Questions and Replies

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08 December 2023 - NW3987

Profile picture: Singh, Mr N

Singh, Mr N to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

What are the relevant details pertaining to the permitted use of the Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area for (a) shore-based recreational, subsistence line-fishers and residents and (b) management and staff training together with additional and ongoing stakeholder engagements?

Reply:

Find reply here

08 December 2023 - NW3871

Profile picture: Ceza, Mr K

Ceza, Mr K to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

What punitive measures does his department have in place to ensure that all mines operating in (a) Secunda, (b) Witbank and (c) Middelburg comply with environmental regulations put in place to prevent degradation and/or pollution, in order to improve the life expectancy of communities who reside around the specified mining areas?

Reply:

Section 31(L) (1) of National Environmental Management Act, 108 of 1998 (NEMA as amended) states that: an Environmental Management Inspector or Environmental Mineral and Petroleum Inspector, may issue a compliance notice if there are reasonable grounds for believing that a person has not complied-

(a) with a provision of the law for which that inspector has been designated in terms of section 31D; or

(b) with a term or condition of a permit, authorisation or other instrument issued in terms of such law.

In terms of Section 31(N) (2) of National Environmental Management Act, 108 of 1998 (NEMA as amended), if a person fails to comply with a compliance notice, the environmental management inspector or an environmental mineral and petroleum inspector must report the non-compliance to the Minister.

The Minister may-

(a) revoke or vary the relevant permit, authorisation or other instrument which is the subject of the compliance notice; and

(b) take any necessary steps and recover the costs of doing so from the person who failed to comply.

08 December 2023 - NW3655

Profile picture: Roos, Mr AC

Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

Whether his department keeps record of the number of foreign nationals who are released from police custody due to the failure of his department to verify their immigration status within 48 hours; if not, why not; if so, what total number of undocumented foreign nationals were released for the specified reason in each quarter from 1 April 2022 to date?

Reply:

The department keeps records of all foreign nationals in police custody whose immigration status is verified and it does not fail to determine such status within 48 hours. After determining the status, those that are found to be illegal foreigners, are charged and taken to court within 48 hours. As a result, 22 560 illegal foreigners were deported since 1 April 2022.

Should the court fail to confirm the deportation, the department issues the illegal foreigners with an Order to depart from the Republic, as they are not released into the custody of the Department.

END

 

08 December 2023 - NW3763

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Pambo, Mr V to ask the Minister of Human Settlements

(1)Following the total pre-payment of R23 million by the Housing Development Agency in December 2021 to Thoba Mkangisa & Associates, KSMD Engineering Consultants, MIB Infrastructure and Development and Siyeza Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd, for providing professional engineering consultation services on upgrading informal settlements of over 30 000 households in seven district municipalities in the Eastern Cape, (a) what necessitated the advanced payments to the specified companies when they were only appointed on 30 November 2021 and accepted such appointments on 15 December 2021, on the same day they submitted invoices; (2) Whether actions were taken against employees who approved the advance payments; if not, why not, if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

(1) (a) According to the information provided to my office by the Housing Development Agency (HDA), the companies were appointed and contracted by the HDA in accordance with the prescribed supply chain regulations to provide professional technical consulting services for the Informal Settlements Upgrading Programme in the Eastern Cape.

Upon completion of the procurement processes, the Professional Technical Consultants (PRTs) were given instructions to carry out work in accordance with the approved terms of reference, and a virtual inception meeting was held on 30th November 2021.

It is important to note that the professional contracts between the HDA and the companies do not include provisions for any pre-payment. Therefore, any payments made by the HDA to these companies, as claimed by the Honourable Member, were made in accordance with Part C3 of the terms of reference, as per the contracted scope of works. This section clearly outlines the payment milestones, duration, and payment schedules associated with the deliverables being claimed.

The Agency vehemently denies any allegations of pre-payments and unequivocally asserts full compliance with the prescribed procedures and contractual obligations while disbursing payments to the aforementioned companies.

(2) No action was required against the employees.

08 December 2023 - NW4002

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Paulsen, Mr N M to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

What are the details why the target of 75% of budget expenditure on (a) Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment and (b) Black-owned enterprises was removed?

Reply:

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08 December 2023 - NW3831

Profile picture: Singh, Mr N

Singh, Mr N to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

(1)Whether there are any specific challenges and/or constraints within his department that have contributed to the delays in visa processing; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what strategies are being implemented to overcome the challenges; (2) (a) how is his department communicating with applicants who are experiencing delays in their visa applications and (b) what support mechanisms are in place to provide (i) information and (ii) assistance to those affected by the delays; (3) what steps has he taken to (a) address the backlog of visa applications and (b) improve the efficiency of the visa application and processing system, with the aim of reducing delays and ensuring a smoother application process for future applicants; (4) on what date is it envisaged that issues of certain applicants (details furnished) will be attended to?

Reply:

1) In responding to your question, I think it is very important to mention that South Africa has 17 (seventeen) different types of visas. Not all of them have any challenges and not all of them have backlogs. It would have helped for the question to be specific on the type of visas backlog being referred to. Be that as it may, challenges with visas are mostly dependent’s visas, like spousal visas and relative’s visas as well as Permanent Residence visas which developed a huge backlog during Covid Lockdown as international travel was forbidden.

(2)(a) The Department issued a notice in March 2023, where the applicants with long term visa, permit and waiver applications were extended to end December 2023, which was published on its website, social media and through the Visa Facilitation Centre.

(2)(b) The information is shared on the website and other social platforms. The department is in the process of reviewing its current extension to accommodate those awaiting long term applications of December 2023 and will announce its decision through the various media platforms.

(3)(a) The department has developed a plan to address the backlogs. The plan aims to move the older Temporary Residency Visas and Permanent Residency Permits applications concurrently with the current work.

(3)(b) The department is currently engaging stakeholders such as Banks and SAQA to assist in reducing turnaround times for the verifications. Since the e-Visa system is working so well in timeously issuing the tourist / visitor’s visa, the department is presently working on piloting it for three additional visa categories.

4) It is envisaged that with the approval of delegations and the implementation of the backlog plan, the Visa and Permits will be reduced or finished by end November 2024.

END

08 December 2023 - NW4009

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Breedt, Ms T to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

(1) Whether her department has been informed of the large number of poachers allegedly using the Hawston Harbour to poach abalone as far as Robben Island and beyond; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether the specified harbour is (a) still a registered harbour and/or slipway and (b) policed by her department; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case; (3) whether, considering that Hermanus' New Harbour is only five kilometres away, her department has considered closing and requesting the demolishing of Hawston Harbour to curb the extensive poaching network that operates from there; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

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08 December 2023 - NW3925

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Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

What (a)(i) is the progress on developing documented policies and procedures to guide the collection of money due to his department for fines and penalties issued in terms of sections 50(3) and 50(4) of the Immigration Act, Act 13 of 2002, and (ii) is the timeline for the completion of the process and (b) is the quantum in rands of uncollected monies due to his department for fines and/or penalties issued to transport operators in terms of the specified sections of the Immigration Act, Act 13 of 2002?

Reply:

(a)(i) The Policy relating to the management of administrative fines was approved and signed-off by both the Department of Home Affairs and the Border Management Authority on 31 May 2023. The Policy prescribes the process to guide the collection of revenue due to the Department for fines and penalties issued in terms of sections 50(3) and 50(4) of the Immigration Act, Act No. 13 of 2002.

(a)(ii) The Policy was approved and signed-off on 31 May 2023.

(b) The amount for fines and penalties issued in terms of sections 50(3) and 50(4) of the Immigration Act, Act No. 13 of 2002, is reflected under note 23 of the 2022/23 Annual Financial Statements of the Department. As at 31 March 2023, this amounted to R273 167 000. As at the end of October 2023, fines and penalties issued by the Border Management Authority during the current financial year (2023/24) amount to R14 915 000 (unaudited).

END

08 December 2023 - NW4001

Profile picture: Paulsen, Mr N M

Paulsen, Mr N M to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

(a) Why the 30% procurement target for rural and township enterprises was removed from the plans of her department and (b) what are the potential impacts of removing the target on rural and township enterprises?

Reply:

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08 December 2023 - NW3974

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Hendricks, Mr MGE to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

Whether, considering that the Constitutional Court has ruled in Fuel Retailers Association of Southern Africa v Director General Environmental Management of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Mpumalanga Province and Others, that conservation of cultural heritage could also be subsumed under section 24(b)(ii) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, her department takes into account the cultural and heritage life of coastal communities when it grants environmental authorisation in areas off the wild coast; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

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08 December 2023 - NW3383

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Msimang, Prof CT to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

What (a) total number of applications for mining licenses were received in each province for the 2023-24 financial year, (b) number of the applications were successful and (c) number of the successful applications for mining licenses were awarded to women and persons living with disabilities?

Reply:

  1. 2525 mining licenses applications were received since the beginning of the 2023/24 financial year.
  2. None of the applications mentioned in (a) above have been finalised.
  3. Please see (b) above

08 December 2023 - NW3429

Profile picture: Mey, Mr P

Mey, Mr P to ask the Minister of Human Settlements

(a) What is the total number of housing projects that her department abandoned in the North West, (b) for how long have the projects been abandoned, (c) what are the details of the responsible contractors and (d)(i) what plans and timeframes have been put in place to complete all incomplete housing projects of her department in the North West and (ii) at what costs per project?

Reply:

According to information received from the North-West Provincial Department of Human Settlements;

a) They have a total of 41 blocked and incomplete projects. A blocked or incomplete project is defined as: A project where no delivery progress has been made for a period of 12 months following the first payment to the contractor. The blocked or incomplete projects include serviced sites and houses at different levels of construction namely, slab level, wall-plate level, roof level, etc. Projects are usually blocked and incomplete due to illegal land occupations, extortion by the construction mafia, community unrest, the lack of bulk infrastructure, poor performance by contractors (some of whom would have abandoned sites) etc.

b) The majority of the reported projects became blocked and incomplete in the 2005/2006 financial year.

c) Please refer to the column marked “Developer” on the enclosed presentation from the North-West Provincial Department of Human Settlements.

(d)(i) It is anticipated that the 41 blocked and incomplete projects will be implemented in the 2023 / 2024 and 2024/25 financial years as some are planned over multiple years.

(d)(ii) The projected costs for each project are in the attached the presentation.

08 December 2023 - NW3794

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Mileham, Mr K to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

(1) Since 2005, what (a)(i) Government bailouts, guarantees and/or other financial assistance has been provided to The Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (PetroSA) and (ii) was the quantum thereof in each case and (b) conditions were imposed on PetroSA in order to secure such assistance from Government; (2) whether PetroSA complied with the conditions imposed in each specified case; if not, what consequences arose from the noncompliance; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

  1. PetroSA has not received any government bailouts or financial assistance since the aforementioned period, i.e. 2005. PetroSA has in past requested funding assistance, either in the form of capital injection or loan guarantees, which has not been provided or advanced.
  2. In the absence of the government bailouts, guarantees and/or financial assistance, there are no conditions imposed to PetroSA for fulfilment as a result no consequence management applicable to PetroSA on this item.

08 December 2023 - NW3993

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Weber, Ms AMM to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

Whether, with reference to the revised National Determined Contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions that she has submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in October 2021 to ensure that the Republic pursues the goals of the Paris Agreement, and noting that load shedding has led to the acceptance of noncompliance to minimum emissions of the Eskom power stations (details furnished), her department monitors Eskom's emission data; if not, why not; if so, (a) how far are the Eskom power stations in reaching their set target of 1000mg/Nm3 and (b) what is the current average that the Eskom power stations are on with regard to minimum emission for S02?

Reply:

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08 December 2023 - NW3870

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Ceza, Mr K to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

Whether his department has any plans in place to create sustainable employment for the youth and women who will rehabilitate the 6 000 abandoned mines in the Republic; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

The department is currently rehabilitating Asbestos Derelict and Ownerless mines in the country. As part of the rehabilitation process, local employment comprising women, men, and youth forms part of the labour. Furthermore, sub-contractors for respective work also employ women and youth in their operations. The department reports these employment initiatives as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

08 December 2023 - NW3992

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Weber, Ms AMM to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

(1) In view of the fact that lions infected with Bovine Tuberculosis have a lower survival and breeding success, what is the total number of lion prides in the Kruger National Park (KNP) that do not have Bovine Tuberculosis; (2) Whether there is a decline in the growth of the number and/or births of lions in KNP; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

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08 December 2023 - NW3980

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Mchunu, Ms S to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

How will the agreement of the Transition Committee of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on the operationalisation of the Climate Loss and Damage Fund assist the Republic moving forward, since it has entered the decade of extreme weather conditions, especially regarding the coastal areas which are affected the most?

Reply:

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08 December 2023 - NW3728

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Mhlongo, Ms N to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

(1) Since the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (Bid Window 1 to 6) was initiated, (a)(i) what total number of projects were awarded contracts and (ii) to which companies were such contracts awarded and (b) what total number of (i) the projects that contracts were awarded to, have gone online and (ii) megawatts have they added to the grid; (2) whether he has found that any of the companies to whom contracts were awarded, had neglected to honour the contracts; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what steps have been taken to mitigate against non-performance by the companies to whom contracts were awarded?

Reply:

In response to (1)(a)(i) a total of 110 Preferred Bidders have signed project agreements under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), and (1)(a)(ii) the details of these projects can be found at Annexure A attached, and on the IPP Projects Database which can be accessed as https://www.ipp-projects.co.za/ProjectDatabase.

In response to (1)(b)(i) and (ii), 90 renewable energy IPP projects have completed construction and reached Commercial Close and are operational, delivering 6 180 MW to the national grid, and 9 projects (1 009 MW) are currently in construction.

In response to (2) The REIPPPP has a number of legal agreements/contracts of which all bidders are obligated to honour in line with the terms and conditions of the agreements. Projects that have successfully reached commercial operation date (COD) have managed to honour their contractual obligations satisfactory to date, and no contract have been terminated as a result of non-performance or any material breach. As part of the on-going Contract Management and Monitoring of the Department’s IPP Office, IPPs are penalised in terms of their Implementation Agreement terms and conditions if obligations and targets are not met.

Annexure A: PROJECTS IN OPERATION AND CONSTRUCTION UNDER THE RENEWABLE ENERGY

INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCER PROCUREMENT PROGRAMME

Bid Window

PROJECT NAME:

PROJECT COMPANY NAME:

MW

CONTRACTUAL EFFECTIVE DATE

PROJECT STATUS

COMMERCIAL OPERATION DATE

PROVINCE

TECHNOLOGY

BW1

Letsatsi Power Company

Firefly Investments 253 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

64,00

05 November 2012

Operational

21 May 2014

FS

PV

BW1

Lesedi Power Company

Oakleaf Investments Holdings 79 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

64,00

05 November 2012

Operational

21 May 2014

NC

PV

BW1

Witkop Solar Park

Core Energy (RF) (Pty) Ltd

30,00

05 November 2012

Operational

20 September 2014

L

PV

BW1

Noblesfontein Phase 1

Coria (PKF) Investments 28 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

72,75

05 November 2012

Operational

12 July 2014

NC

OW

BW1

Touwsrivier Project

CPV Power Plant No. 1 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

36,00

05 November 2012

Operational

05 December 2014

WC

PV

BW1

Dorper Wind Farm

Dorper Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

97,00

05 November 2012

Operational

09 August 2014

EC

OW

BW1

Soutpan

Soutpan Solar Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

28,00

05 November 2012

Operational

04 July 2014

L

PV

BW1

Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV De Aar (RF) (Pty) Ltd

Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV De Aar (RF) (Pty) Ltd

9,65

05 November 2012

Operational

19 July 2014

NC

PV

BW1

Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV Prieska (RF) (Pty) Ltd

Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV Prieska (RF) (Pty) Ltd

19,93

05 November 2012

Operational

01 October 2014

NC

PV

BW1

Kaxu Solar One

KaXu Solar One (RF) (Pty) Ltd

100,00

05 November 2012

Operational

06 February 2015

NC

CSP

BW1

Dassiesklip Wind Energy Facility

Klipheuwel Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

26,19

05 November 2012

Operational

07 May 2014

WC

OW

BW1

Konkoonsies Solar Energy Facility

Konkoonsies Solar Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

9,65

05 November 2012

Operational

20 March 2014

NC

PV

BW1

MetroWind Van Stadens Wind Farm

Rubicept (RF) (Pty) Ltd

26,19

05 November 2012

Operational

07 February 2014

EC

OW

BW1

Kouga Wind Farm

Kouga Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

77,60

05 November 2012

Operational

17 March 2015

EC

OW

BW1

RustMo1 Solar Farm

RustMo1 Solar Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

6,76

05 November 2012

Operational

15 November 2013

NW

PV

BW1

Kalkbult

Scatec Solar Kalkbult (RF) (Pty) Ltd

72,50

05 November 2012

Operational

19 March 2014

NC

PV

BW1

Aries Solar Energy Facility

Aries Solar Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

9,65

05 November 2012

Operational

20 March 2014

NC

PV

BW1

SlimSun Swartland Solar Park

SlimSun (RF) (Pty) Ltd

5,00

05 November 2012

Operational

05 August 2015

WC

PV

BW1

De Aar Solar Power (RF) (PTY) LTD

De Aar Solar Power (RF) (PTY) LTD

48,25

05 November 2012

Operational

05 April 2014

NC

PV

BW1

Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm (RF) (PTY) LTD

Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm (RF) (PTY) LTD

133,86

05 November 2012

Operational

15 May 2014

EC

OW

BW1

Umoya Energy Wind Farm

Umoya Energy (RF) (Pty) Ltd

65,40

05 November 2012

Operational

01 February 2014

WC

OW

BW1

Cookhouse Wind Farm

Renewables Cookhouse Wind Farm 1 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

135,00

05 November 2012

Operational

19 November 2014

EC

OW

BW1

Greefspan PV Power Plant

AE-AMD Independent Power Producer 1 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

10,00

05 November 2012

Operational

11 April 2014

NC

PV

BW1

Renewable Energy Investment South Africa (REISA)

Renewable Energy Investments SA (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

05 November 2012

Operational

15 August 2014

NC

PV

BW1

Solar Capital De Aar

Solar Capital De Aar (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

05 November 2012

Operational

15 August 2014

NC

PV

BW1

Droogfontein Solar Power (RF) (PTY) LTD

Droogfontein Solar Power (RF) (PTY) LTD

48,25

05 November 2012

Operational

06 April 2014

NC

PV

BW1

Herbert PV Power Plant

AE-AMD Independent Power Producer 3 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

19,90

05 November 2012

Operational

11 April 2014

NC

PV

BW1

Khi Solar One

Khi Solar One (RF) (Pty) Ltd

50,00

05 November 2012

Operational

05 February 2016

NC

CSP

BW2

Bokpoort CSP Project

ACWA Power Solafrica Bokpoort CSP Power Plant (Pty) Ltd (RF)

50,00

09 May 2013

Operational

19 March 2016

NC

CSP

BW2

Gouda Wind Project

Blue Falcon 140 Trading (RF) (Pty) Ltd

135,24

09 May 2013

Operational

25 August 2015

WC

OW

BW2

Solar De Aar 3 (Pty) Ltd

Solar Capital De Aar 3 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

09 May 2013

Operational

02 April 2016

NC

PV

BW2

Sishen Solar Facility

Windfall 59 Properties (RF) (Pty) Ltd

74,00

09 May 2013

Operational

29 November 2014

NC

PV

BW2

Amakhala Emoyeni

Amakhala Emoyeni RE Project 1 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

137,90

09 May 2013

Operational

28 July 2016

EC

OW

BW2

Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm Project

Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

94,80

09 May 2013

Operational

17 August 2016

EC

OW

BW2

Wind Farm West Coast 1

Aurora Wind Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

90,82

09 May 2013

Operational

09 June 2015

WC

OW

BW2

Waainek

Waainek Wind Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

23,28

09 May 2013

Operational

10 January 2016

EC

OW

BW2

Grassridge

Grassridge Wind Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

59,82

09 May 2013

Operational

06 June 2015

EC

OW

BW2

Chaba

Chaba Wind Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

20,58

09 May 2013

Operational

12 September 2015

EC

OW

BW2

Aurora-Rietvlei Solar Park

Aurora-Rietvlei Solar Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

9,00

09 May 2013

Operational

23 December 2014

WC

PV

BW2

Vredendal Solar Park

Vredendal Solar Power Park (RF) (Pty) Ltd

8,82

09 May 2013

Operational

31 July 2014

WC

PV

BW2

Stortemelk Hydro

Stortemelk Hydro (RF) (Pty) Ltd

4,31

09 May 2013

Operational

29 July 2016

FS

SH

BW2

Linde

Simacel 155 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

36,80

09 May 2013

Operational

30 June 2014

NC

PV

BW2

Dreunberg

Simacel 160 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

69,60

09 May 2013

Operational

31 December 2014

EC

PV

BW2

Jasper Power Company

Japer Power Company (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

09 May 2013

Operational

17 December 2014

NC

PV

BW2

Boshoff Solar Park

Boshof Solar Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

60,00

09 May 2013

Operational

25 October 2014

FS

PV

BW2

Upington Airport

Sublunary Trading (RF) (Pty) Ltd

8,90

09 May 2013

Operational

31 July 2014

NC

PV

BW2

Neusberg Hydro Electrical Project

Kakamas Hydro Electric Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

9,99

09 May 2013

Operational

31 January 2015

NC

SH

BW3

Ilanga CSP

Karoshoek Solar One (RF) (Pty) Ltd

100,00

23 January 2015

Operational

30 November 2018

NC

CSP

BW3

!Xina Solar One

Xina Solar One (RF) (Pty) Ltd

100,00

23 January 2015

Operational

01 August 2017

NC

CSP

BW3

ENERGY Joburg Landfill Gas to Electircity Project

ENERGY Joburg (RF) (Pty) Ltd

18,00

27 August 2015

Operational

Goudkoppies - 2017-04-25
Marie Louise - 2018-01-28
Robinson Deep - 2016-11-26
3 Facilities under 1 Project

G

LG

BW3

Longyuan Mulilo De Aar 2 North Wind Energy Facility

Longyuan Mulilo De Aar 2 North (RF) (Pty) Ltd

138,96

23 January 2015

Operational

31 October 2017

NC

OW

BW3

Longyuan Mulilo De Aar Maanhaarberg Wind Energy Facility

Longyuan Mulilo De Aar Wind Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

96,48

23 January 2015

Operational

31 October 2017

NC

OW

BW3

Nojoli Wind Farm

Nojoli Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

86,60

23 January 2015

Operational

31 October 2016

EC

OW

BW3

Loeriesfontein 2 Wind Farm

Loeriesfontein 2 Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

138,23

23 January 2015

Operational

08 December 2017

NC

OW

BW3

Noupoort Wind Farm

Noupoort Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

79,05

23 January 2015

Operational

11 July 2016

NC

OW

BW3

Khobab Wind Farm

Khobab Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

137,74

23 January 2015

Operational

08 December 2017

NC

OW

BW3

Red Cap-Gibson Bay

Gibson Bay Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

110,00

23 January 2015

Operational

28 April 2017

EC

OW

BW3

Adams Solar PV 2

Adams Solar PV Project Two (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

23 January 2015

Operational

01 December 2016

NC

PV

BW3

Paleisheuwel

Electra Capital (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

23 January 2015

Operational

12 October 2016

WC

PV

BW3

Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska PV

Mulilo Sonnedix Prieska PV (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

23 January 2015

Operational

22 July 2016

NC

PV

BW3

Mulilo Prieska PV 4

Mulilo Prieska PV (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

23 January 2015

Operational

05 August 2016

NC

PV

BW3

Tom Burke

Tobivox (RF) (Pty) Ltd

60,00

23 January 2015

Operational

27 August 2016

L

PV

BW3

Pulida Solar Park

Pulida Energy (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

23 January 2015

Operational

23 January 2017

NC

PV

BW3.5

Kathu Solar Park

Kathu Solar (RF) (Pty) Ltd

100,00

09 May 2016

Operational

31 January 2019

NC

CSP

BW3.5

Redstone Solar Thermal Power Plant

Redstone Solar Thermal Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

100,00

04 April 2018

In Construction

Pending

NC

CSP

BW4

Ngodwana Energy (Alternate)

Ngodwana Energy (RF) (Pty) Ltd

25,00

18 April 2018

Operational

12 March 2022

M

BM

BW4

Roggeveld

Roggeveld Wind Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

140,00

04 April 2018

Operational

26 February 2022

NC

OW

BW4

Karusa Wind Farm

ACED Renewables Hidden Valley (RF) (Pty) Ltd

139,80

31 July 2018

Operational

28 June 2022

NC

OW

BW4

The Soetwater Wind Farm

Soetwater Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

139,40

31 July 2018

Operational

19 July 2022

NC

OW

BW4

Nxuba Wind Farm

Nxuba Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

138,90

31 July 2018

Operational

24 November 2020

EC

OW

BW4

Kangnas

Kangnas Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

136,70

07 June 2018

Operational

15 November 2020

NC

OW

BW4

Perdekraal East

Perdekraal Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

107,76

07 June 2018

Operational

08 October 2020

WC

OW

BW4

Golden Valley Wind

Amstilite (RF) (Pty) Ltd

117,72

23 July 2018

Operational

01 May 2021

EC

OW

BW4

Excelsior Wind Energy Facility

Amstilinx (RF) (Pty) Ltd

31,90

23 July 2018

Operational

23 December 2020

WC

OW

BW4

Wesley-Ciskei

Riverbank Wind Power (RF) (Pty) Ltd

32,70

04 April 2018

Operational

20 August 2021

EC

OW

BW4

Oyster Bay Wind Farm

Oyster Bay Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

140,00

31 July 2018

Operational

21 July 2021

EC

OW

BW4

Copperton Windfarm

Copperton Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

102,00

31 July 2018

Operational

23 December 2021

NC

OW

BW4

Garob Wind Farm

Garob Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

135,93

31 July 2018

Operational

04 December 2021

NC

OW

BW4

Sirius Solar PV Project One

Sirius Solar PV Project One (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

04 April 2018

Operational

18 February 2020

NC

PV

BW4

Matla A Bokone Solar

Matla A Bokone Solar (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

24 July 2018

Operational

07 March 2020

NC

PV

BW4

Dyason's Klip 1

Dyason’s Klip 1 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

04 April 2018

Operational

16 March 2020

NC

PV

BW4

Dyason's Klip 2

Dyason’s Klip 2 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

04 April 2018

Operational

10 April 2020

NC

PV

BW4

Konkoonsies II Solar

Ramizone (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

23 July 2018

Operational

30 September 2020

NC

PV

BW4

Solar Capital Orange

Solar Capital Orange (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

31 July 2018

Operational

1 April 2023

NC

PV

BW4

De Wildt

De Wildt Solar (RF) (Pty) Ltd

50,00

31 July 2018

Operational

23 January 2021

NW

PV

BW4

Bokamoso

Bokamoso Solar (RF) (Pty) Ltd

67,90

09 July 2018

Operational

12 September 2020

NW

PV

BW4

Zeerust

Zeerust Solar (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

30 July 2018

Operational

01 January 2021

NW

PV

BW4

Greefspan PV Power Plant No. 2 Solar Park

Boikanyo Solar (RF) (Pty) Ltd

55,00

30 July 2018

Operational

09 April 2021

NC

PV

BW4

Waterloo Solar Park

Waterloo Solar Park (RF) (Pty) Ltd

75,00

13 July 2018

Operational

22 November 2020

NW

PV

BW4

Aggeneys Solar

Main Street 957 (RF) (Pty) Ltd

40,00

23 July 2018

Operational

25 July 2020

NC

PV

BW4

Kruisvallei Hydro

Zevobuzz (RF) (Pty) Ltd

4,70

31 July 2018

Operational

25 February 2021

FS

SH

BW5

Coleskop WEF

Coleskop Wind Power (Pty) Ltd

140,00

18 January 2023

In Construction

Pending

EC

OW

BW5

San Kraal WEF

San Kraal Wind Power (Pty) Ltd

140,00

09 November 2022

In Construction

Pending

EC

OW

BW5

Phezukomoya WEF

Phezukomoya Wind Power (Pty) Ltd

140,00

09 November 2022

In Construction

Pending

EC

OW

BW5

Brandvalley Wind Farm

Brandvalley Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

140,00

23 February 2023

In Construction

Pending

WC

OW

BW5

Rietkloof Wind Farm

Rietkloof Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

140,00

23 February 2023

In Construction

Pending

WC

OW

BW5

Wolf Wind Farm

Wolf Wind Farm (RF) (Pty) Ltd

84,00

23 February 2023

In Construction

Pending

EC

OW

BW5

Grootfontein PV 1

Grootfontein PV 1 (Pty) Ltd

75,00

28 June 2023

In Construction

Pending

WC

PV

BW5

Grootfontein PV 2

Grootfontein PV 2 (Pty) Ltd

75,00

28 June 2023

In Construction

Pending

WC

PV

BW5

Grootfontein PV 3

Grootfontein PV 3 (Pty) Ltd

75,00

28 June 2023

In Construction

Pending

WC

PV

07 December 2023 - NW4023

Profile picture: Buthelezi, Ms SA

Buthelezi, Ms SA to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Whether her department has undertaken to assist the Mbombela Local Municipality in delivering the service of building a community hall for Ward 25 in Hazyview, Mpumalanga; if not, why not; if so, (a) on what date is it envisaged that the assistance will be provided and (b) by what date will the building of the hall commence, (c) what is the projected cost of the project and (d) what are the further relevant details?

Reply:

The Department of Cooperative Governance (DCOG) did not undertake to assist the Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) in delivering the service of building a community hall for Ward 25 in Hazyview, Mpumalanga.

The identification, prioritisation and budgeting of projects, like a community hall among others, is the responsibility of a municipality in accordance with the integrated development planning process. DCOG’s role is to provide support, together with the rest of the provincial and national governments, as stipulated under section 154 of the Constitution.

DCOG also administers the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) that is annually allocated to municipalities through the Division of Revenue Act (DORA) for the provisioning of basic services to poor households. Furthermore, DCOG provides technical support by deploying built environment professionals to municipalities for infrastructure development through the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA) in accordance with section 154 of the Constitution, mentioned above.

It is brought to the attention of the Honourable Member of Parliament, that MLM prioritised the construction of building a community hall in Ward 25 in Hazyview through the MIG funding. The construction project of the community hall commenced on 26 March 2018 and was completed on 12 March 2021 as per completion certificate attached hereto as Annexure.

End

07 December 2023 - NW3350

Profile picture: Smalle, Mr JF

Smalle, Mr JF to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

(1)Are there any memorandums of understanding or service level agreements in place between her department and private rescue centres; if so, what (a) financial support does her department offer and (b) financial assistance was awarded to which private rescue group in 2022; (2) is there a memorandum of understanding between International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) and her department; if so, what are the terms of reference?

Reply:

  1. There are no memorandums of understanding or service level agreements in place between the Department of Cooperative Governance – NDMC and private rescue centres.
  2. No, there is no memorandum of understanding between International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) and the department.

End.

07 December 2023 - NW3967

Profile picture: van der Merwe, Ms LL

van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Social Development

Whether, since her reply to a supplementary question on question 129 for oral reply on 8 March 2023, wherein she acknowledged, after having been alerted by a certain political party (name furnished) to the fact that very few telephone lines of the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) are working in most provinces, that SASSA had some challenges and that systems needed to be fixed to avoid long queues, any action has been taken to improve the accessibility of SASSA; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the steps that have been taken in this regard?

Reply:

Yes, SASSA offices have undergone infrastructure upgrades to improve services. SASSA has a national toll-free number for the public to contact the Agency for any social grants related enquiries. SASSA has dedicated employees to receive and deal with public enquiries on the Toll Free: 0800 60 1011.

This is complemented by the national e-mail address for the public to contact the Agency for queries: [email protected]. There are SASSA employees dedicated to receive and respond to the public via this platform. For the younger generation SASSA also features on social media where members of the public can engage SASSA:

  • Twitter: @OfficialSASSA
  • Facebook: SASSA News and #SASSACARES

07 December 2023 - NW3609

Profile picture: van der Merwe, Ms LL

van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Social Development

What steps has she taken to ensure that (a) her department plays an effective oversight role over the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) as it continues to pay people who are not eligible for a grant and (b) SASSA pays (i) eligible grant recipients on time and (ii) only persons who are eligible to receive a grant?

Reply:

a) In fulfilment of the responsibility to oversee SASSA’s management, administration and payment of social assistance, the Department has put systems and structures in place at different levels and there are regular engagements between the two entities to continuously monitor payment of social grants.

The following are some of the key oversight initiatives by the Department:

  • The Department has initiated the establishment of a Social Assistance Service Delivery Assurance Committee (SASDAC) comprising of senior officials from both DSD and SASSA and formalised through the terms of reference duly signed by accounting officers of both institutions (the Director- General and the Chief Executive Officer). The committee meets bi-monthly amongst other things the committee monitors compliance with social assistance legislation, service delivery norms and standards and deliberates on service delivery related challenges, with the intent to improve service delivery. The key focus areas include access to social assistance, spending in accordance to voted funds, service delivery quality and business processes. Since its establishment in the 2nd quarter FY23/23 two meetings have already been held.
  • The Department also conducts oversight visits at SASSA local offices, SAPO branches and cash pay points, to monitor compliance with legislation, as well as norms and standards. For this financial year, visits have been conducted to four Provinces namely North-West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Western Cape.
  • The Inspectorate for Social Assistance also conducts financial and compliance audits on the integrity of the social assistance frameworks and systems at SASSA. Reports are subsequently shared with SASSA and the Department and presented to the Audit Committee.
  • The Agency also submits quarterly performance reports to the Department. The reports and other management issues are subsequently analysed and discussed at the Entity Oversight forum which is led by the Department on a quarterly basis.

(i) On a month-to-month basis, DSD ensures that a payment schedule is uploaded and payments are authorised well in advance. SASSA pays the grants directly into the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries, every month without fail. Where incorrect payments are made it is sometimes as a result of instances where beneficiaries’ circumstances have changed and SASSA is not notified in time or the databases that are relied upon are not updated in time.

(ii) The error rate of grant approvals remains very low, as can be seen by the low number of appeals that get upheld; as well as research that indicates that South Africa has one of best targeted systems in the world. SASSA also implements stringent background checks on applicants when they apply as well as regular reviews while they are accessing the grant. However, there will always be applicants who attempt to defraud the Agency, or client who do not update their records when their circumstances change. These remain a small group of clients. SASSA has a relatively strong Fraud unit aimed at deterring such behaviour.

The Inspectorate for Social Assistance also conducts audits aimed at identifying any weaknesses in the systems that may expose SASSA to fraud.

 

 

07 December 2023 - NW3395

Profile picture: Luthuli, Mr BN

Luthuli, Mr BN to ask the Minister of Small Business Development

Whether her department has put timeframes in place to resolve the problems of red tape around access to funding by small-scale and informal businesses and/or its lack thereof; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?”

Reply:

I have been advised that:

The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) is planning to implement the SMMEs and Co-operatives Funding Policy in the 2024/25 financial year with a view to resolve the problems of red tape around access to funding by small-scale and informal businesses. The following are proposed interventions:

  • To reduce the red tape on access to funding by small enterprises, the SMMEs and Co-operatives Funding Policy is proposing that the financiers must implement a simplified lending process by introducing common funding application form, standardised term sheet and business plan template. This will make the referral of misdirected funding applications seamless.
  • That the funding institutions digitise their funding application processes to address the issue of prolonged lead times on funding applications, more especially in instances where capital is required on an urgent basis for working capital or purchase of raw material to service a contract.
  • As part of financial literacy, the SMMEs and Co-operatives Funding Policy requires that the Business Development Service providers in South Africa institutionalise the practice of assisting SMMEs and Co-operatives with pre-funding support (compliance, directing small businesses to the relevant financiers, matching funding to business needs, etc.).
  • The banks’ preferred collateral is not aligned to the asset composition of small enterprises which mainly consists of short-term (movable) assets in the form of inventories, receivables, insurance policy and cash deposits. To alleviate this challenge, the SMMEs and Co-operatives Funding Policy proposes that the DSBD develop an enabling legislation for the operation of the movable collateral registry in South Africa and to provide operational infrastructure for such a registry.

07 December 2023 - NW2791

Profile picture: Kibi, Ms MT

Kibi, Ms MT to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

(1)Whether she has found that the National School of Government can function independently and self sustainably without heavily relying on the national budget allocations; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) What is the total number of public officials who have successfully completed the compulsory courses?

Reply:

1. No, the NSG depends heavily on the national allocation for its operations as it operates the Vote Account and Training Trading Account (TTA). The Vote Account receives its funding from the government fiscus whereas the TTA is partly funded from government fiscus through a transfer from the Vote Account and revenue generated from course fees. The allocation from the government fiscus is appropriated for the operation of the Vote Account to support the TTA. The funding from the fiscus does not cover the operational costs of the TTA since this account is funded from course fees including the costs relating to the design and development of training programmes, as well as the delivery of the training programmes.

The scope of work of the NSG has been expanded to provide Education, Training and Development (ETD) in the three spheres of government, state-owned entities (SOEs) and organs of state. Furthermore, the delivery of the mandatory programmes, professionalization initiatives that introduce the offering of qualifications, continuous development and increased online learning add to the NSG scope of work. The National Framework Towards Professionalisation of the Public Sector requires the NSG to establish Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Centre as well as campus environment with relevant technology. The NSG is finalising a new strategy to reposition itself as the premier provider of ETD.

(2) The following are Compulsory Training Programmes with statistics from 2021/22 financial year until 05 September 2023:

Compulsory Training Programmes

Financial Year

 

2021/22

2022/23

2023/2024 (1 April to 5 September 2023)

Khaedu Project

571

399

61

Ethics in the Public Service

32 381

13 765

2 460

Executive Induction Programme

21

21

0 (7 booked)

Compulsory Induction Programme 13-14

159

217

72

Compulsory Induction Programme

1-12

5 393

5731

911

Nyukela

6 832

5 440

2 096

Supply Chain Management for the Public Service

260

798

217

Financial Management Delegations of Authority

84

0

0

Re-orientation in the Public Service

177

374

202

Managing Performance in the Public Service

37

1 386

0

End

07 December 2023 - NW4020

Profile picture: van der Merwe, Ms LL

van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Social Development

Given that this department and the 4th Central Drug Authority hosted the 3rd National Summit on Substance Abuse and Illicit Trafficking from 14 to 16 November 2023 in Gauteng, what (a) was the outcome of the specified summit and (b) are the full, relevant details of the planned initiatives to fight the substance abuse crisis in the Republic?

Reply:

(a) Outcomes of the CDA 3rd National Summit on Substance Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

a) The 3rd National Summit hosted by the CDA was preceded by provincial dialogues and culminated into the adoption of resolutions to address the problem of alcohol and drugs misuse, and illicit trafficking.

b) The main aim of the Summit was not to come up with new plans, but to expedite the implementation of the key priorities and the 7 Goals of the National Drug Master Plan (2019-2024). The full report and programme of action will be submitted to the Portfolio Committee in due course for oversight purposes.

07 December 2023 - NW3962

Profile picture: Zondo, Mr  S S

Zondo, Mr S S to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

(1)Whether there is a project in the pipeline to revamp the Kempton Park Hospital; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the total budget allocated for the revamping project of the specified facility and (b) how was the funding secured and/or sourced;

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

The matter regarding the revamping of the Kempton Park Hospital is not within the purview of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. All matters in relation to hospitals, as public structures, can be best dealt with by our sister Department of Infrastructure Development, which is responsible for providing public infrastructure delivery and property management solutions for the people of Gauteng. Therefore, the question should be referred to the relevant MEC, accordingly.

07 December 2023 - NW3772

Profile picture: Gondwe, Dr M

Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

(1)With reference to her reply to question 3199 on 24 October 2023, what (a) are the details of the charges that were levelled against the specified employee that led to the employee’s subsequent suspension, (b) was the cost of the person’s suspension and (c) was the role of a certain person (name and details furnished) in advising her as Minister and the Director-General of her department on the specified matter; (2) who will take responsibility for the fruitless and wasteful expenditure that was incurred in relation to the suspension of the person; (3) what (a) was the quantum of the settlement agreement reached with the employee and (b) steps does she intend to take to exercise consequence management for a matter and/or case which brought her department into disrepute?

Reply:

1. (a) As responded to question 3199 the charges included several acts of misconduct relating to prejudicing the administration of the department, failing to carry out lawful instructions, abuse, insolence and gross insubordination. The details are in the charge sheet which can be made available if Parliament so permits.

(b) As responded to question 3199, the employee was suspended on full pay in terms of paragraph 2.7.2(b) of the SMS Disciplinary Code. The salary of the employee during the suspension was at salary level 15 notch 9 which amounted to a total cost, before taxes and deductions, of R4,772,395.87.

(c) The role of the certain person was to facilitate the appointment of legal practitioners through the Department of Justice to assist with the disciplinary processes and related matters and to support the Minister and the Director-General, where required.

2. There was no fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred in relation to the suspension of the person.

3. (a) The cost of the settlement recorded in a court order issued by the Labour Court was as follows-

  1. R193,727.67 in respect of the re-instatement with effect from 1 September 2023;
  2. R1,871,454.00 in respect of a gratuity equivalent to 12 months’ salary;
  3. The other pension benefits were payable in terms of prevailing retirement laws by the Government Employees Pension Fund.

(b) The Department is not aware of any reputational damage that has arisen from it having exercised its right to discipline the employee.

End

07 December 2023 - NW3460

Profile picture: Masipa, Mr NP

Masipa, Mr NP to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

Whether a certain person (name furnished), who has been appointed to the board of Onderstepoort Biological Products, has been cleared of any past wrongdoing at the SA Weather Services; if not, how was the specified person appointed to the board; if so, (2) whether she will furnish Mr N P Masipa with proof thereof; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

1. Appointment of the Board of Directors of the Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) follows a call for nominations, assessment of nominees by the appointed selection committee and shortlisting of nominees who best meet the criteria. The call for nominations advert also specified the requirement for nominees to be fit for appointment as board members. OBP will be requested to conduct personnel suitability checks on all appointees.

The notice inviting nominations specified that personnel suitability checks will be conducted on suitable candidates.

The appointment letters of the new members stated that their appointments were subject to a personnel suitability process.

2. No. There is no record of an investigation at the instance of SA Weather Services into the specified person.

07 December 2023 - NW3851

Profile picture: Hadebe, Mr BM

Hadebe, Mr BM to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

What (a) lessons have been learned from past disasters to enhance her department’s disaster response for improved implementation of interventions and (b) projects will be implemented by utilising the recent budget adjustment allocation for the National Disaster Centre?

Reply:

a) Various lessons have been learnt from the coordination of disaster response measures and engagements of stakeholders. The key lessons are as follows:

  • Review and strengthening of the disaster management function placement, capacity and capability across spheres and sectors; Mainstream Disaster Management in all organs of state; Improvement of intergovernmental collaboration and coordination through integrated disaster management plans and contingency arrangements; Identification of risks early through multi-hazard community-based risk assessments; Improvement of the Early Warning Systems to activate local early action initiatives;
  • Implementation of a centralized information management system; Educate communities to increase resilience and decrease vulnerability; development & increase of the use of risk transfer mechanisms and development of the disaster risk financing strategy for the country.

b) The recent budget adjustment allocation for the National Disaster Management Centre will be utilised for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of municipal infrastructure damaged by the floods in Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape provinces. The funded municipal infrastructure are mostly roads and water related infrastructure.

End.

07 December 2023 - NW4059

Profile picture: Spies, Ms ERJ

Spies, Ms ERJ to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

(1)Whether she and/or her department guides the processes of Valuation Appeal Boards; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, how many members does the Ekhurhuleni Valuation Appeal Board (a) comprise of and (b) are needed to constitute a quorum; (2) with regard to the Board attending to hearings on a one-month-on and-one-month-off basis, how many hearings (a) have been concluded so far and (b) still has to be conducted; (3) how many applications for appeal with regard to valuation rates (V.R.) during 2017/2021, (a) succeeded to have the ratable property values reduced and (b) how many ratable property values increased; (4) in respect of appeal applications for V.R. 2021/2025, (a) have the ratable property values reduced and (b) how many ratable property values were increased?

Reply:

1. The relevant sections of the Municipal Property Rates Act (MPRA) contain sufficient provisions that guides how the MECs responsible for local government establish Valuation Appeal Boards (VABs) and what constitute a quorum for a VAB. In this regard, sections 56 and 58 outline how VABs are established and composed, section 64 provides for appointment of alternate members of a VAB and section 68 outlines what constitute a quorum of the members of a VAB.

a) According to information supplied by the provincial CoGTA and Ekurhuleni municipality, the Ekurhuleni VAB is currently composed of 4 members and 4 alternate members.

b) In terms of section 68 of the MPRA,

“(1)(a) A majority of the members of an appeal board serving at any time constitutes a quorum for a meeting of the board.

(b) In addition to a quorum being present, a meeting may not continue unless the valuer member of the appeal board is present.”

2. According to Ekurhuleni municipality:

(a) 3023 hearings have been concluded; and

(b) 2755 hearings are still to be conducted.

3) According to Ekurhuleni municipality, during the 2017/2021 valuation roll period:

(a) 687 appeals were concluded where the rateable value decreased; and

(b) 117 appeals were concluded where the rateable value increased.

4. According to Ekurhuleni municipality, during the current 2021/2025 valuation roll period and to date:

(a) 2293 appeals have been concluded where the rateable value decreased; and

(b) 462 appeals have been concluded where the rateable value increased.

End.

07 December 2023 - NW3299

Profile picture: Luthuli, Mr BN

Luthuli, Mr BN to ask the Minister of Small Business Development

Considering that approximately 70% to 80% of small businesses fail within the first five years since inception, especially in disadvantaged communities that are the most in need of jobs and economic activity, how has her department capacitated the SA Small Enterprise Finance Agency in the past 12 months to continue the implementation of the Township and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme?”

Reply:

I have been advised that:

The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) capacitated the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (sefa) by transferring a total amount of R885 939 000.00 in the past 12 months (01 October 2022 to 30 September 2023) to continue the implementation of the Township and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme (TREP).

Date transferred

Amount

25-Nov-2023

R 238 313 000

24-Jan-2023

R 238 386 000

26-May-2023

R 181 884 000

30-Aug-2023

R 227 356 000

Total transferred

R885 939 000

The DSBD and its entity sefa are reviewing a number of moderations/improvements that if approved, will result in improved uptake of the TREP and a wider reach of targeted beneficiaries. These improvements include:

  • Strategic Partnership / Joint Venture with the key industry players such as Masisizane Fund, African Bank, Lulalend, Standard Bank and other key intermediaries within the sefa Wholesale Lending portfolio. Forging partnerships with the key stakeholders to develop accessible and innovative solutions that addresses client challenges has a potential of ensuring that TREP makes a developmental impact in the economy.
  • 18 District Co-ordinators employed in those districts where uptake of DSBD products is low to work together with the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) in the districts to assist with building a sizeable pipeline for all DSBD offerings.
  • Increase TREP resources – Five (5) interns responsible for pre-screening new applications and establishing initial contact with applicants were employed. Increasing the number of TREP resources will enable the programme to improve its performance by increasing the number of approvals, disbursements, and impact numbers. Employing more people on a commission basis across various access points and co-locations particularly the rural space.
  • Basic assessment to be conducted upfront by Compliance in relation to Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA), PIP and ITC to ensure that we consider bankable deals.
  • Reduction of TREP requirements for deals below R350 000 – the qualifying criteria is cumbersome for starts-up and informal businesses. It is therefore imperative to review the TREP requirements particularly for small and upcoming businesses. Basis of on lending is purely based on the financial viability and repayment ability but that is different for start-ups and businesses operating in townships hence we need to review some of the TREP requirements.

The current review process is looking at the administrative, logistical, financial and legal ramifications of each of the proposed improvements to avoid any comeback and delays once the revised programme hits the market. These proposals are looked at through a phased approach and timelines range from 01 June 2023 – 31 March 2024.

07 December 2023 - NW3969

Profile picture: Singh, Mr N

Singh, Mr N to ask the Minister of Social Development

(1)With reference to the recent reports that the local office of the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Chatsworth in KwaZuluNatal has been declared unsafe for occupation and will be closed until further notice, (a) how did the situation (i) leading to the closure unfold and (ii) reach a point where closure was deemed necessary and (b) what (i) form of inspection and/or maintenance was conducted to ensure the safety of the specified premises and (ii) oversight mechanisms were in place; (2) what (a) immediate measures are being (i) implemented to reopen the specified facilities, (ii) taken to address the safety concerns and (iii) introduced to facilitate the speedy reopening of the facilities and (b) is the timeline for the reopening of the facilities; (3) in light of the unfortunate incident, what preventative measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of other SASSA local offices in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality region?

Reply:

1(a)

(i0 SASSA KZN Region has been the occupant of the Chatsworth building since April 2006 in a shared services arrangement with the Department of Social Development (DSD), with DSD being the primary contract holder with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. After the departure of DSD from the premises, SASSA started experiencing glitches with the building maintenance as KZN Provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (PDPWI) stopped maintaining the building on the basis that their tenant (DSD) had vacated the facility.

When it became apparent that PDWI would not provide maintenance services, SASSA attempted to address the issues they were experiencing by requesting for quotations to possibly manage the challenges but found the costs were prohibitive.

The next option was to approach National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (NDPWI) to take over the responsibility of the building. When an assessment was done on the state of the building by both NDWI and the Depart of Labour they both declared the building unfit for occupation as it had deteriorated to a point that it did not meet occupational and health standards.

(ii) Both NDWI and the Department of Labour declared the building unfit and unsafe for occupation after Occupational Health Safety (OHS) inspections were conducted leading to the declaration and the office being vacated.

(b)

(i) To ensure the safety of the specified premises, quarterly committee meetings between SASSA OHS and Durban District are held since 2017

(ii) As part of the oversight, a cost was established to correct the maintenance issues raised, but these costs were more than what the Agency could afford. NDWI was approached to take over the premises, however, upon inspection of the building by their OHS inspectors it was found that the building was no longer fit for purpose.

2. (a)

(i) NDPWI has taken over the Chatsworth building, and according to NDPWI the building has been prioritised for rehabilitation in its 2023/2024 financial year with their professional teams working on this project.

(ii) It is expected the rehabilitation of the building in the care of NDPWI will comply with OHS occupational requirements, norms and standards, and other property legislation applicable.

(iii) According to NDPWI, they have prioritised funding for the rehabilitation of the building in its 2023/2024 financial year budget with their professional teams working on this project.

b. According to NDPWI, rehabilitating the property will commence in January 2024. We recommend the MP engages NPDWI directly on the rehabilitation project plan and timeframe to re-open the building.

3. To ensure the safety of other SASSA local offices in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality region, SASSA has taken the following preventative measures;

  • The more recent lease agreements entered into by SASSA directly with the Metropolitan Municipality include maintenance.
  • There are existing offices wherein SASSA has shared services costs with DSD KZN, with these SASSA is in the process of finalising a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on shared office service costs that includes maintenance, payment of utilities and other running costs related to each facility where such an arrangement exists.
  • All NDPWI contracts have been standardised to include a maintenance plan for the duration of a lease period. The NDPWI has since appointed an official from SASSA to form part of the Bids Specification and Evaluation Committees to represent SASSA’s interests to ensure that buildings selected meet the safety requirements.

07 December 2023 - NW3384

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Luthuli, Mr BN to ask the Minister of Small Business Development

What total (a) number of new (i) small and (ii) medium-scale businesses have been established and registered in each province since 1 January 2023, and (b)(i) amount has been spent to develop the specified businesses and (ii) in what manner was this done?”

Reply:

I have been advised that:

a) The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) does not have an instrument to quantify the number of established businesses in a given time. The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) either has to do the analysis of differentiating the registered businesses according to the size class. However, the DSBD agency, Seda, through the Bureau of Economic Research in Stellenbosch undertakes periodic statistical research on the growth of the SMME sector. The latest results show that the total number of SMMEs rose by a significant 148 000 firms (+5.9% year-on-year). This brought the level of SMMEs back to its pre-COVID level. Meanwhile, the total level of employment in the economy remains below its pre-COVID level. Relative to 2021Q3, the number of SMME owners rose by 11.6% to 2.68 million. On an annual basis, the 17% increase in formal SMMEs is encouraging – albeit that the majority of SMMEs still operate in the informal space. The statistics are collected on a quarterly basis and the current figure is for 3rd quarter of 2022/23 financial year and therefore does not capture numbers from January 2023. This period has not been released yet.

(b)(i) Despite the fact that the DSBD does not have an instrument to quantify the number of established businesses in a given time, Seda is able to report their support for small, and medium enterprises as per the table below:

Province

No. of clients Supported

R Value of Support

Eastern Cape

21

R 2 571 935

Free State

374

R 1 383 606

Gauteng

103

R 1 224 186

KwaZulu Natal

311

R 4 431 613

Limpopo

77

R 971 346

Mpumalanga

222

R 995 462

North-West

35

R 375 560

Northern Cape

176

R 1 093 195

Western Cape

243

R 3 521 397

During the same period, 1 January 2023 to 30 September 2023, sefa was able to support SMMEs as per the tables below:

Number of SMMEs Financed 1 Jan 2023 to 30 Sept 2023

Eastern Cape

10 006

Free State

606

Gauteng

1 282

KwaZulu Natal

6 654

Limpopo

11 808

Mpumalanga

6 573

Northern Cape

77

North West

4 092

Western Cape

380

Unclassified

124

Total

41 602

sefa disbursed R1.37 billion to 41 602 SMMEs as follows:

Province

Number of SMMEs Financed

Amount Disbursed

Eastern Cape

10 006

R126 366 218

Free State

606

R20 504 421

Gauteng

1 282

R447 510 567

KwaZulu Natal

6 654

R261 820 491

Limpopo

11 808

R144 003 460

Mpumalanga

6 573

R138 369 180

Northern Cape

77

R10 148 996

North West

4 092

R51 907 193

Western Cape

380

R166 101 683

Unclassified

124

R2 309 605

Total

41 602

R1 369 041 814

(ii) This support was provided through various programmes. These include but is not limited to, the Manufacturing Support Programme, Supplier Development Programme, Empretec Programme, Export Development Programme, and the Women’s Enterprise Coaching Programme.

Seda’s service also extends to its Technology Programme, Incubation Programme and the Quality and Standards Programme.

06 December 2023 - NW3874

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Tito, Ms LF to ask the Minister of Transport

(1)Whether she is responsible for roads in municipalities; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (2) what are the reasons that gravel soil is being used against the wishes of the community on the R4 million road construction project happening between the Losasaneng and Gataote villages in the Greater Taung Local Municipality in the North West, which was meant to be a tarred road?

Reply:

1. Roads are guided by the Constitution, which states the “Roads is an exclusive” responsibility of National, Provincial and Local Government.

Therefore all “Road Authorities in South Africa have an obligation to plan, design, construct and maintain the road network, to protect the public investment in the road infrastructure, to ensure the continued functionality of the transportation system and to promote the safety of traffic on the road network. Authorities also have the obligation to provide a reliable, effective, efficient and integrated transport system that supports the sustainable economic and social development of the country”.

As part of the Transport Sectors contribution towards “Infrastructure Build that stimulates Economic Growth and Job Creation”, the programme of action for the roads infrastructure sector includes the implementation of road maintenance, construction, and upgrading projects. The activities by the Department include:

  • implementation of a massive capital works programme by SANRAL; for National roads
  • the strategic expansion of national road infrastructure (taking over of provincial roads by mutual agreement).
  • extending support to provinces and municipalities for coordination of road refurbishment and maintenance, including the fixing of potholes as part of the Acceleration of Operation Vala Zonke. In this regard, the Roads War Room has been established with teams:
    • assigned for Work-Flow allocations and to track and trace progress and/or facilitate (activate) assistance to Road Authorities;
    • assisting with key project monitoring and oversight and coordinate intervention support of the following sub-projects - Adopt a Road, Rural Bridges, Grave Roads, Job Creation and Skills development.

2. The question was referred to the North West Department of Public Works and the provincial road that belongs to the Department of Public Works and Roads is road Z644 that links Losasaneng and Gataote villages who confirmed that this road was meant to be re-gravelled in September 2023.However, the re-gravelling never took place as yet, because the community declined the project and are demanding for a tarred road or block paving. As things stand, the matter is not yet resolved.

06 December 2023 - NW3719

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Breedt, Ms T to ask the Minister of Transport

(1) What is the current status of the private sector participation tender regarding the Ngqura Container Terminal in Port Elizabeth; (2) whether there are sufficient bid submissions to proceed with the specified tender in its original format; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether any changes will be made to the tender guidelines to improve private sector participation in the tender process; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (4) whether she will make a statement on the matter?

Reply:

The National Department of Transport has not issued a tender in respect to private sector participation for the Ngqura Container Terminal in Port Elizabeth.

The Office of the CFO decided to conduct a quick search to assist the Parliamentary office in routing the Parliamentary Question to the applicable organization and we believe this bid was issued by Transnet.

The Departmental Supply Chain Management office does not have any information related to tender in question and humbly requests that the enquiry be re-routed to Transnet.

06 December 2023 - NW3860

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Maneli, Ms ST to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

Since her department is responsible for the establishment of norms and standards for the Public Service through the Office of Standards and Compliance, what is the level of implementation of recommendations on compliance matters by her department?

Reply:

The Office of Standards and Compliance was operationalised as a Chief Directorate within the Department on the 1st of April 2020, through a restructuring process. Section 17(4) of the PAMA, 2014, sets out the Office of Standards and Compliance (Office) functions as follows:

(a) evaluate the appropriateness of norms and standards and their basis of measurement as determined by institutions in relation to public administration and management;

(b) promote and monitor compliance with minimum norms and standards determined by the Minister in relation to public administration management;

(c) advise the Minister on the execution of his or her duties with regard to— (i) the determination of minimum norms and standards contemplated in section 16; and (ii) enforcing compliance with the minimum norms and standards;

(d) conduct capacity and functionality audits of skills, systems, processes and advise on capacity building initiatives;

(e) develop and implement an early warning system to detect public administration non-compliance; and

(f) report in writing— (i) at least once every quarter to the Minister on the performance of the Office’s functions; and (ii) as directed by the Minister on the progress made in the investigation and finalisation of matters brought before the Office.

Furthermore, Section 17(6) states that the objects of the Office are to ensure compliance with minimum norms and standards set by the Minister in Section 16, taking into account that the spheres of government are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated.

It is worth noting that the Office of Standards and Compliance does not have a mandate to set norms and standards. Norms and standards are set by the Minister for the Public Service and Administration who is supported by the department in programmes Human Resources Management and Development, Negotiations, Labour Relations & Remuneration Management, E-Government Services & Information Management and Government Services and Improvement. The programmes are also responsible for monitoring implementation and to also to conduct evaluations on the impact of the policies and prescripts. According to PAMA section 17 (4) (a) the OSC‘s mandate is to evaluate the appropriateness of norms and standards and their basis of measurement as determined by the institutions. The Office of Standards and Compliance has developed criteria and guiding questions to aid in assessing the appropriateness of norms and standards. Therefore, the Office evaluates the appropriateness of norms and standards at two stages: during the drafting phase prior to approval, and after implementation when instances of non-compliance come to light.

Since its establishment in 2020, the Office of Standards and Compliance has formulated and sought input on three frameworks and guidelines to facilitate the execution of its mandate. The Office has monitored compliance and produced annual reports on compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements in the public service, focusing on six norms and standards: Recruitment matters, Discipline Management, Precautionary Suspensions, Sexual Harassment in the workplace, Public Administration Delegations Management, and Information and Communication Technology. These reports also contain recommendations for improvement. Managing the wage bill in the public service is a key strategic priority for the Department. Consequently, the Office of Standards and Compliance has identified two specific areas of focus: precautionary suspensions and sick leave, both of which contribute to substantial costs for the state.

The Office has evaluated the appropriateness of the guidelines relating to precautionary suspensions and has compiled a report with recommendations which will be submitted to the Minister.

End

06 December 2023 - NW3754

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Mohlala, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Transport

Whether her department has put any specific measures and/or policies in place to address the overwhelming financial burden faced by taxi owners in paying their minibus taxi instalments; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

The Department is not mandated to deal with financial matters such as lending. However, the Department places its reliance in this regard on existing and enabling legislation such as the National Credit Act (35 of 2005) (NCA).

The NCA is designed to protect the Consumer in the credit market and make credit and banking services more accessible. The NCA aims “to promote and advance the social and economic welfare of South Africans, promote a fair, transparent, competitive, sustainable, responsible, efficient, effective and accessible credit market and industry, and to protect Consumers.”

The Purpose of the NCA is to: promote a fair and non-discriminatory market place for access to Consumer credit; regulate Consumer credit and improve standards of Consumer information; prohibit certain unfair credit and credit marketing practices; promote responsible credit granting and use; prohibit reckless credit granting; provide for debt re-organization in case of over-indebtedness; to regulate credit information; and establish recourse for unfair credit practices.

The Department is empathetic to the plight of taxi operators in respect of the vehicle instalments. However, there is reprieve in acknowledging that the agreement entered into between the operator and the financial institution is governed by the NCA.

The Department has with confidence placed its reliance on the NCA to protect taxi operators and believe that the recourse provided herein has assisted may operators who chose to comply when applying for finance and sought the necessary assistance when circumstances were adversely affected.

06 December 2023 - NW3947

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Krumbock, Mr GR to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

Whether (a) she, (b) the Deputy Minister and (c) any other official in her department attended the Rugby World Cup final in France in October 2023; if not; what is the position in this regard; if so, what (i) are the relevant details of each person in her department who attended the Rugby World Cup, (ii) is the total number of such persons and (iii) were the total costs of (aa) travel, (bb) accommodation and (cc) any other related costs that were incurred by her department as a result of the trip(s)?

Reply:

(a)(b) Neither the Minister or the Deputy Minister for the Public Service and Administration attended the Rugby World Cup final in France in October 2023.

(c) No officials from the Department of Public Service and Administration attended the Rugby World Cup final in France in October 2023 in an official capacity as this activity falls outside the mandate of the department.

End

06 December 2023 - NW3848

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Schreiber, Dr LA to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

Noting that one of the key findings of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State relates to the need for greater protection for whistle-blowers, what steps has her department undertaken as the custodian of public service to implement this recommendation through stronger measures to ensure the protection of whistle-blowers?

Reply:

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has in response to the State Capture Report’s recommendation for a need to have greater protection whistle-blowers, implemented the following steps as its contribution towards strengthening the measures:

1. During the month of April 2022, the PSC convened a seminar under the theme: Improving governance, systems and processes in the public sector outcome of the commission of enquiry into allegations of state capture, corruption and fraud in the public sector – implications for the public service. Through this seminar various ways of building integrity and resilient anti-corruption systems and processes which ensure the prevention of future State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector were explored.

2. The PSC in collaboration with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNCD), UNISA and civil society, hosted the International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD) on the 09th to 10th of December 2022, at University of South Africa (UNISA) hosted at UNISA. The theme for 2022, edited to reflect the local SA context was, “The Cost of Failure of Governance and Ethics in the Public Service: Response to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of States.”

2. The IACD made critical resolutions which included the whistleblowers’ protection and an Action plan was developed for further monitoring by the National Priority Crime Operation Committee (NPCOC), formerly known as Anti-Corruption Task Team (ACTT) and the National Advisory Council on Anti-Corruption’s unit responsible for monitoring of the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

3. The resolutions on the whistle-blowers’ include amongst others the protection of employees from retaliation, removing caps on compensation of whistleblowers, providing financial rewards and incentives for whistleblowing, protecting whistleblowers’ identity and consolidating whistleblowers’ legal protections. The PSC has been designated to coordinate and implement the above-mentioned resolutions by the IACD

4. The PSC has in implementing the resolution and carrying out its responsibilities as assigned by the IACD, did the following:

  1. Developed a Position paper on the nature and extent of the protection of whistleblowers, which was consulted with the ACTT members, Civil Society organisation, and State Owned entities to provide inputs.
  2. Host a Whistleblowers’ symposium on the 21 July 2023 in partnership with civil society and business sector under the theme “The extent and nature of the protection of whistle-blowers in South Africa”. The position paper was presented to the attendees and further inputs were provided and incorporated into the position paper.
  3. The PSC developed inputs for Department of Justice to consider for the amendment of the Protected Whistleblower Act, taking into consideration the inputs from the Whistleblowers’ symposium. The inputs were submitted to Department of Justice on the 31 July 2023.
  4. A report on the discussion and resolution of the Whistleblowers’ Symposium was developed, citing resolutions which proposed the establishment of a “Whistle-Blower Protection House” aimed at
      1. facilitating access to support for whistleblowers
      2. create awareness of whistleblowers plight,
      3. provide financial help, legal counsel and
      4. Psychological support
  5. The PSC has since developed a Business Case on the establishment of the Whistle-blowers’ Protection House, which was presented to the NPCOC on the 16 November 2023. The objectives thereof are as follows:
        1. To protect whistle-blowers, whether in the public or the private sector from being subjected to an occupational detrimental actions on account of having made a protected disclosure;
        2. To provide for certain remedies in connection with any detrimental actions
        3. suffered on account of having made a protected disclosure; and
        4. Rewarding whistle-blowers who made a disclosure of improper conduct in good faith.

5. The Department of Public Service and Administration is in the process of developing a Whistle-Blowers guide in collaboration with the Witness Protection Unit, aimed at creating awareness for public servant whistle-blowers to follow when reporting corruption.

6. The PSC also presented to the NPCOC a need to relook at the Cabinet approved National Anti-Corruption Hotline revamping and upgrading of the system, to be modernised and capacitated fully to operate 24/7. The PSC approached the Criminal Assets Recovery Accounts (CARA) fuding for revamping of the NACH.

7. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has already started the process of strengthening the protection of whistle-blowers through the amendment of the Protected Disclosures Act of 2017.

8. In conclusion, an upgraded National Anti-Corruption Hotline and a strategically placed and well-resourced Whistleblowing Protection House will add value to the Government’s fight against corruption and the protection of whistle-blowers.

End

06 December 2023 - NW3893

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Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

(1)What is the role of a certain person (name furnished) in her department; (2) what (a) are the reasons that the specified person was seconded from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (KZN COGTA) to her department while the person still works in the KZN COGTA, (b) regulation and/or legal instrument was used to second the person from the KZN COGTA to her department and (c) is the fulltime position of the person at the KZN COGTA; (3) whether the person has been seconded to her department to assist the Director General, Ms Y Makhasi, with responsibilities external to the department; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (4) whether the person has the full security clearance to represent and/or speak on behalf of the Republic in foreign countries; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (5) whether the person is a citizen of the Republic; if not, what is her nationality; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

(1) The person was seconded to perform the responsibilities of the vacant and funded post of Chief Director: Office of Standards and Compliance in the department. She is responsible among others: to manage and ensure the setting, promotion and enforcement of Public Administration Norms and Standards as contemplated in the Public Administration Management Act, 2014.

(2) (a) The person is seconded to the Department to perform the duties of the Chief Director: Office of Standards and Compliance in the department whilst the post is filled through the normal recruitment processes.

(b) The person is seconded in accordance with section 15(3) of the Public Service Act, 1994, as amended, read with regulation 62(1)(b) of the Public Service Regulations, 2016.

(c) The person is the Chief Director: Capacity Building at the KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

(3) The person has not been seconded to the department to assist the Director-General with responsibilities external to the department. The person is seconded to perform the duties of the post of Chief Director: Office of Standards and Compliance which exists on the organisational structure of the Department and is overall responsible for the management of functions contained in section 17 of the Public Administration Management Act, 2014 which includes:

  • Evaluating the appropriateness of norms and standards and their basis of measurement as determined by institutions in relation to public administration and management;
  • Promoting and monitoring compliance with minimum norms and standards determined by the Minister in relation public administration management;
  • Advising the Minister on the execution of the Minister’s duties in relation to the determination of minimum norms and standards and enforcing compliance;
  • Conducting capacity and functionality audits of skills, systems and processes and advise on capacity building initiatives;
  • Developing and implementing an early warning system to detect public administration non-compliance; and
  • Managing the operations systems and processes of the Chief Directorate.

(4) A personnel suitability check was conducted in respect of the person and no negative information was detected. The employee has submitted the necessary documents for the security clearance from the State Security Agency (SSA) and is awaiting the processing thereof by SSA.

The person, as an employee of the State and subject to approval processes, has the necessary authority to participate in certain foreign matters of the State including, participating in discussions on the work of the department, presenting on work related to the department, presenting research conducted or sharing best practices.

(5) The person is a South African citizen.

End

06 December 2023 - NW3892

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Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

(1)What is the outcome of the investigation into the illegal appointment of a certain person (details furnished) in 2021; (2) (a) who funded the international trip to Doha in Qatar where Prof H Khunoethe and the specified director-general jointly presented a paper they allegedly co-authored in October 2023 and (b) in what capacity did they present the specified paper; (3) who approved the secondment of Prof H Khunoethe at (a) the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and (b) Public Service and Administration?

Reply:

1. The Public Service Commission investigated a complaint in relation to the appointment, in 2021, of a certain person into the post of Personal Assistant to the Director-General and found no irregularity or illegality in the appointment. The investigation into the allegation concluded that the allegation was unsubstantiated.

(2) (a) The Department of Public Service and Administration funded the trip in respect of the Director-General only.

(b) The Director-General received an invite from conference organisers to present at the main plenary of the conference with the title of the paper: “Developmental States and Professionalization of the Public Administration and Public Policy for Developmental States: The South African Case”. Furthermore, the Director-General contributed in the development of an academic paper submitted for joint presentation, however it was ultimately presented by Prof Halima Khunoethe who is a public servant with academic interests and pursuits.

(3) (a) The Acting Member of the Executive Committee: KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs; and

(b) The Acting Minister for the Public Service and Administration.

End

06 December 2023 - NW3858

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Nothnagel, Dr J to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

What (a) is the current total number of suspended staff who hold senior management service positions in the Public Service and (b) has she found to be the impact of their suspension on government service delivery?

Reply:

a) The current total number of suspended staff who hold senior management service positions in the Public Service is 49, as reflected on PERSAL.

b) The work that is usually performed by the suspended officials is redirected to other officials in the departments.

End

06 December 2023 - NW3954

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Alexander, Ms W to ask the Minister of Transport

Whether (a) she, (b) the Deputy Minister and (c) any other official in her department attended the Rugby World Cup final in France in October 2023; if not; what is the position in this regard; if so, what (i) are the relevant details of each person in her department who attended the Rugby World Cup, (ii) is the total number of such persons and (iii) were the total costs of (aa) travel, (bb) accommodation and (cc) any other related costs that were incurred by her department as a result of the trip(s)?

Reply:

(a) I did not attend the Rugby World Cup final in France in October 2023.

(b) The Deputy Minister of Transport did not attend the Rugby World Cup final in France in October 2023.

(c) No other official from my Department attended the Rugby World Cup final in France in October 2023.

(i)(ii)(iii)(aa)(bb)(cc) Falls away

06 December 2023 - NW3448

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Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

(1) What are the reasons that the State Information Technology Agency is not the lead department in relation to the information and communication technology needs of the Thusong Service Centre Programme established by Cabinet in 1999; (2) to what extent has her Office been informed of the numerous institutional and/or operational challenges currently experienced by TSCs across the Republic; (3) what role does her Office intend to play in addressing some of the institutional and/or operational challenges currently experienced by TSCs across the Republic?

Reply:

1) SITA was given the mandate to connect the Thusong Service Centres in 2007/2008 Financial Year. SITA was part of DPSA at the time. Given the allocated budget, out of 138 Thusong Service Center operational at the time, only 91 were connected either with fixed or wire-less infrastructure for connectivity. The connectivity project of the Centres encountered implementation challenges that included the allocation of finances, expired Service Level Agreement and disputed amounts claimed for the work done.

As result of the Macro organisation of the State of the 6th Administration, SITA was moved to the Department of Communication and Digital Technologies. The Department is coordinating the revised Cabinet approved SA Connect Phase 2 model and implementation plan which connects public offices inclusive of the Thusong Service Centre Programme. The approved model is based on partnership between SITA, Broadband Infraco and Sentech, and includes other industry service providers for the implementation of the SA Connect Project Plan.

2) The Minister for Public Service and Administration (MPSA) has put in place multiple mechanisms and platforms that enable the regular assessment, monitoring and continuous reporting on the service delivery complaints and challenges at Service delivery Points that include the Thusong Service Centres to ensure optimal functionality and sustainability of frontline service delivery. These include reports from Khaedu deployment of senior managers, Integrated Public Service Month, Outreach Programmes, feedback from Chapter 9 & 10 Institutions as well as oversight visits by the Portfolio Committee.

Furthermore, the MPSA initiated an Assessment Project to determine the trends on the functionality and challenges facing the Thusong Service Centres across all 9 Provinces during the 2018/2019 and 2022/2023 Financial Years. The findings and recommendations of the Assessments were shared with key critical stakeholders within the Thusong Service Centre Operations, such GCIS, National Treasury, COGTA and DPWI, Provinces and Centre Managers. The main objective of sharing these recommendations were to provide an opportunity to the affected key stakeholder to develop corrective and intervention measures.

The work on the functionality and sustainability of the Thusong Service Centres is central to the discussions and engagements at different platforms and structures across the spheres of government. These structures include Batho Pele Forum, National, Provincial and Local Inter-Sectoral steering committees on Thusong Service Centre Programme.

3) The role of the MPSA is derived from the legislative instruments such as Public Administration Management Act of 2014 and the Public Service Act of 1998. These legislative frameworks empower her to develop norms and standards with respect to the establishment, management, and monitoring of Service Centres. Furthermore, the setting of these norms and standards are aimed at addressing the operational challenges to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and optimal functionality of the Service Centres inclusive of the Thusong Centre Programme. NW4580E

End

06 December 2023 - NW3412

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Komane, Ms RN to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

With reference to the 2022-23 Annual Performance Plan of her department, what are the specific indicators and/or targets for the (a) development and (b) implementation of the National Framework Towards the Professionalisation of the Public Service?

Reply:

a) In October 2022, the Cabinet approved the National Framework designed to enhance the professionalism of the Public Service. This approval occurred mid-financial year; hence, no specific key performance indicators could be established.

b) Despite the circumstances above, the Department of Public Service and Administration contributed significantly to implementing the National Framework towards professionalising the Public Service during the 2022/2023 financial year. On a broad scale, the accomplishments entail:

  • Revisions to the Public Administration and Management Act.
  • Updates to the Public Service Act.
  • Development programmes for the youth.
  • Dissemination of the strategy across national and provincial departments, following its approval, via diverse outreach programmes, Imbizos, and events conducted throughout the term.

End

06 December 2023 - NW3971

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Loate, Mr T to ask the Minister of Transport

(1)Whether the smart enrolment solution that was piloted at the new driving licence testing centres (DLTCs) in Waterfall Park in Midrand and Eco Park in Centurion, had gone live in every province in the Republic as a result of her department successfully having undertaken a significant information and technology overhaul at DLTCs across the Republic to reduce waiting times; if not, why not; if so, what has her department achieved in this regard by the end of October 2023; (2) whether any tender had been awarded for a new driving licence card and printing machine; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether her department had implemented a new service-delivery model that has succeeded in drastically cutting down turnaround times; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the improvements and (b) on what date did they come into effect; (4) whether she will make a statement on the matter; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

(1) The Smart Enrolment Solution was indeed piloted at the DLTCs of Waterfall Park and Ecopark. The pilot was a partial proof of concept trial limited only to driving license renewals and excluded new driving license applications as well as Professional Driving Permit (PrDP) applications.

In its 16-month lifespan, the pilot has been very successful, and in total, 108 741 renewals were successfully carried out through the smart enrolment solution at the two centres. Very minimal glitches were experienced in the process and lessons from those glitches were utilised to reinforce the solutions’ resilience and proficiency, ahead of the full-scale roll-out which is now due to commence before the end of the third quarter of the current financial year.

As of 31 October 2023, the Driving Licence Card Account Entity (DLCA) has already commenced with readiness to deploy an additional three hundred (300) Smart Enrolment Units (SEUs) at fifty-five (55) centres around the country. These fifty-five are the first centres earmarked for the first phase of the full expansion of smart enrolment before the end of December 2023. A further nine hundred (900) new SEUs will be deployed in the last quarter of the financial year to bring the total deployment of new SEUs to thousand two hundred (1200) across four hundred and twenty-seven (427) DLTCs nationally. This will translate to an average of forty-seven (47) DLTCs per province.

To answer the question, the smart enrolment solution has not yet been piloted to other provinces for the reasons mentioned above, but the process is well underway to deploy to fifty-five (55) Centres and to expand even further as explained above.

(2) A tender for the purchase of the new Driving License Card printing machine has not been awarded yet. The process of evaluation is still ongoing and projections are that it will be finalised on or before end-December 2023.

Delays in concluding this evaluation process have been occasioned mainly by the complex nature of this bid itself, coupled with the fact that the evaluation criteria also included a compulsory site inspection process as part of due diligence.

(3) As part of the DLCA and RTMC’s integrated response to reduce red tape in the driving license testing and licensing process, there is a multiplicity of interventions that are already being introduced.

From the DLCA side, the four major areas of focus are with respect to the reduction of:

  1. turnaround times in the duration an applicant spends at the DLTC to apply for or renew a driving license
  2. turnaround time in the duration it takes for enrollment details from the DLTC to reach DLCA and enable DLCA to commence with the printing process,
  3. turnaround times in the duration to successfully print, quality assure, and package the driving license card for dispatch back to the DLTC,
  4. turnaround in the duration to have a printed card dispatched from DLCA and delivered to the DLTCs, thereby enabling the applicant to come and collect it.

Within this integrated business process, the introduction of Smart Enrolment Solution has already assisted with a significant reduction of turnaround time from an estimated thirty (30) minutes which an individual applicant currently takes, to a maximum of twenty (20) minutes which an individual applicant will take under Smart Enrolment Solution.

Also, the fact that the Smart Enrolment Solution operates on a real-time basis, means when an individual applicant enrolls his/her application data at a Centre, the information is immediately transmitted to the National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) in real-time and there is no longer delayed transmission which at times could result in hours or an entire day before the information is received from the DLTC to the DLCA, via the NaTIS system.

Reduction of turn-around times in terms of the other two business process elements will only be fully realised once the new driving license card printing machine has been procured and commissioned. This will see DLCA now able to produce a single driving license card within five (5) working days as opposed to an average of fourteen (14) working days as is currently the case.

(4) The question is in my view widely worded and not specific to a particular aspect to which I need to respond. Suffice it nevertheless to state that the Department has in the past made a statement about SEUs and their progressive rollout throughout the country depending on budget availability. That being said, my replies to the questions above serve as further statements in the above regard.

06 December 2023 - NW3618

Profile picture: Gondwe, Dr M

Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

Whether she will furnish Dr M M Gondwe with the number of public servants, excluding senior management service members, who do not hold the qualifications for the positions they currently occupy; if not, why not; if so, what is the number for each (a) national and (b) provincial department?

Reply:

The Minister for Public Service and Administration establishes the overarching frameworks and guidelines that shape recruitment and structural organisation within various departments. For example, according to Section 3(7)(a) of the Public Service Act of 1994, the Executive Authority possesses comprehensive responsibilities and obligations related to the department's structural and organisational setup. Furthermore, Section 3(7)(b) of the Act confers upon the Executive Authority extensive powers and duties in the domain of recruitment processes and the setting of employment criteria. Similarly, determining essential job criteria, such as requisite qualifications, falls under the jurisdiction of the respective Executive Authority. As such, it is each Executive Authority that verifies and provides clarity on such matters.

End

06 December 2023 - NW3620

Profile picture: Gondwe, Dr M

Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

Whether her department has ever conducted a verification exercise aimed at determining the exact number of employees in the Public Service; if not, why not; if so, (a) when was the verification exercise conducted, (b) what was the outcome of the exercise and (c) what are the relevant details; (2) what number of public servants are currently employed in the public sector; (3) which method does her department use to determine if some of the employees in the public service are ghost employees?

Reply:

1. The Minister for Public Service and Administration issues guidelines and directives to the Executive Authorities of each national and provincial department and government component. Section 9 of the Public Service Act (PSA) states, "An executive authority is empowered to appoint individuals within his or her department in alignment with this Act and under prescribed conditions.” Section 11(2) of the PSA stipulates that "When appointing under section 9 within the public service (a) all applicants meeting the criteria for the post must be considered; and (b) the assessment of candidates should be based on their education, skills, competence, and knowledge, as well as the imperative to rectify historical inequities as per the Employment Equity Act, 1998 (Act 55 of 1998), to reflect the diversity of the South African population, including race, gender, and disability representation." Therefore, verification that appointments adhere to stipulated guidelines is ensured by each department or government component conducting its audit of such processes.

Additionally, the Treasury's Regulations under the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 decree under Regulation 8.3.4 that "Individuals at the respective pay-points must certify the legitimacy of all individuals on the payroll report to receive payment." Regulation 8.3.5 adds, "The payroll report, once certified, must be returned to the chief financial officer within ten days. The accounting officer must confirm the monthly receipt of all pay-point certificates." Confirmation that the payee is the rightful recipient of the payment can only be established through physical verification of each individual. Hence, the verification of employee payments is mandated for each manager responsible and the accounting officer within every national and provincial department and government component in the Public Service.

2. As of 30 September 2023, the number of public servants appointed in the Public Service was 1,243,920. This excludes the Department of Defence and the State Security Agency.

3. As indicated in reply (1) above, all national and provincial departments and government components within the Public Service are guided through the PSA to verify employee appointments and if an employee is a ghost employee using physical verification methods.

End

05 December 2023 - NW3962

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Zondo, Mr S S to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

(1)Whether there is a project in the pipeline to revamp the Kempton Park Hospital; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the total budget allocated for the revamping project of the specified facility and (b) how was the funding secured and/or sourced; (2) whether there are any public-private partnership models being considered to enhance the financial viability of the specified project; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

The matter regarding the revamping of the Kempton Park Hospital is not within the purview of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. All matters in relation to hospitals, as public structures, can be best dealt with by our sister Department of Infrastructure Development, which is responsible for providing public infrastructure delivery and property management solutions for the people of Gauteng. Therefore, the question should be referred to the relevant MEC, accordingly.

05 December 2023 - NW3961

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Hlengwa, Ms MD to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

(1)Whether his department is collaborating with the Department of Health to ensure that the revitalisation of the Kempton Park Hospital aligns with healthcare service requirements; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether there are interdepartmental co-ordination mechanisms in place to address both health and infrastructure aspects of the redevelopment of the specified hospital; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

With regard to the revitalisation of the Kempton Park Hospital to ensure that it aligns with healthcare service requirements, the matter is not within the purview of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. Hospitals are public structures, therefore, the matter can be best dealt with by our sister Department of Infrastructure Development, which is responsible for providing public infrastructure delivery and property management solutions for the people of Gauteng. Therefore, the question should be referred to the relevant MEC, accordingly.