Questions and Replies
19 March 2021 - NW32
Ceza, Mr K to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy
What steps has his department taken to address the complaints of the Clewer Community in the eMalahleni Local Municipality, Mpumalanga, as submitted to his department on 1 August 2020, with regard to the blasting operations and dust at the Anglo American Khwezela Colliery which causes cracks in houses in Clewer? NW34E
Reply:
The Department investigated the complaints. The outcomes of the investigation were that Khwezela Colliery air blast and ground vibration exceeded the limits of 125dB and 5mm per second, respectively.
The Department issued Khwezela colliery with instruction to comply with the air blast limit of 115 dB and ground vibration limit 5 mm per second. Secondly, colliery was instructed to conduct a follow up structural survey on all the affected houses in proximity of the mine, determine if the damages to the houses were caused by blasting from the mine and fix all the houses that were damaged due to mine blasts. The mine must also review their blast design to ensure that they are able to comply with the air blast and ground vibration limits. The mine was also issued with an instruction to reduce the dust levels that were emanating from the dragline.
19 March 2021 - NW18
Shaik Emam, Mr AM to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether, given the fact that citizens of Israel are able to travel to the Republic without a visa, but that Palestinians are not allowed the same privileges, as they have to apply for visas and comply with stringent conditions, he will elaborate on the (a) reasons why Israel is being treated differently and (b) measures that his department intends to implement in order to remedy the situation; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
It is correct that passport holders of Israel are not required to be in possession of port of entry visas for holiday and business visits. This decision was, however, not taken by the Minister of Home Affairs, but by Cabinet. The decision and the countries who benefitted from the decision is documented in Cabinet Memorandum number 8 of 1992, dated 23 April 1992. In so far as Palestine is concerned, the Minister of Home Affairs has already approved a submission seeking a waiver of visa requirements for diplomatic and official/service passport holders. Currently the necessary protocols are being applied in order to conclude a reciprocal visa waiver agreement between the two countries. In so far as normal passport holders are concerned, the Department of Home Affairs is exploring ways in which to lower the restrictive travel measures which applies to Palestine nationals. The latter process is more extensive and requires wider consultation which is not the case with diplomatic and official/service passport holders
END
19 March 2021 - NW8
Zungula, Mr V to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Given the reports of persons illegally entering the Republic due to corruption at the border gates and a lack of physical border infrastructure in some areas, (a) what steps has he taken to ensure that the physical infrastructure of borders will be properly set up to prevent illegal entry into the Republic and (b) by what date does he envisage the process will be finalised?
Reply:
a) The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure is currently responsible for Border infrastructure at Ports of Entry and along the borderline, however the Border Management Authority is putting plans to address Infrastructure challenges which impact on the processing of people and goods at Ports on Entry as part of its legal mandate.
The plans include the redevelop of six land Ports of Entry as One-Stop Border Posts (OSBP). It is intended that these infrastructural improvements will enable the secure and efficient processing of people and goods at Beit Bridge; Maseru Bridge; Ficksburg; Oshoek; Kopfontein and Lebombo Ports of Entry.
b) It is anticipated that the OSBPs will be operational by 2024.
END
19 March 2021 - NW29
Msane, Ms TP to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(a)(i) What total number of refugees from the Southern African Development Community countries have received refugee status in the Republic and (ii) where are they housed and (b) are all the refugees receiving (i) social assistance and (ii) medical assistance?
Reply:
(a)(i) According to DHA system, there are currently 40 455 persons from the SADC region with the recognised refugee status.
(ii) South African government has signed the 1951 United Nations Convention without any reservations, including settlement and encampment, whilst other Member States have signed the Convention with the obligation to settlements and encampment in order to house and control the movement of refugees and asylum seekers. Therefore, in South Africa asylum seekers and refugees reside where they wish to, if there are those that are indigent they are able to approach UNHCR to seek assistance for accommodation, whilst refugees do qualify to apply for RDP houses.
(b)(i) Not all refugees are indigent and dependant on social grants. Those who require such assistance do approach the Department of Social Development that would subject them to the necessary means test like South African citizens and receive grant if they qualify.
(ii) Section 27(1) (a) of the Bill of Rights provide that; everyone has the right to have access to ¬health care services, including reproductive health care. Therefore, the Department of Health has its protocols and procedures to deal with persons who attend their health facilities.
END
19 March 2021 - NW73
Nxumalo, Mr MN to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy
In light of the discovery of a second major gas find off the coast of South Africa that has put the Republic on the global energy map with even more discoveries expected in the future, how does his department intend to ensure that (a) it takes full advantage of the discovery and (b) the gas finds will be a significant boost for energy production in the Republic?
Reply:
a) The department is finalising the Upstream Petroleum Bill to further augment the regulations governing the oil and gas sector.
b) As per the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2019), South Africa continues to pursue a diversified energy mix that reduces reliance on a single or a few primary energy sources. Natural Gas forms part of the country’s energy mix.
18 March 2021 - NW89
Steyn, Ms A to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
(a) What is the total number of (i) land reform claims that have been finalised since inception and (ii) cases that are still in court, (b) will she furnish Ms A Steyn with a list indicating each case and (c) since what year has each case been in court?
Reply:
THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT:
(a)(i)
PROVINCE |
TOTAL FINALISED |
E CAPE |
17,663 |
F STATE |
3,278 |
GAUTENG |
11,323 |
KZN |
1,243 |
LIMPOPO |
4,485 |
MPLANGA |
2,999 |
N CAPE |
3,193 |
N WEST |
2,216 |
W CAPE |
17,070 |
TOTAL |
64,422 |
(ii) 359 cases are in court
(b) Lists attached per Province
(c) Refer to each Provincial list where the year that each case has been in court is captured.
END
18 March 2021 - NW785
Montwedi, Mr Mk to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
What (a) total number of land restitution claims are in areas that have been declared national parks and/or provincial nature reserves in the Republic, (b) are the names of the restitution claims and (c) settlement arrangements has her department put in place to settle the specified land claims?
Reply:
a) 140
(b) (c) Attached as Annexure A
18 March 2021 - NW90
Steyn, Ms A to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
What number of hectares have been (a) claimed under restitution and (b) transferred in each province; (2) what (a) number of hectares were transferred to claimants where title deeds registered in the names of the claimants were issued and (b) are the reasons where a title deed has not been transferred into the names of beneficiaries in each case
Reply:
1. (a) Project Kuyasa is in the final stages of consolidating and updating the database on statistics on the work of the Commission including the determination and confirmation of the hectares claim on number of outstanding claims lodged.
(b)
Province |
Hectares transferred |
Eastern Cape |
18 811 |
Free Sate |
60 828 |
Northern Cape |
633 791 |
Gauteng |
6 191 |
North West |
507 475 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
504 391 |
Limpopo |
558 650 |
Mpumalanga |
346 220 |
Western Cape |
10 832 |
TOTAL |
2 647 189 |
2. (a) 2.6 million hectares
(b) Attached as Annexure A
END
18 March 2021 - NW606
Shivambu, Mr F to ask the Minister of Finance
Whether procurement legislation will be adhered to in the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
Please note that the procurement of the Covid-19 vaccines is a line function responsibility of the Department of Health. The Department of Health is the sole procurer of Covid-19 vaccines in South Africa on behalf of the public and private sector.
The National Treasury plays an advisory; compliance monitoring; and oversight role in the procurement of the Covid-19 vaccines.
Insofar as the role of the National Treasury in this regard is concerned, the NT will ensure that procurement legislation is complied with which includes the appropriate requests and approvals for departures from procurement procedures in line with Treasury Regulation 16A6.4 and SCM Instruction Note 3 of 2016/2017 (Preventing and Combating Abuse in the SCM System).
The National Treasury engages with the Department of Health on an ongoing basis prior and during the vaccine procurement process, particularly in respect of departures from procurement procedures.
The funding and procurement of the vaccines are kept central (through the National Department of Health). This allows for comprehensive central control of procurement, governance and the spending of funds. This approach also minimizes the opportunities for corruption, provides for central record keeping of agreements and centralised contact with manufacturers.
18 March 2021 - NW84
Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN to ask the Minister of Finance
What are the full relevant details of the shortfall in businesses receiving 40% of the R500 billion stimulus package in loan (details furnished)?
Reply:
I presume that the Honourable Member is referring to the R200 billion Loan Guarantee Scheme (LGS), which is 40 per cent of the broader government-led R500 billion package that was announced by the President on 20 April 2020.
Firstly, there is no shortfall, or grant or loan, that any business is entitled to receive directly from the R200 billion scheme. Since it was introduced on 4 May 2020, the purpose of the loan guarantee scheme was to assist financially distressed businesses due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As stated in my response to a previous Parliamentary Question, No 1346 [NW1716E] on 24 August 2020, National Treasury entered into a partnership with the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and the Banking Association South Africa, to launch the Covid-19 loan guarantee scheme on May 2020, to make it easier for banks to lend more than they normally would have, to small businesses during the lockdown, to assist them in their efforts to survive the pandemic. When the scheme launched, it applied to small businesses with a turnover below R300 million. On 27 July 2020, the scheme was improved and this turnover limit was abolished and replaced with a maximum loan R100 million per loan to qualifying businesses. Banks were to fund such loans from their own funds, using their own balance sheets. Government would only pay from the fiscus if these small businesses defaulted on their payments to their bank, and only after the bank had taken the initial losses, as follows:
- First loss is absorbed by the lending bank, 2% on each Covid-19 guaranteed loan;
- Second loss is indirectly absorbed by the lending bank – there is a guarantee fee with the SARB of 0.5%;
- Third loss is also absorbed by the lending bank to a maximum of 6% of the Covid-19 guaranteed loans; and
- Fourth loss is the guarantee provided, to be paid by Government.
As of February 2021, banks had provided R17.8 billion in relief to 13 173 approved beneficiaries. It should be noted that the actual take-up was lower than initially expected, as the demand for such loans was low, possibly because many small businesses were reluctant to take up additional debt, given the uncertainty around how long the pandemic would last. Companies may not want to re-invest and borrow more until they feel more confident about the future strength of the economy. In addition, even before the loan guarantee scheme took effect, many banks took their own initiatives to assist their customers, by allowing for payment holidays and other forms of forbearance, which provided significantly more relief than the loan guarantee scheme.
It is important to note that the National Treasury and the SARB never intended for the guarantee to be called in full, and expected only a relatively small portion of the R200 billion to be paid. Any call on the guarantee would impact negatively on our fiscal framework and our efforts to stabilise the debt-to-GDP ratio. As such, any underutilized portion of the scheme cannot be regarded as a “shortfall” nor should there be any expectation that it can be used to fund other programmes, as it would effectively increase such debt-to-GDP.
There is regular information on the take-up of the loan guarantee scheme, which is published in Treasury documents like the 2021 Budget Review, as well as on the website of the Banking Association South Africa at https://www.banking.org.za/news/jan-loan-scheme-update/ .
18 March 2021 - NW602
Madokwe, Ms P to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
What was the reasoning behind the appointment of attorneys to investigate the maladministration at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme during the period 2018 to 2020, as opposed to Parliament leading the investigation?
Reply:
In 2020 the PCHEST received a complaint from NEHAWU and some NSFAS employees about alleged maladministration at NSFAS. The issues related in the main to the following broad categories:
- Changes in Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan
- Failures in Corporate Governance and PFMA Principles
- Supply Chain Management Processes:
- Appointment of consultants
- Procurement of laptops for students
4. Human Resources Processes:
(i) Appointment of Advisors and their benefits
(ii) Appointment of other employees
(iii) Purged employees and disciplinary action against employees
The PCHEST was on the verge of instituting an enquiry into NSFAS as the result of these allegations. The envisaged enquiry coincided with the appointment of the new Board. The new Board, therefore, requested PCHEST to afford it the opportunity to conduct its own review into these matters, PCHEST acceded to the Board’s request. The Board opted to appoint independent experts to conduct this review, the experts included an accounting firm and a legal firm, to ensure objectivity of the process. Part of the review included the reviewing of underlying records and also included deposing affidavits of either those that were named in the allegations or those that made the allegations to ensure that the process was fair and transparent.
18 March 2021 - NW667
Walters, Mr TC to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
Whether (a) her department and/or (b) any entity reporting to her makes use of private security firms; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, in each case, what is the (i) name of each firm, (ii) purpose, (iii) value and (iv) duration of each specified contract?
Reply:
OFFICE OF THE MILITARY OMBUD
Ser No |
Question |
Response |
a. |
b. |
|
1. |
Mr T C R Walters (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans: Whether (a) her department and/or (b) any entity reporting to her makes use of private security firms; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, in each case, what is the (i) name of each firm, (ii) purpose, (iii) value and (iv) duration of each specified contract? |
The Office of the Military Ombud is utilising a private security firm. The details wrt the question posed are as follows: a) Name of Security Firm: Wenzile Phaphama Trading and Projects. b) Purpose: A security assessment was done and according to the recommendations received it was essential for the Office to acquire the services of a physical security. c) Value: R854,324,60 d) Duration of Contract. 01 September 2019 – 31 August 2021 |
ARMSCOR
Yes Armscor SOC Ltd and the R&D Facilities do make use of private security
For the Gauteng area (HQ building, Protechnik and Gerotek)
-Tyeks Security Services
- Guarding services
- R24 886 076.16
- 3 years from 1 October 2020
Westen Cape (IMT building)
- TDP Enterprise and Projects
- Guarding services
- R 3 125 021.76
- 3 years from 1 November 2020
Northen Cape (Alkanpan test range)
- Bomogale Enterprise (Pty) Ltd
- Guarding services
- R11 088 255.20
- 3 years from 1 October 2020
CASTLE CONTROL BOARD
The Castle Control Board (CCB) does not utilise private security.
DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY VETERANS
Curretly the Department of Military Veterans is not making use of the private security firm. The DMV Head Office is guarded by the SANDF Reserve Force members with effect from 01 April 2020 to date as a temporary measure. The landlords provide security services for Provincial Offices.
The department has commenced with the process of procuring the Private Security Service Provider for the DMV Head Office.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE
The Department of Defence is house within ARMSCOR and all security needs of the Department are taken care of by ARMSCOR.
DEFENCE FORCE SERVICE COMMISSION
The Defence Force Service Commission does not make use of a private security company.
18 March 2021 - NW507
Walters, Mr TC to ask the Minister of Finance
(1)Whether any staff member in the National Treasury (a) performed work in addition to the responsibilities related to his or her work, outside normal working hours, in the past five financial years and (b) has been performing such work during the period 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, in each case, how is it determined whether such work is being performed or not; if so, in each case, (i) what number of staff members and (ii) in what job or work categories are the specified staff members employed; (2) whether approval for such work was obtained in each case; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the policy of the National Treasury in this regard, (b) by whom are such applications considered and approved, (c) what number of contraventions of this policy were brought to the attention of the National Treasury in the past five financial years and (d) what steps have been taken against the transgressors?
Reply:
(1) (a) Yes
(b) The Public Service Regulations in this regard came into effect in August 2016. It should further be noted that the approval is only valid for a period of one year from date of approval. Below are the current valid cases:
(i) Number of Staff Members (25) |
(ii) Job or work categories are the specified staff members employed |
11 |
Economic Cluster |
1 |
Human Resources |
1 |
Security Management |
11 |
Financial Cluster |
1 |
Information Technology |
(2) Approval was granted to all employees doing other remunerative work outside public service.
a) National Treasury is guided by the provisions of the Public Service Regulations, 2016 and associated procedures
b) All cases are sent to the Director-General for consideration and approval
c) No contraventions were identified following an investigation of such cases
d) There were no transgressors
18 March 2021 - NW580
Brink, Mr C to ask the Minister of Finance
Whether the National Treasury has undertaken any studies and/or assessment projects to determine the reason why certain municipalities consistently fail to collect more than 80% of debt owed to them by consumers in any given financial year; if not, why not; if so, what (a) were the main findings of the assessment and (b) measures do municipalities have to put in place to ensure consistent and effective debt collection?
Reply:
Yes, National Treasury has appointed Revenue and Budget Advisors in seven (7) provinces. These advisors have undertaken a baseline assessment on revenue and budget management in municipalities in each of the seven Provinces through a tool called the “Survey Monkey” which is a questionnaire based assessment. The results of the assessments are collated into a support plan for the respective municipality.
a) The following are the main findings impacting on the revenue potential of the municipality:
Covid-19 impact - During the total lockdown some businesses had to close and a large number of customers lost their jobs and did not earn an income, consequently, their ability to honour the municipal account was affected, thus, increasing the consumer debt drastically. As the result unemployment increased and these consumers failed to register as indigent beneficiaries, causing the outstanding debt to increase.
On the municipal operations side:
Effective Credit Control - Although municipalities have Credit Control Policies in place, the ability to implement them efficiently is a challenge. The officials are reluctant to implement the credit control for various unethical benefits and there is no political will to support the implementation thereof. Additionally, municipalities lack of resources to implement the credit control policy effectively.
Bad Debt Write-off – Where the situation warrants a debt write-off, municipalities fail to correct their records timeously especially in cases where there is uncollectable debt due deceased estates and indigent households.
An effective Customer Care strategy is most neglected in municipalities. This unit is not well capacitated and lack the prerequisite skill to manage a “Help Desk” with a proper control over the handling of queries. Subsequently, feedback to the customer regarding their queries are very poor resulting in a very unhappy customer.
Poor Infrastructure (Water and Electricity Networks) - Due to the poor and dilapidated infrastructure, proper credit control cannot be implemented. With poor infrastructure, illegal connections cannot be controlled. The Free Basis Services of the indigent households cannot be monitored and the indigent household cannot be restricted or disconnected when the allocated consumption is exceeded.
Billing System and Inaccurate Billing - Incorrect and inaccurate billing pose a challenge in the municipalities. The communities in the various municipalities are dissatisfied with the municipal bills and public confidence suffers, communities are unwilling to pay for the bills issued and as such, municipal debt gradually accumulates and the municipal collection rates fall.
Illegal Connections is a huge area of concern. A lot of consumers use adverse methods not to pay for the consumption. In some municipalities the technical staff seems to promote illegal connections by bypassing the system for a bribe. This behavior is unacceptable and seriously impacts on the finances of the municipality.
Indigent management – The observation is that most municipalities do have an approved and adopted Indigent policy. Indigents are not properly vetted and several households that can afford to pay for services are benefiting unjustly.
Customer information – Capturing of customer information is a critical task in municipalities. Incorrect information and outdated information makes it difficult to implement credit control when required. Equally, credit checks are not adequately undertaken and municipalities lack the methodology to do credit check for new accounts.
Non-payment Culture - Culture on non-payment for municipal services is throttling the finances. Even customers that can afford to pay are reluctant to pay due to fear that municipal finances will be misappropriated.
b) The first and foremost the responsibility rests with the municipality to self-correct, put in efficient processes and procedures. These are underpinned by adequate policy formulation and oversight responsibilities. This means that governance and leadership is essential and critical to ensure that prudent financial management practices are carry out. This is complimented with well-functioning system as an enabler to bill and collect what is due to the municipality. Proper asset management serves as a conduit for efficient revenue generation in municipalities. Many municipalities underperform on their budgets for repairs and maintenance which is allocated to ensure that their revenue generating infrastructure are optimized thus impacting on a sustainable and reliable delivery of service.
17 March 2021 - NW412
Chirwa-Mpungose, Ms NN to ask the Minister of Health
What are the relevant details of the exact process that ordinary citizens should follow when registering for the COVID-19 vaccination?
Reply:
The Electronic Vaccination System is built to be agile and responsive to the Vaccine Roll-out programme within the principles of inclusion – the system should not be excluding anyone that wants to be vaccinated. The registration system for beneficiaries is built to respond to the phases of the Vaccine Rollout programme and the sequencing of the population within the phases.
The enormity and importance of the vaccination programme requires that the administration of vaccines be appropriately captured and monitored. The Electronic Vaccine Data System (EVDS) has been developed to capture vaccination events digitally and provide data to its data analytics platform to monitor and report on vaccinations.
The EVDS, which is a web-based application accessible through multiple devices, including mobile and desktop devices, is critical to the success of the vaccine roll-out programme. It should be noted that although digital systems will be used and all vaccinations will be digitally recorded, those without access to digital technology must not and will not be excluded. All steps of the vaccination process will also be available through walk-in services where members of the public will be assisted for registration.
To streamline the vaccination, process a vaccination beneficiary register is required. A pre-vaccination registration functionality forms part of the EVDS., This pre-registration component of the EVDS is providing the public with two options for registration, i.e Self-Registration and Assisted Registration:
- The Self Registration will require the members of the Public as identified per phase and sequencing to log into a web portal and register themselves;
- For those members of the public that do not have the means and ability to do self-registration, the function of assisted registration will be made available in walk in centres and at vaccination sites.
END.
17 March 2021 - NW252
Chirwa-Mpungose, Ms NN to ask the Minister of Health
Whether there is any research that states and shows where variant 501.V2 of the novel coronavirus is more prevalent and less prevalent; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details on compiled research on the (a) prevalence of variant 501.V2 first recorded in the Republic in each (i) province, (ii) region and (iii) district in graph form and (b) total number of (i) infections and/or (ii) deaths as reflected in each case?
Reply:
The laboratory assessments indicate that the variant is more prevalent, now. The prevalence of the variant grew from 11% in October 2020 to 98% in February 2021.
a) The prevalence of the variant is consistent across all provinces sampled, KZN (>95%), EC (>95%), WC (>95%), NC (>90%), GP (>80%). Reports from neighbouring countries suggest that the prevalence of the variant is similar to South Africa.
b) (i) number of infections with the 501Y.V2 variant will be similar to the number of infections in the population, given that the variant has a prevalence > 90%.
(ii) There is no evidence to suggest that the variant is more deadly than the previous lineage. It is more transmissible hence more people are infected. Even though the proportion of people hospitalised (compared to being infected) has not changed - the number of hospitalisations and deaths has been higher due to a greater number of people being infected. There has been no reported difference in the clinical response to usual treatment.
The graph below provides the temporal emergence of the 501Y.V2 (B.1.351) variant
Table 1: The temporal emergence of 501Y.V2 (B.1.351) variant in SA over time
END.
17 March 2021 - NW207
Lorimer, Mr JR to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)With reference to the property situated at 265 Pasteur Road, Blackheath, Johannesburg, (a) which (i) division of SA National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) and/or (ii) other entities reporting to him were responsible for selecting this site for operation and for signing the lease and (b) what is the period of the lease and total amount of rental being paid; (2) whether (a) SANRAL or (b) entities reporting to him are conducting any operations at 266 Harley Rd Blackheath, Johannesburg; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so (3) whether the owners of the property are (a) employed by SANRAL and/or other divisions and/or entities of the Transport Department, (c) senior members of government and/or (d) former senior members of government; if not, what is the position in each case; if so, what are the further relevant details in each case? NW210E
Reply:
1 (a) (i) SANRAL was not involved in selecting the site.
1 (a) (ii) SANRAL appointed service provider VEA Roads was responsible for selecting this site and entered into the lease agreement.
1 (b) Minimum lease period is 36 months with monthly lease of R20,000 per month.
2 (a) No operations conducted by SANRAL from 266 Harley Rd Blackheath, Johannesburg.
2 (b) No operations conducted by entities reporting to SANRAL from 266 Harley Rd Blackheath, Johannesburg.
SANRAL has no position in terms of operations form 266 Harley Rd Blackheath.
3 (a) According to SANRAL records the registered owner of the property is not employed by SANRAL and/or entities/Department of Transport
3 (b) (c)(d) Falls way
17 March 2021 - NW253
Sonti, Ms NP to ask the Minister of Transport
What has he found to have been the impact of the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions on public transport;
Reply:
(1) Since the move to alert level 3 public transport operators operating shorter trips were allowed to carry 100% of the loading capacity of their vehicles whereas for longer trips the permissible loading capacity remained at 70%. These relaxations were coupled with other mitigating factors such as the mandatory wearing of masks and allowing for ventilation. To this end there has been no indication that public transport has been the main contributor in the spread of the virus. This, therefore, implies that measures put in place when the carrying capacity restrictions were relaxed yielded positive results.
(2) The fact that public transport has thus far not been detected as the main contributor to the spread of the virus, is to a large extent proof that operators are generally complying with specified regulations.
16 March 2021 - NW491
Powell, Ms EL to ask the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
Will she furnish Ms E L Powell with (a) an update on progress at the Dodoma Avenue Housing Development in KwaZulu-Natal and (b) the details of (i) any project timeline delays, (ii) the primary construction contractor, (iii) any sub-contractors, (iv) the name of site engineers, (v) the name of the design architect, (vi) costs initially budgeted for the development, (vii) full costs incurred to date including the estimated date of beneficiary hand-over and (viii) reasons for delays and additional costs incurred?
Reply:
(a) The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Human Settlements has indicated that the Dodoma Avenue Housing Development forms part of a sub-phase of the broader Kennedy Road Housing Project. The project consist of 45 units. Currently, all 45 units are at roof level.
(b)(i) The unforeseen reasons for the delay of the construction programme by a further 12 months include the following:
- objections received from ratepayers in the surrounding area;
- disputes over labour rates resulting in work stoppages;
- social challenges from adjacent informal settlements;
- Covid-19 impact, and
- Geotechnical constraints.
(ii) to (v) I am constrained and prohibited by the document titled “Guide to Parliamentary Questions in the National Assembly” from providing the Honourable Member with the names of the primary contractor, the sub-contractors, site engineer, and the design architect as requested. The document referred to states that:
“Questions are to be framed as concisely as possible. All unnecessary adjectives, references and quotations are omitted. Names of persons, bodies and, for example, newspapers are only used in questions if the facts surrounding the case have been proven. As the mere mention of such names could be construed as publicity for or against them, it should be clear that this practice is highly undesirable. If a question will be unintelligible without mentioning such names, the Departments concerned are notified of the name (-s) and this phrase is used: ".......a certain person (name furnished)”
(vi) I am informed that the original budget for the implementation of the project was R 14 613 997, 57.
(vii) The cost incurred to date is R 10 440 174, 08 and the beneficiary handover will take place on a phased basis on completion of sections of the project, which will be completed by July 2021.
(viii) The additional cost of approximately R2 000 000 was incurred due to the following:
-
- the need for stabilizing work, retaining structures as recommended by an independent assessment of soil conditions;
- additional time related costs and remedial works due to stoppages and invasions of completed housing units, and
- additional assessments due to claims of ancestral graves at the Dodoma Avenue site.
16 March 2021 - NW280
Marais, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
(1)What are the (a) reasons for and (b) relevant details of the Armscor expenses on fines and penalties of R690 000 during the 2019-20 financial year; (2) whether any investigations were done into this matter; if not, why not; if so, was anyone held accountable for the specified expenses?
Reply:
Armscor disclosed an amount of R585 000 relating to penalties in the 2019/20 Annual Report. Of this amount R 190 000 was relating to the 2019/20 financial period and R395 000 to the 2018/19 financial period.
These penalties were levied on Armscor’s facilities (Protechnik, Flamengro and Ergotech) in the execution of work for the Department of Defence where services/products were delivered late and were therefore penalised. Late deliveries occured due to a lack of of capacity due to resignations as well as technical dificulties experienced.
The services rendered were in relation to :
- Non enginerring work on the upgrade of the SANDF’s mobile defence laboratory technology demonstrator ;
- Increasing the range of current artillery systems in the SANDF ;
- Development and testing of sample body armour sizes for SANDF males and females.
The reasons for all penalties levied were investigated and the appropriate corrective actions taken in terms of Armscor’s disciplinary processes.
16 March 2021 - NW476
Hill-Lewis, Mr GG to ask the President of the Republic
With reference to his reply to question 2256 on 5 Jan 2021, (a) who are the private individuals he refers to, (b) how did they, as private individuals, come to know about the SA National Defence Force charter and (c) is a similar service available to all private South Africans who wish to make donations-in-kind to recipients abroad, so long as there is space on the aircraft?
Reply:
I have been informed by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans that the donation of personal protective equipment to Cuba was coordinated by the former South African Ambassador to Cuba, Amb Phatse Justice Piitso.
It was through his interactions with the Cuban Mission in South Africa that the former Ambassador got to know about the flight organised by the SANDF to collect its members and to carry personal supplies to SANDF members and South African medical students training and studying in Cuba. The arrangement was between the Embassy of Cuba and the donor.
This arrangement was made under the exceptional circumstances resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, which included limitations on commercial air travel.
This service would not be available to private organisations and individuals under normal circumstances.
16 March 2021 - NW449
Tambo, Mr S to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
What (a) total number of students who graduated from universities and/or universities of technology during the period 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2020 did not receive their official transcripts and qualification documents due to outstanding fees and (b) are the relevant details of the (i) name of each specified university and/or university of technology, (ii) number of relevant students at each such university and (iii) amount owed to each university?
Reply:
No. |
University |
Number of students who did not receive degree certificates due to outstanding fees (period 2010 – 2020) |
Fee amount outstanding for these students |
System(s) is in place for students to access their results if they are owing resources to the university.
|
1 |
Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
The current situation is that both the Certificates and Academic Records are released to students even if they owe fees to the University. Management is considering the matter with a view to make representation to Council to review same. |
R1 130 000 000.00 |
|
2 |
Central University of Technology |
12 985 |
R1 782 552 433.72 |
No information provided. |
3 |
Durban University of Technology |
5 155 |
R99 134 074.40 |
Graduation certificates are withheld for those in arrears. Assistance is provided to those seeking employment and/or access to studies at other institutions by sending an academic transcript (student record) to these institutions directly. Graduates also receive a letter indicating completion of studies. |
4 |
Mangosuthu University of Technology |
3 870 |
R74 678 403.16 |
No information provided. |
5 |
Mpumalanga University |
No response |
||
6 |
Nelson Mandela University |
820 |
R62 857 952.00 |
To assist our students in gaining employment, the University has a standard process in place as a concession by providing proof of completion of qualifications directly to potential employers. The students owing the University fees approach the University and provide the University with the contact details of the potential employers. |
7 |
North-West University |
766 |
R18 750 358.17 |
NWU does not withhold any transcripts and that any person who had studied at the NWU has access to his/her full academic record. |
8 |
Rhodes University |
378 |
R15 246 000.00 |
Options for payment plans. Students receive a letter of invitation to graduation so that they participate in graduation. Where prospective employers request, and with the student’s permission, results are sent to the prospective employers. Parchments are released to students owing less than R1 000. |
9 |
Sefako Makgatho University |
No response |
||
10 |
Sol Plaatje University |
|
|
Since 2016 to 2020, SPU did not withhold any degree certificates and academic transcripts. |
11 |
Stellenbosch University |
568 |
R18 831 981.40 |
Students with outstanding debt at graduation are allowed to attend the ceremony, but do not receive their degree certificate. They receive a communique to contact the student fees office to enter into a monthly payment arrangement. Where students are unable to afford a monthly payment arrangement, they are required to sign an acknowledgement of debt form. Once either the monthly payment arrangement or acknowledgement of debt is in place, the official academic transcripts are sent directly to potential employers/other tertiary institutions upon the graduate’s request. |
12 |
Tshwane University of Technology |
11 255 |
R4 401 096 000.00 |
No Information provided. |
13 |
University of Cape Town |
325 |
R14 077 628.79 |
Outstanding fees are regulated by Council policy and the Council approved UCT policy is explicit: qualifier students with outstanding balances on their fee account will not receive an academic transcript and will not be permitted to graduate. At UCT, in cases where a transcript is withheld, and where students so request, UCT issues written confirmation to a prospective employer that the student concerned has met qualification requirements. This provision assists the student in applying for and being considered for a job. |
14 |
University of Fort Hare |
5 922 |
R285 977 088.00 |
No information provided. |
15 |
University of Johannesburg |
7 722 |
R537 674 000.00 |
No information provided. |
16 |
University of KwaZulu-Natal |
17 840 |
R868 000 000.00 |
Every graduate is entitled to an official academic record/transcript on application and an official letter confirming ‘Degree Complete’, again on application and payment of the a fee. On settlement of fees outstanding and the requisite ‘fee clearance’, a graduate can formally request to be issued with their withheld degree/diploma certificate(s). |
17 |
University of Limpopo |
10 345 |
R342 579 200.45 |
All students are allowed to attend their graduation ceremonies. They are also provided with a transcript of academic record for free, and the University does confirm with a potential employer that the affected student has complied with the requirements for a particular qualification. Each student is expected to make a payment plan with the University. The certificate is released upon full settlement of the debt. |
18 |
University of Pretoria |
1 092 |
R34 872 944.53 |
It should also be noted that the University has and will make available official transcripts, at the request of a student, to a potential employer so as not to prevent gainful employment of University graduates. PS: It should be noted that 1 597 students who owe the University a total amount of R29 898 160.68 received their official transcripts and qualification documents as they have entered into payment plans with the University. |
19 |
University of South Africa |
No response |
||
20 |
University of the Free State |
4 023 |
R64 968 521.11 |
Students who owe fees may request their academic records from the Deputy Registrar: Student Academic Services. There is a process in place to assist these students by sending the relevant documents directly to their potential employer or educational institution. |
21 |
University of the Western Cape |
No response |
||
22 |
University of the Witwatersrand |
3 426 |
R224 320 052.50 |
It should be noted that students who have fees outstanding can request their official academic transcript reflecting their results and degree completion. The transcript does indicate that there is an outstanding amount owed to the University. We do however assist students with a letter to confirm that their conduct was satisfactory if they have a debt outstanding should they require this for work purposes. Students who have not graduated are also assisted with letters confirming the completion of their degree for work purposes. Students who can bring the total amount of their debt down to an amount of R15 000 can sign an Acknowledgement of Debt, which enables them to graduate. |
23 |
University of Venda |
1 405 |
R42 592 027.82 |
Students can view their results on the students’ portal but certificates are withheld. |
24 |
University of Zululand |
5 450 |
R83 227 792.00 |
Students are furnished with a letter confirming that they have graduated but due to outstanding fees, their certificates have not been issued, which they may furnish to external parties. |
25 |
Vaal University of Technology |
3 402 |
R118 873 105.00 |
No information provided. |
26 |
Walter Sisulu University |
20 088 |
R526 000 000.00 |
No information provided. |
Total |
106 494 |
R10 403 730 362.60 |
|
The submission is based on responses received from 21 universities as at 8 March 2021.
16 March 2021 - NW509
Faber, Mr WF to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
(1)Whether any staff member in his department (a) performed work in addition to the responsibilities related to his or her work, outside normal working hours, in the past five financial years and (b) has been performing such work during the period 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, in each case, how is it determined whether such work is being performed or not; if so, in each case, (i) what number of staff members and (ii) in what job or work categories are the specified staff members employed; (2) whether approval for such work was obtained in each case; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the policy of his department in this regard, (b) by whom are such applications considered and approved, (c) what number of contraventions of this policy were brought to the attention of the National Treasury in the past five financial years and (d) what steps have been taken against the transgressors?
Reply:
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
1(a) Yes employees on salary levels 4 to 12 performed approved remunerated overtime and standby duty.
1(b) The information is available in the employee’s personal files and it is reported in the annual report.
(i) 51 staff members.
(ii) 11 Deputy Directors.
14 Assistant Directors.
1 Senior Administrative Officer.
1 Supply Chain Management Practitioner.
2 Senior Administration Clerk.
14 Security Officers.
2 Maintenance Officers.
1 Auxiliary Services Practitioner.
3 Human Resources Practitioners.
2 Senior Secretaries.
2(a) The departmental overtime policy provides for 15 hours per week of pre-authorized overtime work. Standby duty is regulated by Public Service Co-ordination Bargaining Chamber (PSCBC) Resolution 3 of 1999 and is also pre-authorized.
2(b) The authority is delegated to the Chief Director: Human Resources.
2(c) No contraventions of both the policy and PSCBC regulations were identified by the Auditor-General and reported to National Treasury.
2(d) No transgressions were identified.
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
(1) (a) Yes, there are employees who have performed remunerative work outside the public service.
(b) It is through the mandatory disclosure of financial interests, where officials disclose all their financial interests, and information obtained from other governmental structures such as the Public Service Commission, National Treasury database, Department of Public Service and Administration, and Auditor-General.
2015/16 financial cycle: According to departmental records, eight officials requested approval, seven were approved and one was withdrawn. Five officials did not apply for permission to perform remunerative work outside the public service.
2016/17 financial cycle: According to departmental records, six officials requested approval and all were approved. Eight officials did not apply for permission to perform remunerative work outside the public service
2017/18 financial cycle: According to departmental records, five officials requested approval, four were approved and one was withdrawn.
2018/19 financial cycle: According to departmental records, eight applications were received and all were approved.
2019/20 financial cycle: According to departmental records, fifteen officials requested approval and all were approved.
2020/21 financial cycle: There are twenty applications that are being processed.
(i) A total number of 62 applications were received for remunerative work outside public service.
(ii) According to the analysis, most of the applications are related to lecturing in private institutions, invigilation, counselling and some working for their own private businesses.
(2) According to information at the Department's disposal, the majority of employees who perform remunerative work outside the public service do apply for and obtain approval in line with the DPSA determination. However, those who do not apply are subjected to consequence management.
(a) The Department applies the Public Service Act, 1994, the Public Service Regulations, 2016 and its applicable determinations. Employees can perform other remunerative work provided that they have obtained written permission to do so from the Executive Authority/Accounting Officer, in terms of Section 30 of the Act. If any employee did not obtain written permission to perform other remunerative work, disciplinary action against such an employee will be instituted as consequence management.
(b) According to the Public Service Regulations, the delegated powers are vested with the Director-General of the Department.
(c) No contraventions were brought to the attention of the National Treasury as it is not required; however, all contraventions are reported to the Minister for the Public Service and Administration.
(d) The Department has invoked appropriate disciplinary steps in line with the misconduct provisions of Section 16A (2) of the Public Service Act of 1994.
16 March 2021 - NW736
Julius, Mr J to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
Whether his department has released the Guidelines for the Bursary Scheme for Students in Public Universities 2021 to universities and colleges in all provinces; if not, (a) why not, (b) on what date will the guidelines be sent to the institutions and (c) what is the impact of his department’s failure in this regard on the commencement of classes at the institutions awaiting the guidelines; if so, on what date were the guidelines sent?
Reply:
(a) The university funding guidelines could not be finalized given the uncertainties about the demand for funding and the available budget, which was addressed by Minister Nzimande in his media statement on 8 March 2021. The Bursary Rules and Guidelines policy document, which governs the administration and management of bursaries in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, were distributed to colleges in November 2020.
(b) The funding guidelines for universities for 2021 will be finalised as soon as Cabinet has made a determination in this regard. The Department, in collaboration with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, conducted regional capacity-building workshops for college officials on the revised policy document from November 2020 to December 2020.
(c) The 2021 Guidelines have been kept as close as possible to the 2020 Guidelines.
16 March 2021 - NW279
Marais, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
(1)What are the reasons and justifications for the (a) Armscor expenses on consultants and (b) professional fees of R44 296 000 during the 2019-20 financial year; (2) whether a certain company (name furnished) was one of the beneficiaries of business; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what total amount did the specified company receive?
Reply:
1. For the 2019/2020 financial year, Armscor incurred R44 296 000 for consultants and professional fees. The fees incurred were in relation operational expenditure for the following reasons:
- Contractor services related to building maintanance (electric, pest weed and pollution), security services, infrastructure upgrade project (to upgrade facility to comply with DPWI requirements for the rental of facility on the behalf of the DOD), ICT related services (normal course of business services of equipment and ICT software), expertise for the implementation of integrated reporting and cleaning services
- Expert services required for statutory audit , ie. valuation of properties, actuarial valuation of Armscor’s post retirement medical liability,
- Facility accreditaitons, which are required for facilities to operate and generate revenue
2. Armscor last paid Fever Tree during the 2018/2019 financial year, and no payment was made to Fever Tree during the 2019/2020 financial year.
16 March 2021 - NW750
Schreiber, Dr LA to ask the President of the Republic
Whether, at the time that he appointed a certain person (name and details furnished) on 29 May 2019, he was informed of the serious allegations of sexual harassment levelled against the specified person by an employee of a certain political organisation (name furnished) prior to the 2019 general election; if not, what steps will he be taking now that the allegations have become public; if so, what (a) measures did he put in place to investigate the allegations and (b) were the appropriate reasons for appointing the specified person in the face of the allegations?
Reply:
I was not aware of the allegations at the time of the appointment of the person.
I am informed that the relevant internal processes of the political party concerned were followed with respect to these allegations, in line with the law applicable to such complaints by an employee as well as the political party’s policy on sexual harassment, and that this process was concluded.
16 March 2021 - NW821
Marais, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
Whether she will furnish Mr S J F Marais with the minutes of the meeting that she and her Zimbabwean counterpart, the Minister of Defence and War Veterans' Affairs, Ms Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, are reported to have held on 9 September 2020 in order to prepare for a Southern African Development Community troika meeting and the United Nations Security Council configuration of the Force Intervention Brigade; if not, why not; if so, on what date?
Reply:
In response to a request made by the Honourable Member under the Promotion of Access to Information Act, the Honourable Member was informed in 2020 that the meeting was a verbal meeting and no minutes were recorded.
16 March 2021 - NW538
Mackenzie, Mr C to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
1. What position does a certain person (name furnished) occupy at the SA Post Office? 2. Whether the specified person is authorised to (a) enter into contractual agreements and/or (b) contract or appoint official representatives on behalf of the SA Post Office; if not, what is the position in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
Reply:
I have been advised by the SAPO as follows:
1. Acting Group Executive Sales/Commercial
2. (a) In terms of the Board approved Generic Delegation of Authority, Group Executives (EXCO members) have the authority to sign off contractual agreements on behalf of SAPO, depending on the value, nature, complexity and type of contract and delegation of Authority or sub-delegation of authority (if permitted).
(b) See reply (a) above in as far as it relates to contract/s. It further depends on the nature, type etc and exigency of the appointment of the official representatives and in which capacity such official is officially appointed by SA Post Office SOC Ltd.
MS. STELLA NDABENI-ABRAHAMS, MP
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
16 March 2021 - NW503
Sarupen, Mr AN to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
(1) Whether any staff member in her department (a) performed work in addition to the responsibilities related to his or her work, outside normal working hours, in the past five financial years and (b) has been performing such work during the period 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, in each case, how is it determined whether such work is being performed or not; if so, in each case, (i) what number of staff members and (ii) in what job or work categories are the specified staff members employed; (2) whether approval for such work was obtained in each case; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the policy of her department in this regard, (b) by whom are such applications considered and approved, (c) what number of contraventions of this policy were brought to the attention of the National Treasury in the past five financial years and (d) what steps have been taken against the transgressors?
Reply:
The Department has advised me as follows:
(1)(a) Yes
(b) By completion and submission of application of approval for Other Remunerative Work and financial disclosures on an annual basis
(i) It differs each year based on the number of applications received each year. (refer to the table below developed from the actual applications and disclosures).
(ii) It differs each year based on the applications received and disclosures made. (refer to the table below developed from the actual applications and disclosures).
Table 1: This table provides the employees that have applied for and disclosed their other remunerative work performed in the past five years:
No |
Level |
Other Remunerative Work approved and disclosed in the financial disclosures |
||||
2019/20 |
2018/19 |
2017/18 |
2016/17 |
2016/15 |
||
Chief Director |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
Director |
5 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
|
Deputy Director |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
Assistant Director |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Other lower levels |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
(2) Yes
(a) The policy is in line with the Public Service Act section 30 and Public Service Regulations 2016. The Financial Disclosures Policy further requires employees that are required to complete financial disclosures to disclose any other remunerative work performed. In line with the policies and legislation including section 195 of the RSA Constitution, employees are made aware that they have to complete the relevant forms to request permission to perform other remunerative work, disclose any other remunerative work in their financial disclosures and to ensure:
- The Work of the Department is prioritised (comes first);
- They cannot use the Department’s resources to conduct the other remunerative work;
- They are prohibited from doing business with an organ of state (Regulation 13(c) of the Public Service Regulations 2016; and
- They cannot perform the work during office hours.
(b) There are different levels where they are considered such as:
- Supervisor: - to consider if the work will not interfere with the employee’s Departmental duties and recommend for approval;
- Ethics Officer: - to ensure the correctness of the form and compliance with the relevant legislation and policies; and
- Executive Authority or Delegated Authority: - Approval.
(c) None
(d) N/A
MS. STELLA NDABENI-ABRAHAMS, MP
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
16 March 2021 - NW767
King, Ms C to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
(a) Who were the service providers who received contracts in respect of the R45,7 million budget for cleaning services in community education colleges and (b) on what date did the service providers (i) start and (ii) complete their services in each case?
Reply:
(a) The cleaning services allocation of R45.7 million is for the 2021/22 financial year, which is effective from 1 April 2021. The appointment of service providers will be done by each Community Education and Training (CET) college following their supply chain management policies and processes for procurement. The cleaning services are for Community Learning Centres and Satellite Centres that fall under each CET college.
(b) (i) Each CET college will appoint a service provider in the 2021/22 financial. The first tranche of funds, i.e. 25%, will be transferred to CET colleges in April 2021.
(b) (ii) The colleges will contract the services for a period of 12 months, i.e. April 2021 to March 2022, as the funds are for the 2021/22 financial year. There are preliminary funding allocated for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years amounting to R54.5 million and R51.2 million, respectively.
16 March 2021 - NW762
Winkler, Ms HS to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
(a) On what date will the outstanding laptops promised to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme students be rolled out, (b) what is the time frame and (c) how will students who have not received their laptops be assisted in the interim?
Reply:
(a) NSFAS is expecting the first batch of laptops to arrive on 18 April 2021.
(b) Distribution to students who have opted to participate in the digital learning device scheme will commence once institutions have confirmed registration data of students with NSFAS.
(c) All universities have developed multimodal teaching and learning plans and are putting in place several measures to support students.
16 March 2021 - NW419
Shelembe, Mr ML to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
With reference to section 20(2) of the Military Veterans Act, Act 18 of 2011, which gives powers to the Military Veterans Appeals Board to confirm or set aside any decision taken by her department, and difficulties experienced by the Appeals Board in enforcing its findings when it differs with the decisions taken by her department, (a) what steps does she intend to take to enhance the independence and authority of the Appeals Board and (b) on what date was her last meeting with the Appeals Board to discuss progress on appeals
Reply:
(a) There is a process underway to review the provisions of the Act.
(b) The last meeting was held on 13th October 2020 with the Deputy Minister.
16 March 2021 - NW481
King, Ms C to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
(a) What is the nature of his discussions with the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies on reasonable data to students and (b)(i) how and (ii) on what date will this be rolled out?
Reply:
a) The Ministers of Higher Education, Science and Innovation and Communications and Digital Technologies met on 30 March 2020 and agreed on the importance of data for students and established a Ministerial Task Team (MTT) on zero-rating to advise the Ministers on the implementation of affordable access to data for education and training purposes over the short, medium and long term.
The two Ministers also met with all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) on the urgent implementation of zero-rating and data bundles.
b) The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies also published the government's call for telecommunication companies to provide free access to educational websites to support online teaching and learning. According to Section 9.1 of the Electronic Communications, Postal and Broadcasting Directions issued under Regulation 10(8) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002) (Government Notice No 417 of 26 March 2020), “electronic communications service licensees must provide zero-rated access to local educational content websites”.
The Department of Higher Education and Training has adopted a hybrid approach combining zero-rating and “educational data bundles”. The Departments of Higher Education and Training, and Communications and Digital Technologies, concluded the negotiation on the standardisation of data pricing and conditions with MNOs early in April 2020. Students across the board made use of these offers through their institutions.
The November 2020 report received from universities shows that data bundle provision to students remains high across the system. The average across the system for all undergraduate students is 94%. Some of the reasons for lower than 100% deployment at some institutions include students not submitting their cell phone numbers; incorrect cell phone numbers submitted; no device to connect with; no connectivity; and service provider glitches; including some SIM-cards being blocked for various reasons.
Nationally only 10% of National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funded students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges have access to data. Data for NSFAS funded TVET students will only become effective when devices are made available to students in 2021.
The zero-rating of Departmental and public institutions’ websites is 97% completed. This is following directions issued under Regulation 10(8) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002) (Government Notice No 417 of 26 March 2020). Service providers providing zero-rating include Electronic Communications Service Licensees (Mobile Network Operators and Internet Service Providers).
As of 1 June 2020, private higher education institutions and colleges, and private publishers’ websites were also implemented. The full list of websites that have been zero-rated has been published on the individual institutional and Departmental websites.
15 March 2021 - NW754
Van Der Walt, Ms D to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1)(a) What is the total number of school infrastructure projects which were (i) stopped and (ii) delayed during the 2020-21 financial year in each province, (b) which schools were affected in each case, (c) which were (i) new projects, (ii) upgrades, (iii) maintenance and (iv) repairs and (d) what is the total cost of each project’s (i) initial costs and (ii) savings by halting the projects; (2) whether any of the projects will continue during 2021-22 financial year; if not, why not; if so, on what date is it envisaged the projects will resume?
Reply:
1. (a) (b) (c) Breakdown of projects cancelled or postponed during 2020/21 financial year (d) No savings were realised as these projects were stopped or delayed as a result of budget cuts as a result of COVID 19. The budget for these projects was reallocated to address COVID 19 requirements.
2. All those projects that could not be addressed in the 2020/21 financial year will be carried over to 2021/22 MTEF for implementation. The infrastructure budget will be revised to make sure that all other projects that were planned for 2021/22 MTEF are not negatively affected.
Province |
Projects stopped or delayed |
EC |
R114m for 17 new and replacement projects, R105m for 15 Upgrades and additions and R9m for 1 refurbishment project. |
FS |
R120m for 17 upgrades and additions as well as 44 maintenance projects. |
GP |
R9m for 55 new and replacements, R35m for 47 upgrades and additions, R162 for 168 rehabilitation and refurbishments and R17m for 32 maintenance projects. |
KZN |
R78m for 22 new and replacement schools and R222m for 400 repairs and renovations projects |
LP |
R50m for 7 new and replacement projects and R135m for 101 refurbishment and rehabilitation projects. |
MP |
R56m for 24 new and replacement projects, R48m for 435 maintenance projects and R56m for 249 upgrades and additions |
NW |
R143m for 24 new and replacement projects and R16m for 4 upgrades and additions |
NC |
R41m for 51 upgrades and additions and R40m for 22 new and replacements projects |
WC |
R159m for 200 maintenance projects |
SUMMARY 1 938 Projects |
|
New and Replacements |
168 Projects |
Upgrades and additions |
388 Projects |
Rehabilitation and refurbishment |
269 Projects |
Repairs and renovations |
400 Projects |
Maintenance
|
711 Projects |
15 March 2021 - NW789
Moteka, Mr PG to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
With reference to some secondary schools that are constantly failing to produce results every year in Limpopo (names furnished) and another nine schools that achieved a zero matric pass rate in Limpopo for the 2020 academic year, what special attention will she be giving to the specified schools this year, that was not given over the past few years?
Reply:
Annually, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) identifies and classifies schools according to the support required. Differentiated support plans are developed based on the identified needs of the school which include training of teachers, extra lessons and resources for learners such as study guides, regular oversight and monitoring visits by Districts, the Province and the DBE.
Provinces are also required to submit such support and intervention plans as well as quarterly reports to the DBE for monitoring purposes to ensure turn-around strategies are implemented and are yielding results.
15 March 2021 - NW664
Sarupen, Mr AN to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
Whether (a) her department and/or (b) any entity reporting to her makes use of private security firms; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, in each case, what is the (i) name of each firm, (ii) purpose, (iii) value and (iv) duration of each specified contract?
Reply:
a) For the office accommodation the Department of Basic Education has signed a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement for its head office. The agreement provides security as part of the services provided.
- Sethekgo Private Party,
- The Private Party security services are provided for the securing of the perimeter, CCTV monitoring and access control to the building,
- The Department pays a single unitary fee to the Private Party,
- The PPP agreement is for a 25 year period.
For the Administrator at the North West Provincial Education Department the response is as follows:
i) Wise Training Centre.
ii) To provide protection for the Administrator as an intervention due to the
North West Province which was placed under Administration, Section100 (1) (b).
iii) R206 906.00
iv) 1 November 2020 to 30 April 2021.
(b) Umalusi:
(i) Rise Security Services (PTY) LTD
(ii) The security company provides perimeter security services, access control to the building as well as emergency reaction unit.
(iii) Contract value is R3,276,136.00
(iv) Contract period 01 October 2018 -30 September 2021
(b) SACE
The South African Council for Educators makes use of a private security company for its Head Office in centurion and for its Limpopo Provincial office makes use of the school security (Tom Naude).
(i) For the SACE Head Office in Centurion WANGIS security services provides the service; (ii) The security contract entered into with the provider is to offer security services by securing of the perimeter and access control for the SACE building. (iii) R 437 400 (iv) The contact is for a 12-month period
(i) For the SACE Limpopo provincial office – School security (Tom Naude). (ii) The security agreement entered into with the school security is to offer security services by assisting with access control. (iii) R10 000 MONTHLY (iv) The contract is for the duration of our lease agreement 2 years.
15 March 2021 - NW715
Nodada, Mr BB to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(a) What number of learners who are eligible for learner transport do not benefit from the service and (b) what is the reason for this situation?
Reply:
a) There are 751 318 Learners who are in need of Learner Transport nationally; and 616 126 of these learners are being transported, which leaves out 135 192 Learners who are eligible for learner transport and are not benefiting from the service.
b) The reason for not transporting these learners is purely attributed to insufficient funding, as the demand for learner transport exceeds the budget allocated; which result in the exclusion of a number of qualifying learners.
15 March 2021 - NW666
Walters, Mr TC to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional AffairsQUESTION
Whether (a) her department and/or (b) any entity reporting to her makes use of private security firms; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, in each case, what is the (i) name of each firm, (ii) purpose, (iii) value and (iv) duration of each specified contract?
Reply:
(a) Yes, the Department of Cooperative Governance makes use of use of private security firms
(b) N/A
(i) |
(ii) |
(iii) |
(iv) |
Wenzile Phaphama Security Services |
Security Services for provision of 24/7 guarding services in five Departmental buildings. |
R 33 769 546,72 |
3 years (1 June 2018-31 May 2021) |
Delco Distributors |
Provides rented security equipment such walkthrough metal detectors and X-ray machine in four Departmental buildings |
R 385 825,20 |
12 months (1 April 2020 - 31 March 2021) |
15 March 2021 - NW552
Nodada, Mr BB to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
What is the breakdown of the total number of learners in each (a) Grade and (b) province who have been unaccounted for in the period 15 March 2020 to 15 February 2021?
Reply:
Learner drop-out statistics are not available at this point. Based on the information provided by the Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) during the DG's weekly one-on-one virtual meetings with PEDs, provinces are still collating the drop-out statistics. As they work out drop-out-statistics, PEDs are identifying learners who do not physically come to school, but have not dropped out, because they are learning from home. These are learners who have comorbidities or other illnesses, as well as those who are in the home education programme.
15 March 2021 - NW634
Arries, Ms LH to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional AffairsQUESTION
Whether she has been informed that the George Municipality in the Western Cape had sold land to developers that was meant for middle-income housing; if not, why not; if so, what measures has she taken to prevent municipalities from disposing of land that could be used for low-cost housing?
Reply:
No, the Minister has not been informed that the George Municipality has sold land to developers that was meant for middle-income housing.
In terms of section 9(1)(b) of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, 2013, the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform must monitor compliance with the development principles and norms and standards for the performance of land use management functions.
15 March 2021 - NW756
Van Der Walt, Ms D to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1) Whether, with regard to Masinakane Special School for learners with intellectual disabilities in Mpumalanga, she has been informed that (a) there is no hostel as undertaken, (b) learners have to sleep in (i) classrooms and (ii) boardroom and (c) there is an urgent need for mobile showers; if not, why not; if so, (2) will the hostel be built on the school property to avoid crossing of main road; if not, why not; if so, on what date will the hostel be built to accommodate the learners?
Reply:
The question has been referred to the Mpumalanga Department of Education and a response will be submitted as soon as it is received.
12 March 2021 - NW286
Terblanche, Mr OS to ask the Minister of Police
What (a) are the academic qualifications and (b) is the practical experience of the (i) Commander of the National Forensic Science Laboratories and (ii) commanding officers of the respective forensic laboratories in the Republic;
Reply:
(1)(a)(b)(i)(ii) The academic qualifications and the practical experience of the Commander of the National Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and commanding officers of the respective forensic laboratories in the Republic, are reflected in the table below:
Occupation |
Senior Member |
Qualification |
Experience |
Component Head: FSL |
Major General Ngokha |
Diploma in Management B. Tech Management B. Com Honours Management Diploma in Applied Management BSc (Chemistry and Biochemistry) |
DNA expert Facility Manager of the Laboratory Chemistry Manager Head of the FSL |
Section Head: Ballistics |
Brigadier van Niekerk |
Diploma Datametrics: Unisa AFTE: Board |
35 years’experience in Forensic Ballistics |
Section Head: Chemistry |
Brigadier J Allen |
BSc (Chemistry andBiochemistry) BSc Hons (Biochemistry) |
29 years’ experience at the FSL. |
Find here: Table continuation
12 March 2021 - NW388
Majozi, Ms Z to ask the Minister of Police
(1) In light of the fact that the SA Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng has come forward and reaffirmed its commitment to decisively deal with taxi violence and find SAPS members who are involved in illegally providing taxi operators and and hitmen with firearms (details furnished), what measures has the SAPS in Gauteng put in place to curb corruption and discourage it all together; (2) whether he will furnish Ms. Z Majoizi with figures that will give a clear and contextual image of the progress made in his regard; if no, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The performance of remunerative work by employees of the South African Police Service (SAPS) is regulated by National Instruction 4 of 2012, which prohibits the performance of any remunerative work in the taxi industry.
Paragraph 3 of National Instruction 4 of 2012, Performance of Remunerative Work, lists the prohibitions on the granting of approval to an employee, to perform certain types of remunerative work or to perform certain a4iv•rties for gain. The tax‹ industry is listed in paragraph 3(a), which reads: Approval may not be granted to an employee to perform any remunerative work •f such work or activity is in any manner connected to the taxi industry. This includes, but is not limled to, the operation of a taxi service by the employee, himsel or herseP or by employing another person, or the performance of remunerative work for a taxi association, group of taxi owners or operator or for a single taxi owner or operator.
Any information, relating to the involvement of SAPS membem in the taxi industry. is followed up immediately by the Provincial Investigation Team.
de following measures are in place, with ægafd to the management of SAPs fileams:
O III SAPS fireams are accounted for, on a regular basis, by means of physical inspections.
o All SAPS fifBarITIS aæ dot paen marked and tested, in tems of the lntegrated BalliStiCS Identification System (IBIS) and record is kept for comparison with exhibits, recovered at crime scènes.
In order tg corruption, the following measures have been implemented:
- All the SAPS personnel, who are attached to the Taxi Violence Investigation Unit, are vetted and lifestyle audits are conducted on a regular basis.
- Corruption cases are investigated by the Anti-Corruption Unit.
- Allegations of corruption are investigated departmentally, independently from the criminal case.
- Employees face dismissal if found guilty on corruption charges.
- Employees are sensitised about the consequence of committing serious misconduct.
» Roll out of the National Instruction on ethics and integrity management.
- Trainees are subjected to integrity management to eliminate the potential risk of corruption.
The following SAPS members were convicted and dismissed for their involvement in taxi violence:
Station and Cæe Number |
Charge |
Name of SAPS Member |
SAPS Flrearm used |
Outcome |
Gemiston CAS 289/11/2015 |
Murder x 2 and attempted murder |
Thulani Wiseman Madidie |
No |
Guilty- 2 x life imprisonment |
Pretoria Central CAS 1541/09/2013 |
Murder |
Lungisani Arnold Mgaga |
Yes |
Guilty- life imprisonment |
Roodepoort CAS 579/10/2018 |
Murder |
Sibusiso Shongwe |
No |
Guilty- life imprisonment |
12 March 2021 - NW496
Mazzone, Ms NW to ask the Minister of Police
(1) Whether he gave assurances to the former President, Mr J G Zuma, that he would be the person carrying out an arrest if the courts decide to issue a warrant of arrest, as a certain person (name furnished) stated on Twitter on 18 February 2021; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether he has found that his visit to the former President, who faces imminent arrest for refusing to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State in contravention with a Constitutional Court order, on 18 February 2021 conflicted in any way with his position as the Minister responsible for the Police Service, who would be responsible for enforcing the law and carrying out the arrest; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NW552E
Reply:
1.Ministers don't effect arrest, if warrant of arrest is issued, it will follow the normal cause of procedures.
2. No. As explained above, ministers don’t carry out any arrests
Reply to question approved
GENERAL BH CELE, MP
MINISTER OF POLICE
Date: 2021/03/12
12 March 2021 - NW495
Mazzone, Ms NW to ask the Minister of Police
(a) What was the purpose of his visit to the Nkandla homestead of the former President, Mr J G Zuma, on 18 February 2021 and (b) in what capacity did he visit the former President;
Reply:
(1) Was to see former president Zuma and have a wide range of various discussions.
2(a)(i) Did not fly to Nkandla so no cost incurred.
2(a)(ii) Did not calculate on this one but used the normal transport I use when doing my political movement work.
2(b) Same as I always use.
2(c) Used the police cars I always use not sure the status either own or hired by police.
2(d) No accommodation used.
2(e) No gifts.
2(§ I have no knowledge of such details, those are administrative.
Reply to question 495 approved
GENERAL BH CELE, MP
MINISTER OF POLICE
Date: 12/03/2021
12 March 2021 - NW305
Terblanche, Mr OS to ask the Minister of Police
Whether, with reference to the judicial decision on the SA Police Service’s (SAPS) procurement, his department will institute any consequence management against senior managers of the SAPS involved in the scathing judgment handed down by Judge Dennis Davis in the Pretoria High Court on 13 January 2021 related to the illegal procurement of items that will benefit the ruling party and not the citizens of the Republic; if not, why not, if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
Internal investigations are continuing as they get finalised, the recommendations and direction will be given which path to follow, including the consequence management, if needs be.
Reply to question 305 approved
GENERAL BH CELE, MP
MINISTEROF POLICE
Date: 12/03/2021
12 March 2021 - NW422
Majozi, Ms Z to ask the Minister of Police
What have been the findings of the task team he appointed to investigate stock theft in the Free State amid an increase in the crime which he described as eConomic sabotage;
Reply:
(1) During the intervention it was discovered that the Stock Then information Centre was not in place. The following government departments and organisations are represented in the Stock Theft information Centre:
The department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) Stock Theft and Endangered Species Units.
Red Meat Organisations.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Live Stock Farmers, National Agricultural Farmers Union (NAFU).
Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU).
The purpose of the Stock Theft information Centre, is as follows:
The sharing of intelligence between communities and detectives
Providing feedback, with regard to stock theft cases.
Creating community awareness, with regard to relevant legislation, e.g. the Animal Identification Act, the Stock Theft Act and the Meat Safety Act, etc.
Joint visits to livestock and meat disposal points.
Discouraging the community not to mediate serious stock theft court cases.
(2) The SAPS 1s continuously monitoring the stock theft trends and where a similar trend is noticed, various approaches are put in place after analysing the facts. There are currently four task teams operating in identified stock theft hotspots in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, in various districts.
Reply to question 422 recommended
GENERAL NATIONAL COMMISSIONER: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE
KJ SITOLE (SOEG)
Date: 2021-03-04
Reply to question 422 approved
MIISTER OF POLICE
GEERAL BH CELE, MP
Date: 12/03/2021
12 March 2021 - NW420
Terblanche, Mr OS to ask the Minister of Police
What steps has the SA Police Service taken since 1 April 2020 to capacitate its Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units to provide efficient and effective assistance to victims of family violence?
Reply:
An allocation of 312 trainees was eamarked to be placed at the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units. To date, a total of 288 of the trainees have been placed at various units and the remaining 24 posts are in the process of been fillad laterally. The FCS was allocated a further 70 posts in Phase 1 of the Post Promotion process, for the 2020/2021 financial year and these post are yet to be filled.
12 March 2021 - NW278
Steyn, Ms A to ask the Minister of Police
For each police station in the Free State, what total number of vehicles are (a) allocated to each police station to support service such as (i) visible policing, (ii) rural safety, (iii) police detectives and (iv) instances where vehicles have been boarded and/or made redundant and (b)(i) operational and (ii) out of service in each of the specified categories?Reply
Reply:
(a)(i)(ii)(iii(iv)(b)(i)(ii)
A total of 104 out of 111 police stations in the Free State, fall within the rural safety category, this includes rural and the combination of urban/rural, in terms of the classification. A total of 100 out of 104 rural police stations have vehicles, which are allocated and dedicated to rural safety. All vehicles in the Visible Policing and Detective environments are regarded as operational. The details are reflected in the table below:
12 March 2021 - NW354
Mazzone, Ms NW to ask the Police
Whether the VIP Protection Service assigned to Mr J S Malema incurred any expenses on and/or around 5 February 2021 to accommodate the attendance of (a) Mr Malema and/or (b) any of the persons in his delegation at the meeting with the Former President, Mr J G Zuma, at his Nkandla homestead; if no, in each case, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the details of the expenses incurred in terms of (i) transporting Mr Malema and/or his guest, (ii) the expenses incurred in additional members of the VIP Protection Unit(s) assigned to Mr Malema and (iii) any other relevant costs relate to the tea party?
Reply:
(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) Not applicable Mr Malema is no longer protected by the South African Police Service (SAPS), Very Important Persons (VIP) Protection Services.
Reply to question 354
GENERAL NATIONAL COMMISSIONER: SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE
KJ SITOLE (SOEG)
Date: 2021-03-04
Reply to question 354 approved
MINISTER OF POLICE
GENERAL BH CELE, MP
Date: 12/03/2021