Questions and Replies
23 November 2021 - NW2362
Thembekwayo, Dr S to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
What steps will she and/or her department take against the principal of a certain school (name furnished), who instructed the recently appointed Education Assistants to clean toilets, classes, offices and pick up trash, which is outside the scope of their stipulated job description?
Reply:
The Department has requested the Province to investigate and provide a report on the matter. A response will be furnished upon receipt of the requested report.
23 November 2021 - NW2347
Msane, Ms TP to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
What measures does the Government intend to take in order to ensure that King Mswati III implements comprehensive democratic reforms in Eswatini?
Reply:
His Excellency, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, is seized with the engagements to bring about lasting solution to the political challenges in Eswatini.
To this effect, President Ramaphosa dispatched SADC Organ Troika Special Envoys to Eswatini from 21-22 October 2021, to engage with His Majesty King Mswati III, the Eswatini Government, civil society stakeholders, and diplomatic community on the ground, on ways to de-escalate the situation and chart the way forward. The Special Envoys were duly supported by the SADC Secretariat.
As a follow up to the visit of the SADC Organ Troika Special Envoys, the President visited Eswatini on 02 November 2021 to further engage with King Mswati III. Consequently, Emaswati agreed to undertake, with the assistance of SADC, a national dialogue process which will be initiated and owned by all stakeholders.
23 November 2021 - NW2357
Tambo, Mr S to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
Whether institutions of higher learning such as the (a) University Cape Town, (b) University of the Witwatersrand and (c) Stellenbosch University have sought engagement with his department prior to enforcing mandatory vaccines as a prerequisite for student registration; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what is his department’s position regarding mandatory vaccines and their impact on the right to education?
Reply:
The matter of whether vaccination for COVID-19 should be made compulsory for physical access to university campuses is something that is currently under consideration within the university system. Universities South Africa (USAf) has prepared guidelines for universities to consider and guide them in their discussions. At the end this is a matter that is decided upon by university Councils, who have the responsibility, within the framework of the Constitution and the Higher Education Act, to determine institutional policy.
As far as I am aware there have been no formal requests for consultation with the Department. However, I am aware that universities have sought legal advice on the matter and that in some universities discussions were held with their stakeholders prior to making decisions on this matter, which is a critical part of considering any vaccination strategy and any requirement for access based on proof of vaccination.
Higher Health, working with the Department of Health, Department of Higher Education and Training, universities, TVET and CET colleges has been actively working to establish vaccination sites for the post-school education and training system and the number of sites has grown significantly. It is also working closely with institutions to promote scientific information about the vaccination which can also address vaccine hesitancy within the post-school population.
Higher Health has indicated to the Department that they believe that it is extremely vital currently to promote vaccination through every communication channel. The priority for now is to mobilise and persuade people to volunteer to be vaccinated. Higher Health’s 15 000 campus-based peer educators are tasked to explain all about the vaccine and respond to people’s anxiety and are encouraging a peer-to-peer dialogue.
This will continue to be the focus for the current period, until the vaccination programme has had time to reach a majority of staff and students. I note the public attention on this matter, given the tension between individual rights to choose and the responsibilities of educational institutions to ensure the safety of students and staff. Ultimately, it is important that stakeholder discussions on this matter continue at the current time.
22 November 2021 - NW2276
Powell, Ms EL to ask the Minister of Human Settlements
(1)With reference to the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) Fidelity Fund, what is the status of the forensic audit and/or forensic investigation into the EAAB Fidelity Fund; (2) In respect of the specified audit and/or investigation, (a) what total amount has been spent on forensic services to date and (b)(i) which consultancies and/or firms have (aa) been mandated to conduct the audit and/or investigation and (bb) resigned and/or terminated their services in this regard and (ii) for what reasons in each case.
Reply:
(1) The forensic audit has not yet commenced.
(2)(a) None.
(2)(b)(i)
(aa) & (bb) Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo & Grant Thornton Advisory Services (Pty) Ltd have been mandated to conduct the audit
and/or investigation.
(bb) Grant Thornton Advisory Services Pty Ltd.
(2)(ii) It was discovered that a potential conflict of interest exists as Grant
Thornton was contracted by the Estate Agency Affairs Board to conduct an audit of the Fidelity Fund in 2017. The Department will appoint a substitute forensic auditor by 31 December 2021.
22 November 2021 - NW2338
George, Dr DT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1) On what date was the Tender Bulletin last published; (2) whether there have been any delays in the publication of the bulletin; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what were the causes of the delay in each case and (b) on what date is it envisaged it be published next?
Reply:
(1) The last Tender Bulletin was last published on 29 January 2021.
(2)(a) The delays on the publication of the tender bulletin was as a result of the power surge that hit the GPW data centre on 4 February 2021, which damaged critical servers, resulting in the crashing of the eGazette systems and disabling the publishing of all Government gazettes, including the Tender Bulletin.
(2)(b) GPW had to work on manual mode to publish the National and Provincial gazettes. However due to its format, sensitivity and complexity of its content the Tender Bulletin could not be processed manually.
GPW has appointed the service provider to rebuild and automate the eGazette system and also work on the back-up systems. The project milestones are expected to have been achieved by the 31st March 2022, and then publishing of the Tender Bulletin will resume.
END
22 November 2021 - NW2401
Winkler-Lidgett, Ms HS to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What are the details of the progress made by his department with regard to e-visas?
Reply:
The development of the eVisa phase 1 was completed in 2020/2021 financial year but the deployment of the system was delayed due to COVID19 lockdown and suspension of international travel. The eVisa system has been piloted in Kenya and India already. As at 29th September 2021, the eVisa system has been deployed in a phased approach and operational for the following countries, namely: Kenya, Cameroon, Philippines, DRC and Saudi Arabia.
It must be considered however, that the current eVisa module is designed for tourists only, and further modules of the solution for other categories of visas will be developed and deployed in line with the stabilization of the launched version of the eVisa module. As the system matures, the department will implement a more extensive deployment plan structured and sub-divided across African countries and the Rest of the World to be undertaken during the outer years of 2022-2025.
END
19 November 2021 - NW2419
Powell, Ms EL to ask the Minister of Human Settlements
What recourse exists for beneficiaries of structurally unsound housing units constructed by (a) provincial and (b) municipal housing departments?
Reply:
All new houses constructed with the use of the National Housing Subsidy must be enrolled with National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC). All Provinces and Municipalities must also in terms of required NHBRC regulations enrol the projects within which houses are constructed. The enrolment with the NHBRC ensures that the houses have a five-year warranty from the day of occupation. The warranty covers the following:
(1) Minor defects within 3-months from date of occupation.
(2) Roof leaks within 1-year from date of occupation and
(3) Major structural defects within 5-years from date of occupation.
Where a defect is detected, the housing consumer should as an initial step notify the home builder of any complaint(s) within a reasonable period. It is expected that the home builder will attend to the complaint again within a reasonable timeframe.
Where the Province or Municipality are the developer and enrolled the project and house, then the complaint maybe lodged with the Province or Municipality. If the compliant is not attended to or resolved between the parties, then the complaint maybe escalated to the NHBRC.
In terms of legislation and regulations, the NHBRC has the responsibility to protect the interests of homeowners, and this includes resolution of complaints received from homeowners against a home builder.
19 November 2021 - NW1970
Msimang, Prof CT to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
What (a) measures has his department implemented to reconcile the recent budget cuts with the key cost drivers of his department and (b) is the envisaged outcome of such mitigation measures in the short term?
Reply:
a) The following efficiency measures were implemented by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to absorb the cut:
i) Reduction of the personnel headcount by only filling critical vacant posts in order to manage the compensation of employees’ budget within the set budget ceiling.
ii) Paced down the construction of new courts and prioritised the refurbishment as well as upgrading of existing infrastructure.
iii) Constrained expenditure on cost containment items such as catering, travel and subsistence, venue hire, etc. by maintaining a negative growth on its allocation, each year.
iv) Strengthened controls on the management of service providers’ performance to seal the expenditure leaks.
v) For high value procurement, allowed the participation of departmental entities and sister departments under the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services in order to take advantage of economies of scale.
vi) Reviewed Annual Performance Plan targets to focus on high impact outcomes.
b) The measures implemented with regards to compensation of employees are short term until the economy in the country stabilizes. These measures will have a negative impact on service delivery where a reduction in frontline services is implemented. Managers are required to put mitigation measures in place to reduce the impact on the public.
a) The Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) has implemented the following measures to reconcile the recent budget cuts with the key cost drivers of the Department:
- Reprioritization and filling of only critical vacancies; and
- Reprioritization of operational expenditure to provide for virtual operations.
- (b) These mitigation measures negatively impact on the capacity of the OCJ to resource the Superior Courts in relation to human resources, ICT equipment and replacement of ageing ICT infrastructure which has a detrimental effect on judicial functions (case processing / adjudications); court modernisation and access to justice due to a reduction in the number of circuit courts.
19 November 2021 - NW2412
Powell, Ms EL to ask the Minister of Human Settlements
(1) Since the establishment of the Military Veterans Housing Assistance Programme (MVHAP), what was the age of the youngest recipient of the MVHAP at the date on which the house was awarded?
Reply:
(1) The youngest recipient of the Military Veterans Housing Programme was 35 years old when she was allocated a house on the 10th December 2019.
19 November 2021 - NW2320
Masango, Ms B to ask the Minister of Social Development
(1)(a) Which provinces have opened shelters for victims of gender-based violence and femicide following provision of necessary facilities by the national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and (b)(i) what is the total number of (i) the specified shelters in each province and (ii) shelters that are functioning; (2) (a) what is the breakdown for each shelter with regard to the (i) uptake and (ii) capacity for each shelter and (b) which shelters have established partnerships with nonprofit organisations?
Reply:
1 (a) The Western Cape is the only province that has established six (6) shelters for victims of gender-based violence and femicide following provision of necessary facilities by the national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. The other provinces have conducted site verification and prepared costing for operationalisation of the shelters in the coming financial year (2022/23) due to the budget constraints experienced by the provinces.
(b)(i) Countrywide, there are 140 Shelters established and functional by Government in partnership with Civil Society Organisations
In terms of the National Public Works and Infrastructure partnership the Western Cape Government operationalised six (6) shelters.
(ii) The Shelters that are functioning and established by government in partnership with Civil Society Organisations are 134. However only Six (6) shelters in Western Cape from the facilities donated by the National Public Work and Infrastructure are operational
(2) (a) Below is the reflection of the breakdown for the (i) Government shelters in partnership with Civil Society Organisations with regard to the (ii) uptake:
PROVINCE |
NUMBER OF SHELTERS PER PROVINCE |
BED CAPACITY |
GAUTENG |
25 |
605 |
FREE STATE |
07 |
47 |
KWAZULU-NATAL |
20 |
274 |
MPUMALANGA |
22 |
144 |
NORTHERN CAPE |
08 |
20 |
EASTERN CAPE |
13 |
88 |
WESTERN CAPE |
15 |
361 |
NORTH WEST |
SHELTERS 02 SAFE HOUSES 20 |
108 |
LIMPOPO |
02 |
40 |
TOTAL: |
134 |
1687 |
Below are what is the breakdown for each shelter established through the National Public Works and Infrastructure in the Western Cape with regard to the (i) uptake of the shelters:
Shelter |
District/ Municipality |
Quarter 1 (1April – 30 June 2021) new Admissions |
Quarter 2 (1 July – 30 September 2021) new Admissions |
Shelter 1 (Launched on 7th May 2021) |
West Coast/ Swartland |
2 |
5 |
Shelter 2 (Launched on 26th March 2021) |
Eden Karoo/ Central Karoo |
1 |
7 |
Shelter 3 & 4 (Launched on 7th May 2021) |
West Coast/ Bergriver |
11 |
23 |
Shelter 5 (Launched on 27th August 2021) |
Eden Karoo/ Hessequa |
6 |
6 |
Shelter 6 Launched on 27th August 2021) |
Eden Karoo/ Hessequa |
2 |
14 |
Total: |
22 |
55 |
(ii) capacity for each shelters
Shelter |
District/ Municipality |
Bed Capacity |
Shelter 1 |
West Coast/ Swartland |
8 |
Shelter 2 |
Eden Karoo/ Central Karoo |
6 |
Shelter 3&4 |
West Coast/ Bergriver |
16 |
Shelter 5 |
Eden Karoo/Hessequa |
8 |
Shelter 6 |
Eden Karoo/Hessequa |
8 |
2 (b) All shelters are established in partnership with NPO service providers.
19 November 2021 - NW1795
Msimang, Prof CT to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
During the civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July 2021, what steps were taken by his department to safeguard human rights as provided for in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, with reference to observing the rights of an accused person to be brought before a competent court within specific timelines under the Criminal Procedure Act, Act 51 of 1977; (2) with reference to the protection of the right to property during the confiscation of allegedly looted goods, what safeguards were put in place by his department to ensure that courts provide access to persons who were deprived of their legitimate property, where they could have an opportunity to ensure their legitimate rights to their property is upheld through a court of law?
Reply:
1. The rights of the arrested, detained and accused persons are clearly indicated in Section 35 of the constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. This include the right of the accused:
a) to be brought before a court as soon as reasonably possible but not later than 48 hours after the arrest, or the end of the first court day after the expiry of the 48 hours;
b) to be charged or informed of the reasons for the detention to continue or to be released; and
c) to choose and consult with the legal representation.
During the civil unrest in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng, the Bill of Rights was observed. The magistrates in which the civil unrest cases occurred managed to process all matters brought before the court in line with the Constitution. Cases were reported and enrolled to the following courts as the consequences of civil unrest:
No. |
Name of the Court |
No. of Cases Enrolled |
1 |
Pietermaritzburg |
30 |
2 |
Impendle |
4 |
3 |
Mooi River |
4 |
4 |
Ladysmith |
34 |
5 |
Newcastle |
15 |
6 |
Dundee |
6 |
7 |
Paulpietersburg |
1 |
8 |
Nqutu |
30 |
9 |
Durban And Branch Courts |
256 |
10 |
Empangeni |
40 |
11 |
Ngwelezane |
12 |
12 |
Kwambonambi Periodical Court |
2 |
13 |
Richards Bay Branch Court |
8 |
14 |
Kwamsane |
6 |
15 |
Mtubatuba |
3 |
16 |
Ongoye |
12 |
17 |
Hlabisa |
3 |
18 |
Hluhluwe |
4 |
19 |
Mtunzini |
1 |
20 |
Nyoni Periodical Court |
10 |
21 |
Stanger |
19 |
22 |
Verulam Including Branch Courts |
100 |
23 |
Emlazi |
19 |
24 |
Emzumbe |
21 |
25 |
Scottburgh |
17 |
26 |
Umbumbulu |
16 |
27 |
Vulamehlo |
6 |
28 |
Sawoti |
1 |
29 |
Port Shepstone |
20 |
30 |
Harding |
9 |
31 |
Ramsgate |
15 |
32 |
Ixopo |
68 |
33 |
Phungashe |
15 |
34 |
Matatiele |
7 |
35 |
Izingolweni |
29 |
36 |
Umzimkhulu |
30 |
|
Total Number No. of Cases Enrolled |
873 |
The JCPS Steering Committee was established in which the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development participates. The above mentioned Steering Committee includes key stakeholders such as the South African Police Service, Legal Aid South Africa and National Prosecuting Authority. The mandate of this Steering Committee was to ensure that all cases are processed promptly and in observance of the Bill of Rights enshrined in the Constitution.
2. There was no record of any confiscation of property which was discussed by the Integrated Task Team which was established to monitor the civil unrest. This does not exclude the possibility that if such information could have been reported to various Police stations, the matter will be placed on the agenda of the Integrated Task Team, and should it emerge of any confiscated property during unrest, an appropriate solution will be discussed by the relevant law enforcement agencies
19 November 2021 - NW1996
Marais, Mr S to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
What (a) are the reasons that the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) did not consider applications on a monthly basis, (b) is the backlog in terms of the number of applications that have not been processed, (c) is the monetary value of the backlog for armament export applications and permits, (d) is the date on which it is anticipated that the backlog will be something of the past and (e) are the reasons that export permits were withdrawn with regard to existing orders and permits issued especially to the United Arab Emirates; 2) whether the NCACC has considered (a) the damage to the Defence Industry when the Republic can least afford to lose export orders and market and (b) that the groups protesting the export of munitions may base their complaints and protest on false narratives and ulterior motives; if not, why not, in each case; if so, in each case, what are the relevant details; 3) whether the NCACC has determined any violations of the End-user Certificate (EUC) conditions; if not, why not; if so, 4) whether the NCACC (a) is familiar with the respective exporters and (b) has interacted with these exporters and the host nation’s government for EUC inspections; if not, why not in each case; if so, in each case, on what date will they allow non-implicated exporters to proceed with the export shipments in order not to lose more critical export markets?
Reply:
1. The NCACC is scheduled to meet every last Thursday of the month. These meetings are planned to take place from February to November. In the event that the Parliamentary Program and some important matters present challenges as regards meetings being held as scheduled, the NCACC makes up for such events. To date the NCACC does not have any outstanding meetings and meeting schedule is under control.
2. The NCACC applies the criteria as envisaged in the Act, Regulations and Policy considerations. The protests or reports as alluded to have no bearing on the decision of the NCACC. When an applications is kept in abeyance (under consideration) pending authorization, it for the NCACC to satisfy itself that outstanding issues about such an application are resolved prior to authorization.
3. It is never or it should not be a consideration to seek to harm the Defence Industry and certainly the NCACC would not subscribe to such a notion. The Permits that are Under Consideration have a value of R15,8 Million for Saudi Arabia and R3,8 Billion for the United Arab Emirates, respectively.
4. When a matter is placed under consideration (UC) the risk as identified by the review process must have a corresponding risk mitigation response in place with satisfies the minimization of such risk to a residual risk in order to proceed with a recommendation to consider authorization.
5. It is anticipated that the matters outstanding as regards Saudi Arabia and the UAE will be resolved in September 2021. However, the NCACC authorizes the Categories of Controlled items that fall outside the circle of risk identified. It never or ought not to be a consideration to seek to harm the Defence Industry and certainly the NCACC would not subscribe to such a notion, as it is not sustainable on any grounds.
6. The assertion or otherwise of End User Certificates violations remain unproven to date. However, should there be violations by entities registered under the Act, the NCACC will not hesitate to act against such transgressors of prescripts.
- I as Chairperson and on behalf of my Committee remain seized of matters of the NCACC in order to resolve and effectively manage Conventional Arms Control as mandated under the Act.
END
19 November 2021 - NW1843
Clarke, Ms M to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)Whether he will furnish Mrs M O Clarke with (a) a maintenance schedule for the properties of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) in terms of (i) cutting the grass, (ii) picking up litter and (iii) the maintenance of fences and (b) a schedule and plan on how Transnet and Prasa plan to secure residents of Transnet and Prasa railway properties against crime; if not, what is the position in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case; 2) on what date will the missing fences around the specified properties be replaced?
Reply:
1. (a) (i & ii) A schedule for grass cutting and cleaning at Station and Workplace
facilities is on a periodic basis as reflected in table 1 below. The grass cutting service is included as one of those performed by the contractors as PRASA does not appoint a contractor for one specific service but covers a range of services included in the table below.
AREA |
TASK SPECIFICATION |
FREQUENCY |
|
Waste Collection and Disposal |
Empty and clean all waste baskets, receptacles |
Continuously |
|
Remove all waste to a specified and designated area |
Continuously |
||
Platforms & Railway tracks
|
Platform areas
|
Sweep platforms |
daily |
Remove papers and other foreign objects |
Continuously |
||
|
Sweep the railway tracks. |
Every three months |
|
Railway tracks. Note: Commuters work under protection on tracks and only during the off-peak) |
Remove papers and other foreign objects – Clean the railway tracks up to 200m beyond the edges of both sides of the platforms |
daily |
|
Grass and weeds |
Remove Grass and Weed |
Weekly |
Table 1: Schedule for grass cutting and cleaning at Station and Workplace facilities
(iii) After the unprecedented levels of vandalism and theft of assets, PRASA’s strategy to maintain fences at station level includes putting in place 3 years fencing maintenance contracts which will attend to all maintenance issues related to fencing.
These will support the stations which are due to receive improvements under the National Station Improvement Programme (NSIP) and the Alternative Building Technology (ABT) Projects. Stations earmarked to receive improvements are in the 12 priority corridors.
The tenders for these programmes have been advertised on various platforms such as eTender. These will then be evaluated and awarded to successful bidders for execution and are due to be completed before end of March 2022.
The purpose of these projects is to restore functionality at stations which includes the repairs or replacement of fences, painting of platform lines, lighting, provision of water and working toilets, ticket offices among other functional requirements.
(b) Security is not deployed at leased houses. The few that are not leased we do checks on these properties on the routes by security. Limited security is however deployed at commercial buildings that are not leased. The deployment will increase over the next month as it forms part of our total security deployment plan and intervention which will have a total of 4500 extra security guards excluding our internal guards, totalling 7000 people on the ground covering PRASA assets and infrastructure.
2. The 3 years fencing maintenance contracts will then be used to maintain these newly restored fences. The tenders for the three (3) years fencing maintenance contracts will be advertised before end of the financial year.
19 November 2021 - NW1778
Mey, Mr P to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)Whether, with reference to the settlement of the class action on 11 December 2019 between Transnet and the Transnet pensioners who are members of two pension funds, namely the Transnet Second Defined Benefit Fund and the Transport Pension Fund, he has been informed that in spite of the implementation of the specified settlement in 2020, it has still not been implemented for members of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa Sub Fund, notwithstanding a court order (details furnished) to the effect; if so, (a) what is the reason for this and (b) by what date will the delay be addressed, with an indication of the necessary deadlines in order to prevent legal action from being taken against his department for disregarding the specified court order; if not, (2) whether he will soon take steps to determine the reasons for the delays and how to address them, with an indication of the necessary deadlines in order to prevent legal action from being taken against his department for disregarding the specified court order; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether he will make a statement on the matter?
Reply:
1. (a) The court order has not yet been implemented. This court order will be
implemented by the PRASA Sub Fund of the Transport Pension Fund upon the approval of the Fund Rule amendments this implies.
“In terms of the Transnet Pension Fund Act (Act 62 of 1990 as amended), the responsibility to approve amendments to the Special Rules of the PRASA Sub Fund of the Transport Pension Fund rests with the Minister of Public Enterprises with concurrence by the Minister of Finance. The relevant proposed amendments to the Special Rules of the PRASA Sub Fund is currently receiving attention by the Minister of Public enterprise.”
(b) In terms of PRASA protocol, all rule amendments for the pension funds are channelled through Transnet. The proposed amendments to the PRASA Special Rules were circulated to the Office of the Transnet Chief Financial Officer on 12 April 2021.
2. Regular follow ups have been made with Transnet and the matter will now be escalated to the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) for intervention as the submissions were made in April 2021 already.
3. I will not be making any statement on the matter.
19 November 2021 - NW2411
Powell, Ms EL to ask the Minister of Human Settlements
(1) What criteria regarding (a) membership and (b) the legislative process does this department rely on in order to classify a potential housing beneficiary as a military veteran in terms of the Military Veterans Housing Assistance Programme?
Reply:
1. The criteria regarding
a) Memberships is informed by the 2011 Military Veterans Act, the Military Veterans Regulations Number 11 of 2014 and the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two Ministries to provide decent housing for Military Veterans.
According to Section 1(a) of the Military Veterans Act 18 of 2011,
"military veteran" means any South African citizen who (a) rendered military service to any of the military organizations, statutory and 15 non-statutory, which were involved on all sides of South Africa's Liberation War from 1960 to 1994; (b) served in the Union Defense Force before 1961; or (c) became a member of the new South African National Defense Force after 1994, 20 and has completed his or her military training and no longer performs military service, and has not been dishonourably discharged from that military organization or force: Provided that this definition does not exclude any person referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) who could not complete his or her military training due to an injury sustained during military training or a disease contracted or associated with military training;
b) The list of potential beneficiaries eligible for the housing benefit is provided by the Department of Military Veterans on an annual basis. The list is signed off by the Accounting Officer/ Director General of the Department of Military Veterans after all verification processes from DMV are concluded and it includes both the statutory and non-statutory forces. The list is then captured on the Housing Subsidy System (HSS) and immediately thereafter dispatched to Provinces.
18 November 2021 - NW2378
Siwisa, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Health
What are the reasons that the Bloemanda Clinic in Kimberly is without immunisation for children, which forces parents to seek immunisation from private healthcare providers?
Reply:
According to the report from the Northern Cape Provincial department of health, the clinic that is referred to as Bloemanda is Masakane Clinic. Masakhane Clinic has been without immunisations for children. This clinic does immunisations daily and this has been verified through stock visibility system which has not shown any stock outs for vaccines.
END.
18 November 2021 - NW2371
Pambo, Mr V to ask the Minister of Health
In light of the worst global pandemic, in which we have seen public health overstretched and demands on private health going beyond this sector’s capacity, what (a) has he found will be the consequences of the decisions by the Council for Medical Schemes which are outlined by Circulars 80 and 82 of December 2019 and Circular 56 of 2015 and (b) impact will this have on the ability of low-earning households to have access to quality medical care?
Reply:
a) The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) issued circulars 80 and 82 in December 2019 based on two sets of research results at its disposal. The main message contained in these circulars was directed at the industry indicating that the exemption that had been granted to the primary insurance products that had applied to the CMS previously may not be granted again at the end of March 2021 if there were no significant improvement and changes made to primary insurance products and low-cost benefit options (LCBO). This was based on research conducted by a group of economists on behalf of Council, indicating the undesirability of these primary insurance products and the Low-Cost Benefit Option in the medical schemes industry. These research results indicated that:
- These products are targeting individuals that are already tax-exempt based on their low income. Expecting these individuals to spend more of their remaining disposable income contributing to health products with thin benefits did not make sense
- The introduction of the Low-Cost Benefit Option and related products will be adding yet another set of benefit options in an industry with too many options that are already making rational purchasing choices difficult for the consumer. This goes against the Health Market Inquiry recommendations
- The Low-cost Benefit option will also require some tax subsidies and credits and further burden the fiscus during a period of economic constraints
- There is no evidence that these options will ensure that relief is provided to the over-burdened public health system, given the fact that their beneficiaries still primarily rely on the state for the provision of the greater part of their health benefits.
- The burden of disease in the lower income groups is often higher than your high income earners, and providing a low benefit option is counter-intuitive
The second set of research results indicated that the primary health insurance products that were subjected to analysis had serious structural shortfalls in the following areas:
- The greater part of the contribution made by policyholders was spent on broker fees and administration instead of the relevant health benefits
- The marketing of these primary insurance products was misleading, promising unlimited GP consultations when in fact, the entitlements are no more than 3 per annum
- These products were experienced a significantly low claims ratio due to members were not aware of the extent of cover or benefit entitlements
- These primary insurance products are also unlikely to reduce the over-burdened public health system on the basis of lack of comprehensive cover
b) The impact of circulars 80 and 82 on the primary insurance products in the market has been minimal as no product has been discontinued as a result of these circulars:
- The CMS undertook an extensive stakeholder roadshow following the issuing of circulars 80 and 82. The purpose of these engagements that took place in the more significant part of January and February 2020 was to ensure that these primary insurance products demonstrate a significant shift towards complying with the Medical Schemes Act
- The agreement reached with the key stakeholders was that further engagements were necessary and that a Low-Cost Benefit Framework will need to be developed that will assist these primary insurance products to migrate into the medical schemes environment
- There was also an appreciation that the regulator cannot perpetually exempt these primary insurance products from complying with the Medical Schemes Act and its Regulations as this is the only legislation that is at its disposal for regulatory purposes
- The engagements in these Advisory Committees are proceeding well and have included three workstreams:
- Schemes and administrators
- Insurance providers and brokers
- Service providers, policyholders and consumers
Circulars 80 and 82 of December 2019 and Circular 56 of 2015 have no bearing on the ability of low-earning households to have access to quality medical care other than providing a guide for medical schemes to report better-managed services. However, a more relevant circular to low-earning households' affordability of care is circular 56 of 2020. The objective of circular 56 of 2020 was to provide an overall update regarding establishing the LCBO Advisory Committees and developing the Low-Cost Benefit Guidelines and notice of extension of exemption period to 31 March 2022.
The Advisory Committees were tasked with addressing the challenges faced by primary health insurance providers in complying with the Medical Schemes Act:
- The need for medical schemes to develop options for low-income earners.
- They would also develop a roadmap leading to the end of March 2022.
- Provide inputs on the LCBO framework before the CMS submits it for approval by the Minister of Health
- The Charter and Code of Conduct were issued to nominees during June/July 2020.
- A regulatory workshop with the National Department of Health, National Treasury, Prudential Authority, Financial Sector Conduct and the Council for Medical Schemes was held on 29 September 2020;
- Introductory workshops were held with interested parties and nominees during October 2020, whereafter the Charter and Code of Conduct was adopted.
END.
18 November 2021 - NW2396
Ismail, Ms H to ask the Minister of Health
What is the total breakdown for lawsuits against his department for medical negligence in public hospitals (a) nationally and (b) in each province?
Reply:
The information provided is for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Financial Years. The 2020/21 Financial Year is an update of the information that was submitted in March 2021. The information submitted in March 2021 was for Five Financial Years from 2015/16 Financial Year to 2020/21 Financial Year. The Information on 2020/21 Financial Year is now updated as when the information that was submitted in March was before the end of the Financial Year hence the submission of the updated information of the 2020/21
2020/21 FINANCIAL YEAR
PROVINCE |
NUMBER OF NEW CASES RECEIVED |
AMOUNT CLAIMED BY THE PLAINTIFFS[1] |
Eastern Cape |
Outstanding |
Outstanding |
Free State[2] |
47 Cases |
R 512 674 171.29 |
Gauteng[3] |
77 Cases |
R 873 785 433-55 |
KwaZulu Natal |
329 Cases |
R 727 706 522.00 |
Limpopo |
215 Cases |
R 1 764 652 099.00 |
Mpumalanga |
132 Cases |
R 1 058 442 000.00 |
North West |
66 Cases |
R 469 960 350.00 |
Northern Cape |
15 Cases |
R 531 716 811.04 |
Western Cape |
65 Cases |
R 529 995 591.10 |
TOTAL |
2021/22 FINANCIAL YEAR
PROVINCE |
NUMBER OF NEW CASES |
AMOUNT CLAIMED BY THE PLAINTIFFS |
Eastern Cape |
Outstanding |
Outstanding |
Free State |
21 Cases |
R 246 850 920.00 |
Gauteng |
53 Cases |
R 560 370 586-90 |
KwaZulu Natal |
205 Cases |
R 1 578 054 150.00 |
Limpopo |
167 Cases |
R1 498 238 059.00 |
Mpumalanga |
69 Cases |
R 472 379 000 |
North West |
31 Cases |
R 215 496 610. 00 |
Northern Cape |
11 Cases |
R 169 616 789.42 |
Western Cape |
39 Cases |
R 319 202 451.00 |
TOTAL |
END.
iThese are the amounts that the Plaintiffs think they are entitled to and they are not the amounts awarded by the Courts. Most of these cases are defended by the Provinces and the final payment or award if any will differ from the claimed amount. ↑
iiThe information from Free State has been revised from 2015/16 Financial Years after data cleansing as follows: 26 cases for 2015/16, 34 Cases for 2016/17, 42 Cases for 2017/18, 42 Cases for 2018/19, 44 Cases for 2019/20 and 47 Cases for 2020/21. ↑
iii.The information for Gauteng has been revised to 77 cases. ↑
18 November 2021 - NW2299
Mhlongo, Mr TW to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
(1). What is the latest status and/or update regarding the three months’ suspension of the Secretary-General of the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA); (2). whether the Secretary-General is still a part of CCIFSA; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. The Secretary General (SG) was expelled through a conference resolution but the CCIFSA National Office Bearers (NOB) opted for a different approach, that of suspension. The SG subsequently decided that his matter would be dealt with through his legal representatives. To this end, the matter is still pending.
2. The Secretary general is currently still on suspension from the federation and his membership will be subject to the finalisation of all processes that will require to be instituted between his legal representatives and the organisation.
18 November 2021 - NW2300
Mhlongo, Mr TW to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY QUESTION NO. 2300-2021 WRITTEN REPLY INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 23 –2021, DATE OF PUBLICATION 5 NOVEMBER 2021: Mr T W Mhlongo (DA) to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture; What are the details of the conference resolutions during which the department set aside R5 million for the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA) to implement the programmes coming out of their policy conference; whether the specified resolutions were communicated with the sector at large; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details and (b) where can one access the information? NW2618E REPLY: The department only funded the policy conference and no other amount was given for programmes stemming out of the conference. Engagements with the Department continue to lobby for funds for proposals presented subsequent to the conference. The release of the policy conference was hampered by the delay in the payment of service providers. As a result, the conference report was withheld. Having already settled the payment, the submitted reports have been shared with provincial task team coordinators. Once all information has been verified, the report will be circulated with the sector at large.
Reply:
1. The department only funded the policy conference and no other amount was given for programmes stemming out of the conference. Engagements with the Department continue to lobby for funds for proposals presented subsequent to the conference.
2. The release of the policy conference was hampered by the
delay in the payment of service providers. As a result, the conference report was withheld. Having already settled the payment, the submitted reports have been shared with provincial task team coordinators. Once all information has been verified, the report will be circulated with the sector at large.
18 November 2021 - NW2340
Hlengwa, Ms MD to ask the Minister of Health
Whether, with regard to the recent roll-out of the electronic proof of vaccination for COVID-19 in the Republic, except for international travel purposes, the Government (a) intends to use the electronic proof of vaccination and/or any other proof thereof, to regulate who accesses services and facilities in the public sector and (b) will allow the private sector to regulate access to goods and services and employment, among others, using the proof of vaccination; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, for what purposes and/or ends will the electronic proof of vaccination be deployed in the Republic?
Reply:
a) The Digital Vaccination Certificate is a digital version of the paper vaccination card that can be verified by a third party through the scanning of the QR code to establish the validity of the Vaccination Certificate. Government does not intend to use proof of vaccination to regulate access to public sector services and facilities.
b) Within the borders of South Africa, the primary use of the vaccine certificate could be used for third parties to allow vaccinated people to access certain rewards or incentives. This may include access to events such as sports, entertainment, and religious events, or to benefit from discounts or other rewards (such as entry into a lucky draw) offered by retailers or other private businesses.
The Department of Labour and Employment is responsible for regulating workplaces. Government's current position is that employees should be encouraged to vaccinate. However, employers may require employees performing certain functions, where not being vaccinated poses a risk to the employee, other employees, or members of the public, to be vaccinated. All existing legislation and regulations must be followed in dealing with situations where employees chose not to be vaccinated.
END.
18 November 2021 - NW2398
Ismail, Ms H to ask the Minister of Health
What is the duration of vaccine immunity of the (a) Pfizer, (b) Moderna and (c) Johnson & Johnson vaccines?
Reply:
Conclusive evidence regarding the duration of immunity following immunisation against Covid-19 is not currently available.
Vaccine effectiveness has been shown to be maintained over time for severe/critical disease, but does diminish for mild-moderate disease. The durability of a particular vaccine is dependent on the variants of concern circulating at the time, and the durability of the immune response of the primary vaccine series.
It is also currently not known whether immunity induced by one vaccine will last longer than that induced by others. The vaccine effectiveness of the Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines has remained relatively stable over time for protection against hospitalisation and death. There have been mild declines in effectiveness over time for hospitalisation and death for older people and those who are immunosuppressed. This has led to recommendations to provide booster doses to older people and those who are immunosuppressed and health care workers.
Such recommendations are country specific. Although vaccine effectiveness has remained durable over time for severe/critical disease, vaccine effectiveness against infection declined in the USA in the period when the Delta variant became dominant as compared to the pre-Delta period. This has led to the recommendation to provide booster doses as mentioned above.
It is difficult to extrapolate evidence of vaccine effectiveness from other regions to South Africa for the following reasons:
- their vaccine programmes started 4-6 months before the South African programme
- different variants have dominated in South Africa
- the high HIV prevalence in South Africa.
In South Africa, durability of effectiveness of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine against severe/critical disease during the Beta and Delta period was demonstrated in health care workers through the Sisonke study. The durability of the Pfizer vaccine during the Delta period has also been demonstrated. Ongoing monitoring is required to measure the duration of protection following immunisation with these vaccines.
END.
18 November 2021 - NW2318
Bryant, Mr D W to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
Whether, with reference to the report of the High-Level Panel of Experts for The Review of Policies, Legislation and Practices on Matters of Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhinoceros Management, Breeding, Hunting, Trade and Handling, which mentions that the ongoing hunting of leopard will be looked into going forward, and in view of the fact that leopards are notoriously difficult to count while it is important to know what the current numbers are so that any hunting of leopard can be properly legislated, she will advise what (a) the current estimated numbers of leopard are in the (i) Republic in general and in (ii) Kruger National Park in particular and (b) steps are being taken to promote the use of artificial leopard skin replacements for traditional ceremonies and activities; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
-
(i) Leopards are generally considered uncommon in South Africa, however, estimates of the size of the national population vary widely from 2 185 to 23 400 leopards (Friedmann & Traylor-Holzer, 2005; Martin & De Meulenaer, 1988; Swanepoel et al., 2014b). None of these estimates are based on rigorous population counts at regional scales and their confidence intervals are so wide,
indicating the need for more information (for example, 2 813 to 11 632 leopards estimated by Swanepoel et at., 2014b).
ii) Leopards are very difficult to survey accurately, especially in the dense bush found in the Kruger National Park (KNP). A mark-recapture survey using camera traps gave an estimate of between 1 630 and 2 860 leopards in the KNP in 2011. SANParks is confident that there has not been much fluctuation in respect of leopard numbers in the KNP year on year since the survey was conducted.
-
Given the concerns around the current state of conservation of leopards, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) is of the view that all options for the conservation and sustainable use of leopards should be explored. The use of artificial skin is an option that was introduced by NGOs in an effort to reduce the poaching of leopards for their skin. To date, it has not yet been promoted by the DFFE and may be considered by the Leopard Forum (a forum to coordinate the work of leopard management from various role players towards the development of the Leopard Biodiversity Management Plan) if it is deemed a viable option for the promotion of the conservation and sustainable use of leopards. The DFFE, however, continues to educate and raise awareness throughout the country on the threats to the survival of the species and the impact of the illegal and unsustainable use of leopards, including the unsustainable harvesting of skin and other derivatives from leopards. More importantly, the DFFE is engaging with rural and urban communities on legal ways to source skins to ensure compliance with the legislation.
SANParks has engaged with the Panthera Foundation on sourcing artificial leopard skins to be used by traditional leaders for ceremonial purposes. The Panthera Foundation has committed to providing SANParks with 20 artificial leopard skins. Upon receipt of these skins, SANParks will engage with the traditional leaders to map a way forward.
Regards
MS B D CREECY, MP
MINISTER OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
DATE: 19/11/2021
18 November 2021 - NW2319
Bryant, Mr D W to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
(1) Following the recent United Nations report on climate change which clearly sets out the projected impact of climate change on the environment going forward, including the rise in sea level, what steps are being taken to (a) evaluate the impact of the rise in sea levels on the Republic’s coastal communities and (b) develop contingency plans with the relevant local communities and authorities; (2) (a) which areas of the coastline of the Republic has she found are deemed to be most at risk from the rise in the level of the sea over the coming 50 to 100 years and (b) what are the details of the envisaged impact; (3) whether changes in the temperature of the ocean and the consequent impact on the coastal fishing industry is being evaluated; if not, why not; if so, (4) whether these findings will be made available to Mr D W Bryant; if not, why not; if so, on what date?
Reply:
- (a) The Depa#ment developed a National Coastal Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment in 2019, a decision support tool to assist coastal planning and response to physical hazards attributable to climate change, such as sea level rise, flooding, erosion, or storm events. The National Coastal Climate Change Assessment Report and the Geo-Spatial Index for coastal climate change vulnerability of South Africa's coastline and estuaries are available. http://mapservice.environment.oov.za/CoastaI%20Viewer/
(b) The Department has been rolling out training and capacity building for municipalities and has completed seven (7) sessions with coastal municipalities (Metropolitans and Districts) on the use of the data generated to support the decision making process of authorities. Both an on- line and offline tool have been developed and shared with all coastal municipalities and provinces. Coastal provinces have also been working with their respective municipalities to develop Coastal Management Lines (CMLs) for their coastline to deal precisely with coastal risk within their programmes, plans or strategies to address the sea level rise impact.
2. (a)(b)
Less risk - west coast
-
- A general decrease in rainfall in the western and southern part will reduce the risk of flooding in river catchments (apart from the Orange River with its far inland reaching catchment).
- The expected decrease of storm frequency and intensity will reduce the likelihood and intensity of sea storms. This means that the risk of coastal flooding and erosion on the west coast might be decreasing.
More risk - east coast
-
- In contrast, the east coast is likely to become more affected by climate related weather events. The expected increase in the occurrence of storms and cyclones in northern KwaZuIu- Natal can increase the damage through direct wind impacts.
- The department is currently partnering with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on the green book, and part of the implementation will include identifying possible areas that require long-term adaptation measures to facilitate and achieve sustainable coastal development in South Africa.
- In 2021 the department published three reports which deal with climate change and fisheries in South Africa. These three reports are the results of national workshops that were held as part of a larger project under the umbrella of the Benguela Current Commission. The first of these evaluated the sensitivity of different fishing sectors to climate change, the likely impact that climate change would have on these sectors, how adaptable the sectors are likely to be, and how vulnerable they are. The second report evaluated possible adaptation measures for the different fishing sectors, indicating the likely threats to each sector and detailing possible adaptation measures and evaluating these in terms of their feasibility, priority and timescales. The third report
evaluated existing research for fisheries adaptation to climate change and identified areas where additional research is required going forwards. The reports can be made available on request to the communications unit of the Department.
- The science observations on temperature and other key features can be accessed at https://www.environment.oov.za/documents/research#oceans The findings are available in three reports, and copies of these can be provided.
Regards
MS B D CREECY, MP
MINISTER OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
DATE: 19/11/2021
18 November 2021 - NW2348
Chirwa-Mpungose, Ms NN to ask the Minister of Health
Whether his department conducted any comprehensive investigation into the allegations of the Tembisa decuplets as reported by the Independent Media Group; if not, why not; if so, what has been the findings in relation to the existence of these babies?
Reply:
Gauteng Provincial Department of conducted the investigation about the allegations made about the Tembisa decuplets and produced a report in this regard, that confirms that Ms Gosiame Thamara Sithole was never pregnant. It is therefore not necessary for the national Department of health to conduct further investigations. The report is confidential in terms of the law.
END.
18 November 2021 - NW2311
Powell, Ms EL to ask the Minister of Health
(a) What are the reasons that only girls and not boys are being vaccinated as part of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine roll-out and (b) on what scientific evidence does the approach rely?
Reply:
The Human Papillomavirus vaccination programme was implemented in South Africa in 2014 with the aim of reducing the incidence of cervical cancer. A recently published study showed that women - now in their 20s - who were vaccinated against HPV in England at age 12 or 13 years experienced an 87% reduction in cervical cancer compared to the expected rate among unvaccinated women[1].
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that cervical cancer, which comprises 84% of all HPV-related cancers, should remain the priority for HPV immunisation programmes. For the prevention of cervical cancer, the WHO-recommended primary target population for HPV vaccination is girls aged 9-14 years, prior to them becoming sexually active[2]. The South African HPV vaccination programme targets Grade 5 girl learners 9 years and older in public schools, and is therefore aligned with these recommendations.
Vaccination of secondary target populations (such as girls 15 years and older, and boys) is only recommended by WHO if this is feasible, affordable, cost-effective and does not divert resources from vaccinating primary target population or from effective cervical cancer screening programmes.
Global cost-effectiveness analysis informed by country-based evidence suggests that vaccinating pre-adolescent girls is usually cost-effective, particularly in resource-constrained settings where alternative cervical cancer prevention and control measures often have limited coverage. However, if the HPV vaccination coverage in girls is greater than approximately 50% (as is the case in South Africa), then gender-neutral vaccination (targeting boys and girls) is unlikely to be cost-effective. [3],[4]
END.
-
Falcaro M, Castañon A, Ndlela B, et al. The effects of the national HPV vaccination programme in England, UK, on cervical cancer and grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia incidence: a register-based observational study. The Lancet. 2021. ↑
-
World Health Organization. Human papillomavirus vaccines: WHO position paper, May 2017. Weekly epidemiological record. No 19, 2017, 92, 241–268 ↑
-
Modelling estimates of the incremental effectiveness & cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination. Available at http://www.who.int/immunization/sage/meetings/2016/october/07_Modelling_HPV_immunization_strategies.pdf?ua=1. ↑
-
Fesenfeld M, Hutubessy R and Jit M. Cost-effectiveness of human papillomavirus vaccination in low and middle income countries: a systematic review. Vaccine. 2013 Aug 20;31(37):3786-804. ↑
18 November 2021 - NW2372
Motsepe, Ms CCS to ask the Minister of Health
What are the reasons that his department continues to prohibit hospital visits by families of those who are admitted to hospitals, noting that the Republic is now on Alert Level 1 lockdown?
Reply:
The Department of Health is taking serious precautionary measures by prohibiting hospital visits by the families of the patients that are admitted within the facilities because the threat of Covid-19 virus is still real. While the country in alert level 1, we remain concerned about the possible increase in infections especially because there are still a number of cases on infections that are reported through our laboratories, although very low.
END.
18 November 2021 - NW2283
Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
(1 What are the relevant details of the process that was followed to establish the USIBA Creative and Cultural Industries Awards; (2) whether any tenders were put out by his department; if not, why not; if so, where were the tenders advertised; (3) (a) what are the names of the service providers that were appointed for the co-ordination and management of the USIBA Awards event and (b) through what process were they appointed; (4) whether he will provide (a) an itemised budget for the USIBA Awards, in line with the prescribed and/or accepted standards of the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999, and (b) the audited financial report of the USIBA Awards; if not, why not, in each specified case; if so, what (i) are the relevant details in each specified case and (ii) total amount was spent on the USIBA Awards; (5) whether he has been informed of any Special Investigating Unit investigations into the Cultural & Creative Industries Federation of South Africa in the past five years; if not, why not; if so, what (a) is the status and (b) are the recommendations of such investigations?
Reply:
1. USIBA Awards was a project that was initiated and conceptualised by the Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA), and was then presented to the Department for partnership funding. The objective of the project was to provide accolades to individuals of excellence especially those who have done exceedingly well in the arts and culture field, this as a way of recognising them for the role they have played in re-energising the souls and spirit of the nation through the arts and culture. It was for this reason that the Department took a decision to invest or support the project, considering its significance in the sector.
2. A tender process is only required when procurement of services are being done. In this instance, the USIBA awards was not a project of the Department but an unsolicited project that was initiated by CCIFSA and was therefore supported through a grant, like any other projects that are being funded by the Department.
3. (a). Likewise, all services providers for the USIBA awards were procured by the beneficiary – which is CCIFSA in this case. (b) The Department does not have any role whatsoever in the procuring of service providers for all the projects that are receiving grant support. Ours is to ensure that the beneficiaries deliver on the said objectives and properly account for the resources that we have provided.
4. (a). A grant of R12 000 000 was allocated for the overall project and it was made up of three main pillars or items. The first pillar included Logo Design, Development of Trophies, and Project Launch & Media and Publicity and the total budget allocated was R1 635 000, the second pillar was a two days CCIFSA Policy Conference and a budget of R3 002 000 was allocated, the last pillar was the actual USIBA Awards and a budget of R6 273 000 was allocated and thus bringing the total to R10 910 000. The difference from the total grant was budget for administrative costs and constituted just about 10% of the grant. However, the actual costs to the project, including administrative costs came to the total of R11 500 000, which is the total amount that was transferred to CCIFSA.
(b). Based on the agreement there was no requirement that the specific project should be audited; however, CCIFSA did furnish its end of the year audited financial statement as part of the reporting to the Department.
5. The Department have not been informed of any investigation initiated by the SIU on CCIFSA. If anything, the Department remains committed to cooperate on all matters.
18 November 2021 - NW2274
Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
(1) (a) What processes were followed to procure services for the elective conference and (b) which service providers were picked out of those who presented quotations; (2) whether his department, as the main and interested stakeholder, participated during the conference to monitor the proceedings; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) how will his department’s approach differ towards the SA Music Industry Council as opposed to the Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA) that has not been funded, including the service providers for the policy conference held in December last year in Durban, who have not been paid; (4) what was the reason that CCIFSA did not participate at an important conference, seeing that the interests of one of its sub-sectors, the Performance Sector, have been endorsed by his department? NW2597E
Reply:
1.(a). The support that was granted to SAMIC was done through a transfer of funds subsequent to entering into an MOA with the organisation having conceded to their proposal for assistance.
(b). No service provider was picked as there was no service
solicited by the Department.
2. Once a project is funded, it is the beneficiary’s responsibility to implement it according to the terms set in the proposal and the MOA. The Department does not in all instances participate in the beneficiaries events/activities.
3. The Department transfers funds to beneficiaries who in turn enter into agreements with third parties or service providers. Intervention by the Department where there are disputes is not a requirement. Where there are merits to mediate between beneficiaries and third parties, attempts are made by the Department to broker workable and lawful solutions.
4. SAMIC was responsible to determining invitees, participants and desired outcomes of the elective conference for its members. The Department is not aware of the specifics of who should or should not have been there and the desired roles for each as it was not the one implementing the conference.
18 November 2021 - NW2315
Joseph, Mr D to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
What (a) progress has been made by his department to ensure that the infrastructure at Robben Island is maintained at international heritage status, given the procurement agreement between Robben Island Museum and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and (b) turn-around financial strategy has been successfully implemented after the specified museum has been severely impacted by a lack of tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Reply:
(a). The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) is the Custodian of the Robben Island and therefore responsible for the maintenance. DPWI has developed a new strategy and approach to improve the effectiveness and efficiency on rendering maintenance services known as the Total Facilities Management (TFM) programme.
The TFM solution combines services streams across the “hard” (technical maintenance) and “soft” (cleaning, hygiene, security, etc.) services under the management of a single Service Provider (SP) who also manages sub-contractors.
Known alternatively as a one -stop-shop, the benefits of TFM include minimizing management and task duplication, effecting improvement in service reliability and efficiency, and streamlining interoperability of facility services thus reducing the operational and maintenance expenditure while optimizing delivery.
DPWI is currently busy with the finalization of the procurement process of the TFM contract for a period of 36 months. The procurement process will be finalized before the end of December 2021. The TFM contract will guarantee that all maintenance needs are attended on a regular basis and will ensure that UNESCO international heritage status for the Robben Island is also maintained.
In the interim, DPWI is maintaining the facility through various term contracts. This is carried-out by DPWI Cape Town regional office.
(b). The Robben Island Museum is currently busy with implementing financial turn-around strategies to deal with a challenge of financial constraints. The measures implemented has so far been successful in preventing job losses at the Museum. This process is ongoing and the entity still faces major obstacles to recovery and will be dependent on the opening of tourism activities until a final strategy is in place informed by the development of RIM’s business model.
18 November 2021 - NW2285
Ismail, Ms H to ask the Minister of Health
(1)Whether his department has done any modelling forecasting regarding the date by which the Republic will achieve 40 million vaccinations; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the model, including the assumptions that were made in the forecasting processes; (2) whether he will furnish Ms H Ismail with any proof of delivery of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. The Department is working against the target of reaching 70% of adults (28 million persons) vaccinated with at least one dose by end of December 2021. The number of vaccinations is dependent on the number of persons vaccinated with Pfizer, which is a two dose vaccine. As of 16 November, the Department has vaccinated 16 million persons; however there have been 24.2 million vaccinations. The Department is confident that it will reach 70% coverage in all age bands; and in all provinces and districts. The coverage in the 60+ population is highest (just below 64%); while it is lowest (25.5%) among youth (18-34 year) population. We have a large youth population in South Africa. 17.8 million of 39.8 million adults are in this age group and therefore, our overall vaccination coverage is going to be heavily dependant on our collective ability to convince youth to be vaccinated.
The Vaccination coverage is a function of both supply and demand side factors. The forecasting done by the Department is largely from a supply side (looking at both health system capacity; and availability of vaccines). The lower coverage we’re observing currently is driven by demand side factors.
2. One million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine (Covishield) were delivered to South Africa on 01 February 2021.
Attached is the vaccine arrival report detailing the receipt of the shipment in South Africa.
Furthermore, attached is the vaccine arrival report detailing the receipt of the shipment in South Africa.
END.
18 November 2021 - NW2317
Bryant, Mr D W to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
(1) With reference to the collaboration between the Government and the Mozambican government that remains an essential aspect of the war on poaching in the Kruger National Park (KNP), what are the full details and minutes of all (a) meetings and (b) initiatives in the past three years between SANParks and/or KNP and the Mozambican authorities in this regard; (2) whether there has been any collaboration between her department and the Ministry of Police to work together to address the criminal networks that are allegedly operating via Mozambique; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1) (a) Minutes of joint safety and security meetings are confidential and cannot be shared, as these documents contain sensitive security-related content, including details about anti-poaching campaigns.
(b) The South African National Parks (SANParks) engages with the Republic of Mozambique through a number of forums established in accordance with the International Treaty signed in 2002 between South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. This includes the Greater Lebombo Conservancy (GLC) Security Forum which consists of:
a. Kruger National Park(KNP);
b. Mozambique — Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC);
c. Mozambique — Environmental Police; and
d. Mozambique — Private Concessions (Karangani, Ferreira, Masintonto and Sabie Game Park).
Before the COVID-19 Pandemic, meetings were held quarterly in Xinavane, but have since been held virtually or along the South Africa/Mozambique Boundary. Various high-level visits have taken place between South Africa (SA) and Mozambique, and this includes a Mozambican delegation visit to KNP in October 2019. The delegation consisted of ANAC and Park Managers from Mozambique. It is also important to understand that at an operational level, the relationship between KNP Rangers and their Mozambican Counterparts (whether government or neighbouring concessions) does not function on the basis of scheduled meetings, but rather on daily communication and co-ordination via telephone or radio. The success of the current relationship and the efficiency it brings to law enforcement efforts is based on the building of trustful relationships informed by a shared vision. This has developed over time. This partnership informed the development of a Joint Safety and Security Plan for the Greater Lebombo Conservancy, Kruger I ationaI Park and Limpopo National Park.
There are also structures in place to give effect to the 2002 Treaty to support the policing structures on combating crime, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the department and ANAC signed in 2014 on Cooperation in the Field of Biodiversity Conservation and Management. These include the following:
a. GLTFCA Joint Management Board
b. Joint Management Committee (JMC)
c. Support to the structures aligned to the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Coordinating Committee (SARPCCO)
d. Forum of SADC Chiefs of the Armies, South Africa and Mozambique in which SANParks participates through the department.
(2) SANParks’ Environmental Crime Investigations (ECI) Unit has, since 2013, had a working relationship with the Mozambique Police in Maputo and Gaza Provinces as well as ANAC in Maputo. Since the start of this collaboration, SANParks officials have visited Mozambique on a regular basis and vice versa. Information pertaining to wildlife crime, including rhino, elephant, lion and pangolin poaching is shared during these sessions. Members of the aforementioned Mozambican departments have, on many occasions, visited Nelspruit and Skukuza Police Stations to obtain details or statements from arrested Mozambican suspects to better understand wildlife crime networks in Mozambique. This co-operation has led to a number of successes in the fight against wildlife crime.
In addition to the ongoing collaboration that is taking place with the Mozambique Police, both with SANParks ECI (as indicated above) and SAPS (through the police co-operation structures that are in place), the depa#ment also works very closely with ANAC to ensure that information on wildlife crimes is shared timeously; linkages between the countries are understood and support in relation to investigations is provided. Where confiscations of rhino horn take place in Mozambique, samples of these horns are transported to the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory in Pretoria so that analysis can be undertaken and linkages can be determined to poaching scenes, stockpiles or live animals in South Africa.
Regards
MS B D CREECY, MP
MINISTER OF F RESTRY, FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
DATE:19/11/2021
18 November 2021 - NW2280
Ismail, Ms H to ask the Minister of Health
(1)What total number of laboratories in his department are currently (a) functional and (b) non-functional in each province; (2) what (a) total number of laboratory tests still need to be conducted, (b) is the current backlog and (c) is the monthly demand for laboratory tests nationally?
Reply:
(1) (a) All four (4) forensic chemistry Laboratories are functional. There is one (1) laboratory each in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
(b) None.
(2) (a)-(b) Total number of laboratory tests still to be conducted (including the backlog) as at 30 September 2021 refer to Table 1 below.
TABLE 1 |
||||
Test to be conducted as at |
Ante-mortem drunken driving |
Post-mortem drunken driving |
Toxicology testing |
Food Testing |
30 September 2021 |
38,111 |
10,648 |
30,669 |
1,745 |
(c) Monthly demand for laboratory tests nationally refer to Table 2 below.
TALBE 2 |
||||
Ante-mortem drunken driving |
Post-mortem drunken driving |
Toxicology testing |
Food Testing |
|
Average number of test requests received per month (5-year average) |
5,046 |
1,617 |
411 |
229 |
END.
18 November 2021 - NW2286
Ismail, Ms H to ask the Minister of Health
What has been the vacancy rates for medical doctors in (a) clinics and (b) hospitals in each province in the past three years?
Reply:
a) The tables below indicate the vacancy rate percentages per province and for the last 3 years in Clinic’s (Reports as of September of each year)
Clinics - Medical Officer / Specialist Vacancy rate as at September 2019 |
||||||||||
Row Labels |
Eastern Cape |
Free State |
Gauteng |
KwaZulu Natal |
Limpopo Province |
Mpumalanga |
North - West |
Northern Cape |
Western Cape |
Grand Total |
Filled |
57 |
74 |
25 |
25 |
206 |
5 |
60 |
50 |
274 |
565 |
Vacant |
0.0 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
3.0 |
% Vacancy rate |
0.00 |
1.33 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.48 |
0.00 |
1.64 |
0.00 |
0.36 |
0.53 |
Clinics - Medical Officer / Specialist Vacancy rate as at September 2020 |
||||||||||
Row Labels |
Eastern Cape |
Free State |
Gauteng |
KwaZulu Natal |
Limpopo Province |
Mpumalanga |
North - West |
Northern Cape |
Western Cape |
Grand Total |
Filled |
57 |
38 |
24 |
22 |
193 |
5 |
58 |
46 |
225 |
668 |
Vacant |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
Vacant |
0.00 |
2.56 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.52 |
0.00 |
1.69 |
0.00 |
0.44 |
0.60 |
Clinics - Medical Officer / Specialist Vacancy rate as at September 2021 |
||||||||||
|
Eastern Cape |
Free State |
Gauteng |
KwaZulu Natal |
Limpopo Province |
Mpumalanga |
North - West |
Northern Cape |
Western Cape |
Grand Total |
Filled |
60 |
45 |
30 |
25 |
184 |
5 |
60 |
50 |
277 |
736 |
Vacant |
13 |
13 |
12 |
10 |
79 |
6 |
18 |
11 |
18 |
180 |
% Vacancy rate |
17.81 |
22.41 |
28.57 |
28.57 |
30.04 |
54.55 |
23.08 |
18.03 |
6.10 |
19.65 |
b) The tables below indicate the vacancy rate percentage per province and for the last 3 years in Hospital’s (Reports as of September of each year)
Hospitals - Medical Officer / Specialist Vacancy rate as at September 2019 |
||||||||||
Row Labels |
Eastern Cape |
Free State |
Gauteng |
KwaZulu Natal |
Limpopo Province |
Mpumalanga |
North - West |
Northern Cape |
Western Cape |
Grand Total |
Filled |
172 |
529 |
383 |
2855 |
1288 |
957 |
443 |
70 |
1447 |
8144 |
Vacant |
5 |
4 |
3 |
10 |
7 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
11 |
49 |
% Vacancy rate |
2.82 |
0.75 |
0.78 |
0.35 |
0.54 |
0.73 |
0.45 |
0.00 |
0.75 |
0.60 |
Hospitals - Medical Officer / Specialist Vacancy rate as at September 2020 |
||||||||||
|
Eastern Cape |
Free State |
Gauteng |
KwaZulu Natal |
Limpopo Province |
Mpumalanga |
North - West |
Northern Cape |
Western Cape |
Grand Total |
Filled |
167 |
448 |
350 |
2567 |
1222 |
911 |
408 |
69 |
1029 |
7171 |
Vacant |
5 |
4 |
3 |
10 |
6 |
7 |
2 |
|
6 |
43 |
% Vacancy rate |
2.91 |
0.88 |
0.85 |
0.39 |
0.49 |
0.76 |
0.49 |
0.00 |
0.58 |
7.35 |
Hospitals - Medical Officer / Specialist Vacancy rate as at September 2021 |
||||||||||
|
Eastern Cape |
Free State |
Gauteng |
KwaZulu Natal |
Limpopo Province |
Mpumalanga |
North -West |
Northern Cape |
Western Cape |
Grand Total |
Filled |
167 |
470 |
445 |
2935 |
1325 |
1089 |
503 |
72 |
1166 |
8172 |
Vacant |
29 |
121 |
32 |
296 |
523 |
166 |
65 |
16 |
48 |
1296 |
% Vacancy rate |
14.80 |
20.47 |
6.71 |
9.16 |
28.30 |
13.23 |
11.44 |
18.18 |
3.95 |
13.69 |
END.
18 November 2021 - NW2284
Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Mrs V Van Dyk (DA) to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
1. With reference to his department entering into a partnership with the National Empowerment Fund on a Venture Capital Fund for Creative Industries in the 2017-18 financial year, what total number of (a) beneficiaries were successfully assisted and (b) jobs were created; 2. a) what support is given to those persons who have benefited in terms of sustainability, (b) how is the monitoring and evaluation process conducted and (c) what is the success rate? NW2597E
Reply:
(a) There were 10 beneficiaries that were successfully assisted.
(b) 66 permanent jobs and 5148 temporary jobs were created.
The loans were provided to those applicants whose businesses were still at the pre-investment stage. Non-financial support was provided, so that they could be capacitated at the pre-investment stage of a transaction for their applications to meet the requirements and standards for funding approval. This assisted beneficiaries to become financially sustainable and able to grow their businesses which employ people mainly the marginalised such as black women, youth and people with disabilities. Further than this DSAC and the NEF helped the applicants approach other financial institutions for funds and that also helped them to become financially independent and no longer rely on government grants. (b) The implementing agency NEF was monitored through reports and meeting whilst an evaluation was conducted through a research process with the beneficiaries and employees as respondents. (c) projects were funded for a specific time frame and were successfully implemented for the period of the pilot project.
18 November 2021 - NW2344
Chirwa-Mpungose, Ms NN to ask the Minister of Health
What total number of clinics situated in townships in (a) Gauteng and (b) the Eastern Cape offer (i) occupational therapy and (ii) speech therapy for children with speech challenges?
Reply:
a) Gauteng
(i) Occupational Therapy services
There are seventy-nine (79) clinics that are situated in the townships in Gauteng that offer occupational therapy onsite and forty-four (44) on outreach basis
(ii) Speech Therapy services for children with speech challenges
There are seventy-nine (79) clinics that are situated in the townships in Gauteng province that offer speech therapy onsite and forty-four (44) on outreach basis for children with speech challenges.
b) Eastern Cape
(i) Occupational Therapy
There are fifty-one (51) clinics that offer occupational therapy on outreach basis that are situated in the townships in Eastern Cape Province.
(ii) Speech Therapy
There are seventy-nine (79) clinics that are situated in the townships in Eastern Cape province that offer speech therapy on outreach basis for children with speech challenges.
END.
18 November 2021 - NW2301
Mhlongo, Mr TW to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture;
1(a). What are the reasons that the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA) is not visible, as there is neither an active website nor social-media platforms for the national structure and (b). where is the head office of CCIFSA situated in the Republic?
Reply:
1. (a). CCIFSA has old media pages and websites that requires revival and professional upkeep and management. At the moment, the federation does not have operational budgets to actualise these activities.
(b). CCIFSA currently does not have an operational space (office), however, one has been identified in Gauteng (Johannesburg) and once budgets allow, this will be secured.
18 November 2021 - NW2397
Ismail, Ms H to ask the Minister of Health
(1)What are the minimum requirements and/or competencies for senior management positions in public hospitals; (2) with reference to senior managers employed at each Gauteng public hospital, what (a) are their (i) names and (ii) current qualifications, (b) is the total number of managers who are currently not meeting the minimum requirements and (c) is being done to address the requirement mismatch?
Reply:
(1) The minimum requirements/competencies for senior management in the Public Hospital are as prescribed by the DPSA directive on minimum entry requirements for Senior Management Service (SMS).
Minimum Qualifications for entry into SMS positions
For a Director and Chief Director - an undergraduate qualification (NQF Level 7) as recognized by South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) in Public Health/Management.
For Deputy Director-General and Head of Department – an undergraduate qualification and a post graduate qualification (NQF Level 8) as recognized by SAQA.
Minimum Years of Experience as an Entry Requirement into the SMS
SMS Level |
Relevant Experience (wef 01 April 2015) |
Entry (Level 13) |
5 years of experience at a middle/senior management level |
Level 14 |
5 years of experience at a senior management level |
Level 15 |
8-10 years of experience at a senior management level |
Level 16 |
8-10 years of experience at senior management level (at least 3 years of which must be with any organ of State as defined in the Constitution, Act 108 of 1996) |
Pre-Entry Certificate into the SMS
A further requirement for appointment at SMS level is a successful completion of the Senior Management Pre-Entry Programme as endorsed by the National School of Government.
Competencies
Strategic Capability and Leadership; People Management and Empowerment; Programme and Project Management; Financial Management; Change Management; Knowledge Management; Service Delivery Innovation; Problem Solving and Analysis; Client Orientation and Customer Care; Communication; Sound Knowledge of the Relevant Legislation such as National Health Act, Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Public Service Act.
(2) (a) (i) See the attached list (Annexure A)
(ii) Kindly see the attached list (Annexure A)
(b) None
(c) Not Applicable
END.
17 November 2021 - NW2093
Masipa, Mr NP to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
Whether she will provide the relevant details of contracted agents and/or middlemen with regard to a R1,2 billion intervention package; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether she is aware of inflated prices and that middlemen are charging 25% commission on the vouchers; if not, by what date will she institute an audit into the middlemen; if so, what steps has she taken in this regard?
Reply:
1. Yes. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) had contracted two hundred and fifty-eight (258) suppliers with regards to intervention package through the Presidential Employment Stimulus Initiative (PESI) project. Farmers were also assisted in a form of vouchers up to a maximum of R 50 000.
2. No. DALRRD decided to put benchmark prices on all items that were in the list of agricultural production inputs approved to be part of the support of the beneficiaries. Prices for each item in the list, per particular unit of size, were checked in the form of a quotation from all major existing agro-dealers per Province, around the country. An average price per item was then calculated for each Province. Since the time of the implementation of the project, DALRRD had sourced the services of the services providers and there was an agreement to determine a percentage benchmark of 27% which was going to determine a ceiling price above which these service providers could not charge their mark-up for each item. This was done to prevent middlemen from charging any amount that they want, an advice that had been given to us by the auditors when they were auditing the COVID-19 relief fund for smallholder producers.
17 November 2021 - NW1821
Majozi, Ms Z to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
What (a) steps has she taken to resolve the litigation given the impasse regarding the auctioning of spectrum and (b) immediate interventions have been put in place to ensure that the impasse caused by the litigation does not put the Republic behind in the rolling out of modern communications offered by 5G technology?
Reply:
a) The Minister continues to facilitate engagements between the parties to the litigation to find an amicable solution. These efforts have resulted in consensus on matters on dispute be they on the release of the spectrum or temporary spectrum.
b) The Department continues to support the development and advancement of modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), etc. At this point the Department is working with industry experts and academia to develop South Africa Artificial Intelligence Policy, this is after the country successfully led the development of the AI Blueprint for Africa the Smart Africa Alliance. Of course, the ability to extend the availability of these technologies will highly be influenced by the deployment of the spectrum.
17 November 2021 - NW2262
Majozi, Ms Z to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
Whether, in light of the fact that the dispute between the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa and mobile network operators has dragged on for some time in the courts, preventing the auctioning of much-needed spectrum, the Government has any immediate plans to release spectrum that is held and used by broadcasters which is required for 5G bidding; if not, why not; if so, what are the (a) plans, (b) dates and (c) other time frames for the release of the spectrum?
Reply:
The dispute between mobile network operators and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) was finally resolved on 15 September 2021 with the granting of a court order, in terms of which the decision taken by the Authority to publish the Invitations-to-Apply for the release of high demand spectrum and the licensing of the Wireless Open-Access Network (WOAN), was set aside and the matter was referred back to the Authority for reconsideration. Therefore, the Authority will, during the course of Quarter 3, make an announcement on the reconsideration of the matter as directed by the court.
In light of the above, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies intends to conclude the digital migration process by the end of the 2021-2022 Financial Year. The Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies will outline key milestones before end of October 2021.
This will place ICASA in a position to licence the digital dividend currently occupied by broadcasting service licensees, and which was the subject of the litigation, without any contention. The Department is committed to providing support to ICASA to ensure that it delivers on its legislated mandate and strategic objectives.
17 November 2021 - NW2263
Majozi, Ms Z to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
(1)In light of the fact that the dispute between mobile network operators and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa is set to remain unresolved after the 30 November 2021 extended deadline on temporary spectrum, as gazetted, what steps will the Government take to ensure smooth availability of internet to facilitate working-from-home; (2) whether the Government intends to find a permanent solution of making the spectrum available; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what steps are being taken to bring all parties to a consensus?
Reply:
1. The dispute between mobile network operators and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) was finally resolved on the 15th September 2021 with the granting of a court order, in terms of which the decisions taken by the Authority to publish the Invitations-to-Apply (ITAs) for the release of high demand spectrum and licensing of the Wireless Open Access Network (WOAN) was set aside and the matter was referred back to the Authority for reconsideration.
In light of the above, the Authority will, during the course of Quarter 3, make an announcement on the reconsideration of the matter as directed by the court.
(2) The Department – as the policy maker – will work with ICASA and all stakeholders to ensure that ICASA’s initiation of the process of licensing of spectrum.
17 November 2021 - NW2219
Bodlani, Ms T to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
What (a) are the details of the post offices that are and/or were closed to date in Gauteng, (b) informed the decision to close the specified outlets and (c) has she found had been the impact of the closures to the communities?
Reply:
I have been advised by the South African Post Office (SAPO) as follows:
a) (24) Twenty-four Post Office branches have been permanently closed in Gauteng for which official approvals have been granted. Another (66) sixty-six branches have been closed awaiting official approval for the closure. The closure of these branches relate to landlord disputes, lockouts due to rental arrears, electricity arrears, while others have been looted and vandalised. See details hereunder. The lists hereunder details affected branches but is fluid given the changing circumstances and issues at any point in time.
b) Some have been permanently closed due to optimization of the SAPO branch network as well as forced closures by landlords as a result of rental arrears.
c) Communities have been referred to the nearest alternative branches which are in a radius of +-5km. This does not affect the street delivery of mail in these areas. Where private boxes are to be moved, renters retain their PO Box numbers once transferred to the closest open Post Office.
Official approval granted for permanent closure:
No |
Office |
Province |
When Closed |
Reason |
Approval granted for closure during April 2021 |
||||
1. |
Linden |
Gauteng |
Apr 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
2. |
Jukskeipark |
Gauteng |
Apr 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
3. |
Thokoza |
Gauteng |
Apr 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
4. |
Fontainebleu |
Gauteng |
Feb 2021 |
Forced closure by landlord |
5. |
De Deur |
Gauteng |
May 2020 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
6. |
Fairland |
Gauteng |
Aug 2020 |
Forced closure by landlord |
Approval granted for closure during May 2021 |
||||
7. |
Glenharvie |
Gauteng |
Mar 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
8. |
Sonlanpark |
Gauteng |
Nov 2020 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
9. |
Monumentpark |
Gauteng |
Feb 2021 |
Forced closure by landlord. |
10. |
Henbly |
Gauteng |
Mar 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
11. |
Strubensvallei |
Gauteng |
May 2021 |
Forced closure by landlord. |
12. |
Van Dyk Park |
Gauteng |
May 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
13. |
Brenthurst |
Gauteng |
May 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
14. |
Bakerton |
Gauteng |
May 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
15. |
Edenpark |
Gauteng |
May 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
16. |
Dunnottar |
Gauteng |
May 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices. |
Approval granted for closure during June 2021 |
||||
17. |
Wendywood |
Gauteng |
Feb 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices |
18. |
Boipatong |
Gauteng |
Jun 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices |
19. |
Kagiso |
Gauteng |
Sept 2020 |
Forced closure by landlord |
20. |
Welobie |
Gauteng |
May 2021 |
Forced closure by landlord |
21. |
Woodhill |
Gauteng |
Sept 2020 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices |
Approval granted for closure during July 2021 |
||||
22. |
Khumalo |
Gauteng |
Feb 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices |
Approval granted for closure during August 2021 |
||||
23. |
Dower Glen |
Gauteng |
May 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices |
24 |
The Tramshed |
Gauteng |
Aug 2021 |
Optimization and amalgamation with the surrounding offices |
Branches closed awaiting official approval, locked out by landlords due to rental arrears, electricity arrears, looted and vandalised branches:
No |
Office |
Province |
Reason |
1 |
Alexandra South |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
2 |
Aston Manor |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
3 |
Atlasville |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
4 |
Benoni North |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
5 |
Bertsham |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
6 |
Boitumelo |
Gauteng |
Electricity account arrears |
7 |
Bramley |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord
|
8 |
Cleveland |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
9 |
Dersley |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
10 |
Doornpoort |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
11 |
Dunnottar |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
12 |
Dunswart |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
13 |
East Lynn |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
14 |
Ebony Park |
Gauteng |
Looting and vandalised |
15 |
Elardus Park |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
16 |
Elspark |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
17 |
Evaton |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
18 |
Faerie Glen |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
19 |
Fararmere |
Gauteng |
Electricity account arrears |
20 |
Florida Hills |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
21 |
Fourways North |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
22 |
Heidelberg |
Gauteng |
Electricity account arrears |
23 |
Highveld Park |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
24 |
Ifafi |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
25 |
Isando |
Gauteng |
Burglary. Equipment stolen |
26 |
Kaalfontein |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord and vandalised by looters |
27 |
Kagiso East |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
28 |
Katlehong |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
29 |
Khumalo |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
30 |
Kliptown |
Gauteng |
Looting and vandalised |
31 |
KwaXuma |
Gauteng |
Looting and vandalised |
32 |
Kyalami |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
33 |
Lambton |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
34 |
Laudium |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
35 |
Leondale |
Gauteng |
Looting and vandalised |
36 |
Lynnwood Ridge |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
37 |
Masoheng |
Gauteng |
Looting and vandalised |
38 |
Montana |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
39 |
Noordheuwel |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
40 |
Oliefantsfontein |
Gauteng |
Blocked sewerage drain |
41 |
Orange Farm |
Gauteng |
Looting and vandalised |
42 |
Paardekraal |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
43 |
Pierre Van Ryneveld |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
44 |
Protea Gardens |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
45 |
Quagga |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
46 |
Randhart |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
47 |
Randpark Ridge |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
48 |
Rant en Dal |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
49 |
Raslouw |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
50 |
Rensburg |
Gauteng |
Electricity account arrears |
51 |
Ruimsig |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
52 |
Rusloo |
Gauteng |
Electricity account arrears
|
53 |
Rynfield |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
54 |
Sandringham |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
55 |
Silverton |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
56 |
Sinoville |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
57 |
Stretford |
Gauteng |
Looting and vandalised |
58 |
Strubenvale |
Gauteng |
Electricity account arrears |
59 |
Sunward Park |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
60 |
Tembisa South |
Gauteng |
Looting and vandalised |
61 |
Three Rivers |
Gauteng |
Locked out by landlord |
62 |
Tiegerpoort |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
63 |
Turffontein |
Gauteng |
Closed, awaiting official approval |
64 |
Vosloorus |
Gauteng |
Electricity account arrears |
65 |
Westonaria |
Gauteng |
Electricity account arrears |
66 |
Zola |
Gauteng |
Looting and vandalised |
17 November 2021 - NW1887
Mabhena, Mr TB to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
What (a) prompted the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to move Ikwekwezi FM from Johannesburg to Tshwane a few years ago, (b) are the running costs associated with running Ikwekwezi FM, (c) is the projected savings for the SABC to move Ikwekwezi FM back to Auckland Park and (d) is the total number of other SABC radio stations that are affected by the move.
Reply:
I have been advised by the SABC as follows:
a) The decision to move Ikwekwezi to Tshwane was done by the previous leadership of the SABC and the reasons are unknown.
b) The SABC has moved Ikwekwezi FM back to Auckland Park due to associated previous running costs of R684k per month. The station will be housed at the SABC’s Auckland Park campus with no extra costs to the SABC. Moreover, the SABC has also upgraded its Auckland Park radio facilities which accommodates all its Gauteng based radio stations and has a disaster recovery capability for all other radio stations. The additional future costs of upgrading the Tshwane Office is therefore mitigated and the economies of scale, both employees and facilities is leveraged.
c) The projected direct savings are R684k per month in rental costs. This excludes the necessary upgrades that would have been required and the additional staff costs associated with running these stand-alone studios.
d) Motsweding FM based in Mahikeng, North West Province, also transmitted a few programmes from Tshwane.
17 November 2021 - NW2040
Mbabama, Ms TM to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
(1)Whether her department currently and optimally utilises the experience of the cohort of the attachés and/or foreign representatives who have recently returned from foreign postings; if not, why not; if so, what total number from the last cohort of attachés that returned from foreign posting in the past two to three years have been suitably placed in the new structure where they can impart the knowledge gained from foreign postings; (2) what (a) are the qualifications of all the senior managers currently placed in positions after the integration process, (b) are the reasons persons with teaching and/or nursing qualifications are occupying senior positions in Corporate Services and (c) total number of senior managers (i) are placed in positions that they were initially recruited for and (ii) have been made redundant as a result of the integration?
Reply:
1. Yes. Eight (8) Cohort of attachés have returned from foreign postings during the period 1 April 2018 until 30 July 2021. Seven (7) attachés have been suitable placed.
One (1) attaché did not complete her term of posting abroad and was recalled due to a court case she had with the head country for contravening national laws on employment (employment of an illegal immigrant). She is not yet placed and is currently additional to the approved establishment.
2. (a) The qualifications of Senior Managers ranges from matric, National Diplomas, Junior Degrees, Honours Degrees, Masters Degrees and PhDs.
(b) The Senior Managers in Corporate Services qualifies to be occupying the positions they currently occupy because of the experience they acquired over the years and further qualifications that they pursued while employed.
(c) (i) 367 Senior managers were directly placed.
(ii) 11 Senior managers became redundant in terms of PSCBC Resolution 1 of 209.
16 November 2021 - NW1238
Hlengwa, Ms MD to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
How has her Office promoted containment measures, including physical distancing and self-isolation in the disabled community, which are aspects that are difficult to manoeuvre given the reliance of the physically disabled community on the support from others?
Reply:
By regulating the use of guard dogs and service dogs, by regulating space between Wheelchairs in queues in service points, by encouraging the use of white canes instead of guards, by agreeing with the retail industry to allocate time and date for persons with disabilities and setting aside dates for the receipt of disability grants. This was published on the 2nd April 2020 Regulation 117B of the National Disaster Management Act (Alert
Level S) “The State has to take reasonable measures within its available resources to ensure safety and protection of persons with disabilities”
The Maintenance of social distance and self-isolation was adhered to by care givers and persons with disabilities, except in certain circumstance and instance such as SASSA Cape Town incidents. There is no MOA because this was done within the workstreams and in consultation with the Organisations of Persons with disabilities. It applies to all spheres of Government.
Approved by Minister
Ms M Nkoana-Mashabane, MP
Date 29/10/2021
16 November 2021 - NW2321
Masango, Ms B to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
Whether all the provinces have communicated a plan to address gender-based violence and femicide (GBV) in line with the Gender-based Violence and Femicide National Strategic Plan (GBVF-NSP); if not, (a) why not and (b) what measures are being taken to ensure that such plans are developed by provinces that have not yet done so; if so, which provinces have communicated a plan in line with the GBVF-NSP?
Reply:
- There are seven provinces which have finalized their implementation plans. These are Western Cape, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, North West and Limpopo.
Two (2) Provinces i.e., Mpumalanga and Free State have not finalized plans for implementation of the NSP on GBVF. The two provinces have started working on their implementation plans but have not yet completed the process. The process has been very intensive requiring provinces to adequately customize the NSP on GBVF.
- The department has been engaging provinces through information sessions to assist and fast-track the processes. The provinces have also wanted to align their plans to the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework that the department has developed and is currently embarking on a nation-wide multisectoral capacity building.
This process will help the remaining provinces I! ?.!ize their plans while the other four provinces will have to align where appropriate as part of standardizing the national
response to GBVF. In provinces that currently do not have aligned provincial GBVF plans, the department continuously organizes information sessions to localize NSP on GBVF and supports the establishment of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs).
The current provincial public participation sessions on the NCGBVF Bill are also an entry point to resuscitate the prioritization of GBVF activities into plans. The department in the first quarter (Q1) and second quarter (Q2) of 2021/21 financial year (FY) held provincial NSP on GBVF Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Framework, technical indicator descriptors and reporting tools virtual consultative sessions to ensure each province is fully aware of their allocated M&E indicators and can report on their set NSP on GBVF targets.
The department in Quarter 4 of the financial year 2021/22, will conduct workshops for provinces on capacity building to harness the institutionalization and also mainly provide the much needed support to ensure coherent and integrated implementation of the NSP on GBVF.
Approved by:
Ms M Nkoana-Mashabane, MP Minister
Date: 29/10/2021
15 November 2021 - NW2135
Abrahams, Ms ALA to ask the Minister of Social Development
(1) Whether, with reference to her reply to question 1108 on 30 July 2021, wherein she does not provide the details as requested with regard to the campaign of the Deputy Minister in KwaZulu-Natal entitled 50 Good Deeds which commenced on 1 March 2020 until 14 March 2020, her department paid for the (a) accommodation, (b) transportation and (c) subsistence and travel costs of the (i) Deputy Minister and (ii) accompanying officials while they were staying at the Black Rock Garden Court from 11 to 12 March 2021; if not, who paid the bill in each case; if so, what is the (aa) breakdown and (bb) total of the costs in each specified case; (2) what was the total expenditure for the two days, including petty cash receipts? NW2422E
Reply:
- (b) (c) (i) (ii) (aa) (bb) The budget for travel and accommodation of the Deputy Minister, support staff and officials of the Department forms part of the implementation of the Annual Performance Plans (APPs), including the implementation of the District Development Model (DDM)
15 November 2021 - NW2134
Abrahams, Ms ALA to ask the Minister of Social Development
With reference to her reply to question 1107 on 30 July 2021, wherein she does not provide the details as requested with regard to the campaign of the Deputy Minister in KwaZulu-Natal entitled 50 Good Deeds which commenced on 1 March 2020 until 14 March 2020, (a) how was the campaign aligned to the priorities and plans together with the outcomes achieved by her department, (b) what are the details of the programme of the two-week campaign, (c) what are the details of the list of Ministerial and officials who accompanied the Deputy Minister on the campaign and the specific role each played and (d) what was the total cost for the entire campaign in respect of the (i) Deputy Minister, (ii) Ministerial staff, (iii) subsistence and (iv) travel claims submitted at the end of the campaign?
Reply:
a) As stated in my previous reply to this question, the Deputy Minister’s programme in the area is linked to the implementation of the District Development Model (DDM), which Cabinet approved in August 2019 as an important innovation to improve integrated planning and delivery across the three spheres of government.
The Deputy Minister is the District Champion for Amajuba District. The DDM focuses on the forty-four (44) districts and eight (8) metros as focal points of government and private sector investment. The model will ensure coherence and integration in planning, budgeting and implementation of service delivery projects in all districts and metros by all three spheres of government – national, provincial and local.
b) Key activities of the programme included amongst others, meeting and distribution of personal protective equipments (PPEs) to Early Childhood Development Practitioners and facilities in the district, meet-and-greet with local mayors, launch of ChommY-a social behavioural programme targeting young children, dialogue with the District Men’s Sector, to name a few
c) Chapter 3 of the Guide for Members of the Executive (Ministerial Handbook) makes provision for the appointment of Ministerial staff (support staff) who render support services whenever they travel for work-related purposes. The travel by support staff who accompanied the Deputy Minister and the Department officials who were part of the DDM programme were approved in line with the Department’s Supply Chain Management policies. Their role was to coordinate and support the implementation of the DDM programme.
d) (i) (ii) (iii) the cost of travel and accommodation, including subsistence are covered in the Department’s annual budget for implementation of the Annual Performance Plan targets and outreach programmes in the DDM
12 November 2021 - NW2234
Sarupen, Mr AN to ask the Minister of Employment and Labour
What (a) period did his department permit a certain organisation (name and details furnished) to remain in arrears in respect of its Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) payments, (b) is the total amount that has grown in the period as outstanding, (c) punitive measures are normally imposed on companies that fail to pay over UIF contributions, (d) measures have been applied to the specified organisation for failing to comply and (e) are the reasons that his department did not take any action earlier against the specified organisation for not complying with its UIF obligations?
Reply:
Hon. Member, part of the information relating to your question has been gathered. But we are still trying to obtain more information from other stakeholders operating in this space. Once we have all the data, we shall reconcile the information, package it, of course guided by the pieces of legislation that govern the operations.