Questions and Replies

Reply:

The Eastern Cape is phasing-in Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education per district.  All districts are implementing the programme in a phased-in manner across all districts in 2004 schools.  A report on Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education was disseminated in 2019/2020.

Reply:

a) The number of learners that have returned and benefitting from the school nutrition programme were 9 057 395 as at 23 October 2020.  

b) Provincial statistics show that the number of learners that received meals (October) was 9 057 395.

Reply:

The Department of Basic Education makes R400 000 000 (four hundred million Rands) available to the nine (9) Provincial Education Departments (PEDS) by means of ring-fenced funding as the Mathematics, Science and Technology Conditional Grant. Programmes funded by the MST Grant are implemented by the PEDs; and are intended to increase learner participation rate as well as to improve the quality of learner performance.  In addition, provision is made for interventions specifically aimed at supporting girl learners.  In the event a PED has difficulty recruiting teachers of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, the DBE has, for almost a decade, also partnered with TEACH SA to provide good quality university graduates who can be deployed where needed.  The placement of these young graduates reduces the likelihood of learners dropping Mathematics and Physical Sciences. This programme ensures provision of an academically qualified person to schools that may otherwise would not have  been able to employ a teacher of these subjects.

Reply:

The matter raised in the question falls in the jurisdiction of the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) of Mpumalanga not the Minister of Basic Education. Investigation on the matter and holding the Principal accountable can only be done by the MEC of Mpumalanga. 

Reply:

No, the registration or change of registration status for schools is a provincial function. 

Reply:

a) b)  c) (i) (aa) (bb) & (ii)

 

 

Table 1: Total number of learners who received child support grants and attend school, by phase, from 2018 to 2020
DATA YEAR	PRIMARY	SECONDARY	COMBINED	SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION  CENTRES (SNE)	TOTAL LEARNERS
2018	5 198 811	2 490 900	969 471	217 945	8 877 127
2019	5 468 742	2 881 247	1 005 639	82 448	9 438 076
2020	16703 878	8 246 050	994 439	518 338	9 672 788
Source: EMIS & Social Pension System (SOCPEN) dataset 2018 -2020

Note1: Data for 2016-17 financial year is substituted by recent data for 2020

Note2: Data reported is based on academic year instead of financial year.

Reply:

Honourable Member this is a very complex and sensitive matter best left to the South African National Defence Force, Military Intelligence and State Security Agency.

END

Reply:

The applications in this regard were considered by the Department in terms of Section 4(3) of the South African Citizenship Act and out of six (6) applications, five (5) were conditionally approved and 1 was rejected. The outcome letters were forwarded to their respective legal representatives/attorneys.

The outcome letters clearly outlined that the successful applicants are directed to approach their local front office of the Department to sign declaration of allegiance forms upon which they would be issued with naturalisation certificates. Upon receipt of the naturalisation certificates the applicants would thereafter be eligible to apply for registration of birth and receive birth certificates allocated with identity numbers, successively they would apply for identity documents as a result.

(a) The Department would issue identity documents subsequent to receipt of applications in this regard, in the prescribed manner.

(b) The date to be issued identity documents will be determined by date of receipt of applications in this respect, with the turnaround times currently set at 54 days for the first issue of a green barcoded ID book.

END

 

Reply:

The Department received the question, reviewed its contents against its mandate and has determined that the most appropriate respondent should be the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

Reply:

a) Honourable Member, on 02 December 2020, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) conducted an investigation at Clewer in the Emalahleni Local Municipality. The investigation revealed that there was sewage overflow from a manhole located outside a residential property which is flowing into the tributary of Brugspruit River. In accordance with Section 19 (3) and 53 (1) of the National Water Act, the DWS issued a Directive to the Municipality to rectify the non- compliance identified in the area.

 

b) The administrative enforcement action will direct the Municipality to submit and implement an infrastructure rehabilitation plan in order to restore the quality of the water source.

(c) The investigators did not discover any dysfunctional meter system in the area. However, it should be noted that the DWS does not have a mandate to monitor meter systems in the municipality. The legislative mandate of the Department of Water and Sanitation is to ensure that the country’s water resources are protected, managed, used, developed, conserved and controlled in a sustainable manner for the benefit of all people and the environment.

The Water Services Act, 1997 refers to municipalities as Water Service Authorities (WSAs) responsible for distribution (reticulation) of water and to supply sanitation services. The Water Services Act in section 3 outlines the right of access to basic water supply and sanitation which mandates that “everyone has a right of access to basic water supply and basic sanitation” and places the responsibility on Water Services Authorities to ensure that they develop a Water Services Development Plan (WSDP) to ensure the realisation of this right.

Section 11 of the Water Services Act, 1997 mandates that “every Water Services Authority has the duty to all consumers or potential consumers in its area of jurisdiction to progressively ensure efficient, affordable, economical and sustainable access to water services.”

Reply:

The eThekwini Metropolitan municipality has conducted pre-feasibility studies (Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study and Geo-technical study and Land Ownership) on the occupied land of Foreman and Punters informal settlements and the findings reveal that it is not feasible to develop the two informal settlements. Consequently, the process of land acquisition for the privately owned adjacent land is being undertaken to plan and develop. However, the incremental services are provided to the informal settlement.

Foreman and Punters Informal settlements is undevelopable due to unstable soil condition and people will be relocated to Cornubia Phase 2. Feasibility studies were conducted and the settlements are B2 categories according to the National Upgrade Support Programme (NUSP) which means that these will be complete relocations. The beneficiaries list is not approved, however there are ring fenced lists for both settlements which are used to monitor and ensure that these settlements are not growing.

These settlements have electricity, water standpipes and ablution facilities. The City assists the victims in cases of disaster incidents. Cornubia phase 2 project is currently at tender stage for services. The relocation is anticipated to commence by June 2022.

Reply:

The town of Aliwal North has a reliable and sustainable water supply. However, the department is aware that the Joe Gqabi District Municipality (JGDM) has water distribution constraints to the extent that there is a moratorium on further developments until the water services are upgraded in line with the recently compiled Aliwal North Water Master Plan. The JGDM has short and medium term plans in line with the District’s Water Services Master Plan to improve water services as follows:

a) Alternative sources such as boreholes and springs are developed and utilised as alternate standby sources.

b) The Aliwal Spa Hot Water Springs have been identified as alternative raw water sources. However, pre-treatment of water from this source is required.

c) Projects for construction of two raw water off-channel storage dams at the water works (MIG funded) and replacement of asbestos cement bulk pipeline and leaking valves (WSIG funded) have already commenced

d) Funding is being sought for further short term plans to:

• Build a new 2 Ml Clear Water Sump and install a high lift pump at the WTW,
• Build a 1,2Ml reservoir and a 400kl elevated tank at the springs; and install a high pressure gravity main.

e) Medium Term Plans:

• Upgrade of WTW by 2,5Ml and installation of a desalination/package plant at the springs,
• Replacement of the old 200mm asbestos cement rising main and upgrade of pump station and main reservoir at the springs.

Reply:

(1)(a)(b) I have been informed that the National Department of Human Settlements, the Community Schemes Ombud Service, the Estate Agency Affairs Board, the National Housing Finance Corporation, the National Home Builders Registration Council, the Social Housing Regulatory Authority, and the Housing Development Agency have not awarded any tenders to the company referred to by the Honourable Member during the period 1 May 2019 to31 October 2020.

(2) Falls away.

Reply:

The COVID-19 Water intervention Programme (Phase 1) supplied about 1 335 million litres of water to targeted communities in the period between 28 March and 31 August 2020. These communities were thus provided with an interim form of water supply to assist the Water Services Authorities (municipalities) in their areas of jurisdiction. This intervention allowed these communities to have access to water to allow for hand washing and other hygiene purposes.

As a means to improve the sustainability and efficacy of these interventions, an allocation of R689 million from the Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) was made directly to the relevant municipalities to connect the tanks to water sources and ensure sustainable water supply.

Further, it should be noted that the legislative mandate of the Department of Water and Sanitation is to ensure that the country’s water resources are protected, managed, used, developed, conserved and controlled in a sustainable manner for the benefit of all people and the environment.

The Water Services Act, 1997 refers to municipalities as Water Service Authorities (WSAs) responsible for distribution (reticulation) of water and to supply sanitation services. The Water Services Act in section 3 outlines the right of access to basic water supply and sanitation which mandates that “everyone has a right of access to basic water supply and basic sanitation” and places the responsibility on Water Services Authorities to ensure that they develop a Water Services Development Plan (WSDP) to ensure the realisation of this right.

Section 11 of the Water Services Act, 1997 mandates that “every Water Services Authority has the duty to all consumers or potential consumers in its area of jurisdiction to progressively ensure efficient, affordable, economical and sustainable access to water services.”

 

Reply:

(1) The qualifications required for a post of Deputy Director-General (DDG) are regulated in the Directive on compulsory capacity development, mandatory training days and minimum entry requirements for the Senior Management Service which was implemented on 1 April 2015. The qualifications for a Deputy Director-General post is an undergraduate qualification and a post graduate qualification (NQF level 8) as recognized by SAQA.

(2) All Deputy Director-General posts at National departments serve at Cabinet and the Minister for the Public Service and Administration performs an oversight. Should a candidate not meet the requirement, the Cabinet Memorandum does not serve at Cabinet so the appointment is not effected. Departments are often advised through circulars not only on the requirements for post but all regulatory requirements to fill posts including DDG level.

(a) The relevant details of all DDGs in National departments according to PERSAL indicates that there are currently 201 DDG posts in National government of which 135 are filled and 66 are vacant. Prior to 1 April 2015 there was no prescription on the educational requirements. In terms of professionalization, and the expected requirements, mobility is linked to the said qualifications. An individual will not be able to progress to higher levels without the said qualifications. Should a DDG have been appointed prior to 1 April 2015 such a DDG cannot be discriminated against if they currently occupy a DDG post. Should such DDGs apply for another DDG post or a Head of Department post they will not qualify in the event that they have not met the inherent requirements.

(b) The current qualification requirement is an undergraduate qualification and a post graduate qualification (NQF level 8) as recognized by SAQA as well as the inherent requirements of the post. All DDGs appointed with effect from 1 April 2015 must be in possession of those requirements. The information on qualifications for DDGs in posts is based on the data captured by departments may be incomplete or not captured and or updated on PERSAL. Where no information is reflected the department has not captured the qualification, Annexure A.

(c) An employee at a level below a DDG or at the level of a DDG can be appointed to act in a DDG post, therefore there are circumstances where employees are acting laterally. Acting in a post is not captured on PERSAL as the period are generally short. However, when an employee is receiving an acting allowance such acting in a higher post is captured on PERSAL. Based on PERSAL, there are currently six (6) Chief Directors receiving an acting allowance in DDG posts.

END

Reply:

Three privately owned land parcels measuring 26.7471 hectares in Mamelodi Township were acquired to accommodate inter alia the Mamelodi flood victims. To date 155 households who mainly resided in churches and schools were relocated into permanent serviceable stands on a part of the acquired land parcels.

Reply:

(1)(a) The Nzhelele Water Scheme starts at the site of the Nzhelele Dam. The canal section of the scheme starts 14 km downstream of the dam at coordinates 22°42'13.08"S 30° 6'19.49"E.

(b) The Nzhelele Canal is approximately 69 km in length.

(c) The Nzhelele Canal ends at the Doreen settlement at coordinates 22°29'52.40"S 30°15'5.98"E.

(2) The entire canal was constructed with concrete. The length of the canal is as indicated above in (1)(b).

(3) The Nzhelele Water Scheme was completed in 1960, and the department does not have information relating to the budget and actual costs of the scheme.

Reply:

Yes, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has treated the matter of providing permanent housing to the Pan-African Parliament with the respect and importance it deserves.

South Africa has hosted the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) since 2004. In terms of the Host Country Agreement between the Republic of South Africa and the African Union Commission on the Seat of the Pan-African Parliament, the Government of South Africa is indeed obliged to provide permanent headquarters for the Pan-African Parliament. The Pan-African Parliament is currently based at the Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Johannesburg until the process to build a permanent headquarters for the Pan-African Parliament is finalised.

The identified site in Midrand for the construction of the PAP headquarters was found to be a wetland by environmental experts leading the project. It was therefore, decided that the project on the site would be closed and could not continue as the Department of Environmental Affairs had determined that any activities on that land are and would always remain illegal.

The matter has been referred to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), as the mandated line-function Department to satisfy the duty of providing the Pan-African Parliament with permanent headquarters. The DPWI has indicated that pending some internal investigations, on the original site, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) will be advised accordingly. In this regard, the DPWI has further informed the DIRCO of their application for an urgent interdict to stop construction on the original site until the aforementioned issues have been resolved.

It is envisaged that the forensic investigation may constitute further delays to the fulfilment of the Republic of South Africa’s longstanding commitment to provide permanent headquarters for the Pan-African Parliament. Therefore, the DIRCO has requested the DPWI to assist in expeditiously identifying and procuring an alternative site.

To obviate the impression that the Republic of South Africa is not in support of the African united agenda, in 2019, the Department facilitated the process for the successful signing of the Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union Relating to the Pan-African Parliament of 2014. Moreover, the process for obtaining Cabinet approval for the ratification of the aforementioned instrument is advanced and the Parliamentary processes are being finalised.

In addition, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation continues to unwaveringly fulfil its obligations towards the African Union on the seat of the Pan-African Parliament to the best of its ability.

Reply:

(1) This matter relates to 28 552 records that were withdrawn by the errant code in question. These applications were linked to 11 572 applicants during the 2020 application cycle, as the system allowed the applicant to submit more than one application.

(a) Not applicable.

(b) Not applicable.

(c) Currently of these 11 572 applicants, 10 461 applicants have a funded status and 1 111 applicants have not been funded due to the application not having met requirements during filtering, validation or evaluation.

It should be noted that the errant piece of code had no impact on the disbursement processing of these records. Once the issue had been identified by NSFAS and corrective action had been taken, processing of these records commenced as per normal. Furthermore, it should be noted that the issue was detected as early as November 2019 and the correction of all records impacted by the issue had been corrected byMarch 2020.

(2)  Given that NSFAS identified the issue in November 2019 and corrected these records in a proactive manner, no further assistance was provided to these students.

Reply:

(a) In keeping with its focus of promoting the African Agenda, South Africa will use its forthcoming Presidency to highlight the strengthening of AU-UN cooperation and to focus on preventative diplomacy, conflict prevention and resolution on the African Continent. In addition to the events proposed by South Africa, the programme of the work of the UNSC for December 2020 includes mandated reporting cycles and predetermined meetings of the Council. Matters scheduled in December, include, inter alia, the mandate renewal of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); the situation in Sudan; the authorisation for action on addressing piracy of the coast of Somalia; the situations in Guinea-Bissau, South Sudan, Sudan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Israel/Palestine; and, Iran’s compliance with its obligations in terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the Iran nuclear-deal).

(b) South Africa’s second and final Presidency during its current term as an elected member of the UNSC will witness the convergence of (i) South Africa’s chairing of the African Union (AU); (ii) the Presidency of the UNSC; and, (iii) the final month of the AU’s ambition to silence the guns on the Continent by 2020. To prioritise the silencing of guns on the African Continent, South Africa has scheduled two debates during the month with a focus on the resolution of conflicts on the African Continent. These are a debate on “Sustaining Peace: Security Sector Reform (SSR)”, held at Ministerial level held on 3 December and a debate on “Cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations (AU)”, held at Presidential level on 4 December. These discussions give focus on the efforts of the United Nations and the African Union to ensure sustainable peace on the African Continent.

Reply:

(a) The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) headcount as at 31 October 2020 is 448 employees.

(b) In 2020, there are 448 approved positions in the NSFAS organogram. 89 Vacancies were approved for filling. These included critical technical and specialist vacancies, including appointments to vacant positions arising out of resignations and other staff exits.

(c) TVET Colleges: 270 048 students

University: 497 822 students

(d) The staff complement is adjusted with short-term seasonal contract workers during the application and registration cycle. Approximately 60 part-time individuals are hired for this. With regards to staff increases, technical and specialist skills are substituted for non-core and management resignations and vacancies where possible. NSFAS is required to stay within its allocated budget for administration and cost of employees.

Reply:

a) The amount spent on consultants by the Compensation Fund for the period 1 March to 31 October 2020 is R 6,795,618.78

b) There are no consultants appointed by the Commissioner to work directly in his office.

Reply:

The difference between salary level 11 and 13 is R324 069.

End

Reply:

The Recruitment process that was followed for the appointment of a person in the position of Chief Director: Advocacy and Mainstreaming, Rights of Persons with Disabilities was as follows:

1. Advertising

The post of Chief Director: Advocacy and Mainstreaming, Rights of Persons with Disabilities with reference no. DWYPD 002/2020 was amongst those posts advertised on 22 December 2019 in the media in the City Press / Rapport and the DPSA Circular 02 of 2020 on 10 January with the closing date of 31 January 2020.

2. Response handling

Response handling was done internally, all applications received were captured on the selection grid with a total number of 96 applicants.

3. Selection Committee

The selection committee appointed by the Executive Authority, consisted of three (3) members; namely a Deputy Director-General, (female) from the Department of Tourism as chairperson, Acting Chief Operations Officer (female) from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and a Chief Director (male) from the Department.

The selection committee members, including the HR representative, signed the declaration form as expected to maintain confidentiality and objectivity.

4. Selection process - virtual

The selection committee did a pre-screening to include those applicants who were assessed as having met the minimum post requirements and have completed and submitted all required documents. The selection committee concurred commonalities to finally short list three suitable applicants.

5. Security Clearance and Reference Check

Security screening were conducted in collaboration with the Directorate: Security Management; and references checks were also conducted.

6. Interview process - virtual

All shortlisted candidates were subjected to a 60-minute similar technical exercise prior to their interviews that was intended to test relevant technical competencies of the job and each of the candidates were scored on the basis of their performance during their interviews to enable the panel members to recommend the successful candidate to the delegated authority for appointment.

The selection committee reached consensus at the end of the interview process on the nomination(s) to be made; the necessary motivation for the recommended as well as candidates not recommended were provided to the HR representative.

A runner-up candidate was recommended to be appointed in the event where the recommended candidate declines the offer for any reason.

The selection committee signed the certificate of confirmation of nomination for appointment to the advertised post with the necessary motivation.

7. Competency Assessment

The selection panel recommended the top two preferred candidates to attend the generic managerial competency assessment in compliance with the Department of Public Service and Administration Directive on the Implementation of Competency-Based Assessment.

8. Recommendations/Approvals

A request submission for approval of the delegated authority was prepared for appointment to fill the advertised post of Chief Director: Advocacy and Mainstreaming, Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Reply:

1. The Department’s mandate is to regulate socio-economic transformation and implementation of the empowerment and participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities. The Minister and Deputy Minister are members of the South African National Aids Council (SANAC). In terms of their role, they influenced programmatic interventions at the SANAC Inter Ministerial Commission meeting and the extended SANAC Plenary held in November 2020, in planning towards the commemoration of World Aids Day and advocated for heightened focus on young women.

2. The Director General and the CEO of SANAC met recently to discuss areas of alignment. Their focus was on how the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) interlinks with the National Strategic Plan for HIV& AIDS, and key programmes to focus on collectively. These included, amongst others, services to young women as the hardest hit sector and the LGBTQIA+ community. Further, the Deputy Minster is the chairperson of the prevention pillar of the NSP. A prevention Technical Task Team on HIV&AIDS and NSP has been formed in support of this pillar. It is meant to facilitate key interventions that reflects the interlink of HIV&AIDS and GBVF. One of the focus areas is Sexual, Reproductive and Health Rights (SRHR) of young women. Workshops with relevant stakeholders in this regard are taking place.

Reply:

There were two versions of the advertisement, namely (i) an abridged version that was published in the City Press / Rapport on 22 December 2019 and (ii) a comprehensive version that was published in the DPSA Vacancy Circular No. 02 of 2020 on 10 January 2020 and on the Departmental website and Intranet.

(i) CITY PRESS / RAPPORT

Chief Director: Advocacy and Mainstreaming, Rights of Persons with Disabilities (reference: DWYPD/002/2020). Preference will be given to applicants with disabilities.

Salary package: R 1,251,183 fully inclusive remuneration package per annum (salary level 14). National Office, Pretoria.

Purpose of the Post: to ensure maintenance and implementation of a 365 days integrated national disability inclusion campaign. Provide technical support for collaborative and coordinated implementation of the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Requirements for the Post: undergraduate qualification (NQF level 7) in Disability Studies, Economic Sciences, Human Rights Law, Social Sciences. Post-Graduate qualification (NQF level 8) in Disability and/or Management Studies will be an added advantage. Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience at senior managerial level. In-depth knowledge and ability to apply international treaties and instruments impacting on the lives of persons with disabilities, understanding disability from a socio-political and human rights perspective, sound understanding of universal design and access theory and application, inclusive of reasonable accommodation support measures as well as advocacy and mainstreaming approaches.

(ii) DPSA VACANCY CIRCULAR, DEPARTMENTAL WEBSITE AND INTRANET

Post: Chief Director: Advocacy and Mainstreaming, Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ref no: DWYPD/002/2020)

Note that preference will be given to applicants with disabilities

Salary: R 1,251,183 fully inclusive remuneration package per annum (salary level 14) Centre: Pretoria

Requirements: Appropriate undergraduate qualification (NQF level 7) in Disability Studies, Economic Sciences, Human Rights Law, Social Sciences. Post-Graduate qualification (NQF level 8) in Disability and/or Management Studies will be an added advantage. Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience at senior managerial level. In-depth knowledge and ability to apply international treaties and instruments impacting on the lives of persons with disabilities, understanding disability from a socio-political and human rights perspective, sound understanding of universal design and access theory and application, inclusive of reasonable accommodation support measures as well as advocacy and mainstreaming approaches. Good understanding of government decision-making and procedures. Ability to work across spheres of government and interact at a senior level. Advanced planning, organisational and communication skills. Strong strategic capability and skills in policy analysis, analytical thinking, programme and project management, financial and people management skills. Solution-orientated and ability to work under tight deadlines and manage stressful situations. The successful applicant will be subject to personal security vetting at a top secret level.

Duties: To ensure maintenance and implementation of a 365 days integrated national disability inclusion campaign. Provide technical support for collaborative and coordinated implementation of the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Facilitate development of partnership projects aimed at accelerating and advancing the realisation of socio-economic rights of children and adults with disabilities. Facilitate and support standardisation and embedding of universal access and design across public service delivery value chains. Facilitate embedding of disability inclusion in government-wide decision-making processes through, among others, effective support services to the National Disability Rights Machinery. Ensure effective management of the Chief Directorate, inclusive of full compliance with all legal and public sector prescripts.

Reply:

(1)(a)(i) The Department‘s records reveal that no mining permit or mining right has ever been issued over an area that constitutes a proclaimed heritage site. The records however shows that only one prospecting right was erroneously issued within the core of the Mapungubwe World Heritage site, but there is no evidence of any activities having been undertaken.

(ii)The Department‘s records reveal that no mining permit or mining right has ever been issued over an area that constitutes a proclaimed heritage site. The records however shows that only one prospecting right was erroneously issued within the core of the Mapungubwe World Heritage site, but there is no evidence of any activities having been undertaken.

(b)The Department‘s records reveal that no mining permit or mining right has ever been issued over an area that constitutes a proclaimed heritage site. The records however shows that only one prospecting right was erroneously issued within the core of the Mapungubwe World Heritage site, but there is no evidence of any activities having been undertaken.

(c)The Department‘s records reveal that no mining permit or mining right has ever been issued over an area that constitutes a proclaimed heritage site. The records however shows that only one prospecting right was erroneously issued within the core of the Mapungubwe World Heritage site, but there is no evidence of any activities having been undertaken.

(2)As indicated above, other than the prospecting permit that was issued erroneously, no mining permits were issued within a heritage site.

(3)As there were no permits within the heritage sites, there are no studies for mining within heritage sites.

 

Reply:

a) It is government policy to provide free basic electricity to the indigent through licensed electricity distributors (Eskom and Municipalities). The free basic electricity provision is independent of the source of generation of the electricity (Eskom or IPPs).

b) See response to (a.) above.

c) See response to (a.) above.

 

Reply:

Officials that abuse overtime by submitting claims that are not valid are not paid for such claims and progressive discipline is taken to correct the transgression.

All overtime worked by officials in the UIF is strictly managed and controlled according to the Department of Employment and Labour’s overtime policy, the relevant DPSA and NT prescripts and prior approval must be granted for such overtime. It is a requirement that an overtime plan is developed. The overtime plan must then have clear deliverables. It then gets submitted. It has to be reported upon before further approvals are granted.

Reply:

(a) (i) 55.23% women,

(ii) 20.11% youth,

(iii) 0.94% persons with disabilities,

(b) The Department has made the following provisions to ensure employment equity, especially of persons with disabilities:

• Employed a dedicated focal point responsible for Gender, Disability Transformation and one for Youth,
• In the process of appointing the Employment Equity Committee for the newly established Department of Mineral Resources and Energy,
• In the process of appointing an Employment Equity Manager for the Department
• Responsibility for EE will be incorporated in the Performance Agreements of Branch Heads,
• Drafted an EE Policy and Plan.

(c) The name of each entity reporting to the Minister who has not complied with the provisions of employment equity with regard to the employment of persons with disabilities:

Entity	(a)(i)	(a)(ii)	(a)(iii)	(b)	(c)
CGS	214	153	7	N/A	N/A
MINTEK	268	228	12	N/A	N/A
MHSC	40%	21%	2%	N/A	N/A
NERSA	57%	26%	1.3%	N/A	N/A
NNR	50%	18.3%	2.7%	N/A	N/A
NRWDI	62.5%	21.9%	6.25%	N/A	N/A
SDT	10	7	3	N/A	N/A
SANEDI	23	11	0	N/A	SANEDI currently has no employees who are persons of disabilities
SADPMR	68	20	1 male	N/A	N/A

CEF Group and its subsidiaries

Entity	(a)(i) % of Women	(a)(ii) % of youth	(a)(iii) % of People living with Disabilities	(b) Provisions or strategy per entity to ensure employment equity, especially of persons with disabilities is achieved
PetroSA	30%	19%	1.7%	The business continues to look at the optimisation of resources with minimal recruitment processes until the implementation of the new Corporate Plan and business model. When the organisation does have opportunities for movement in the future, the placement of women and people with disabilities will be given priority in filling afore-mentioned positions.
AEMFC	26%	55%	0.22%	AEMFC is setting targets for the achievement of its targets for people living with disabilities and women. This will be in the updated EE plan for 2021
PASA	31%	27%	2%	EE Committee monitoring quarterly barriers to ensure representation
SFF	31.2%	28%	Current exercise underway internally to establish number of persons with disability	Employment Equity Terms of Reference currently being reviewed and new committee will be established in 2021.   2020/2021 Strategy includes an assessment of persons with disability internally and recruitment with persons with disability.   SFF advised that they are working with the university to bring in youth with disability.
CEF SOC	45%	40%	2%	Women representation has improved and exceeded the 30% target. Similarly, youth target of 30% has also been exceeded.
CEF Group	31%	28%	1%	The Group gender representation is 69% male vs 31% female. The gender representation at Group Top Management has increased from 25% Female representation in Q1 to 33.3% in Q2 2020/21. Youth representation is below 30% target while the organisation has regressed in terms of representation of people living with disabilities

 

Necsa and its subsidiaries

Necsa

(a) (i) Proportion of person employed by the institution who are women is 673, which represent 37.7%

(ii) Persons who are youth, herewith defined as employees who are not older than 35 years of age - 461

(iii) Persons with the disabilities – 25

NTP

(a) What proportion of persons employed by NTP fall under the category of:

(i) Women: 41%

(ii) Youth: 32%

(iii) Persons with disabilities: 0.26%

Pelchem

(a) What proportion of persons employed by NTP fall under the category of:

(i) Women: 30

(ii) Youth: 0; permitted 10 students

(iii) Persons with disabilities: 1

 

Reply:

1. Yes, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has facilitated the allocation of drought relief funding through the National Disaster Management Centre and an amount of R138 489 000 was approved under provincial disaster grant allocation. These funds were made available following the declaration of the drought as a national state of disaster in February 2020.

Seven provinces benefitted from this allocation, including Northern Cape (received R35.689 million), Western Cape (received R25 090 million) and Eastern Cape (received R35 million). The implementation of the interventions is still in progress as the funds were transferred in July 2020.The Department further disseminates the National Agrometeorological Committee Advisories which have seasonal forecasts and suggested measures to mitigate and adapt to impacts of drought amongst other hazards. Some measures recommended in the advisories include keeping livestock in balance with the available grazing, selection of drought tolerant cultivars and provision of additional feed to livestock.

The table below depicts the detail of the provincial allocations (Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape):

WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE

District	Funding allocated	Purpose
Central Karoo	R11 000 000	Fodder
Cape Winelands	R420 000	Fodder
West Coast	R8 620 000	Fodder
Garden Route	R4 840 000	Fodder
Overberg	R210 000	Fodder
TOTAL BUDGET	R25 090 000

EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE

Municipality/ Region	Boreholes	Fodder Production (Lucerne)	TOTAL BUDGET
	Number	Budget	Area (ha)	Budget
Alfred Nzo	08	R4 032 000	-	-	R4 032 000
Amathole	08	R4 032 000	417	R5 000 000	R9 032 000
Chris Hani	08	R4 032 000	250	R3 000 000	R7 032 000
Joe Gqabi	08	R4 032 000	-	-	R4 032 000
OR Tambo	11	R6 048 000	-	-	R6 048 000
Sarah Baartman	06	R2 824 000	167	R2 000 000	R4 824 000
Total	49		834
TOTAL BUDGET		R25 000 000		R10 000 000	R35 000 000

NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE

District	Funding allocated	Purpose
Namakwa	R5 500 000	Fodder supply
Pixley ka Seme	R4 500 000	Fodder supply
ZF Mgcau	R3 800 000	Fodder supply
Frances Baard	R3 000 000	Fodder supply
John TaoloGaetsewe	R2 500 000	Fodder supply
All districts	R2 000 000	Transportation of fodder
	R3 500 000	Fodder bank: extending irrigation, input costs on fodder production and maintenance
Namakwa, Pixley ka Seme, John TaoloGaetsewe	R10 889 000	Clearing of prosopis
TOTAL BUDGET	R35 689 000

2. Yes, the monthly advisories issued to the farmers contain adaptation and mitigation strategies and details of provision of fodder have been categorised by Districts in all three provinces as per the tables above.Northern Cape Province prioritised the eradication of Prosopis trees to reduce underground water loses.

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) is working with the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to develop additional adaptation and mitigation strategies in Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape Provinces.DALRRD held meetings with the National Disaster Management Centre to discuss the continuous drought conditions in the three provinces and proposed programmes to adapt and mitigate the impacts of drought. DALRRD further held meetings with the three provinces to discuss continuous drought conditions in these areas with the aim of coming up with an integrated programme to adapt and mitigate the impacts of drought in the country especially in those three provinces. DALRRD is in the process of engaging the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on the proposed interventions to expedite the implementation.

The Department also developed the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation sector Plan and the Climate Smart Agriculture Strategic Framework which spell out specific interventions and programs to be considered for implementation, sector response measures, long-term adaptation scenarios, drought adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as programmes. DALRRD is implementing these sector plans through programmes, appropriate strategies and approaches such as Climate Smart Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the drought-stricken areas including the Karoo regions of the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape Provinces.

Reply:

(1)(a) He was employed in the Branch: Policy, Research and Analysis as a Deputy Director: Learning and Knowledge Management (Case Study Writer/Analyst) on salary level 11, up to 31 October 2020. The department has offered him a post of Deputy Director: Knowledge Management in Branch: e-Government Services and Information Management due to the revised Organisational Structure with effect from 1 November 2020. He has not held a position within Corporate Services in the Department.

(1)(b) He has a Matric and a Diploma in Journalism.

(2)(c) The person is employed as Deputy Director on salary level 11. The requirements for the advertised post of Deputy Director-General Administration, which includes the management of Corporate Services, are as follows:

`An appropriate SAQA recognised undergraduate qualification and a post graduate qualification (at NQF. 8) in either Public Administration, Social Sciences, Business Management, Law, Human Resources or Finance. At least minimum of 8-10 years appropriate experience at a Senior Management level with demonstrable requisite technical skills. Knowledge of the Government legislative framework, Public Service legislative and Policy Framework, Government Medium Term Strategic Framework linked to the National Development Plan. Advanced knowledge of public policy analysis and policy development processes, Stakeholder management and coordination, Strategic thinking and leadership, Research skills, Financial Management and Human Resource Management.

(3)(a) The requirements for the position of DDG: Administration were not lowered; and

(3)(b) Ms Linda Dludla was appointed in the post of DDG: Administration in January 2017.

End

Reply:

Below are the details of the allocations made towards drought relief since 2018/19 to date. These allocations do not include those that were allocated by provinces through equitable share.

Allocations for 2018/19

In the 2018/19 the Department facilitated the submission of funding requests from provinces after the Minister of Finance announced the availability of provisional allocation for drought interventions and other disasters. Eight provinces (excluding Gauteng) submitted their funding requests which were consolidated and submitted to National Treasury. Six of the eight requests were approved namely, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Free State. The implementation of the drought relief is done by the provinces.

PROVINCE	a) AMOUNT	b) HOW IT WAS USED
Eastern Cape	R20 000 000	Feed for livestock.
Free State	R13 500 000	Desilting of dams and development of boreholes.
Northern Cape	R43 000 000 (last tranche of R127m mentioned above)	Feed for livestock.
Limpopo	R10 000 000	Desilting of dams, boreholes drilling and equipping as well as fodder for livestock.
Mpumalanga	R10 000 000	Desilting of dams, boreholes drilling and equipping as well as fodder for livestock.
Western Cape	R170 000 000	Feed for livestock.
Total Amount	R265 000 000.00

The Department also received funding through the Land Care programme in the same year (2018/19). Below are the details of the outputs achieved by National and Provincial Departments on the allocated budget and also the details of the service providers that were awarded contracts to the specified drought relief support at national level.

IMPLEMENTING PARTNER	(a) BUDGET ALLOCATION	(b) ACTIVITY OUTPUTS IN QUANTITY	(c)LIST OF SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR DROUGHT RELIEF ONLY AT NATIONAL LEVEL
1. Eastern Cape	R 35 950 000	2693 Hectares (Ha) of alien invasive plant control, 4 water sources protected, 915 water tanks/troughs, 9 no-till planters, 9 boom sprayers, 6 damdesilted, 1 borehole drilled and 698 work opportunities created.	N/A
2. Limpopo	R35 200 000	2 boreholes drilled, 42.8 km fence erected, 1420 Ha of weeds/invasive plants controlled, 30 Ha under conservation agriculture, shade nets & irrigation to two farmers, 29 gabions constructed, 10.5 km fire belt constructed, 15000 seedlings of vetiver species and 2010 work opportunities created.	N/A
3. KwaZulu Natal	R9 850 000	4118 Hectares, 11 Awareness campaigns, 2 Information days to promote conservation agriculture and 367 work opportunities created.	N/A
4. Mpumalanga	R 10 900 000	123.57 km fence erected, 349 work opportunities created, 4306 Ha controlled, 3.8 firebreaks constructed, 9Ha conservation agriculture (CA) and 8 farmers day on CA conducted.	N/A
5. Northern Cape	R 35 000 000	41 boreholes drilled, 15 stock water system constructed, 800Ha re-seeded, 2 awareness campaigns, 4 capacity building exercise conducted,30 gabion constructed, 223 km fence erected, 6093Ha cleared and 538 work opportunities created.	N/A
6. North West	R 31 200 000	18 boreholes drilled, 7 boreholes sighted, 416 Ha of bush encroachment cleared, 1 awareness campaign held, 4 tunnels constructed, 2 no-till planters procured, 1 windmill repaired, 1 TLB procured, 1 pivot system, 1 school vegetable garden established and 427 work opportunities created.	N/A
7. Western Cape	R 41 900 000	2297 Ha alien plants controlled, 202 km fence erected, 67km firebreaks constructed, 24 km of stock watering system constructed and 14 boreholes drilled.	N/A
8. National	R100 000 000	200 No till implements, 315 water tanks, 105 km Fire breaks, 25000 Moringaoleifera seedlings, 35000 Portulacariaafra seedlings, 1400 Sesbaniasesbans var nubica seedlings, 3500 kg of seeds (700 kg each of Cajanuscajans, Lablabpurpureus, Eragrotis Tef, and Perennial Sorghum), over 500 trainees capacitated on agricultural skills, 2 drone system and soil survey tools for monitoring of natural resources and herbicides for alien control to recharge water and grazing capacity.	Interlicomp NLS consulting Sukuma distubutors BBF safety group Macnet business development Maswika trading and projects Molaba investment co-operation Iqembu consulting Group effort worx Mustard seed trading Impumelelo agri business solutions Hermpo trading

Allocations 2019/20 (CASP Allocation)

The funds below were allocated to following provinces following reprioritised Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) funds.

PROVINCE	AMOUNT	HOW IT WAS USED
Mpumalanga	R8 000 000	Fodder for livestock; support for fodder bank; dam scooping
Limpopo	R9 000 000	Boreholes and desilting of dams in communal farms
Northern Cape	R34 000 000	Fodder for livestock; expansion of fodder bank; planting of maize and Lucerne along the Orange River.
Total Amount	R51 000 000.00

Allocations for 2020/21

The following projects are still in progress as the funds were transferred in July 2020. These funds were acquired through the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) as part of the provincial disaster grant following the declaration of the drought as a national state of disaster in February 2020.

Provinces	AMOUNT	HOW IT IS USED
Eastern Cape	R35 000 000	Borehole development and fodder production
KwaZulu-Natal	R4 000 000	Dam rehabilitation, re-scooping silted dams
Limpopo	R18 640 000	Drilling and equipping of boreholes, construction of reservoirs.
Mpumalanga	R12 160 000	Fodder bank support, drilling and equipping of boreholes, provision of animal feed.
Northern Cape	R35 689 000	Fodder provision; extension of fodder bank irrigation, clearing of prosopis, transportation of fodder to all districts.
North West	R8 000 000	Equipping of boreholes.
Western Cape	R25 000 000	Provision of fodder.
TOTAL Amount	R138 489 000

(b) (ii) Below are the details of the allocations made towards other ancillaries such as drought awareness and other relief measuressince 2018/20 to date. These allocations do not include those that were allocated by provinces through their provincial allocations.

Awareness on disaster risks reduction and drought

Type of awareness	Period	Total cost
Weather and climate capacity building in two provinces	March 2019	R 55 410.00
Uptake of early warning information in three provinces	March 2018, March 2019, November 2019	R 35 800.00
Roving seminars on weather and climate	February 2018	R 12 000.00
Total		R 103 210.00

Reply:

Province	(a)	(b)
Gauteng	307	86
Western Cape	217	114
KwaZulu-Natal	65	8
Eastern Cape	23	2
North West	16	0
Northern Cape	12	0
Free State	8	0
Mpumalanga	2	1
Limpopo	0	6
Total	650	217

Reply:

(a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has not experienced any particular problem with the commencement procedures with respect to the Animal Health Act, 2002 (Act No. 7 of 2002) which was promulgated by the President in July 2002 but not yet proclaimed.

(b) No specific interventions are required at this point. However, the Department has been working on the draft regulations and assessing appropriate cooperative governance structures and delegation of the veterinary authority. The Department continued this work over an extended period of time. However, a number of delays have been experienced and other processes such as the assessment of the Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have indicated conflicting and often limited legislative considerations. Based on these developments, the Department is currently consulting with Legal Services on how to further address the current challenges and could possibly consider repealing the Animal Health Act of 2002.

Reply:

a) What do the specified Toolkits comprise

• Digital marketing collateral including TVC (Brand Videos), Tourism films, images, posters, banners, tourism brochures, maps and destination presentations that are all in our digital asset library
• Press kits, newsletters, digital and social media content to use on their platforms
• Limited hardcopy brochures, maps, USB sticks with digital marketing collateral and promotional items (mostly based on agreed activations and projects)
• Pull-up banners and posters

b) What training is linked to the Toolkits is provided.

• Accessing the digital asset library
• Destination Presentation
• Use of the digital and social media content

(c)(i) and (ii) Efficiency and the impact of the toolkits are not measured as a standalone as they are a tool used in a suite of others to achieve broader project or market objectives.

Reply:

The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development acknowledges that that the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organisation of Animal Health contains guidelines for member countries. The relevant chapters and sections of these guidelines could be incorporated into legislation of member countries as and when appropriate.

Reply:

a) SASSA has no dedicated staff assigned to the special COVID-19 social relief of distress appeal process. There is a core team of approximately 10 people who are driving the appeals process, in addition to the other responsibilities they have. An additional 24 staff members have also been assigned to assist with the capturing and registering of appeals, while a minimum of two staff members per regions have been trained to assist, taking the total to approximately 52. The appeals, as with the applications, are systematically dealt with.

b) (i) The staff are drawn mainly from the grants administration environment at head office, while staff in the customer care environment in the provinces are assisting.

(ii) A total of approximately 60 000 appeal emails have been received, which need to be attended to by these staff, in order to register these, so that they can be reconsidered. To date, more than 37 000 have been registered.

Reply:

a) What are the relevant details of the innovative thinking proposals that the Minister will be presenting at the Council?

Membership to a Global future council by invitation only. Minister participates in this forum with other experts to provide strategic insights, scientific evidence, forward guidance and multidisciplinary understanding of major issues that will shape the post-COVID world. Most of the discussions are held under the Chatham House Rule.

For more information visit:https://www.weforum.org/communities/global-future-councils

b) By what date will the specified proposals be tabled?

Not applicable.

Reply:

The scores were not lowered prior to Ms. Ngqolombe being appointed as an Administrator on 7 January 2002 or prior to her being promoted to Labour Relations Officer on 1 June 2006.

a) No; the score sheetswere not altered when Ms. Ngqolombe was appointed.

b) &(c) The postof Administrator was on salary level 5 and the Labour Relations Officer on salary level 6.

End

Reply:

The Department of Tourism does not have tourismoffices in the nine provinces of South Africa.

(a) - (g) Not applicable.

Reply:

a) The report submitted by Northern Cape Province indicate a total number of 145 verified farmers affected by veld fires and they were assisted with livestock feed. A total of 82 tons from the provincial fodder banks which is R3000 per ton were provided. Extension services gave all affected farmers notices to collect the fodder from Fodder Bank at Vaalharts Research Station as calculated on listed Large Stock Unit’s per farmer. Free State department agriculture declared a state of fire disaster and requested R15 million from their equitable share to assist 117 farmers and still awaits the disbursement of that amount.

b) No direct financial support has been provided to farmers as yet by both provinces while Free State awaits the disbursement from the provincial department to support the affected farmers.

c) A total number of 44060 hectares (110 for Free State and 43 950 for Northern Cape) have been damaged by fires.

d) According to the preliminary reports submitted by both Northern Cape and Free State, there is no indication of any farmers who need loans to rebuild their farming.

In the meantime, the disaster management act requires that the provinces must reprioritize their budgets to address the immediate needs of affected farmers and then approach National Disaster Management Centre for additional funding.

Reply:

The aim of the Animal Health Act, 2002 (Act No. 7 of 2002) is to promote animal health and to control animal diseases; provide for the appropriate governance structures and regulate the importation and exportation of animals.

The Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement applies to all sanitary and phytosanitary measures which might affect international trade. Members can apply science-based risk measures to achieve an appropriate level of sanitary and phytosanitary protection in relation to risks to animal and plant life and human health. Domestic legislation such as the Animal Health Act, 2002, contributes to compliance to international obligations, such as those contained in the SPS Agreement, but domestic legislation and related policies extends beyond this and aims to achieve its primary purpose statement (e.g promoting animal health).

Reply:

a) The person is responsible for amongst others: liaising with the constituency office of the Minister of Finance, interacting with communities on the services of the Ministry of Finance and interacting with political stakeholders on the services of the Ministry of Finance.

b) Percentage performance targets against service delivery and implementationindicatorshave been set in accordance with the Department of Public Service and Administration determined measurement scale of 1-4 against the Key Performance Areas of:

1. Liaising with the constituency office of the Minister of Finance;
2. Interaction with communities on the services of the Ministry of Finance;
3. Interaction with international and domestic stakeholders of the Ministry of Finance; and
4. Support to the Minister on public outreach programmes.

c) The appointment was made on 5 June 2020

d) The appointment was made in terms of section 9 of the Public Service Act, 1994, in conjunction with regulation 66 of the Public Service Regulations, 2016. Regulation 66 authorises the filling of positions in the Office of an executive authority without advertising.

e) The total remuneration is R863,748.00 per annum

Reply:

Kindly note this is the same question was replied to on 25 August 2020, Parliamentary Question 1168.

The original reply is hereby attached for reference purposes.

.QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY:

Question Number: 1168

Date of Publication: 12June 2020

NA IQP Number: 20

Date of reply: 25 August 2020

Mr M S F de Freitas (DA) to ask the Minister of Tourism:

With reference to tour offices of the Republic in countries worldwide, (a) what total number of tour offices does her department have in each country, (b) on what date was each office opened, (c) what are the monthly costs of each office, (d) what is the mandate of each office, (e) what (i) was the output of each office in the 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 financial years and (ii) for the remainder of this financial year, (f) how is each office monitored and (g) to whom does each office report?

NW1473E

REPLY:

a) South African Tourism has offices in 10countries globally operating as regional hubs and servicing key source markets.

b) On what date was each office opened?

AFRICA	AMERICAS	EUROPE	ASIA	AUSTRALASIA
Nigeria	US	Germany	UK	France	Netherlands	India	China	Japan	Australia
2014	1984	1960	1989	1993	1983	2004	2014	1978	2000

c) What are the monthly costs of each office?

AFRICA	AMERICAS	EUROPE	ASIA	AUSTRALASIA
Nigeria	US	Germany	UK	France	Netherlands	India	China	Japan	Australia
R1 066 796,98	R1 444 683,24	R1 196 157,23	R1 162 767,57	R1 144 239,24	R1 031 060,45	R1 313 938,18	R 866 063,72	R 534 334,97	R 868 375,25

d) What is the mandate of each office?

Each office operates as a regional hub servicing key source markets, to ensure effective marketing initiatives, support to the value chain partners and effective delegation of authority and responsibility. Mandate of each office is to drive number of international tourist arrivals into South Africa, increase tourist foreign direct spend, geographic spread, brand positivity and awareness.

(e )(i) What was the output of each office in the financial year?

The output achieved is through partnering with relevant travel trade in each of the markets that are serviced by the country offices in which it invests to maximise synergies, enhance tourist experiences and increase sales of packages to South Africa. Partnerships allow South African Tourism to reach a larger audience at a shared cost with the partner, while the partner is equipped with brand relevant content and tools.

COUNTRY OFFICE ( and the markets it serves)	2016/17- Arrivals	2017/2018- Arrivals	2018/19 - Arrivals
Nigeria (IncludesGhana)	82 751	68 626	74 768
US ( Includes Canada)	406 192	437 903	444 671
Germany (Include Austria and Switzerland)	394 548	437 837	431 668
UK (Includes Ireland)	478 385	479 411	462 305
France ( Include Spain, Portugal and Italy)	292 494	335 666	323 641
Netherlands (Include Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway)	297 152	320 275	310 258
India (IncludeTurkey, UAE, Malaysia and Singapore)	121 298	135 336	126 998
China (IncludesSouth Korea)	126 658	119 444	119 004
Japan	24 018	27 410	27 542
Australia (IncludesNew Zealand)	115 611	133 351	131 059

e (ii)Remainder of this financial year.

South Africa has a goal of achieving 21 million international arrivals by 2030. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted the travel and tourism sector with borders closed and flights grounded. The forecast by the UNWTO is that global tourism will decline by 20-30%.

The pandemic has rendered South African Tourism’s current market investment portfolio outdated for this year. Plans are in place to review the market investment choices by revising and updating the Marketing Investment Framework. The revision will ensure that new variables and data are considered in the framework which will reflect the future tourism state post the pandemic and will allow South African Tourism to review market investment choices based on various scenarios.

f) How is each office monitored?

Activities at all global offices are monitored and evaluated through SA Tourism Strategy, Insights and Analytics (SIA) Unit as part of the organisational performance monitoring processes and the markets performance are reported quarterly. Furthermore, the compliance and governance are maintained through policies and processes and monitored through the Internal Audit Unit.

g) To whom does each office report

Each office reports to Regional General Managers based at the South African Tourism’s Head Office in Sandton. The reporting is structured as follows:

Reporting	Regional General Manager: Africa	Regional General Manager: Americas	Regional General Manager: Europe	Regional General Manager: Asia/Australasia/Middle East
Continent	AFRICA	AMERICAS	EUROPE	ASIA	AUSTRALASIA
Country Office	Nigeria	US	Germany	UK	France	Netherlands	India	China	Japan	Australia

Reply:

1. No. The appointment of employees in the National Treasury is the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

2. The post of Community Outreach Officer in the Office of a Minister is benchmarked at salary level 11 (R733 257 – R863 748).

End

Reply:

The Honorable member is referred to reply2148 dated 21 September 2020 where it was stated that the department does not support any organisations.

(a) – (e ) Not applicable

Reply:

The details of these salary ranges and notches for employees appointed in terms of the Public Service Act,1994 and who are below the Senior Management Service, are contained in DPSA Circular No 10 of 2019 dated 28 March 2019. This circular can be accessed on the DPSA website at:

http://www.dpsa.gov.za/dpsa2g/documents/rp/2019/18_1_p_28_03_2019.pdf

The details of the salary ranges and notches applicable to the members of the Senior Management Service appointed in terms of the Public Service Act, 1994 are contained in DPSA Circular 19 of 2019 dated 2 July 2019. This circular can be accessed on the DPSA website at:

http://www.dpsa.gov.za/dpsa2g/documents/rp/2019/18_1_4_02_07_2019.pdf

End

Reply:

a) (i)International Borders are open as announced by the President of the Republic on 11 November 2020

(ii) Not Applicable

b) (i) What research has been undertaken in respect of the economic impact and job losses on the tourism sector?

The Department of Tourism in collaboration with International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) and the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has conducted a tourism Industry Survey on the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector. The survey aims to quantify the extent of the impact of COVID-19: how effective the support has been and what kind of help is still required. The survey was planned to be conducted three times over a period of the next 12 months to track progress. The first survey was done in April 2020 and covered the month of March and had 1 610 respondents. The analysis of the third survey is currently being conducted.

(ii) What are the findings of such research?

The second survey was done in July 2020 and covered the month of June and had 1 501 respondents. The following are the findings from the survey:

• 99% of responding enterprises were affected by COVID-19.
• Business were marginally more optimistic in June than in April, with 67% feeling neutral or positively believing their business will survive to take part in the recovery, up from 64% in April.
• 61% of enterprises were not operating in June, with 54% planning to reopen by September. Most of these re-openings were to be partial.
• The most significant concern for businesses considering reopening was sufficient demand to break-even, and 66% of enterprises highlighted the requirement for international and domestic markets to open before they will consider reopening.
• 95% of enterprises (83% in March) reported that revenues in May 2020 were down more than 50% compared to May 2019, and 75% of enterprises said revenues were 100% less. This was significantly more than in the previous survey, where 34% of enterprises said revenues were 100% less.
• 64% of enterprises were unable to service their debts and 67% of enterprises were unable to cover fixed costs in May 2020.
• The most common mitigation measure regarding workforce management, remained wage reduction to include 55% of enterprises with more than half their workforce on reduced wages(up from 50% in March). The number of enterprises employing furlough measures had stayed constant, as have the numbers of enterprises making redundancies. 43% of enterprises indicated that they did not make redundancies.
• Medium sized enterprises were the most affected in terms of wage reduction (89% have reduced wages for more than half their workforce) and furloughed, followed by large businesses, and large business were most likely to have made more than half their staff redundant (16%).
• Furthermore, the survey revealed that most commonly applied mitigation measures by businesses were supporting deferment of bookings instead of cancellation, and providing refunds.
• In a similar pattern to the results from the April survey, all businesses prioritised the need for financial support for cashflow, financial support for recovery, and tax relief. In this survey, expert advice on business recovery, advice on health and safety measures, and support for commercial debt repayment had climbed higher on the priority list. As before, micro enterprises indicated that cashflow was their first priority, small enterprises prioritised financial support for recovery and both medium and large enterprises prioritised tax relief.
• The support facilities with the most respondent awareness were the UIF scheme and the Tourism Relief of the Department.

More detail is available on the department’s website.

https://www.tourism.gov.za/CurrentProjects/Tourism_Relief_Fund_for_SMMEs/Documents/South%20Africa%20Tourism%20Survey%202%20on%20COVID-9%20(June%202020)%20Results.pdf

Reply:

(1) (a) What training is provided.

Training to South African Missions abroad falls within the ambit of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)- The DIRCO training Academy. The key training programmesfacilitated by DIRCO is the Heads of Mission-Designate Programme (HOMD), the Mission Preparation Programme(MPP), Spousal Programmeand where applicable the Continuous Professional Development Programme (CPD - One day courses).

Training modules provided to the Missions is as per request from the DIRCOTraining Academysince 2018. Tourism training covers the following:-

• Head of Mission Designate: Tourism Overview.
• Mission Readiness: Destination Marketing / Learn SA.
• Tourism Masterclass including case studies (Full Day).
• Spousal Destination Marketing Training.
• Providing tourism performance information, consumer insights and research for tourism planning purposes.
• Market Insight Sharing.
• In-country branding and destination marketing support and toolkits for Missions.
• Trade training and trade engagements and hosting.
• Media and media engagements, including media interviews and roundtable discussions opportunities for the Mission.
• Trade and consumer fairs/shows, exhibitions, activations and SAT roadshows participation.
• Speaking opportunities at SAT marketing activations and platforms.
• Destination Marketing/Learn SA.

b) How often is the specified training provided?

Tourism Training to DIRCO employees is conducted at DIRCO Head Office and through virtual platforms. Training is provided if and when requested by the Diplomatic Academy & International School of DIRCO. These Programmes as per above (1)(a) are facilitated Bi- annually and/or annually by DIRCO.

(c )How is the :

(i) Efficiency measured

DIRCO is best placed to advise on the how efficiency is measured for their in-house training programmes for which SAT is a service provider.

Efficiency of the programmes is measured by SAT through conducting feedback evaluations at the end of each training programme. This assists in determining whether the learning objectives and outcomes of each programme have been met.

(ii) Impact of the training measured

The training provided to the missions has ensured a consistent brand positioning of South Africa as a leisure and business events destination in the different markets.

(2) What :(a) (i)Training has been provided.

The Department of Tourism is invited to present on the Tourism Sector as a key pillar of economic diplomacy which includes an overview of the Department’s programmes and projects for the financial year in order for missions to assist in:

• Enhancing the promotion of SA as a preferred tourism destination through SA’s missions abroad;
• Facilitate the promotion of tourism as a trade and investment opportunity; and
• to obtain market insights through the missions abroad relevant to the tourism sector growth and development.

South African Tourism is also invited during this session to present on their prioritised markets, tourism trends and what support could be provided to Missions to market South Africa as a key leisure and business tourism destination.(Refer also to (1) (a))

(a)(ii) To which missions has training been provided in the past three financial years to date.

Training is available to all missions as per agreed business plans and per DIRCO Schedule.The Diplomatic Academy & International School has not requested any specific training to any specific Mission during the past three years. Training focused on the programs highlighted above.( 1) (a) and (2(a)(i)

(b) What are the outcomes of each such training and (c) What impact has the training had in each case.

Our strategy is to partner with the Missions and to empower them with insights, content, brochures and promotional materials so they are able to support marketing and promotion of the destination.Furthermore, to enhance their understandingof thecontribution of tourism to the South African economy and how missions abroad can assist in tourism promotion and facilitation through DIRCO’s global footprint. Through these training programmes DIRCO has been able to support the efforts of the Department of Tourism and South African Tourism in promoting South Africa as a key leisure and business tourism destination by leveraging from their network of Diplomatic Missions abroad.