processes to improve our defensive capabilities and safeguard our ICT infrastructure and systems. These technical tools enable us to effectively restrict and control access to our ICT systems, applications and services, manage vulnerabilities, proactively monitor, protect and respond to security threats and incidents. We have also deployed disaster recovery capabilities to ensure continued availability of business-critical information in case of any adverse event impacting DoJ&CD’s services. Technologies that are currently implemented include:

1. Antivirus – Endpoint (PCs) Antivirus Software. All endpoint devices were equipped with Antivirus software which offers advanced automated threat detection and response against an ever-growing variety of threats and malware.
2. Advanced Threat Protection – A limited number of critical servers have protection against attacks, advanced threats and ransomware, giving the Departments the power to detect, analyze and respond today’s stealthy attaches in real time.
3. Network Discovery and Analysis – A limited number of critical services have advanced tools installed that provides 360 degrees of visibility by monitoring and reporting on all network ports network traffic. This detects targeted attacks designed to evade standard security solutions.
4. Mail Security Gateway – providing Integrated-tiered spam prevention and anti-phishing spyware. The appliance provides a comprehensive gateway email security.
5. Web Security Gateway – Provide a proactive web traffic detection and blocking services based on reputation services.
6. Firewalls – Network security appliance that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. This device typically establishes a barrier between a trusted network and untrusted networks such as the internet. The firewall provides protection against outside cyber-attackers by shielding the Department’s computers or network from malicious or unnecessary network traffic.
7. MIMECAST – Provides the Department with email security services. It is used to protect the Department’s email system, ensure access and simplify the tasks of managing emails system.
8. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) – A Software solution that aggregates and analyzes activity from many different resources across your entire IT Infrastructure. SIEM collects security data from network devices, servers, domain controllers, and may more log sources. SIEM provides real-time analysis of security alerts generated by applications and network hardware.
9. Proxies – This solution offers the Department reverse proxy services. A reverse proxy ultimately forwards user/web browser requests to the web servers. However, the reverse proxy server protects the web server’s identity. It helps increase performance, security and reliability.
10. Vulnerability Scan Tools – These tools were deployed in the environment to scan and report on a quarterly basis the vulnerability levels of the Department in terms of missing patches.
11. Virtual Private Network Technology – This tool grants complete access to the Department’s Local Area Network to authorized users via encrypted secure tunnels.
12. User awareness and training tools – These tools allow the Department to provide target security awareness messages to end users. It also allows for simulated attacks and end user training in the event where awareness is lacking. Post the breach, this tool was deployed to 2000 users in the Headquarters, with plans to roll it out to all users in this financial year.

a) In addition to the already implemented security tools, the Department has, post the ransomware, enabled the following additional security measures:

(i) Zero Trust Network Tool – The Zero Trust Network Access Tool will help the Department to provide secure remote user access to applications and services based on defined access control policies, the tool defaults to deny, providing only the access to services the users has been explicitly granted. With this Zero Trust Network Tool, access is established after the user has been authenticated to the tool first. The tool then provisions access to the application on the user’s behalf through a secure, encrypted tunnel. This provides an added layer of protection for the Department’s applications and services by shielding otherwise publicly visible Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. With this solution, users will only see applications that they have access to. This tool is to replace the current VPN tools which grant complete access to all applications.

(ii) The Department also implemented a tiered administrative model on the active directory and that will help the Department to better secure its ICT environments. The model defines three (3) tiers that create buffer zones to separate administration of high-risk PCs and valuable assets like domain controllers.

(iii) We have also reviewed and/or enhanced our security policies on all our security appliances to safeguard against future security attacks.

b) Going forward, the following technologies are to be implemented to further enhance the security of the ICT environment:

(i) Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) will be implemented in the 2022/23 financial year.

CSOC is a centralize function within an organization employing people, processes and technology to continuously monitor and improve an organization’s security posture while preventing, detecting, analyzing and responding to cybersecurity incidents. CSOC will act like the hub or central command post, taking in telemetry from across the Department’s IT infrastructure, including its networks, devices, appliances, and information stores wherever those assets reside. The proliferation of an advanced threat places a premium on collecting content from diverse sources. Essentially, the CSOC will be the correlation point for event logged within the Department. This will be implemented by way of a hybrid model using existing tools aggregated on the one platform.

(ii) External Penetration Testing.

Discussions and planning had already commenced with some of the industry partners in terms of providing a comprehensive external penetration testing, with the aim of identifying any gaps in our security environment. This process is expected to be finalized by the middle of the year, and be completed annually going forward.

2. Where the Master of the High Court and the High Court share the same building, each operates independently as the Master’s Office falls within the ambit of the DoJ&CD and runs on the DoJ&CD Virtual Private Network (VPN), whereas the High Court falls under the ambit of the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) and runs on the OCJ VPN.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

a) The Department has total number of 17 (Seventeen) infrastructure projects for courts earmarked for the Repairs and Refurbishment Programme in the Eastern Cape Province for the 2022/23 Financial Year. This project pipeline includes 6 infrastructure projects in the Planning and Design phase, 7 infrastructure projects in the Construction phase, 3 infrastructure projects in the Practical Completion phase and 1 infrastructure projects in the Close out phase.

b) The Department has a budget allocation of R93Million (inclusive of Contractor and Consultant allocations) for the courts in the Eastern Cape Province for the 2022/23 Financial Year under the Repair and Refurbishment Programme.

c) The Department has spent R503 967 of its budget allocation as at end April 2022 for courts in the Eastern Cape under the Repair and Refurbishment Programme.

Reply:

a) Due to a slow progress, both the Minister and Premier have agreed to transfer the project to the National Department of Health.

b) There is no additional budget. The estimated budget is R1 billion. The project will be completed within budget.

c) End of November 2023.

END.

Reply:

a) Number of all ships and/or vessels recorded under the South African flag over the past 5 financial years:

Inclusive of all fishing vessels, yachts, small vessels and other types of vessels that are not convention vessels - the SA register record 745 vessels as of 2022/2023.

Convention vessels are vessels over 500GT that can carry cargoes, passengers or offshore tugs as example, on which Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) seafarers are employed.

It should be noted that not “all vessels” on the SA register are shown for the past five years – the reason being that the list still contains deleted vessels and we were mandated to clean up the register to only reflect vessels that are registered and not since deleted. Therefore, to report on these numbers would not be accurate and as such, only the total number for vessels for the current year end and 5 years for the Convention Vessels has been included.

b) Future plans for the industry:

The Department developed the Comprehensive Maritime Transport Sector Plan (CMTP) which speaks to 37 Policy Statements. The goal of the CMTP is to facilitate growth, development and transformation of the South Africa maritime transport sector in support of socio-economic development whilst contributing to international trade, which includes the introduction of sophisticated but integrated maritime supply chain systems; the development and enhancement of the national shipping capacity and capability within a complex of logistical environment of people and machine, able to serve trade at all levels and support the goals of the broader national interest and specific Governmental developmental programmes and initiatives.

This includes creating fiscal incentives to attract ship owners to the register their ships on the South African register. Part of these measures are to engage with financing institutions to encourage ship financing and investigate a possible model and feasibility of establishing a national ship finance corporation of South Africa. The Department will be working with relevant organs of state to implement competitive mortgage and insurance regime.

The Department is finalising the Merchant Shipping Bill, Maritime Development Fund Bill and the National Shipping Bill which will assist with growing the maritime industry in South Africa.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

1. I have been informed by the Department that Erf 5697 does fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.

a) The initial purpose of the building was for residential accommodation for SAPS members.

b) The building/dwelling has been vacant for 6 (six) years.

c) The property is in the process of being disposed of via an open tender process and will be finalised during the course of this year.

2. The Department is aware of the Criminal activity. The property was fenced and building was boarded up to prevent access and criminal activities. However the fence was broken on more than one occasion and the boards removed.

3. Numerous requests have been received from private individuals for the use of the premises. Approval has been obtained to dispose of the property by way of open tender.

4. No requests have been received from either the Provincial Government or the Municipality for the acquisition or transfer of this property.

Reply:

a) The department reports the reported deaths of every person that has been diagnosed with COVID-19 at the time of death, whether the COVID-19 is the cause or incidental to a death from any other condition. There is no audit done on reported deaths in hospitals.

b) Deaths are reported by the attending clinicians at public and private facilities at the time of death, therefore on a daily basis, and the reports are captured into the national data base (DATCOV) as they are reported. A corpse may not be released to the undertakers without the death certificate. The deaths reported are available on a daily basis (https://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/disease-index-covid-19/surveillance-reports/) and are reported in the national media daily. The department monitors which hospitals are reporting on DATCOV to ensure completeness of data.

END.

Reply:

Farmers in Kagisano Molopo Local Municipality are encouraged to approach our local offices of the Provincial Department of Agriculture to be guided on how to apply for support through our various programmes designed to provide production inputs like diesel and seeds. These programmes include Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) and Ilima/ Letsema, Blended Finance Scheme, the Jobs Fund and Land Development Support.

Reply:

The existing departmental climate change mitigation and adaptation sector plans are currently being implemented to mitigate the risks and vulnerabilities associated with the negative impacts of climate change.

(a)(i),(ii) Mitigation plans

The Department has put in place Mitigation and Adaptation programmes to reduce the agricultural greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation) and enhance the resilience of food and agricultural production systems in the sector to ensure durability and sustainability of the agricultural sector, and safeguarding national food security. Under Mitigation programme, the Department has put in place programmes to provide support to the most vulnerable groups such as subsistence farmers on training, capacity building and creating awareness on the impact of climate change. The Department has planned to assist 44 subsistence producers to be supported with integrated bioenergy (biogas) technology over a period of three (3) years starting in the current financial year. The biogas programme is being implemented in Mpumalanga, North West, Kwazulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State and Limpopo. The project on integrated bioenergy-crop production system assist farmers with the provision and installation of biogas digesters, roof water harvesting and irrigation system, rain gauges’ installation, establishment of backyard gardens as well as the provision of seedlings to subsistence producers. This also assist the Department and the sector to address priorities such as clean and renewable energy provision, climate change mitigation, adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and food security.

(b)(i), (ii) Adaptation plans

Under Adaptation programme, the Department has put in place programmes to increase the adaptive capacity of the agricultural sector to the adverse impacts of climate change through research, training and capacity building. The Department is currently implementing crop suitability to climate change in four (4) provinces, namely: Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Kwazulu-Natal and Free State. The crop-suitability programme assist with developing drought resistant cultivars or crops, capacitating farmers on climate smart agriculture approaches (crop and livestock production) and conservation agriculture, etc. The sorghum production climate change adaptation strategies will provide guidance for sorghum producers/ farmers on how adapt to the impact of climate change. These strategies are being developed to ensure that the producers/growers acquire the appropriate management information, knowledge and skills to achieve maximum yields under climate change conditions through enhancing the resilience of sorghum production systems.

The Department has also commissioned research on vulnerability assessments on crops and livestock production to the impacts of climate change. The research outputs enable the Department and sector to inform policy development decisions and actions taking into consideration the long-term projections to implement the outcomes and ensure the achievement of the long-term objectives of increased resilience and adaptive capacity, reduced risk and vulnerabilities associated with the increasing climate variability and change.

Reply:

Spontaneous reporting of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) increased significantly compared to pre-COVID-19 vaccine rollout. A total number of AEFIs reported between 17 May 2021 and 30 April 2022 (SAHPRA microsite) was 5893, this represent a reporting rate of 0.0172% of total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered for the same time period. The most frequently reported AEFIs were in line with the available product information. No safety concerns were raised based causality assessment outcomes conducted on severe and serious AEFI reported. Vaccine safety surveillance and monitoring trends of reported AEFI are vital measures to ensure that the benefits of immunisation are maintained in the interest of public health. Transparent communication with the public is important to maintain public confidence in vaccines and prevent all AEFI being misinterpreted as caused by the vaccine. The department in collaboration with SAHPRA, provide information on the process of AEFI reporting, investigation and causality assessment on the SAHPRA microsite. The AEFI reported should be investigated and causality assessed to maintain high levels of vaccine confidence in the immunisation programme.

END.

Reply:

1. The glitches experienced have been attended through various software updates released to date. The Road Traffic Management Corporation (the Corporation) has also in sourced the printing and packaging of the licence discs and replaced its delivery partner. Since Monday, the direct deliveries to the owners have commenced. By 01 April 2022 the backlog of licence distributions will have been attended to.

2. (a) Aligned to the nature of the service the Corporation communicates its services primarily via online platforms, social media, websites, etc. The Corporation also communicates directly via targeted SMS and email communications to motorists and drivers to make use of the service when they receive their renewal notifications.

(b) The communication plan includes interviews conducted by the RTMC and the department on community, regional and national radio stations including television stations. The MEC for transport in Gauteng has also rolled out a sustained campaign on radio television stations urging the public to book a slot.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

1. I have been informed that the Department did not apply for Green Bonds because Strategic Integrated Project (SIP) 28, is viewed as an integrated approach to rolling out Renewable Energy and resource efficiency in Government buildings. The programme provides for engagement of various institutions such as Development Finance Institutions and Multilateral Banks, with various engagements currently underway. Green Bonds have however not been applied for. DPWI and GTAC are assessing all local and international Green Building/Infrastructure funding instruments, with focus on sustainable and cheaper funding. In this regard, discussions are underway with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) on their green infrastructure and climate funds; (b) (i) No monetary value has been attached to the application, (ii) no outcomes have been reached. The expectation is that all projects under SIP28 will be funded, given the interest of DFIs and green funding institutions.

2. The Department and GTAC are currently engaging the DBSA to participate on SIP28 through the DBSA’s Green Climate Fund and related funds. Actual monetary values to be potentially made available, should DBSA come on board, have not yet been discussed. Keen interest to participate has however been shown by both the DBSA and the IDC; (b) Discussions have not matured to a level of monetary value discussions; (c) Discussions are still underway; (d) All SIPs have actions linked to implementation within the current Financial Year (e). SIP28 has finalised and assessed Requests for Information (RFIs) and a process is currently underway for Client Engagement for signing of Framework Agreements/ MoUs and necessary applications with National Treasury in order to go out on a Request for Proposals (RFPs) by Q2 this Financial Year.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

(1)

(a) I have been informed by the Department that a Security Company has been appointed as from 4 May 2022 to secure the property, contain invasion and prevent further invasion.

(b)

(i) Yes, now that the State of Disaster has been lifted, the Department will follow due legal processes in dealing with the unlawfull occupants.

(ii) The Cape Town Regional Office has received a request from one of the departmental internal Units, Human Capital Investment, for the coversion and refurbishment of the subject property into student accommodation. The unit provides bursaries to needy and deserving students in the country in line with the unit’s service delivery objectives. The application / request is currently being processed internaly for approval and budget allocation.

(2) The Department has not yet received any request from the surrounding residents for a meeting. However, should such request be received, arrangements will be made to meet with the residents.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

a) I have been informed by the Department that the total rental paid for leased buildings belonging to private entities in the year to date is:

b) Arrear lease payments owed to private entities in April 2022 amount to R 333 890 214. The Department has an additional control measure that suspends payments so that they are verified first before released to avoid duplications which may result in overpayments. As soon as payments are verified, they are released to service providers accordingly.

Reply:

The bridge is currently in use, the issue was that there were potholes back then which made it unsafe to go across the bridge but that was sorted, and the bridge is usable. As this is a low-level crossing, it is part of the list of all bridges that will be upgraded to large bridges as these are no longer suitable for areas where there are growing communities. Climate change is also another factor that lead the Department to embark on this exercise as there were a lot of low-level crossings that are no longer suitable as a result of these frequently experienced rainfall intensity.

It is anticipated that to attend to these structures could take more than five years depending on the availability of funds.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

I have been informed by the Department that as a flagship government programme, the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)’s core objective is to create work opportunities for the poor and unemployed people of South Africa. Enterprise Development support is provided at a marginal scale to assist with sustainable pathways for participants and advance the use of labour-intensive construction methods. The EPWP has a Contractor Development Programme which is called Vuk’uphile. The Vuk’uphile Contractor Development Programme is one of the programmes implemented by public bodies as part of the National Contractor Development Programme (NCDP) that is championed by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). The NCDP aims to develop emerging contractors and transform the construction industry. In the 2021/22 financial year, 215 Contractors were trained through the Vuk’uphile Programme. Amongst the 215 contractors trained in the 2021/22 financial year, the following demographics were included: 91 Women, 45 Youth and 2 Persons with Disabilities. Training offered to contractors in the Vuk’uphile Learnership Programme is at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 4, covering labour-intensive methods delivered through theoretical and practical training, to ensure contractors can acquire skills to become successful contractors. Public bodies are still being engaged for the 2022/23 financial year, with commitments to train 70 contractors thus far. The EPWP Vuk’uphile Learnership Programme will continue to ensure that the participation of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities is optimised in its implementation.

Reply:

a) Affected dip tanks were placed under quarantine, while the animals in and around the affected dip tanks were subjected to clinical inspections, blood tests, vaccination and movement restrictions. The Disease Management Areas in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal will be enlarged accordingly. Where affected farms are well fenced, the farms and adjacent properties are under quarantine, with clinical inspections and blood tests continuing. Vaccination and controlled slaughter are allowed on a case by case basis. Forward and backward tracing continue in order to identify any other possibly infected properties without delay. There is intensified clamp down on illegal importation of animals or illegal movement out of the Food and Mouth Disease (FMD) controlled areas. The animals involved are destroyed, while the perpetrators are prosecuted for contravention of the Animal Diseases Act. Communication and awareness creation have been increased.

b) There is a fence on the western and southern boundaries of the Kruger National Park, which has been maintained by the Department for many years. Challenges, such as vandalism of fences, theft of the fencing material, damage caused by elephants and floods lead to continuous breakdown of these fences. The current FMD outbreaks in North-West Province, Free State Province and Gauteng Province are not related to recent buffalo escapes from the Kruger National Park, but to illegal movement of cloven-hoofed animals out of the northern FMD controlled areas in Limpopo Province.

Reply:

Yes.

a) 3 June 2014.

b) R2 000 000.

c) Mpheqeka Mthimkhulu Farming Co-operative Limited.

Reply:

a) 1 950 farms.

b) Please refer to the table below:

Reply:

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council-Animal Production (ARC-AP) provides support service to farmers through provision of a mobile laboratory (gamete mobile laboratory). This provides for the delivery of assisted reproductive technologies such as synchronization, artificial insemination, pregnancy diagnosis to farmers in the most remote parts of South Africa.

Participants in the sector also receive one-stop services of readily available database of registered reproduction operators within the department to help with artificial insemination and pregnancy diagnosis. Farmers requiring assistance may contact the Registrar for the Animal Improvement Act, 1998, (Act N0. 62 of 1998), Mr Joel Mamabolo contact number (012) 319 7597/7424 Email: [email protected]

Reply:

1. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) received a 0% increase for the 2022-2023 financial year. All fees for Skipper Licences still the same as the 2021-2022 financial year and should assist fisher in the current economic climate. The 0% increase applies to all the services that the South African Maritime Authority (SAMSA) provide and include the cost of safety surveys for fishing vessels. Should an increase be approved, due consideration will be given to the impact that any increase may have on fishers.

2. Unfortunately SAMSA do not have an influence on fuel levies.

3. The challenge with lowering the current safety standards will lead to unseaworthy ships going to sea, which will not only endanger fishers but also other users of the sea. Reducing the safety standards will lead to unnecessary deaths amongst fishers and in turn impact on the fishing communities when a bread winner is lost. It must be noted that unseaworthy vessels lead to expensive Search and Rescue operations due to the number and type of sea and air assets that need to be mobilised to rescue a casualty at sea. Lowering Safety Standards which is meant to save both people and property at sea, or prevent pollution of the marine environment is not the solution

Reply:

(a) This part of the Moloto corridor was only transferred to SANRAL on 5th June 2020 by the Gauteng Province and is still in the detail design phase. As part of the detail design phase SANRAL is currently engaged in discussions with the 139 affected landowners for the land acquisition process to be finalised. If the land related matters are all addressed, SANRAL plans to go out on tender for construction by June 2023.

(b) The planned construction commencement date is in November 2023 which will be followed by a mobilisation period of 3 months and a construction period of 36 months starting in February 2024.

Reply:

a) Following the National Health Laboratory Services’ insourcing of cleaners and security guards, the remaining entities have advised as follows regarding insourcing of cleaners and security guards:

• Council for Medical Schemes (CMS): The CMS insourced the cleaning personnel on 1 November 2016. The cleaning personnel enjoy employment benefits such as 100% subsidized medical aid, group life and disability cover as well as training opportunities. However, no decision has been taken on the insourcing of security personnel due to budgetary constraints.

• South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA): the SAHPRA is currently making use of outsourced security and cleaning services with contracts expiring in 2024. Going forward an analysis to review the current structure of the services will be conducted before expiry of the current contracts to determine the possible insourcing of the services.

• South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC): the SAMRC has evaluated in-sourcing and has been in discussion with labour. To this end, the in-sourcing of Patterson A and B staff has been included in the SAMRC. However, given the specialized nature of security, and the scope of business of research, the SAMRC cannot afford to develop this capacity to include security as in-sourced personnel since this requires in-depth situational analysis and specialized expertise of which the SAMRC does not have nor is able afford to acquire.

• Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC): the OHSC has two (2) contracts; (1) Cleaning Services for three (3) years ending 28 February 2024; and (2) Security Services for three (3) years ending September 2023. The OHSC will, prior to the expiry of the contracts, conduct an assessment and accordingly take a decision with regard to the future of cleaning and security services.

(b) This information is not readily available at the National Department of Health, it is with the Provinces and in municipalities as these are managed there. We are sourcing this information from provinces and municipalities and submit the full response as soon as such information is received.

END.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

No. The Department of Public Works & Infrastructure is not covering the legal costs with regard to the disciplinary process of the Minister’s Special Advisor since public service prescripts do not provide for such payment to be made.

(a) As per the response above that the Department is not covering the legal costs.

(b)(i) There is no agreement in place between the Department, State Attorney, and Special Advisor to pay the legal cost for her disciplinary hearing.

(ii) The Department has not paid any legal cost on behalf of the Special Advisor.

Reply:

The table below shows the number of deaths caused by vehicles over the past five years per province.