Questions and Replies

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12 March 2024 - NW160

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Smalle, Mr JF to ask the Minister of Social Development

(1)With reference to her reply to question 4207 on 2 January 2024, during what period of the month does her department update information received from the Department of Home Affairs; (2) with regard to overpayments made to SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries, what (a) is the total number of beneficiaries who received two and/or more wrongful SASSA grant allocations and (b) was the total monetary value in the (i) 2020-21, (ii) 2021-22, (iii) 2022-23 financial years and (iv) since 1 April 2023?

Reply:

(1) As stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question 4207, SASSA works closely with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) on data validation and conducts monthly checks to confirm the life status of clients before a payment is generated. Payment is effected for clients who are confirmed to be alive, as per validation outcome.

The life status (proof of life) confirmation is sourced from DHA on the day that the payment file is created. If proof of life is confirmed, payment is included in the payment file and effected for that month. As soon as SASSA receives notice of death from DHA, payment is immediately cancelled and not included in the payment file for that month.

It is important for the Honourable Member to note that social grants payments are effected upon confirmation of proof of life by the Department responsible for this function, which is the DHA. It is incorrect to insinuate that SASSA knowingly pays social grants to deceased beneficiaries.

The activities and the period between payment extraction and payment date can be outlined as below: Using February 2024 payment as example:

  • Fourth weekend of the month payment file is extracted (26-28 January 2024) – It must be noted that due to the controls and volumes of the payment file, the payment file is done over a weekend when there is no production work being processed.
  • Payment file QA and approval on Monday (29 January 2024).

(2) It will be appreciated if the Honourable can clarify this question because SASSA does not have the data readily available.

12 March 2024 - NW372

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Arries, Ms LH to ask the Minister of Social Development

What total number of SA Social Security Agency offices have (a) defaulted in rental payment and (b) been closed due to the non-payment of rent in the last two years?

Reply:

a) At the time of this response, I have not been informed of any cases anywhere in the country where SASSA has defaulted on rental payments.

b) Refer to (a). SASSA has a system in place to manage ahead of time all office rentals to ensure no offices are closed due to non-rental payments. Hence, there has been no closure of any leased offices in the last two years.

 

12 March 2024 - NW371

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Arries, Ms LH to ask the Minister of Social Development

With reference to the SA Social Security Agency office in Julius Tsolo Street, Khayelitsha in Cape Town, which has been closed since July 2022 due to renovations, (a) on what date will the renovations be completed (b) what are reasons that the renovations are taking so long to complete?

Reply:

a) It is important for the Honourable Member to note that SASSA is a tenant at the aforementioned premises that are owned by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Social Development. As the Honourable Member is aware, SASSA has temporarily relocated to Kuyasa Library to ensure continued service to the people of Khayelitsha.

SASSA is also working with local community-based organisations such as Khayelitsha Development Forum and Freedom To The Forgotten to find a long-lasting solution on this matter. In addition, SASSA has made an application to the City of Cape Town for the permanent use of the Kuyasa Library.

b) Refer to (a)

 

12 March 2024 - NW5

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Herron, Mr BN to ask the Minister of Social Development

(1)With reference to her reply to question 4207 on 2 January 2024, what (a) total amount is owed to the State as a result of unrecovered grants from the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) paid to beneficiaries who were deceased at the time of the payment and (b) portion of the specified amount has SASSA found to still be recoverable; (2) whether she has found that SASSA and/or her department will be able to identify, what (a) total amount and/or (b) portion of the specified amount referred to is being held in the private bank accounts of deceased beneficiaries; if not, what is the position in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case; (3) as SASSA is a registered creditor of the deceased estate, what total amount is recoverable in cases where the (a) estate has been reported to the Master of the High Court and (b) grant payment of the deceased beneficiary had been accessed by using the SASSA-issued card; (4) whether she has found that SASSA and/or her department will be able to, without being a creditor to a deceased estate, recover grant payments paid to deceased beneficiaries via SASSA cards; if not, what steps will be taken to recover such funding; if so, in what way?

Reply:

(1) (a) Information provided to Question 4207, was for grant overpayments to Post Bank clients. Over the last three years grant overpayments to deceased Post Bank clients were as follows:

    • 2021/2022 = R59 256 000
    • 2022/2023 = R50 372 000
    • 2023/2024 = R31 928 000

SASSA does not have data on other Banks readily available to provide statistics as requested above. A special script is required to extract the required data; which takes time to develop, execute and analyse for accuracy and to ensure this part of the question is responded to adequately.

(b) Considering that the above-mentioned grant overpayments were made to the most vulnerable members of society, SASSA’s ability to recover debt might be expensive than the debt itself. However, I must point out that each debt, irrespective of the amount, remains “recoverable “until it is s written off.

There are a number of questions and factors that can be considered when dealing with deceased grant beneficiaries to whom a grant was paid before SASSA received a notice of death from Home Affairs:

  • Would it be economical to invest all the resources required to recoup a debt for one-month payment made to a deceased grant beneficiary?
  • Does the deceased have an estate or the value of the estate is so small to claim against such that the full value of the grant may not be recovered?
  • Would recovery cause undue hardship to his or her dependents?

(2) (a) and (b) Information on private bank accounts, such as balances within those accounts, is confidential information, to which SASSA dos not have access.

(3) (a) SASSA is not currently a registered creditor to any deceased estate. There is currently no system interface between SASSA and the Office of the Master of the High Court. When death occurs, the majority of Social Grant beneficiaries’ families make no effort to wind up an estate with the Office of the Master of the High Court (estates between R125,000 and R250,000) or with the Magistrates Office (estates below R125,000) as required by law. Therefore, if no “case file” is created no-one can register as a Creditor.

(b) All debts are considered “recoverable”, until National Treasury approves the write off. Hence the full amount referenced above is considered recoverable until this process is completed.

(4) It’s important to note that for the SASSA cards, funds are paid into a bank account at Postbank, which is governed by the same laws as any other bank account. SASSA with the assistance of National Treasury is investigating the possibility of all banks to return balances remaining in social grant beneficiary’s bank as a result of grants not withdrawn back to government. The technicalities and implications of this proposal are still under discussion.

12 March 2024 - NW316

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Masango, Ms B to ask the Minister of Social Development

(1)What (a) is the breakdown of the total number of complaints that SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) has received relating to the duplication of identity document (ID) numbers for each of the different grants including the Social Relief of Distress Grant for every year since 2020 and (b) was the outcome of these complaints; (2) How many of the lodged complaints were due to ID fraud by (a) public servants outside her department, (b) SASSA employees and (c) employee of her department; (3) What mechanisms have been put in place to combat fraud at her department and SASSA?

Reply:

The table below provides the number of official complaints received during the period 2020 until 2024; and the outcomes of the complaints.

Year

Number of complaints

Breakdown per grant type

Outcome

2020

106

Type of Grant

Number of Complaints

SRD

01

Care Dependency

00

CSG

14

FCG

00

DG

12

Grant in Aid

00

Older Persons

79

War Veterans

00

Finalised

Not

106

nil

2021

40

Type of Grant

Number of Complaints

SRD

00

Care Dependency

00

CSG

03

FCG

01

DG

13

Grant in Aid

00

Older Persons

23

War Veterans

00

Finalised

Not

40

nil

2022

119

Type of Grant

Number of Complaints

SRD

03

Care Dependency

00

CSG

10

FCG

00

DG

22

Grant in Aid

00

Older Persons

84

War Veterans

00

Finalised

Not

119

nil

2023

424

Type of Grant

Number of Complaints

SRD

262

Care Dependency

00

CSG

21

FCG

01

DG

32

Grant in Aid

00

Older Persons

108

War Veterans

00

Finalised

Not

409

15

2024

256

Type of Grant

Number of Complaints

SRD

414

Care Dependency

00

CSG

02

FCG

00

DG

08

Grant in Aid

00

Older Persons

31

War Veterans

00

Finalised

Not

252

4

(2) Thus far there’s no linkage of the lodged complaints on ID fraud with a) public servants outside the department, b) SASSA employees and c) employees of the department.

(3) The issue of “duplicate IDs” SASSA has identified two situations mainly affects older clients where two persons share the same ID number, unknowingly. These cases are not necessarily fraudulent, but in part the result of various legacy issues. Such matters are flagged and referred to the Department of Affairs for investigation and resolution.

(ii) Recently, the same issue of “duplicate IDs” is affecting those applying for the SRD grant. These are not necessarily duplicate IDs but some form of Identity theft. Fraudsters steal and use another person’s ID number and personal details to apply for the SRD grant; as well as open accounts with private banks, pretending to be the rightful owners of the ID.

When such cases are detected, SASSA will flag the applicant as fraudulent and require the applicant to provide a HANIS report to confirm their identity. SASSA is also implementing a system that will allow for these clients to digitally verify themselves through a facial recognition process. We however, cannot make the specific fraud prevention mechanisms public as this would weaken the mechanism and defeat their purpose. At high level, as part of the detective mechanism, we conduct compliance inspections and systems to detect any internal control deficiencies across the regions. As part of corrective mechanism, we conduct investigations and ensure that corrective measures are taken. Where necessary, members of the South African Police Service also assist in the investigation of fraud cases.

12 March 2024 - NW487

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Arries, Ms LH to ask the Minister of Social Development

What total number of child support grants were suspended due to the banking details of the grant beneficiaries not corresponding with those in the SA Social Security Agency system from 1 April 2023 up to the latest specified date for which information is available?

Reply:

SASSA suspended 81 687 Child Support Grants since 1 April 2023 up to 31 January 2024.

These grants were suspended because the banking details of grant recipients captured on the SASSA database did not correspond with details captured by their respective banks, indicating possible changes in the clients’ records. The suspension was implemented as per the provision of Section 14(5) of the Social Assistance Act (Act No. 13 of 2004), which requires clients/beneficiaries to ensure that their records are accurate and updated with the Agency.

12 March 2024 - NW62

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Masango, Ms B to ask the Minister of Social Development

(1)(a) What is the total number of victims of gender-based violence (GBV) who have been assisted in each of the years since the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) opened (b) how were the victims assisted; (2) what (a) due diligence was done regarding the (i) call-centre operators and (ii) adjudication of the tender and (b) measures have been put in place to assist victims of GBV while the alleged contractual dispute between her department and Brilliantel is being sorted out?

Reply:

(1)(a) GBV Command Centre Statistics Report: 01 November 2013 – 31 December 2023

Date

Telephone Calls Received

GBV victims assisted

01 JAN 2023 – 31 Dec 2023

65 311

5 845

01 JAN 2022 – 31 Dec 2022

40 700

3 086

01 JAN 2021 – 31 Dec 2021

65 490

5 036

01 JAN 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

136 940

5 954

01 JAN 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

59 800

1 955

01 JAN 2018 – 31 Dec 2018

64 680

3 015

01 JAN 2017 – 31 Dec 2017

12 020

4 048

01 JAN 2016 – 31 Dec 2016

71 040

1 816

01 JAN 2015 – 31 Dec 2015

64 820

2 214

01 JAN 2014 – 31 Dec 2014

7 607

940

01 NOV 2013 – 31 Dec 2013

1 997

325

TOTAL

590 405

34 234

(b)The GBV Command Centre is a call-centre service that can be contacted by anyone who need assistance with issues of GBV or any issue relating to abuse or threat to personal safety, at any time of the day (24/7) and throughout the year.

Since inception, the GBV Command Centre is managed by qualified social workers registered with the SA Council for Social Service Professions. Depending on the nature of the call, the client is referred to the relevant services, including Health, SAPS and local NGOs that provides shelters for survivors of GBV

(2)(a)(i) and(ii) The awarding of the tender followed the prescripts in terms of the Public Finance Management Act and its regulations. This included amongst others, a compulsory briefing, a 2-stage shortlisting, verification and recommendation of bidders consisting of the Bid Evaluation and Bid Adjudication Committees. This was further strengthened through a requirement of submission of verifiable project qualifications and skills of the respective Project leaders of each bidder, and the submission of verifiable, written references of past provision of services by the prospective service providers.

(b) The Department has established a Project Steering Committee that meets on a weekly basis to measure progress in the implementation and roll-out of the GBVCC project. This is further assisted by a weekly meeting between the Director-General and the CEO of Brilliantel to further measure progress and resolve, any outstanding contractual or project delivery matters.

12 March 2024 - NW139

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Masango, Ms B to ask the Minister of Social Development

What portion of the amounts of (a)(i) R59 256 000 and (ii) R50 372 000 in the 202122 and 2022-23 financial years, respectively, has been recovered and (b) R31 928 000 has been recovered since 1 April 2023, where the SA Social Security Agency erroneously paid grants to deceased beneficiaries?

Reply:

a) (i0(ii)(iii) The reply to Question 4207, was for total grant overpayments of Post Bank clients. Data related to payments and debts, including recoveries, is housed on two different systems, and requires an extensive cross referencing of the two data sets to answer the question in its current form. This will also require remapping of data across multiple years.

With regard to recoveries, refer to the table below:

FY 2021-2022

FY 2022-2023

FY 2023-2024

R10,826,491.53

R17,900,226.07

R20,001,986.99

11 March 2024 - NW140

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Masango, Ms B to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

(1)With reference to her reply to question 3197 on 29 December 2023, what progress has been made regarding consequence management of the (a) 5 812 public servants who fraudulently received Social Relief of Distress grants and (b) 33 833 public servants who fraudulently received other social grants; (2) whether (a) her department and (b) the SA Social Security Agency launched an investigation to determine whether the wrongful payments form part of a scheme to defraud the State; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

(1) The following progress has been made regarding consequence management of:

(a) 5 812 public servants who fraudulently received Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants: In September 2022, Ms BJ Memela, the Chief Executive Officer of the SA Social Security Agency issued letters to Government Departments at National and Provincial levels advising them of the identification of civil servants on the Covid 19 SRD database and requested that consequence management be undertaken by those Government Departments.

No

Date of signing letter

Name of Department

Annexure

1

26/09/2022

Department of Basic Education

A

2

28/09/2022

Deed Office

B

3

26/09/2022

Department of Labour

C

4

26/09/2022

Department of Justice

D

5

09/11/2022

Department of Social Development

E

6

26/09/2022

Limpopo Provincial Department of Health

F

7

29/09/2022

South African Police Service

G

8

28/09/2022

Correctional Services

H

The indicated Departments are to be approached by SA Social Security Agency to establish progress with the execution of consequence management.

(b) 33 833 public servants who fraudulently received other social grants: This information is to be obtained from the SA Social Security Agency (Fraud and Compliance Department).

(2) Regarding investigations the following:

(a) The DPSA did not launch an investigation to determine whether the wrongful payments form part of a scheme to defraud the State, as the DPSA does not have a legal mandate to perform investigations.

(b) SA Social Security Agency launched an investigation. The details of the investigation are reflected under (1)(a) and is to be provided for (b).

End

11 March 2024 - NW442

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Majozi, Ms Z to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies

Apart from advocating for the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Amendment Bill [B28-2023], what practical and/or short-term measures has his department put in place to clamp down on subscriber identification module (SIM) card fraud?

Reply:

I was advised by ICASA as follows:

The Authority is mandated through section 68 of the Electronic Communications Act (“the ECA”) (Act No. 36 of 2005) as amended to regulate the numbering resources. However, the ECA does not empower the Authority to regulate SIM registration.

Noting the challenges experienced in the country wherein numbers are hijacked either through SIM swap fraud or number porting, the Authority has tightened the number porting regime by prescribing a porting procedure and a port validation process in Schedule A of the Number Portability Regulations of 2018.

Additionally, the Authority resolved to amend the Numbering Plan Regulations of 2016, by inserting a provision that mandates licensees to collect subscribers’ biometric data during activation of services.

These regulatory measures are intended to empower and protect the public when activating/porting their numbers and/or services with the telecommunications service providers. Nevertheless, the biometric data collection provision was deferred by the Authority for further consultation with stakeholders on the technical and functional specifications associated with the implementation of the biometric provisions.

The Authority has been consulting with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (“DOJ & CD”) on the review of Chapter 7 of RICA which places an obligation on telecommunications service providers, who are licenced by the Authority to register all SIM cards by verifying customer information. It also mandates telecommunications service providers to retain customer data, and to respond to lawful interception requests. Further, the Authority is addressing concerns that it does not have access to the RICA database which is managed by the DoJ & CD to monitor compliance.

The Authority is also in consultation with institutions that have successfully implemented the biometric verification system – South African Banking Risk Information Centre, the State Information Technology Agency and the Department of Home Affairs - to seek guidance regarding the development of a functional biometric system.

Furthermore, clarity is being sought from the Information Regulator regarding the application of the Protection of Personal Information Act (Act No. 4 of 2013) (“POPIA”) on the appropriate safeguards to protect personal information of the data subjects. This is to ensure that the Authority’s Numbering Regulations are not in conflict with the provisions of POPIA.

Thank you

11 March 2024 - NW467

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

(1)What is the total amount of public funds spent by the State in opposing the application seeking the North Gauteng High Court to declare the practice of cadre deployment unconstitutional and unlawful; (2) what are the reasons justifying the use of public funds to defend the policy of a political party?

Reply:

1. The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has spent no public funds in opposing the application seeking the North Gauteng High Court to declare the practice of cadre deployment unconstitutional and unlawful.

The DPSA opposed an application by the Democratic Alliance against the Minister for Public Service and Administration (the Sixth Respondent) in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, under case No 31418/2022, to declare Chapter IV of the Public Service Act 103 of 1994 to be inconsistent with the Constitution. The costs expended by the DPSA, to date in this regard, is R 450 340-00.

The High Court ordered that the Democratic Alliance pay the costs of the Sixth Respondent in this matter. The order is being appealed by the Democratic Alliance and if the Appeal is dismissed, the DPSA will recover the amounts so taxed.

2. Public funds were not expended by the DPSA to defend the policy of a political party.

The DPSA opposed the application by the Democratic Alliance against the Minister for Public Service and Administration in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, under case No 31418/2022, which sought to declare Chapter IV of the Public Service Act 103 of 1994 to be inconsistent with the Constitution, on the basis that-

  1. the Minister for the Public Service and Administration was cited by the Democratic Alliance as the Sixth Respondent;
  2. the Minister is responsible for the administration of the Public Service Act, 1994;
  3. the provisions of the Public Service Act were affected by the recourse sought by the Democratic Alliance in declaring the Act unconstitutional; and
  4. the DPSA was required to respond and place a case before the Court on the incorrectness of the allegation by the Democratic Alliance with regard to the unconstitutionality of the Public Service Act.

In this regard, the High Court found that there was “no valid constitutional attack” and the case of the Democratic Alliance must therefore be rejected.

End

11 March 2024 - NW321

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George, Dr DT to ask the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition

Whether, considering the participation of the delegation of the Republic in the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2024 that took place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, from 15 to 19 January 2024, his department bore the financial responsibility for the expenses of its representatives in terms of (a) accommodation, (b) air travel, (c) ground transportation and (d) any other ancillary expenses, if so, what are the relevant details in terms of the (i) total cost and (ii) breakdown thereof, if not (2) Whether the specified expense were covered by funds received from the National Treasury, if not, what is the position in this regard, if so, what are the relevant details? NW364E

Reply:

The World Economic Forum (WEF) 2024, which took place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, from 15 to 19 January 2024, provided South Africa an opportunity to engage international investors and policy-makers.

I was accompanied by the Acting DDG Invest SA and two DTIC permanent representatives to Geneva. The department’s appropriated budget covered all expenses.

The engagements and activities included

  • More than 15 separate sessions with investors in sectors such as beverages, transport-logistics, energy, steel, engineering and retail.
  • Meetings with a number of trade and economic ministers from across the world, including Norway, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Netherlands and Oman and with government advisors from Nigeria
  • A meeting with the European Union Vice President and Trade Commissioner on SA-EU trade matters and on the WTO
  • A session with a US Senator, covering SA-US trade and investment relations
  • Participating as a speaker in panels dealing with development and with SMME promotion in value-chains
  • A ‘South Africa Investment’ session hosted by Bloomberg
  • Separate meetings with the Director General of the WTO and with the Secretary General of the AfCFTA
  • Participation in a number of briefing sessions on global policy matters, including by the Premier of China and the US Secretary of State
  • A WTO session attended by officials.

I am advised the total cost was R802 000, made up of accommodation, air travel, and ground transportation, food, subsistence and travel costs.

-END-

11 March 2024 - NW103

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Bodlani, Ms T to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies

With reference to his 2023-24 Budget Vote Speech, wherein he announced targets towards expanding Wi-Fi access across the Republic, what (a) total number of Wi-Fi hotspots have been connected by his department in the 2023-24 financial year in each (i) district and (ii) province, (b) is the rate of internet connectivity and (i) in each province and (ii) in the Republic as at 1 January 2024?

Reply:

I have been informed by the Department as follows:-a) 231

  1. See table below
  2. See table below

b) As of 1st January 2024, Broadband Infraco achieved 9 056 household connectivity and 231 community WiFi hotspots in various district municipalities as indicated below:

i) Province

ii) District Municipality

Total HH Connections

HH Connections Speeds Tested

Total WiFi Hotspot

HH Connections Speeds Tested

Eastern Cape

Joe Gqabi District

1284

5-10 Mbps

16

10-80 Mbps

 

Sarah Baartman

400

5-10 Mbps

0

-

 

Buffalo City

317

5-10 Mbps

0

-

Limpopo

Waterberg

1003

5-10 Mbps

3

10-80 Mbps

 

Vhembe

101

5-10 Mbps

0

-

Free State

Fezile Dabi

398

5-10 Mbps

1

10-80 Mbps

 

Xhariep

501

5-10 Mbps

19

10-80 Mbps

KwaZulu- Natal

Harry Gwala

1753

5-10 Mbps

67

10-80 Mbps

 

Ugu

1512

5-10 Mbps

90

10-80 Mbps

North-West

Dr Kenneth Kaunda

0

-

0

-

 

Dr Ruth S Mompati

0

-

0

-

Northern Cape

John Taolo Gaetsewe

0

-

0

-

 

Namakwa

0

-

0

-

 

ZF Mgcawu

0

-

0

-

Gauteng

Sedibeng

700

5-10 Mbps

0

-

 

West Rand

1087

5-10 Mbps

35

10-80 Mbps

Western Cape

Overberg

0

-

0

-

 

West Coast

0

-

0

-

Total Connections Achieved on BAF

9 056

-

231

-

Thank you

11 March 2024 - NW279

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Bodlani, Ms T to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies

(1)Whether he terminated the membership of six board members at the State Information Technology Agency SOC Ltd in July 2023, due to a disagreement relating to the remuneration increase awarded to a certain person (name and details furnished); if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether he will furnish Ms T Bodlani with the salary grade of the specified person upon assumption of duties in April 2023 up to the departure of the person in December 2023; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW316E

Reply:

1. Five members of the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) SOC Ltd board resigned and two have been retained into the current board. The former representative of the Department of Public Service and Administration was recalled by their Minister. Only three board members were dismissed in July 2023. This followed the Cabinet guidance to reprimand them after they had violated the SITA Memorandum of Incorporation and went against the Cabinet resolution that had already considered and approved the salary of the Managing Director.

2. Yes. The salary grade for the CEO upon assumption of duties in April 2023 up to the departure in December 2023 was above maximum Paterson Band F3.

Thank you

08 March 2024 - NW303

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Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

(1)With regard to the emergency generators received from China, (a) what is the breakdown of the total number of generators that were allocated to his department and (b) how were these generators allocated to various entities within his department; (2) (a) how were these generators transported to their final destinations and (b) what (i) are the full details of the service providers who transported the generators and (ii) is the total cost of transporting these generators; (3) whether his department is responsible for the provision and procurement of diesel for the generators; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details, including the cost of the diesel used to date; (4) how many of the generators that reached their destination are (a) installed and functional and (b) yet to be installed?

Reply:

1. a) The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD) and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) was not allocated emergency generators received from China.

b) Not applicable.

2. a) Not applicable

b) i) Not applicable

ii) Not applicable

3. Not applicable.

4. a) Not applicable

b) Not applicable.

08 March 2024 - NW305

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Halse, Ms T to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

What is his department doing to ensure that municipal administrations stop inflating electricity tariffs through the gap between the approval of tariffs in Council and approval from National Energy Regulator of South Africa?

Reply:

  1. Subsequent to the tariff approvals, NERSA requests tariff schedules from municipalities and compares them with the approved tariffs to ensure that the correct tariffs are being charged to customers. Further to this, when municipal compliance audits are conducted, NERSA checks the approved tariffs against the implemented tariffs to ensure that there are no discrepancies. It must, however, be noted that municipalities charge surcharges in addition to the NERSA-approved tariffs. Such surcharges fall outside of NERSA’s regulatory mandate.

08 March 2024 - NW69

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Cuthbert, Mr MJ to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

(1) Whether he will furnish Mr M J Cuthbert with a full list of (a) completed and (b) outstanding applications for (i) mining rights, (ii) prospecting rights and (iii) mining permits that were received in each province in the 2023-24 financial year; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether he will provide reasons for the delay in each outstanding application; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

(1)(a)(b) & (2) Please refer to the attached Annexure A and B.

08 March 2024 - NW156

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Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises

With reference to Eskom’s Tarriffs and Charges Booklet 2023-24 there is no Tariff 1 scale applicable to normal prepaid meters, (a) what are the reasons that the specified tariff scaleis not included in the above-mentioned booklet (b) where can consumers find the specified information readily available (c) who determines the scale and (d) what scale is applied to smart meters? (2) Whether smart meters use more electricity than ordinary prepaid meters; if so, what (a) are the reasons for the difference in electricity usage and (b) steps will be taken to mitigate such a difference?

Reply:

According to Information Received from Eskom:

(1)(a)(b)(c)(d)

Eskom does not have tariffs based on the metering type. Therefore, Eskom tariffs published in the Eskom tariff book are the same for both prepaid and billed supplies and there are no tariffs that are specifically specified as “prepaid”. For example, a customer could be on Homelight 60A and take supply through either a prepaid meter or a post-paid account. They will pay the same tariff as published. Some tariffs may only be available on prepaid metering, but only a tariff scale is published, as there are no tariffs based on the metering type, whether it is a conventional meter, a prepaid meter, or a smart meter.

The tariff structure used would take into account the capability of a meter for example, can the meter measure time of use or import an export energy.

(2)(a)(b)

Smart meters do not use more electricity than ordinary prepaid meters. All meters are subjected to the same accuracy and testing in accordance with SANS 62053-21 and calibrated in accordance with SANS 474.

 

Remarks: Approved / Not Approved/Comments

Ms Jacky Molisane PJ Gordhan, MP

Acting Director-General Minister

Date: Date:

08 March 2024 - NW242

Profile picture: Powell, Ms EL

Powell, Ms EL to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

Republic against the State of Israel at the International Court of Justice; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) total amount in Rand has her department contributed to the Republic’s litigation in the specified matter and (b) are the relevant details of the items covered by the specified total amount?

Reply:

It is not possible at this stage to provide conclusive details regarding the total Rand amount contributed by the Department in the litigation before the ICJ as it is an ongoing matter and all invoices have not yet been received. Notwithstanding, the Department has contributed to costs related to the following:

  • Legal fees of Counsel;
  • Transport (as per departmental policies);
  • Accommodation (as per departmental policies);
  • Foreign subsistence and travel allowances (as per departmental policies).

08 March 2024 - NW334

Profile picture: De Villiers, Mr JN

De Villiers, Mr JN to ask the Minister of Finance

What are the full details of all (a) sponsorships, (b) donations and (c) financial transfers provided for lawfare and/or any other purposes to (i) him, (ii) the National Treasury and (iii) officials of the National Treasury by any (aa) Qatari, (bb) Iranian and/or (cc) Russian organ of state, organisation and/or resident since 1 January 2021 up to the latest date in 2024 for which information is available?

Reply:

 

(i)

Minister of Finance

(ii)

National Treasury

(iii)

National Treasury Officials

(a) Sponsorships

None

None

None

(b) Donations

     

(c) Financial transfers

     

(aa) Qatari

None

None

None

(bb) Iranian

     

(cc) Russian organ of state, organisation and/or resident

     

08 March 2024 - NW287

Profile picture: Spies, Ms ERJ

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

With regard to the Community Works Programme, what is the total number of (a) cases of sexual harassment and gender-based violence that have been reported and (b) the reported cases that have been successfully prosecuted and secured a conviction for the offending parties in each of the past 10 years in each case?

Reply:

Based on the information at our disposal and in consultation with CWP sites in all provinces:

a) There were no cases of sexual harassment and gender-based violence reported.

b) Not applicable.

End.

08 March 2024 - NW236

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Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:

What progress has been made by his department to facilitate the issuing of Smart Identity Documents to (a) South Africans born abroad and (b) naturalised citizens since the undertaking of the Director-General of his department during the meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on 10 October 2023?

Reply:

a) Qualifying South Africans born abroad may apply for Smart IDs in the country, as there is no live capture solution at the embassies.

b) The Department commenced on 5 December 2023 with the pilot project of issuance of Smart ID Cards to naturalised citizens. This process involves the verification of the issued naturalisation certificates. Communication through email, WhatsApp, and letters have been sent to naturalised citizens to visit any DHA office.

END

08 March 2024 - NW82

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Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

(1)What (a) progress has been made by the Council for Scientific and Industry Research (CSIR) on the development of an IT system for his department in five designated offices to address network challenges and (b) are the (i) main deliverables and (ii) due dates for each deliverable; (2) whether there are any sub-contractors involved in the project; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the full details of (a) the sub-contractors and (b) their contract value; (3) what are the reasons that the project did not go out on open tender?

Reply:

(1)(a) The progress made in the five designated offices is contained in the table in (b)(ii) below.

(1)(b)(i) The main deliverable of the Proof of Concept (PoC) is an overlay of the selected sites onto an alternative network.

(1)(b)(ii) The following activities were planned to achieve this deliverable: -

Activity

Responsible party

Due date

PoC site selection

CSIR + DHA

31 May 2023 (completed)

Physical PoC site surveys

CSIR

30 June 2023 (completed)

Procurement guidelines

CSIR + DHA

30 June 2023 (completed)

PoC site connection

DHA

30 June 2024 (in progress) – connections taking place in parallel, last site planned to be connected on 30 June 2024

Reporting

CSIR

30 September 2024 (in progress)

(2) CSIR did not appoint any sub-contractors; nor are there sub-contractors involved in the project. However, three service providers were appointed through an RFQ procurement process by the Department of Home Affairs in support of the CSIR project. Please refer to the contracted values below: -

Service Provider

Scope of Work

Contract value

Dark Fiber

Provide Fibre link with no services or data line (Dark fiber), as the standard to the following offices: Menlyn, Soshanguve, Umgeni, Wynberg and Potchefstroom; which terminate on an Optical Distribution Frame on either end of the link (ODF-to-ODF).

R2,896,918.00

Service Provider

Scope of Work

Contract value

Liquid Tech

Provide Fibre link with no services or data line (Dark fiber), with fibre class G652D as the standard to King Shaka International Airport which terminate on an Optical Distribution Frame on either end of the link (ODF-to-ODF).

R3,078,829.00

CBX Tech

Provide and install Nokia SAS-M 24F switch, with dual power supply (1 year Next business day onsite warranty) for the six sites.

R696,658.00

(3) The decision to deviate from the normal SCM processes and the SITA Act in the appointment of the CSIR was based on the fact the Department had requested SITA to appoint CSIR through a deviation process as the service is within the non-mandatory services to SITA, but SITA was advised by the National Treasury to let the Department transact directly with CSIR as the budget is from the Department. The Department then followed the deviation process due to the following:

• CSIR has an understanding and is familiar with the DHA IT environment;

• The project will assist with stabilising the IT environment and enable the Department to achieve its service delivery objectives; and

• The item is not a SITA mandatory service as it is intended to identify bottlenecks within the IT environment. Should the CSIR recommend new developments, SITA will be approached as the IT procurement agency of the State.

The Department operates in the security cluster and security considerations dictate the use of another Government entity / institution to conduct the systems downtime diagnostics rather than any bidder in the open market.

END

08 March 2024 - NW201

Profile picture: Montwedi, Mr Mk

Montwedi, Mr Mk to ask the Minister of Finance

What total number of (a) companies are currently registered for value-added tax (VAT), (b) the registered companies received their VAT refund and got any audit finalised within 21 days and (c)(i) companies did not get their cases resolved within 21 days and as a result did not get their refunds and (ii) what was the cause for that?

Reply:

a) The VAT register has 951 716 Active VAT Vendors as at 16 February 2024. VAT vendors include Companies, Individuals, Trusts and other entities such as welfare organisations, municipalities etc. The below information therefore pertains to all VAT vendors.

b) 448 117 VAT refunds have been paid between 1 April 2023 and 16 February 2024. Of the 448 117 VAT Refunds paid, 336 608 (75.71%) were paid within 21 days. 128 513 VAT Refunds were stopped for verification. Of the 128 513 VAT Refunds that were stopped for verification, 55 373 were resolved and paid out within 21 days.

c) (i) Of the 128 513 VAT Refunds that were stopped for verification, 73 140 VAT Refunds were paid in more than 21 days.

(ii) There are many reasons that cause the delay of refund payments. The delays emanate from SARS as well as taxpayers. On the SARS side, these include amongst others, increased instances of impermissible VAT refund claims that put additional strain on SARS’ already constrained capacity. National Treasury has made funding available to SARS to secure additional temporary resources with effect from December 2023. Improvements in the finalisation of verifications are therefore being realised.

On the side of taxpayers, qualifying VAT refunds are not processed due to amongst others invalid banking details provided by taxpayers and outstanding returns. In the latter instance, the relevant provisions contained in the Value-Added Tax Act (No. 89 of 1991) read together with the Tax Administration Act (No.28 of 2011) provide for the withholding of refunds until such time that the vendor has submitted all outstanding returns.

SARS continues to engage taxpayers in these instances to attend to these issues.

08 March 2024 - NW217

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Lekota, Mr M to ask the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition

(1)Whether the Government had created or is in the process of creating a retrofitting ecosystem for transitioning from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) through the development of (a) a white paper and strategic frameworks, (b) tax breaks and (c) subsidies and/or grants for converting ICE vehicles to EVs, thereby (i) establishing safety standards for retrofitting processes, (ii) working closely with component manufacturers, (iii) encouraging partnerships to develop cost-effective retrofit kits, (iv) promoting retrofitting technologies and (v) collaborating with universities and research institutions; if not, why not; if so, what ecosystem is being created; (2) whether he has created an ecosystem to help young persons in large numbers to acquire the skills to help present owners of cars to retrofit them as EVs; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW228E

Reply:

(1) Retrofitting in the automotive industry refers to the practice of replacing internal combustion engines (ICE) in vehicles with an electric motor and large storage batteries, making them electric vehicles (EVs). This practice thus means that an old or used vehicle is fitted with modified or new equipment for alternative propulsion than initially designed for.

In the case of retrofitting, the manufacturer of the original vehicle provides no warranty or assurance of its integrity as the fitment of non-original parts generally compromises the vehicle as it deviates from the original specifications for safety and other parameters.

The government focuses on supporting the mass production of new vehicles that can be distributed globally and meet stringent homologation requirements. Vehicle assemblers provide warranties on their originally-built vehicles and components thus giving consumers relative comfort and confidence that such vehicles are of acceptable and good standard.

 

a) In light of the above, government has collaborated with key stakeholders including vehicle assembler OEMs, Component Manufacturers and other stakeholders such as Research institutions in developing an EV White Paper that was published in December 2023. This White Paper seeks to create an environment supportive to investment for and production of electric vehicles and components in response to the global transition from ICE to EVs.

b) The National Treasury has announced through the Budget Speech on the 22 February 2024, the introduction of a tax support mechanism for EV production with effect from April 2026. Details of this tax support will be published in due course following the adoption of implementation guidelines.

c) EV manufacturing will in addition to the tax support also benefit from the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP). The APDP supports the manufacturing of vehicles on a completely knock-down basis and not retrofitting.

The objectives of the EV White Paper are to:

• Provide additional investment funding to attract investment in the local production of electric vehicles and components.

• Promote access for these locally produced vehicles to regional and global markets.

• Deepen the automotive value chain by promoting regional cooperation for the local beneficiation of critical minerals.

• Promote uptake of locally produced vehicles through fleets including government.

• Develop requisite skills to support the transition to electric vehicles through partnerships with industry and academic institutions.

(i) Ensuring safety standards is critical for the transition to EV production. Therefore, all EV vehicles will be homologated in line with applicable regulations of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS).

(ii) The vehicle component manufacturers represented by the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) are key stakeholders in the growth of the local automotive industry. Thus, they continued to be actively involved in the development of the framework for the transition to EVs. The component manufacturing industry accounts for the lion's share of jobs in the automotive industry, over 70% of the total employment in the automotive industry in 2022.

(iii) The success of the transition requires all stakeholders to continue to work collaboratively to navigate this challenging transition and transform it into an opportunity for growth, sustainability, and economic vitality. There is an established industry stakeholder engagement platform called the Executive Oversight Committee (EOC) to oversee the implementation of the SAAM 2035. Its mandate will be expanded to include overseeing the implementation of the EV White Paper. Therefore, there is a requirement for the active participation of additional stakeholders including those in Logistics (rail and electricity), technology developers (innovation, research, and technology commercialisation), EV support infrastructure (charging facilities providers, emergency services providers). It will also include those involved in marketing SA capabilities to position South Africa as a production and demand destination for EVs and related components.

(iv) Technology changes are at the core of this transition. This includes the introduction of new raw materials and components, while some ICE-specific components are expected to become obsolete over time. These changes in the supply chain are resulting in the re-organisation of the global value chain with the growing importance of locations that can supply EV-specific components.

(v) the dtic has collaborated with Research institutions and entities mainly as service providers during the development of the EV White paper which is the culmination of substantial research and engagement over the last number of years and follows the publication of a green paper in 2021, a process of receiving public comments, which have been integrated into the policy actions to be taken. This collaboration continues during the transition to EV production.

(2) The EV White Paper focusses on the manufacturing of electric vehicles and their components rather than on retrofitting used vehicles. This focus will mitigate potential job-losses due to the transition to e-mobility as EVs have fewer components and also ensure that South Africa remains a viable manufacturing location in the global setting.

The EV transition requires new certification programs and extensive reskilling to produce and use the associated new technologies. To this end, the industry has completed a Comprehensive Skills Gap Analysis that covers the Labour Market Analysis which gives the future occupations, and the Competency Analysis which gives the future competencies. To address the skills gaps, five roadmaps have been developed.

As part of the implementation of the roadmaps, MerSETA, the Department of Higher Education, and the automotive industry are developing the EV curriculum and certificate. The main beneficiaries will be young people with the automotive industry setting a target of 10 000 learnerships and apprenticeships by 2035.

-END-

08 March 2024 - NW158

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Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Finance

(1)Whether the Pension Redress Programme by Government Employees Pension Fund is still ongoing; if not, why not; if so, what is the total number of applications that (a) were received to date, (b) have been finalised and (c) remain to be finalised; (2) whether he will furnish Ms S J Graham with the latest update on the application of Ms Sheila Cathleen Lewis [details furnished]?

Reply:

The Pension Redress Programme was an initiative negotiated and agreed to by parties to the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) through Resolution 7 of 1998. The programme aimed to address discriminatory practices by recognising non-contributory service as pensionable service for employees affected by past discrimination. The programme's implementation period started on 29 November 2002 and concluded on 31 July 2012, following PSCBC Resolution 3 of 2012, which set the final application deadline as 31 March 2012. The resolution of the programme was further defined under PSCBC Resolution 2 of 2018, which detailed the compensation methodology and marked the formal conclusion of the redress process for qualifying applicants.

Applications for the redress programme were submitted via the PSCBC. The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) acted as the payment facilitator for the redress payouts but was not the initiating body of the programme. The decisions regarding the programme's commencement, operational framework, and conclusion were determined within the PSCBC framework, with the Government Pension Administration Agency (GPAA) responsible for processing applications and implementing payments. As such, the GEPF would not be able to comment on the reasons for the programme's conclusion beyond the PSCBC resolutions.

a) Applications received to date

The PSCBC received a total of 150,444 applications of which 72 335 applications were identified as qualifying for the redress benefit. An independent audit was conducted to ensure the verification process was complete, fair, and accurate. This process involved a detailed review to distinguish between qualifying applicants, error cases, and those not meeting the eligibility criteria. Following the completion of the audit process, 53,717 records were identified as qualifying applicants and 18,618 error cases were noted.

As part of the implementation process, the GPAA undertook a meticulous re-verification of cases against the resolutions and pensionable periods recorded on the administration system. This was to ensure the utmost accuracy and fairness in the redress allocation. This re-verification process led to various outcomes, including:

  • Error cases initially identified that later met the qualifications for approval;
  • Approved/Error cases that, upon re-verification, did not qualify due to overlapping pensionable service;

As a result of this thorough process, the total number of approved cases was updated to 58,324, with the initial 17,045 error cases undergoing further review. Hence a total of 75 369 applications have been processed to date.

b) Applications that have been finalised

Of the initially approved cases, 58,123 applications have been finalised and processed for redress. Of the error cases revisited, 5,982 (35%) were reclassified from error to approved, 6,348 (37%) remained as error cases, and 4,715 (28%) were determined not to qualify (DNQ), hence a total of 68 820 have been finalised.

c) Remain to be finalised;

As we continue to work towards the finalisation of the Pension Redress Programme, a small fraction of cases remains outstanding. Specifically, of the approved cases, 201 remain unresolved. Additionally, 6,348 cases have not been resolved due to their initial classification as error cases. A targeted approach has been implemented to address these error cases, involving the redistribution of error letters by the GPAA to facilitate departmental engagements and case resolutions.

Moreover, there are a small number of members who, despite applying within the stipulated timeframe, were not included in the final costing of the Redress Programme. These cases, while few, are being carefully reviewed, and are addressed on a case-by-case basis.

The GEPF is committed to concluding these remaining cases with diligence and fairness, ensuring every eligible member receives due redress.

08 March 2024 - NW113

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Krumbock, Mr GR to ask the Minister of Finance

Whether any guests travelling aboard an aircraft returning to South Africa from any state visit to the State of Qatar in 2023 made any foreign currency declarations on their return from those meetings; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

The provision of Section 15(1)(a) and (b) of the Customs and Excise Act, 1964, respectively provides that any person entering or leaving the Republic must declare all goods (including goods of another person) upon his person or in his possession on entering the Republic or before leaving the Republic. Goods according to Customs and Excise Act includes currency.

Noting the request from parliament, Section 4(3) Customs and Excise Act, 1964, prohibits the Commissioner and/or SARS officials from disclosing any information relating to any person, firm or business acquired in the performance of SARS duties. Accordingly, SARS is not able to disclose information requested to the Minister and Parliament.

08 March 2024 - NW331

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Bond, Mr M to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

What are the full details of all (a) sponsorships, (b) donations and (c) financial transfers provided for lawfare and/or any other purposes to (i) her, (ii) her department and (iii) officials of her department by any (aa) Qatari, (bb) Iranian and/or (cc) Russian organ of state, organisation and/or resident since 1 January 2021 up to the latest date in 2024 for which information is available?

Reply:

(aa) Qatar:

In May 2022, the state of Qatar donated food, equipment and other support for the victims of the April and May floods in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The donations were facilitated by the Departments of Cooperative Governance and Social Development. On Sunday 29 May 2022, the Province of KZN received the attached consignment as a donation from the State of Qatar. The equipment and goods were facilitated and distributed through designated provincial structures and mechanisms. Therefore, this donation was not presented to the (i) Minister of Cooperative and Traditional Affairs, (ii) the department or (iii) officials of the Department.

(bb) Iran:

Neither the (i) Minister of Cooperative and Traditional Affairs, (ii) the department nor (iii) officials of the Department received (a) sponsorships, (b) donations and (c) financial transfers provided for lawfare and/or any other purposes.

(cc) Russian:

In September 2023, during the BRICS meeting of Ministers responsible for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Minister of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM) from the Russian Federation, Mr Aleksandr Kurenkov, presented to the Minister of COGTA, a bouquet of flowers and a vase from ERMERCOM.

End.

08 March 2024 - NW306

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Bergman, Mr D to ask the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition

What were the outcomes of the eight disciplinary referrals made by the Special Investigating Unit to the National Lottery Commission against their own employees? NW347E

Reply:

The National Lotteries Commission has furnished me with the attached response to the question.

-END-

08 March 2024 - NW90

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Phillips, Ms C to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

Whether, in light of the Auditor-General’s Consolidated Generals Report on National and Provincial Audit Outcomes 2022-23, which indicates a material irregularity of a likely loss of R296 million in relation to fees for prospecting licences, permits and rights that were not collected between April 2020 and March 2023, the licences, permits and rights were awarded without the relevant fees being paid; if not, what were the reasons that fees were not collected; if so, what are the reasons that this was allowed?

Reply:

Prospecting licences, permits and rights were awarded between April 2020 and March 2023. Prospecting Right holders are obliged to pay prospecting fees in terms of section 19(2)(f) of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act 28 of 2002) (as amended) (hereinafter referred to as the MPRDA). According to section 76(2) of the MPRDA Regulations a holder of a Prospecting Right must pay prospecting fees annually in advance and not later than 30 days from the commencement date of such right and thereafter not later than 30 days following the anniversary of each respective year of the right for the duration thereof.

Prospecting right holders usually pay the initial fees when the right is issued, however they fail to pay annual fees in subsequent years due to a variety of reasons. These include less than promising results from initial prospecting rounds compared to expended financial resources and in some cases delinquency on the part of right holders.

Despite efforts from each of the Regions to collect outstanding fees, some right holders failed to respond. These were escalated to State Attorneys for collection and in some cases, there was a positive response. In others, the Department failed to get response. In some cases, holders were not traceable and there were no activities on the site. In other limited cases the Directors were deceased.

08 March 2024 - NW302

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Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Health

(1)With regard to the emergency generators received from China, what is the full breakdown of the total number of generators that were allocated to (a) his department as a whole and (b) the provincial departments; (2) (a) how were these generators transported to their final destinations and (b) what (i) are the full details of the service providers who transported the generators and (ii) is the total cost of transporting these generators; (3) whether his department is responsible for the provision and procurement of diesel for the generators; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details, including the cost of the diesel used to date; (4) how many of the generators that reached their destination are (a) installed and functional and (b) yet to be installed?

Reply:

1. (a) The National Department of Health has received 306 generators.

(b) 34 generators per province. In order to meet the minimum demand for each clinic, it’s going to be two generators per clinic. 6KW x 2 = 12KW. Therefore, it’s going to be 19 clinics earmarked for the generators.

2. (a) The National Department of Health is currently finalising the procurement process. The procurement process covers both the collection and installation of the generators directly to the main electrical distribution board of the clinics.

(b) (i) The details of the Service Providers will be provided after the completion of the procurement process.

(ii) the total cost will also be provided after the completion of the procurement process.

3. The National Department of Health will ensure that there is enough budget allocation for the fuel consumption of generators across the country. Currently, there is no fuel expenditure on these new generators.

4. (a) None installed yet.

(b) 306 to be installed.

END.

08 March 2024 - NW91

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Phillips, Ms C to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

(1) With reference to the Auditor-General’s Consolidated Generals Report on National and Provincial Audit Outcomes 2022-23, which indicates a material irregularity of a likely loss of R296 million in relation to fees for prospecting, licences, permits and rights that were not collected between April 2020 and March 2023, what total amount of the R296 million is owed to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy in the North West, (2) what is the total amount owed in fees by companies who applied for (a) prospecting rights, (b) licences and (c) permits in the Bojanala area; (3) whether the licences and permits will be withdrawn as a result of the non payment of fees; if not, why not; if so, on what date will they be withdrawn; (4) whether the interested and/or affected parties will be notified that their licences and permits have been withdrawn; if not, why not; if so, (a) how and (b) on what date?

Reply:

1. Prospecting licences, permits and rights were awarded between April 2020 and March 2023. Prospecting Right holders are obliged to pay prospecting fees in terms of section 19(2)(f) of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act 28 of 2002) (as amended) (hereinafter referred to as the MPRDA). According to section 76(2) of the MPRDA Regulations a holder of a Prospecting Right must pay prospecting fees annually in advance and not later than 30 days from the commencement date of such right and thereafter not later than 30 days following the anniversary of each respective year of the right for the duration thereof.

Prospecting right holders usually pay the initial fees when the right is issued, however they fail to pay annual fees in subsequent years due to a variety of reasons.

  • Non commencement of prospecting activities and inactive prospecting rights
  • Frivolous applications with a view to speculate with the right
  • Less than promising results from initial prospecting rounds compared to prospecting costs incurred
  • In some cases delinquency on the part of right holders.
  • Right holders entered business rescue or the holder of the rights are liquidated
  • Non traceable right holders
  • Relinquishment of rights without notifying the regulator

2. The total amount of debt relating to Bojanala district right holders’ debt is approximately R510 079.62

3. Prospecting rights can be cancelled after all administrative process have been followed. The right holders are informed on their default in payment of prospecting fees. An order/instruction is then issued in terms of section 93 of the MPRDA non-complying right holders to demand payment. If the right holder fails to make payment, section 47 (intention to cancel the right) is issued. A specific date cannot be determined as this is an ongoing process.

4. The right holder is notified once the right has been cancelled. A specific date cannot be determined as this is an ongoing process.

08 March 2024 - NW286

Profile picture: Spies, Ms ERJ

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

What is the total (a) amount that has been spent on the Community Works Programme, (b) number of people who have benefited from the specified programme and (c) amount that has been paid to implementing partners for the programme in each of the past five financial years in each case?

Reply:

a) For the past five years, the CWP spent as follows:

Financial year

Budget

Expenditure

% Spent

2022/23

4,295,349,000

3,828,768,000

89%

2021/22

4,205,153,000

3,525,647,000

84%

2020/21

4,098,622,000

3,482,391,000

85%

2019/20

3,834,288,000

3,832,114,000

100%

2018/19

3,851,123,000

3,328,642,000

86%

b) From the past five years, the following number participants benefited from the programme:

  1. 2023/24 - 255 000
  2. 2022/23 - 254 700
  3. 2021/22 - 252 018
  4. 2020/21 - 259 065
  5. 2019/20 - 250 011

c) The amount paid to Implementing Agents in the past five years is as follows:

2023/24 financial year - no advances paid as Implementing Agents (IAs) were not contracted in this financial year.

Contract period: 01 October 2021- 31 March 2023

IA

Advances Paid to IAs

Spent by IAs

Balance

South African Youth Movement

R83,062,750.42

-R83,062,750.42

R0.00

Insika Foundation

R54,164,282.00

-R53,037,310.64

R1,126,971.36

Thembalethu Development

R35,280,520.85

-R35,212,305.99

R68,214.86

Green Development Foundation

R41,396,955.81

-R41,092,516.53

R304,439.28

Seboka Training & Support Network

R14,833,467.93

-R14,833,467.93

R0.00

National Youth Development Agency

R59,313,545.94

-R59,313,545.94

R0.00

TOTAL

R288,051,522.95

-R286,551,897.45

R1,499,625.50

Contract period: 01 April 2018- 30 September 2021

IA

Advances Paid to IAs

Spent by IAs

Balance

Thembalethu Development

R473,211,793.24

-R474,067,031.15

-R855,237.91

Insika Foundation

R531,665,053.09

-R534,935,980.71

-R3,270,927.62

Joubert Park Outreach Project

R316,568,960.26

-R319,980,177.23

-R3,411,216.97

Seboka Training and Network

R253,661,457.61

-R254,973,285.13

-R1,311,827.52

3L Development

R158,656,284.02

-R156,384,027.27

R2,272,256.75

South African Youth Movement

R336,658,079.31

-R333,723,145.64

R2,934,933.67

Beaulah Africa

R164,197,948.80

-R161,169,692.62

R3,028,256.18

NPO Iketsetse

R97,661,360.80

-R89,662,377.24

R7,998,983.56

AIDS Foundation

R63,450,737.92

-R62,224,209.54

R1,226,528.38

Icembe Foundation

R18,797,125.66

-R15,396,762.22

R3,400,363.44

Out the Box

R9,867,722.77

-R8,545,572.57

R1,322,150.20

TOTAL

R2,424,396,523.48

-R2,411,062,261.32

R13,334,262.16

Total Advances Paid to IAs Over the Past 5 Years

Total Spent by IAs Over the Past 5 Years (Incl. Retention Fees Paid)

R2,769,827,247.96

R2,754,993,360.30

End.

08 March 2024 - NW294

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George, Dr DT to ask the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition

(a) What are the reasons that there has been a delay in tabling a resolution for the accession of the Republic to the Marrakesh VIP Treaty and (b) how does the delay align with the commitment to uphold the rights of the visually impaired?

Reply:

a) Because an international agreement will be binding on South Africa, the country must be able to maintain its international obligations in terms of the Treaty to which it has acceded. In order to accede to the Marrakesh Treaty, it is necessary therefore to finalise amendments to the Copyright Act, Act 98 of 1978. The Copyright Amendment Bill that addresses these matters was passed by the National Assembly recently, for referral to the President for assent.

b) The Constitutional Court found Section 13 of the Copyright Act to be unconstitutional. In its order, the court read into the Copyright Act, 1978 an exception that allows persons who are blind and visually impaired to convert published works into accessible formats without the consent of the copyright holder. The judgment thus offered the blind and visually impaired remedies with immediate effect. This exception is valid for a period of 2 years until 20 September 2024 pending the approval of the Copyright Amendment Bill, to ensure that the rights of the blind and visually impaired are not compromised. Clause 19D of the Copyright Amendment Bill extends to persons with disabilities such as learning disabilities, dyslexia etc and not only for the blind and visually impaired.

-END-

08 March 2024 - NW304

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Halse, Ms T to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

(1) What is the total number of municipalities that submit to National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) for approval of the electricity tariffs adopted in Council within the required time frames for approval; (2) does NERSA compare the minutes of the Council meeting to check if the adopted electricity tariffs are the same as those transferred to the NERSA form for adoption; if not, why not, if so, what is the total number of discrepancies that have been identified?

Reply:

(1) NERSA has 176 licensed distributors, 12 of which are private distributors. The 164 municipal distributors submit tariff applications to NERSA annually, prior to the 1 July implementation date. Although some municipalities occasionally submit their applications late, NERSA always follows up with such municipalities in an effort to have the approvals finalised by 1 July.

(2) Subsequent to the tariff approvals, NERSA requests tariff schedules from municipalities and compares them with the approved tariffs to ensure that the correct tariffs are being charged to customers.

Further to this, NERSA conducts compliance audits on the licenced distributors annually. This is done to ensure compliance with NERSA’s licence conditions, which, among others, relates to verifying whether licenced distributors implement NERSA-approved tariffs.

It must be noted that NERSA does not analyse the minutes of the Council meeting to check whether the adopted electricity tariffs are the same as those that have been transferred to the NERSA form for tariff application, as NERSA believes that the submission for tariff applications is made and signed off by the highest officer of the municipality, which represents the decision of the Council.

NERSA, therefore, does not undertake to verify the decision made by the Council. This is also done to avoid the further lengthening of the tariff approval process.

08 March 2024 - NW249

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Hlengwa, Mr M to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

What interventions and/or steps are being taken by the Government through her department to engage the federal government of the United States (US) on the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act, which was introduced on 6 February 2024 in the US House of Representatives seeking to review South Africa’s bilateral relations with the US, following the ruling of the International Court of Justice in the case Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v Israel)?

Reply:

There are continuous engagements, at various levels, between the South African Government and the United States Government, as well as with Congress and various other domestic stakeholders. On 26 January 2024, Minister Pandor had a telecon with Secretary of State, Mr Antony Blinken, to discuss South Africa-US bilateral relations, with a specific focus on the state of global affairs, including a reflection on the genocide case between South Africa and Israel that is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Hague.

On 21 February 2024, President Ramaphosa engaged a bipartisan and bicameral Congressional delegation in Cape Town on the status and future of the bilateral relationship, as well as geopolitical issues, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and South Africa’s case at the ICJ involving Israel. The President used the opportunity to reinforce the importance of the bilateral relationship with the US, including in the areas of trade, investment, and health cooperation. The President further explained South Africa’s non-aligned position as a catalyst for peace and conflict-resolution and provided a briefing on the foundational values that inform South Africa’s foreign policy.

There are also ongoing engagements at the level of the South African Ambassador in Washington DC with the Administration, Congress, the private sector, and civil society organisations. In all the above engagements, both sides have emphasised the importance of refocussing attention on strengthening the bilateral relationship for mutual benefit and the need for respect and open dialogue on areas of divergence and common concern.

08 March 2024 - NW271

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Ngcobo, Mr S to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Considering that a 2021 Statistics South African report revealed that approximately one million learners nationwide experienced violence, corporal punishment and/or verbal abuse at school and that, shockingly, 71% of the affected learners were between eight and 10 years old, what measures has her department implemented since then to ensure the safety of both learners and teachers in schools?

Reply:

The Department of Basic Education have a number of ongoing strategies and programmes to curb violence in schools, including the following:

1.    National School Safety Framework
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Provincial Education Departments continue to implement the National School Safety Framework (NSSF), which is a guiding framework in addressing all forms of violent incidences in schools including drug abuse. The NSSF empowers schools to identify and manage all safety threats in schools, establish school safety committees comprising of stakeholders such as teachers, police officers, school governing body members and learner representative council members. Furthermore, The NSSF also empowers schools to develop incident reporting mechanisms, establish collaborations with external stakeholders such as the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Social Development and civil society organisations, develop school safety plans and policies to respond to safety challenges of violence in schools for both learners and educators. Through the implementation of the NSSF, access control measures in schools are strengthened and awareness programmes on social ills by partner departments and civil society organisations are implemented in schools.

 By the end of December 2023, The following number of schools were physically trained on the NSSF: 1441 schools were trained in the North West, 3220 schools were trained in KZN, 229 schools were trained in Gauteng, 535 schools were trained in Northern Cape, 508 schools were trained in Mpumalanga, 1483 schools were trained in the Eastern Cape, 151 schools were trained in the Western Cape, 18 schools were trained in the Free State.

 The DBE together with its partner the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute further developed an NSSF digital training course for school communities, to enable access to the training anywhere in the country. The course has been accredited by the South African Council of Educators. As a result, educators will receive 15 Professional Development Points (PDP) for successfully completing the course. The DBE released a circular in September 2022, compelling all school based personnel and school safety committees to complete the digital training by 31 March 2023. To date, over 130 000 people have completed the course. 

2.    Partnership Protocol between the Department of Basic Education and the South African Police Service 
The Department also has an established Protocol with SAPS to address crime and violence in schools. The Protocol has enabled all schools to be linked to their local police stations, SAPS to conduct searches and seizures in schools and conduct crime awareness campaigns in schools. Regularly, schools work with SAPS and local community police forums and social workers to address violent incidents such as gangsterism, bullying, drug abuse and the carrying of dangerous weapons in schools. Searches and seizures of illegal drugs and dangerous weapons are also done in schools. However, these searches and seizures are only done if there is reasonable suspicion of violence in the school. 

3.    District Monitoring of School Safety Programmes
The Department further conducts annual monitoring of districts on the implementation of school safety programmes including the NSSF, the DBE and SAPS Protocol and the Prevention and Management of Bullying in Schools. In the monitoring sessions, the Department always encourages districts to conduct physical monitoring in schools, in order to determine if schools are implementing the above-mentioned school safety programmes and provide the necessary support. In the financial year of 2023-24: the Department has monitored 25 districts across nine provinces on all school safety programmes including bullying prevention in schools.


4.    Protocol to deal with Incidents of Corporal Punishment  
The Department developed and published a Protocol to Deal with Incidences of Corporal Punishment in schools to highlight the abolishment of corporal punishment in schools and to provide provinces, districts and schools with guidance on how to deal with issues of corporal punishment should such cases arise. The protocol foregrounds the following:
•   The steps to be taken by provincial, district, circuit and school SMT in reporting the incidents of corporal punishment in schools.
•   The complaints procedures are outlined and the measures to be taken at every level of the system are explicit and include the labour relations processes in response to perpetrators of corporal punishment as well as sexual abuse and harassment.
•   In line with the NSSF, the Protocol further supports schools in ensuring safe and supportive learning environments that use protective behaviour, positive discipline, restorative justice and positive behaviour intervention support systems.

The Protocol has been printed and distributed to provinces, districts and schools across the country. In complementing the Protocol, some Provincial Educational Department have trained schools on Alternatives to Corporal Punishment in schools. 

5.    Inter-Departmental Campaign on the prevention of Violence, Bullying, Corporal Punishment, Gender-Based Violence, Learner Pregnancy, Drugs and Substance Abuse
The Department and its partner Departments: Social Development, Health, Justice and Constitutional Development, Correctional Services, the South African Police Service, Home Affairs, The Presidency and the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies have also embarked on an Inter-Departmental Campaign on Violence Prevention. This Campaign raises awareness on issues such as the prevention of bullying, corporal punishment, gender-based violence, learner pregnancy and drugs and substance abuse in schools. The Campaign has been championed by the Deputy Minister of Basic Education and is supported by other Deputy Ministers from the partner Departments. The Campaign has been targeting districts with high levels of crime and violence known as hot spots. The Campaign mobilizes school communities (educators, learners, School Governing Bodies, ward councillors, parents and civil society organisations) to fight crime and violence in schools, collectively. In addition, the Campaign further includes build up events that take groups of learners through priority content areas related to violence prevention; including prevention of bullying, corporal punishment, gender-based violence, drugs and substance abuse.


To date, the Campaign has been rolled out in six provinces: Gauteng (Gauteng West District), Limpopo (Sekhukhune East District), Mpumalanga (Nkangala District), North-West (Dr Kenneth Kaunda District), Eastern Cape (Nelson Mandela) and Kwa Zulu-Natal (Pinetown District). The Department further plans to roll out the Campaign in other provinces in new financial year. The community activations include aawareness raising of the steps to take as illustrated in the Protocol for the Management and Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in Schools.

Moreover, provincial education departments in partnership with partner departments and various civil society organisations regularly conduct awareness campaigns on social ills negatively impacting schools through school assembly talks, dialogues and debates.  

6.    School Codes of Conducts 
The Department requires all schools to develop learner codes of conduct in consultation with the school governing bodies and learner representative councils. The codes of conducts stipulate the rules of learner behaviour in schools and the disciplinary procedures to be undertaken after incidents of contravention are reported, and sanctions which will be undertaken against the perpetrators who are found guilty. This gives learners a sense of ownership over their school environment, and the safety of themselves and their fellow learners at school. 

7.    The National Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Alcohol and Drug Use Amongst Learners in Schools. 
The DBE and Provincial Education Departments continue to implement the National Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Alcohol and Drug Use Amongst Learners in Schools which aims to create an enabling environment for those learners who have become addicted to alcohol and drugs to access treatment, care and support services. Through the strategy, schools are empowered to conduct drug testing, and manage learners who have tested positive accordingly. By the end of 2023; the North-West has trained 1332 schools on drug testing, while the Western Cape trained 46 schools on drug testing. Creating drug-free school environments is a key component to providing learners with a safe learning environment free of violence. 

8.    The Prevention and Management of Bullying in schools

The Provincial Education Departments have continued to train schools on the Prevention and Management of Bullying in schools. The schools have been empowered to identify various forms of bullying, identify perpetrators and victims of bullying, develop reporting mechanisms of bullying in schools and develop anti-bullying policies which are aligned to code of conducts. By the end of 2023, at least 1441 schools were trained in the North-West.  

9.    Life Orientation Curriculum
The  Department continues to implement  the Life Skills and Life Orientation curriculum in classrooms, which is the main lever for preventing violence in schools amongst learners. The DBE implements this Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement annually and it covers the following violence related topics: bullying, drugs and substance abuse, gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy prevention.

10.    Online Safety and Cyberbullying Programme 
The Department of Basic Education partnered with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DC&DT) and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and conducted awareness sessions on cyber-safety and cyberbullying in schools. The awareness sessions took place in Harry Gwala District on 23-24 November 2023 in the following schools: 

a)    Ebuta Junior Secondary School
b)    Umzimkuku Junior Secondary School
c)    DRC Junior Secondary School
d)    Stranger’s Rest Junior Secondary School
 

A total of 132 learners were reached throughout the awareness sessions. The Department will continue to work with DC&DT and other partners including Google, Films and Publications Board, Media Monitoring Africa and Meta in implementing an effective programme on online safety and cyberbullying in schools across the country.

11.    Protocol For the Management and Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in schools. 
The Department developed a Protocol for the Management and Reporting of Sexual Abuse and Harassment in schools which provides schools, districts and provinces with standard operating procedures/guidelines when addressing allegations of sexual abuse and harassment, and to specifically detail how schools must respond to reports of sexual abuse and harassment perpetrated against learners & school staff. It serves to ensure a safe, caring and enabling environment for learning and teaching, both inside and outside of the classroom. 


This protocol sets out an approach that enables educators and employees of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to identify, intervene, report and provide support to all learners who are sexually abused or harassed in school, whilst providing an appropriate response to perpetrators of all forms of sexual abuse and harassment. It has been printed and distributed to provinces. 

08 March 2024 - NW232

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Tetyana, Mr Y to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:

(1) With reference to his undertaking in his 2023-24 Home Affairs Budget Vote that his department had ordered 100 new mobile trucks to augment the ailing fleet of unused mobile units, what is the latest status report on the delivery and deployment of the new mobile service trucks; (2) whether the 100 new mobile services trucks have been operational since 1 January 2024; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

(1&2)

All one hundred (100) mobile offices have been delivered and are undergoing live capture systems’ installations and configurations and the process will be finalised by 31 March 2024. The minister will announce details of the distribution.

END

08 March 2024 - NW340

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Faber, Mr WF to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

What are the full details of all (a) sponsorships, (b) donations and (c) financial transfers provided for lawfare and/or any other purposes to (i) her, (ii) her department and (iii) officials of her department by any (aa) Qatari, (bb) Iranian and/or (cc) Russian organ of state, organisation and/or resident since 1 January 2021 up to the latest date in 2024 for which information is available?

Reply:

(aa) QATAR

a) Sponsorships

No sponsorships were received by the Minister (i), her department (ii) and officials in her department.

b) Donations

  • The Minister (i) did not receive any donation.
  • The Department (ii) facilitated the following donations from the Embassy of the State of Qatar to South Africa:

1) On 29 May 2022 the Amir of Qatar donated blankets, pillows, travel beds, mosquito nets, respirators, generators, medical consumables, kids’ sportswear etc to the value of QR471,883 which is approximately R2,4 million for flood victims in Kwazulu-Natal;

2) Donation of seeds, food, blankets, water tanks, gardening equipment, deep freezer and two cows to the Mookgopong Centre;

3) Donation of blankets, and food to the elderly homes in Mamelodi together with the Moses Mabhida Foundation on 15 February 2023;

4) Donation of blankets and soccer balls to the youth at the Kayamandi project in Cape Town;

5) Donation of two vehicles, an ambulance vehicle, medical fridges, medical equipment, microwave ovens, washing machines and laptop computer together with Nelson Mandela Foundation in support of the Qunu Clinic in Eastern Cape Province;

6) Donation of 50 laptops to benefit schools in rural communities of Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces;

7) Donation of laptops to the Zinikelene Secondary school in Carolina, in the Mpumalanga Province;

8) Assistance in arranging repatriation flights for South Africans abroad during the Covid -19 pandemic in collaboration with Qatar Airways. Passengers, however, paid for their own repatriation tickets.

  • There were no donations to any official/s (iii) in the department.

c) Financial Transfers

  • There were no financial transfers to the Minister (i), her department and (iii) officials of her department.

(bb) IRAN

a) Sponsorships

(1) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran provided sponsorship for two officials from DIRCO to represent South Africa at the “Iran – BRICS Conference: Prospects for Partnership and Cooperation” on 08 August 2023, in Tehran, Iran. The sponsorship consisted of accommodation for the two officials, as well as economy class air fare for one official.

(2) The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran sponsored an official from DIRCO to participate in the 37th International Islamic Unity Conference, which was held in Tehran from 1-3 October 2023. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran provided a round-trip air ticket, as well as transport and accommodation for the duration of the conference.

b) Donations

  • No donations were received by the Minister (i), her department (ii) or (iii) officials in her department.

c) Financial transfers

  • No financial transfers were made to the Minister (i), her department (ii) and (iii) officials in her department.

(cc) RUSSIA

a) Sponsorships

  • No sponsorship was received by the Minister (i), her department (ii) and (iii) officials in her department.

b) Donations

  • No donation was received by the Minister (i), her department (ii), and (iii) officials in her department.

c) Financial transfers

  • No financial transfers were received by the Minister (i), her department (ii) and (iii) officials in her department.

08 March 2024 - NW216

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Loate, Mr T to ask the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition

Whether, in view of the fact that major importers of South African manufactured vehicles, such as the United Kingdom and Europe, will no longer allow the importation of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030, and that funders, including banks, are ready right now to support the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), and considering that Morocco is stepping into the EV arena with plans for an African-designed EV set to debut in 2026, the Government has been galvanised into action to get manufacturers to modify their manufacturing plants for hybrid and EV production as swiftly as possible; if not, why not; if so, what steps has the Government taken to remain ahead of the curve; 2. what steps has he taken to ensure that the Republic’s status as an exporter of motor vehicles remains secure, both in the interest of job preservation and economic growth; 3. whether he provided the motor vehicle manufacturing industry with a clear plan of action and a roadmap; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

South Africa currently exports around 63% of its vehicle production, making it imperative to consider global developments in the auto industry. Major export markets such as the EU and the UK have announced bans on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales by 2035, accompanied by incentives for electric vehicle (EV) adoption. This global shift towards environmentally friendly transportation is expected to reduce demand for vehicles manufactured in South Africa.

Following extensive work undertaken both with industry and within government, a White Paper was finalised by Cabinet, setting out the policy framework for the technology, production, export and domestic market adoption of electric vehicles, as well as a detailed roadmap and plan of action. The White Paper was publicly released in December 2023.

Subsequently, the Minister of Finance released details of tax benefits that will be available to the industry to facilitate the transition. In addition, discussions have been held with auto-producers not yet in the SA market to encourage new investment in the sector.

While existing policies like the Automotive Production Development Programme and the Automotive Investment Scheme provide a good framework for developing EV productive capacity, including in assembly and component manufacture, additional action will be required. The White Paper thus identifies 10 policy goals with a set of 16 specific and distinct policy actions to be implemented over specified timelines between 2023 and 2035 with 10 actions in support of the development of cost-competitive EV productive capacity in South Africa; and 6 actions in support of the development of a cost-effective local market for EVs.

A copy of the White Paper may be accessed at http://www.thedtic.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/EV-White-Paper.pdf

-END-

08 March 2024 - NW313

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

Considering that part of the cost of every litre of diesel is a tax levy called the illuminating paraffin (IP) tracer dye levy whose purpose is to curtail the unlawful mixing of diesel and IP and following the recent scandal of 70 petrol stations across the Republic reported to have mixed their diesel with paraffin, how did the dye tracing mechanism borne out of the levy fail to detect the contaminated diesel before it got sold to consumers?

Reply:

Tracer dye is added to Illuminating Paraffin to enable its detection once it is mixed into diesel. The presence of the tracer dye can only be detected through laboratory testing or specialized mobile equipment. The Department collects fuel samples randomly at service stations to test for the presence of the tracer dye, amongst others.

It is precisely this random testing that led to the detection of adulteration when the presence of the tracer dye was detected at the laboratory.

08 March 2024 - NW263

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Boshoff, Dr WJ to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

(1) In terms of the investment in new generation capacity which came on the grid since 22 May 2019, how many megawatts of the capacity was installed annually since then by (a) private sector investment, (b) the State and/or (c) any state-owned companies; (2) for the same time frame, (a) what total amount in funding, loans and grants has been acquired from, (b) which other states and international organizations, stating in each case (i) the purpose and/or projects the funds were specified for, (ii) what total amount of the budget has been spent, (iii) on what it was spent and (iv) how far each project has progressed?

Reply:

The Ministry was established in March 2023, accordingly we advise that you refer the question to the Departmet of Public Enterprises as the legal manadte holder in this regard.

 

08 March 2024 - NW298

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Lees, Mr RA to ask the Minister of Finance

(1)Whether, with reference to National Treasury’s presentation to the Standing Committee on Appropriations on 14 February 2024, the R10,5 billion and R1,0 billion funds that were allocated to SA Airways (SAA) were used for purposes other than settling outstanding business rescue obligations; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether all government guarantees to SAA have been cancelled; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether SAA has been submitting monthly updates to the National Treasury, including, inter alia, forecast cash flows, revenue generation, profit and loss statements, and statements of financial position; if not, why not; if so, will he furnish Mr R A Lees with all the records of such updates up to 31 January 2024?

Reply:

1. The funding allocated to SAA was utilised to settle the obligations that arose from the business rescue processes. The settlement of the business rescue obligations is expected to be settled over several years.

2. One of the conditions attached to the funding provided to SAA was that government guarantees available to the airline would be reduced by the equivalent quantum. At present SAA does not have available government guarantees against which they can raise debt or other obligations. However, there is still a government guarantee exposure amounting to R91.5 million related to Unflown Ticket Liabilities and Letters of Credit. The airline is currently engaged in negotiations with lenders to provide a cash deposit in lieu of the guarantee. Once negotiations with lenders have been completed, these guarantees will then be cancelled, and government will therefore no longer have contingent liability exposure related to SAA.

3. SAA has and continues to submit monthly updates to National Treasury (NT) and the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE). Moreover, a Guarantee Monitoring Task Team comprising officials from the NT, DPE as well as SAA management meets monthly to discuss amongst other issues financial performance and forecasts, financial position and other developments. DPE, as convenors and secretariat of the monthly monitoring meeting and shareholder will be best placed to provide the monthly records.

07 March 2024 - NW414

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Khakhau, Ms KL to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

What total number of students have to date been allocated money in accordance with his department’s missing-middle funding model?

Reply:

NSFAS is currently still processing applications based on financial eligibility of a combined family income in the range of R351 000 to R600 000. Academic institutions will assist in establishing academic eligibility (e.g. STEM vs Humanities programmes and the 70:30 split respectively).

Once both requirements of financial and academic eligibility are satisfied, NSFAS will share the loan agreement forms and associated documents for each eligible student with the students. Disbursement will follow thereafter.

07 March 2024 - NW423

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Myburgh, Mr NG to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation

Whether he has found that the various water boards and entities that report directly to him have put adequate insurance plans in place to cover claims that might arise from damage to property and/or environmental damage caused by pipe breaks or other infrastructure failures; if not, what steps will he take to ensure that the water boards and entities put adequate insurance plans in place; if so, what (a) steps has his department taken to ensure that the water boards and entities meet their obligations when claims are lodged and (b) are the further details in this regard?

Reply:

All water boards have put in place adequate insurance to cover for claims that may arise due to loss or damage to infrastructure, namely Asset All Risk Policy. The policy covers all perils for material damages to the water boards assets inclusive of claims of pipe bursts that may occur; loss or damage to insured property as declared; material damage, property damage and business interruption; pipelines, plant and machinery.

a) In terms of (a) for claims lodged against the water board an insurance assessor is appointed to investigate the legitimacy of the claim including assessment of possible liability to the waterboard. The cover is subject to policy terms and conditions outlined in the policy of insurance of various water boards which are renewable annually.

b) Any losses or damage to insured property are attended to immediately to limit liability to 3rd parties.

---00O00---

07 March 2024 - NW415

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Khakhau, Ms KL to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

What steps has his department taken to ensure that Coinvest and other service providers roll out National Student Financial Aid Scheme funds on time?

Reply:

The Department does not oversee the operations of service providers appointed by NSFAS, this is the role of senior management. NSFAS has advised that as per their agreements with service providers, they provide on boarding files to all partners in anticipation of the agreed upon monthly payment dates. A NSFAS payment file follows, after all partners have confirmed that students have been on boarded. Within 24 hours of NSFAS paying funds over to the partners, they release funds into students’ individual NSFAS bank accounts.

07 March 2024 - NW424

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Myburgh, Mr NG to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation

With reference to the negative impact of the lack of adequate water supplies to healthcare facilities on the delivery of healthcare services across the Republic, especially in towns in the Northern Cape where a recent additional R200 million allocation to the provincial Department of Health did not improve service delivery, what are the relevant details of the measures his department has taken to mitigate the devastation wreaked on healthcare by the lack of water services caused by poor governance of the facilities in places such as Kimberley and elsewhere in the Republic?

Reply:

a)  The Sol Plaatje LM developed an emergency intervention to alleviate the water crisis for hospitals in Kimberley, over and above water infrastructure projects that are being implemented with funding from the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) funding program. The project is intended to improve water production at Riverton Water Treatment Works. It will be implemented in terms of the "Six Week Project Plan" to immediately deal with "quick-wins" which can improve production and reduce operational losses.

It should be noted that the key contributing factor to the water challenges being experienced in the Kimberly area is the raw water quality of the Vaal River, due to algal bloom. This has had a direct negative impact on purified water production. The municipality is currently supplementing water supply to hospitals and malls through water tankers, which fill-up the on-site water tanks of health facilities.

The Sol Plaatje LM has been experiencing substantial water supply and quality challenges from the Riverton supply on the Vaal River to their Newton Storage facility located towards the South of Kimberley. The bulk water supply system not only has capacity constraints in meeting the increasing water demands, but Sol Plaatje is having to contend with frequent supply disruptions caused by continued leaks/breakages and poor water quality. The leaks are experienced on the main pipeline from Riverton to Kimberley.

To address this, the Sol Plaatje Municipality submitted an application to the National Treasury for Bulk Funding Infrastructure (BFI) in 2021, with the aim of implementing much-needed upgrades to its ageing water supply infrastructure (bulk and reticulation). The objective is to restore, monitor and control water quality, water supply and non-revenue water to Sol Plaatje Municipality.

The overall Water Supply Intervention Plan has been developed with three key phases:

INTERVENTIONS

SCOPE

Planning and Emergency/Short Term Interventions

(Phase 1: 9 months duration)

(Phase 2: 11 months duration)

Planned to commence in Sept 2023

Planned for completion by Jun 2025

  • Internal and external bulk pipeline condition audits and leak detection.
  • Emergency bulk pipeline repairs.
  • Refurbishment of the Riverton WTW to improve water quality
  • Emergency pipe repairs and level monitoring at Newton Reservoir Site to reduce losses.

Medium Term Interventions (25 - month duration)

Planned to commence in May 2024

Planned for completion by Jun 2026

      • Bulk pipeline cathodic protection and or bulk pipeline replacement, dependent on outcome of the emergency interventions.
      • Newton reservoir and tower pump station upgrades.
      • Finalize water network zoning, meter installation and smart monitoring.
      • Extended network upgrades and pipe repairs.

Long Term Interventions (40 - month duration)

Planned to commence in Nov 2024

Planned for completion by March 2028

  • Water treatment works upgrades, technology improvements and automation to further improve water quality.

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07 March 2024 - NW412

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King, Ms C to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

(1)What total number of beds for student accommodation have been approved by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme accrediting agents to date for the 2024 academic year; (2) whether the specified accrediting agents have been paid in full yet; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details

Reply:

(1) The total number of beds that have been accredited by NSFAS is 83 750.

(2) NSFAS has paid accreditation agents for whom invoices have been validated and approved. The total paid to date for 2023 accreditation amounts to R1, 575,740.

07 March 2024 - NW413

Profile picture: King, Ms C

King, Ms C to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

On what grounds has he decided not to take a leave of absence while the investigation related to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and other matters is conducted?

Reply:

The act of taking leave of absence in the face of malicious allegations is usually exercised as an ethical step to allow a formal disciplinary process to proceed without any prejudice or hindrance, by an implicated party. As it relates to NSFAS, I have never been subjected to any disciplinary process or investigation and as such, the requirement of leave of absence doesn’t arise.

07 March 2024 - NW428

Profile picture: Moore, Mr S J

Moore, Mr S J to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation

(1)By what total amount has the cost of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project escalated since its inception; (2) whether the second phase of the specified project is on track to be completed by 2028; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

1.  Since the date of inception of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase II the costs have escalated to the current estimated total project cost of R42.1billion. It is important to note that these are overall costs which incorporate costs that are not directly related to the LHWP infrastructure costs and are shared costs to be borne by South Africa and the Lesotho Government.

The cost escalations are owing to several challenges including:

a) Longer time to conclude negotiations with Lesotho and obtain governmental approvals for the Phase II Agreement, 3 years to Dec 2022.

b) Procurement related delays due to policy interventions, delayed decision making and in the conclusion of funding arrangements, 2 years to Dec 2024.

c) Project implementation related delays due to Covid which delayed the project by 2 years.

d) Slow issuance of various permits by Lesotho, contractor performance and one year shift in the impoundment date due to a lost rainy season, 4 years to Nov 2028.

All major contracts have now been awarded and construction of the dam and tunnel is in progress.

e) The time value of money (escalation) impact of the 9 years delay from 2019 to 2028 on the R42.1 billion is estimated at R16.64 Bn.

2. Water delivery is expected to start in November 2028.

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