Questions and Replies

Reply:

(a) - (c) The Presidency legal team has collated all submissions, petitions and investigated areas of concern regarding the Bill. The team is currently analysing these submissions with the purpose of fully appraising the President on the Bill. As such, there is no task team established to consider the Bill.

Reply:

(a) - (b) The Infrastructure Fund is expected to utilise funds from International Finance Institutions (IFIs), including the China Development Bank (CDB), as well as other Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and private sector institutions. Work on the design of the Infrastructure Fund is continuing, involving the National Treasury, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC).

As indicated above, consideration will be given to source funding from number of IFIs, DFIs and private sector institutions.

Government has committed R100 billion to the fund over ten years as a subsidy to leverage both private sector and development finance funding for well planned projects. This seed capital will be funded through reprioritisation or additional borrowing but may also include guarantees. There is R5 billion in the existing Medium-Term Expenditure Framework for this purpose. Adequate processes to enable borrowing on a competitive basis from multilateral institutions (such as World Bank, New Development Bank, Chinese Development Bank) already exist. The intention will be to access technical assistance that comes with concessional loans both for purely social infrastructure and for blended finance projects with social and economic elements.

The decision on the funding mix, and terms and conditions of the loan will be determined by several factors. Therefore, it would be premature to indicate what the loan amount would be and the terms and conditions of the loan.

Reply:

In a letter dated 17 July 2019, I informed both the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces that I have deployed 1,320 members of the South African National Defence Force for service in cooperation with the South African Police Service for the prevention and combating of crime, maintenance and preservation of law and order where needed in the Western Cape Province.

The deployment was authorised in terms of section 201(2)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.

This deployment is for the period 18 July 2019 to 16 September 2019, with a total expenditure of R23 391 351.00.

Reply:

I am informed by the relevant authorities that the investigation of this matter is still ongoing and is led by the National Prosecuting Authority. I therefore cannot and will not pre-empt the work that is being done. As soon as I am appraised of the outcomes of these investigations, I will consider the appropriate steps to be taken.

Reply:

(a) - (b) As I have said in the State of the Nation Address, I will be signing performance agreements with Ministers and Deputy Ministers who will be delegated clear and meaningful programmes to lead.

We expect to finalise these performance agreements by September 2019 when the Medium Term Strategic Framework, with clear deliverables for each department, is approved by Cabinet.

Reply:

1. (a) The Minister of Employment and Labour accompanied the President.

(b) (i) The President was accompanied by seven officials. (ii). This information can be obtained by the Honourable Member directly from the Ministry of Employment and Labour.

(c) Six of the seven officials were in Geneva for one day, while the seventh official, who advanced, was in Geneva for five days.

2. The Minister did not travel with a spouse. None of the officials that formed part of the President’s delegation travelled with a spouse.

3. (a) The total cost incurred for the President’s delegation is approximately R133 200.

(b) The breakdown of the costs incurred for the seven officials that accompanied the President are: accommodation – R66 500; return flights for one official – R35 300 (the other six officials travelled with the President and the flight costs were paid for as part of the mandate of the South African National Defence Force); and daily allowances for all seven officials – R31 400.

Reply:

The Minister of Police is taking the Public Protector’s report on review.

The Presidency has applied to intervene in the review application instituted by the Minister of Police to ask the court to stay the implementation of the remedial action until the review is determined.

Reply:

The person in question was interviewed by the South African Police Service (SAPS) on or around 22 May 2018, before he was appointed to his current position.

The Presidency has been informed that the person’s security clearance is still being processed. We trust that the SAPS will conclude the matter urgently and make a final determination in this regard in accordance with applicable prescripts.

Reply:

(1) (a) The proposed amendments to the Ministerial Handbook were submitted to the Presidency in June 2018.

(b) The proposed amendments are, in the main, in the following areas:

(i) Staffing for offices of Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Premiers and MECs;

(ii) Provisions for Members with special needs due to disability;

(iii) Procurement of official vehicles and the use of hired vehicles;

(iv) Domestic and international travel;

(v) Provision, maintenance and furnishing of official residences; and,

(vi) The period within which former members are required to vacate state owned residences and relinquish official motor vehicles.

(c) It is envisaged that cost savings will be achieved through the transversal contract administered by National Treasury in terms of vehicles purchased, reductions in the cost of flights and a reduction in administrative support and accommodation costs when Members travel abroad.

(2) Following discussion between the President and the Minister of Public Service and Administration, the amended Handbook has been returned to the Department of Public Service and Adminstration. The Department has been asked to ensure that the amended Handbook takes account of the work currently underway on the macro-configuration of government and the amendment of Regulation 66 of Public Service Regulations on the staff establishment for offices of the President, Deputy President, Ministers, Premiers and MECs.

Reply:

(a) I did not have a meeting with the female firefighters employed by the City of Ekurhuleni.

(b) The memorandum was received by a Presidency official on 23 August 2018. It was forwarded to the City of Ekurhuleni, which has been asked to address the concerns raised in the memorandum, working with the Department of Cooperative Governance.

Apart from the signatures, there are no names specified in the memorandum that was submitted to the Presidency.

Reply:

(1) Col Patrick Karegeya was found dead in his hotel room at the Michelangelo Hotel on 31 December 2013. The National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks are handling the matter to the extent that the case was recently submitted to a Magistrate in Sandton for an inquest.

(2) The Government of South Africa and the Government of Rwanda have since 2014 engaged in discussions pursuant to the death of Col Karegeya and attempted assassination of Gen Nyamwasa. As an outcome of these discussions, the two countries agreed in June 2015 to normalise their relations. In the meetings that I have had with President Kagame, we agreed to normalise our bilateral relations, including the reactivation of the visa service at the South African High Commission in Kigali. Our respective Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation are working on the modalities.

Reply:

(1) I am informed about the attempted assassination of General Nyamwasa. On 6 March 2014, following the attempted assassination of Gen Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, our Government declared three Rwandan diplomats and one Burundian diplomat persona non grata and expelled them from South Africa, for illegal activities inconsistent with their diplomatic work which was in violation of Article 41 of the Vienna Convention and Article 9 of the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act. Our Government took that decision based on evidence from our security agencies pointing to the involvement of these diplomats in illegal activities.

(2) The Government of South Africa and the Government of Rwanda have since 2014 engaged in discussions pursuant to the death of Col Karegeya and attempted assassination of Gen Nyamwasa. As an outcome of these discussions, the two countries agreed in June 2015 to normalise their relations. In the meetings that I have had with President Kagame, we agreed to normalise our bilateral relations, including the reactivation of the visa service at the South African High Commission in Kigali. Our respective Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation are working on the modalities.

Reply:

1. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda was one of the Heads of State and Government who attended Young Presidents’ Organisation conference in Cape Town from 6 to 7 March 2019, at the invitation of the organisers of the meeting.

Pursuant to the death of Col Karegeya who was found dead in his hotel room at Michelangelo Hotel on 31 March 2013 and the assassination attempt on the life of Gen Nyamwasa on 4 March 2014, bilateral relations between South Africa and Rwanda were severely strained.

Our Government took necessary measures by launching a police investigation on the death of Col Karegeya which is currently before an inquest. On the attempted assassination of Gen Nyamwasa, our Government declared three Rwandan diplomats and one Burundian diplomat persona non grata and expelled them from South Africa, for illegal activities inconsistent with their diplomatic work which was in violation of Article 41 of the Vienna Convention and Article 9 of the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act. Our Government took that decision based on evidence from our security agencies pointing to their involvement in illegal activities.

(2) The Government of South Africa and the Government of Rwanda have since 2014 engaged in discussions pursuant to the death of Col Karegeya and attempted assassination of Gen Nyamwasa. As an outcome of these discussions, the two countries agreed in June 2015 to normalise their relations. In the meetings that I have had with President Kagame, we agreed to normalise our bilateral relations, including the reactivation of the visa service at the South African High Commission in Kigali. Our respective Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation are working on the modalities.

Reply:

Government has started implementing the most pressing recommendations that were made by the Commission. These include terminating the appointment of Mr Tom Moyane as the Commissioner of SARS on 1 November 2018, and initiating the process to appoint a new Commissioner.

A new commissioner is expected to be appointed in the near future.

While some of the organisational recommendations can only be implemented by the Commissioner, the Minister of Finance announced during the Budget speech that the Acting Commissioner has already taken steps to:

• Re-establish the large business unit, which will be formally launched in early April 2019.

• Launch an illicit economy unit to investigate syndicated tax evasion schemes in high-risk sectors, including the tobacco trade.

• Harnessing opportunities from information-sharing agreements between tax authorities to fight cross-border tax evasion.

• Reviewing contracts that breached procurement regulations and acting to recover funds from any fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

The Minister of Finance has requested Judge Davis to assess the tax gap, which is the difference between revenue collected and what ought to be collected.

The Minister also intends to introduce legislative amendments this year, giving effect to a number of the Commission’s governance recommendations. These matters will be included in this year’s draft tax legislation.

Reply:

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of state capture, corruption and fraud in public institutions is currently underway.

Following the conclusion of the inquiry, the Commission will submit findings and recommendations to the President. The President will await the report of the Commission before determining what action needs to be taken, including against any Members of Cabinet that may be implicated in the report.

Nothing prevents the relevant authorities within the criminal justice system from investigating allegations of impropriety by Ministers or any other persons. In any such instances, legal processes must be allowed to be concluded with due regard for the rule of law.

Reply:

a) As I indicated in my statement to the Public Protector of 1 February 2019, I have been informed by the former ‘CR17’ campaign managers that, following an unsuccessful attempt to meet Mr Gavin Watson in order to arrange for the return of the donation, an amount of R500,000 has been transferred into an attorney’s trust account.

The funds will remain there until such time as these matters surrounding African Global Operations are clarified following various concerning disclosures before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. Thereafter, a decision will be made as to whether these monies should be returned to the account from where they came, passed on to appropriate government authorities or donated to a charity.

b) The former ‘CR17’ campaign managers have shown me proof of payment.

Reply:

As I indicated in my statement to the Public Protector of 1 February 2019, a deliberate decision was taken by myself and those leading the ‘CR17’ campaign that, apart from attending dinners with potential funders, I would not be involved in fundraising, nor would I be provided with the identity of donors or the amounts pledged, as I did not want to feel under obligation to them in any shape or form at any time in the future.

As a consequence:

a) I do not have the names of the donors.

b) I do not know if they hold government contracts.

Reply:

a) As I indicated in my statement to the Public Protector of 1 February 2019, in September 2018, my son, Mr Andile Ramaphosa, showed me two documents:

• An Advisory Mandate signed in December 2017 between his company, Blue Crane Capital (Pty) Ltd, and African Global Operations (AGO) for possible business entry and activities in some East African countries.

• An Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy signed with AGO in January 2018.

b) It is not for me to share the contractual arrangements of private companies, including any belonging to my son.

Reply:

(a) & (b) (i) (ii): No. There is agreement in the Executive that the immediate priority for government is to stabilise SAA financially and through a rigorous process of cost-reduction and commercial re-orientation, to turn it into an airline that is financially and operationally sustainable.

Reply:

(1) (a) No

(b) No. I am encouraged by the fact that the Minister of Finance reached out to the SA National Editors Forum and had a constructive discussion on matters that were of concern to both parties.

(2) (a) No

(b) No

Reply:

I wish to refer Honourable Member to the attached statement that was issued by the Presidency on 15 November 2018 on Bills passed by Parliament and referred to me for signing into law.

As per the statement, the Political Party Funding Bill is one of the Bills that I am currently considering. Due to the importance attached to legislation, I have a constitutional obligation of ensuring that, while expediting the process, a Bill that has been passed into law is not vulnerable to legal challenge and that it is constitutionally complaint. I can assure the Honourable Member that I am applying my mind with the urgency and thoroughness the Bill demands.

Reply:

(a) – (b) The allegations referred to by the Honourable Member were made in the form of an anonymous letter circulated to various government entities, including the Presidency.

I am informed that the Public Service Commission, one of the recipients of the anonymous letter, determined after correspondence with the Department of Transport that it will not take action due to the fact that it would be difficult to obtain further and more detailed particulars from an anonymous complainant.

We would urge any individuals who have evidence of irregular or unlawful appointments to make use of the proper channels.

In this regard, it is worth mentioning that the Minister of Public Service and Administration did receive another letter from a former employee of the Department of Transport making similar allegations.

In line with the Public Service Act, the Minister of Public Service and Administration has begun a process to ascertain the veracity of the allegations.

The work to ascertain the veracity of the allegations has not yet been concluded. The Department of Public Service and Administration is in contact with the Department of Transport to ascertain whether the appointment of persons in the Ministry of Transport is compliant to the Public Service Act and other relevant prescripts.

Once the work has been concluded, a report will be submitted to the Minister of Public Service and Administration. Further enquiry on these allegations should be directed to the Minister of Public Service and Administration.

Reply:

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has apprised me on the allegations levelled against senior officials in his department. He further indicated that disciplinary proceedings for some of the implicated officials are currently underway, while for others, investigations are proceeding. These processes have not yet been concluded and I expect a report from the Minister once they are concluded.

The Minister has assured me that despite these allegations and related processes currently underway, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is effectively implementing the strategic programmes of the Department.

Reply:

1. I have not received any donation, either in my official or any other capacity, from African Global Operations. As I indicated in a letter to the Speaker of the National Asembly on 16 November 2018, the payment to which the Leader of the Opposition referred was made on behalf of Mr Gavin Watson into a trust account that was used to raise funds for a campaign established to support my candidature for the Presidency of the African National Congress.

The donation was sought and obtained without my knowledge, and I was not aware of the existence of the donation at the time that I answered the question in the National Assembly.

2. Since I did not receive any donation from African Global Operations no declaration was necessary.

Reply:

1. The Special Envoys on Investment are private individuals who have volunteered to support the country’s investment drive. The envoys are attached to different private sector organisations and may, from time to time, act in their capacity as envoys while they are travelling on company business, which is paid for by their respective firms. No personnel have been seconded to provide support to the envoys specifically.
2. No public entity has made any payment to any private firm to which the envoys are affiliated for the purpose of supporting the work of the envoys in the investment drive.

Reply:

1. a), b) and c) and 2): The interventions, its achievement the responsible Departments of the Inclusive Growth Action Plan which was released on or around 13 July 2017, are as follows

Reply:

1. I attended the Cabinet meeting of 9 December 2015 in my capacity as Deputy President of the Republic. It was at this meeting that a decision was made to issue a request for proposals for a nuclear new build programme, and at which it was also agreed that any decision to proceed further with a nuclear build programme would take place after the Request for Proposals process had been completed and a final funding model developed.

2. Discussions in Cabinet are confidential and it is therefore not possible to provide information on individual contributions to the discussion. All members of Cabinet, regardless of their personal views, are bound by decisions taken by Cabinet and are collectively responsible for implementing those decisions.

3. I have publicly stated that I am available to give evidence at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture should the Commission deem it necessary.

Reply:

a) A number of agreements were signed between the governments of South Africa and the People’s Republic of China, and between different state entities and private companies in the two countries, during the state visit by President Xi Jinping to South Africa in July 2018 and during my state visit to China in September 2018, prior to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Taken together, the agreements reflect a commitment of around US$15.2 billion in equity investments and loans across a range of industrial sectors, mining, infrastructure and services. The funding will, among others, support cooperation on special economic zones, trade and investment relations and financing for state owned entities.

b) Eskom and Transnet entered into loan agreements with Chinese banks.

Eskom entered into a loan agreement with the China Development Bank for R33 billion. The facility has a grace period of five years and thereafter the principal amount is repayable by Eskom in 20 instalments over a period of 10 years. There are no specific conditions for this loan.

Transnet entered into a R4 billion loan agreement with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to finance the general operating activities and certain capital expenditure of Transnet. The facility is a five-year, rand denominated, quarterly amortising loan, at a floating and competitive interest rate. The loan came with terms and conditions that are standard for this type of loan.

In addition, there were agreements signed between private sector companies of China and those of South Africa. The conditions attached to each of these agreements are a matter between the respective parties.

Reply:

(1) (a) No

(b) No

(2) Former Minister Nene submitted a letter of resignation on 9 October 2018, which I accepted.

(3) Mr Nene is no longer a Minister. If there are any findings to be made on Mr Nene’s contact with members of the Gupta family that will be a matter for the Commission of Inquiry on State Capture.

Reply:

1.(a) The INDS completed in 1997, was compiled through a multi stakeholder consultative process which was led by the Office of the Status of Disabled Persons (OSDP).

(b). The stakeholders comprised of officials from all spheres of government, members of civil society, members from academic institutions, persons with disabilities and various organizations of persons with disabilities.

2. The process was not commissioned to external contractors and therefore no individual / external contractor was compensated

Reply:

i) According to DAFF, Paternoster Oyster initiative was delayed owing to lack of interest to invest from private investors to date and therefore could not leverage other funding. Consequently, the project was removed from the Operation Phakisa registered projects. Recently, the company has been bought over and the new owner intends to set up an oyster hatchery. This company will have an opportunity to register the new project with Operation Phakisa.

ii) Oyster Catcher initiative was delayed due to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process that was conducted for Saldanha Bay. Now that the Environmental Authorisation has been approved, the conditions of the Environmental Authorisation need to be met and Transnet reports that the approval process for additional sea space needed, is underway.

iii) The Hermanus Salmon has not been awarded a lease for the property that the company identified. The Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and Department of Public Works (DPW) have agreed that the advertisement of vacant sites suitable for aquaculture will be prioritised to expedite the resolution of the problem.

iv) The Hondeklip Bay Abalone Hatchery was initially funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). However, the consolidation of Aquaculture projects funding at the DST led to the withdrawal of funding for the same. The DAFF has subsequently sourced funding for this initiative to ensure continued development of aquaculture in Northern Cape.

v) The Richards Bay sea cage kob farm has completed a successful pilot project. However, before commercial aquaculture can be undertaken in the bay, a feasibility study is being undertaken to assess whether there is water space for commercial production levels and whether aquaculture activities can coexist with other activities being undertaken in the Port. The DAFF is drafting a marketing and awareness programme for the aquaculture sector in South Africa, which includes value chain and marketing of products.

vi) The Wild coast abalone farm initiative is progressing well. However, due to initial funding constraints the plans are slightly behind schedule. The company has sourced the necessary funding and this project is expected to progress as planned

Reply:

(a) - (b) The envoys were appointed to create an additional channel through which business can alert government of possible investment opportunities as well as impediments they experience in pursuing those opportunities. The envoys combined have had more than 150 engagements. These include meetings with individual companies, business chambers, business groupings and embassies.

(c) (i) The meetings referred to above have been held since the envoys were appointed, up to date.

(ii) Meetings were held in various locations including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, China, Canada, Ireland, London and Poland.

(d) (i) (ii) Envoys are volunteers who are deployed to convey messages about the investment climate and to generate goodwill with investors. They are not tasked with deal-making, but with opening doors. It is up to the government to pursue the investment opportunities where appropriate, or to resolve the issues that may be blocking private sector investment.

(e) (i) (ii) To date, the total cost is at R369,644.14, which includes:

- Ticket fares: R225,397.90

- Hotel Accommodation: R57,798.69

- Delegation fee: R86,447.55

Reply:

(1) - (2) The Commission of Inquiry into State Capture is empowered to decide who should give evidence before it. If the Commission asks me to appear before it, I will gladly oblige.

Any person, including members of Cabinet and senior government employees, who may have information that would assist the Commission in its work, is encouraged to make that information available to the Commission and, if necessary, to give evidence.

Reply:

The disposal of non-core residential state land in urban areas is required when such properties do not contribute to the line function needs of government. The disposal of land is guided by national legislation, the State Land Disposal Act No. 48 of 1961, as well as provincial legislation – the Eastern Cape Land Disposal Act No. 7 of 2000.

Further, in April 2009, the Government Immovable Asset Management Act No. 19 of 2007 was promulgated to regulate uniformity in the management of state assets through its life-cycle, including a surrender plan for assets that do not meet the service delivery objectives of the State.

The properties that are advertised under SCMU5-18/19-PM002 are all vacant or dilapidated residential sites. The systematic release, through the prescribed legislative frameworks, of the State’s immovable assets that are surplus to the needs of Government and that are lying dormant in the urban areas, will promote residential development in municipal areas, as well as provide our people with security of tenure through the attainment of title deeds and also stimulate socio-economic development. The one way of addressing the latter is through the upgrading of dilapidated structures in the urban centres, and by so doing increase the revenue stream of municipalities and generally upgrade the facade of towns.

The Eastern Cape Province, through the said disposal process, aims at addressing the imbalances of the past, which contributed to the skewed land ownership patterns, with the focus on ownership transfer to the designated groups, such as black people, women, youth, military veterans and the disabled. First time home owners will be targeted as preferred bidders.

The province has committed that any site beneficially occupied or identified for strategic economic development will not be disposed.

Reply:

The speech that the President delivered in Kimberley as the Commander-in-Chief of the South African National Defence Force on the occasion of Armed Forces Day, on 21 February 2018, does not make reference to any of the assertions made in the question of the Honourable Member.

The section of the speech quoted by the Honourable Member reflects the primary mandate of the SANDF, as prescribed in the Defence Act No. 42 of 2002, Section 2(b), which states: “The primary object of the Defence Force is to defend and protect the Republic, its people and its territorial integrity”.

The President’s speech on Armed Forces Day 2018 is attached for information.

Reply:

Section 179(1)(a) of the Constitution provides that the National Director of Public Prosecutions is appointed by the President, as head of the national executive. It is an executive appointment, constitutionally distinguished from those institutions whose members’ appointment involves Parliament.

Reply:

(1) Yes, the letter from the leaders of Abahlali baseMjondolo was received by the President, in his capacity as President, on 6 June 2018.

(2) The letter was responded to on 11 July 2018, addressed to the President of Abahlali baseMjondolo, Mr S. Zikode.

Reply:

1. (a) I visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to meet with President Kabila. On my departure from the DRC, a courtesy call by the ruling party’s Presidential candidate, Mr Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, took place at the airport.

(b) The purpose of the visit to the DRC was to meet with President Kabila. Mr Shadary requested the courtesy call.

(c) None.

2. No other candidate requested to meet with me. If they had, I would certainly have been willing to meet them.

3. (a) I commended President Joseph Kabila for honouring the Congolese Constitution by not seeking a third term. This position is consistent with the Statement that was issued following the 38th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of Heads of State and Government held in mid-August 2018 in Windhoek, Namibia, which also commended President Kabila and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for upholding the Constitution.

(b) I maintain the same position on President Kabila’s decision not to seek a third term. Contrary to media reports former President Mbeki has not been appointed as a Special Envoy to the DRC, but has agreed to my request, given his vast experience, to assist the government with various issues in the Great Lakes region as a whole.

Reply:

a) During the discussions, I was briefed by my host about the matter of Mr Katumbi during which the government of the DRC explained their national legal requirements that prevented Mr Katumbi from registering in the national elections.

b No. The deployment of the army or troops in any country is the sovereign right of the government of the day.

c) - (d) During the discussions, I was briefed about the DRC’s preparedness to hold the upcoming elections.

I wish to refer the Honourable Member to the attached Joint Statement that was issued by the Presidency on 10 August 2018 on my Working Visit to the DRC. As part of statement, it was stated that:

“The two Heads of State noted that the political and security situation is calm throughout the national territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and took note of the significant progress made in the ongoing electoral process in the country, with regard to the commitments made in accordance with the electoral calendar published on 5 November 2017 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and providing for the organization of presidential, legislative and provincial elections at the end this year.

“The two Heads of State noted, among other things, the continued financing of the electoral process by the Congolese Government, which has just completed the stage of submitting candidatures for the presidential, legislative and provincial elections, in compliance with the constitutional rules and national laws of the Democratic Republic of Congo”.

(e) The matter of the detention of any individual was not discussed during the meeting.

Reply:

(a) - (b) The investment drive to mobilise $100 billion over five years targets both the private sector (which includes public and unlisted companies) and general government, including state owned enterprises. The investment drive seeks to encourage investors to invest in the economy through greenfield and brownfield projects. While the emphasis is on fixed investment, government is not prescriptive on the investments.

Reply:

a) The total cost of the Solomon Mahlangu tombstone was R128 200.  The said amount covered:           

1. Refurbishing of the tombstone including re-polish and wright parts of the old stone
2. Headstone with an addition of the book
3. Monument
4. Laser photo on the stone
5. All granite border around the stone including stands, roofs and pillars
6. Engraving
7. Transportation
8. Installation

2. Which company received the contract to build the gravestone

    (a) Lomanthosi was a successful bidder

3. What was the value of the contract

(a) The total value of the procurement was R128 200.

4. Who were the other bidders?

a) Lomathonsi

b) Arise

c) Eventoption

Reply:

1. Stats SA does not publish per capita gross domestic estimates, as it can easily be calculated. It will consider including these estimates if a regular need for it is identified from its users. The South African Reserve Bank does, however, also publish these statistics annually, so they are in the public domain.

2. The gross domestic estimates are published in both current and real/volume terms. The relevant annual per capita details are as follows:

Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, MP

Minister in the Presidency: Planning Monitoring and Evaluation

Date:

Reply:

The Evaluation Report on the Integrated Strategy for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship and Small Enterprises has been completed. The Department of Small Business Development has also subsequently submitted a formal management response to the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation indicating its acceptance of all recommendations. The management response was followed by an improvement plan on 31 July 2018, which plan details how the recommendations will be addressed. The Report will now be presented at the Economic Sectors, Employment and Infrastructure Development (ESEID) Cluster of the DGs on 20 September 2018 which will be followed by a submission to Cabinet for approval.

Recommended

Ms NZH Mpofu

Director-General: Planning Monitoring and Evaluation

Approved

Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, MP

Minister in the Presidency: Planning Monitoring and Evaluation

Date:

Reply:

The President has a constitutional obligation to satisfy him or herself, independently, that any legislation brought to him or her for assent is constitutional. This necessarily requires, among other things, a review of all relevant documentation, consideration of any submissions and the sourcing of legal opinion.

I am currently considering the Public Audit Amendment Bill, together with other Bills received from Parliament, to satisfy myself that it indeed passes the test of constitutionality.

Reply:

The President received a full briefing from the Minister of State Security on the matter. Having regard to the details of the briefing and related matters, the President is of the view that there are no grounds to establish a commission of inquiry into the matter.

The Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, a committee of Parliament, will also receive a briefing on the matter by the Minister as part of its oversight and accountability function.

Reply:

a) Twenty two (22) international visits have been undertaken.

(b) The Presidency delegation lists that provide names of people that accompanied the President on each trip do not have anyone who is not a member of government. However the Department of Trade and Industry does put together a list of business people that accompany the government delegation on some international visits. These business delegations are coordinated by the dti.

Reply:

1. The Presidential Fiscal Committee (PFC) was established on 11 October 2017, following the decision of the Extended Cabinet meeting of 28 September 2017, as follows:

• President of the Republic of South Africa as Chairperson
• Deputy President
• Minister of Finance
• Minister in The Presidency: Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
• Minister of Science and Technology
• Minister of Economic Development
• Minister of Energy
• Deputy Minister of Finance
• Director-General in The Presidency and Secretary of the Cabinet
• Director-General: National Treasury

The position of Chairperson was later delegated by the President to the Minister of Finance.

As detailed in the Government statement of 14 November 2017 that the Honourable Member has referred to, the Committee was mandated to work with the National Treasury and other stakeholders to find creative ways of meeting the country’s fiscal targets and resolving competing priorities. In particular, the PFC was tasked with considering the proposals prepared by the National Treasury to bring the public finances back onto a sustainable path. The Committee was further mandated to make recommendations and to provide advice on spending priorities which may be considered.

The secretariat of the PFC sits with the National Treasury and therefore all secretariat-related questions should be re-directed to the PFC secretariat.

(2) While the Committee has not formally been disbanded, it has not met since 21 November 2017.

Reply:

Section 34 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (Act 12 of 2004) requires that “any person who holds a position of authority” and who knows or ought reasonably to have known or suspected that any other person has committed certain listed offences must report such knowledge or suspicion or cause such knowledge or suspicion to be reported to a Police Official in the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation at the South African Police Service (SAPS).

The Act further defines “any person who holds a position of authority” as:

1. the Director-General or head, or equivalent officer, of a national or provincial department;
2. in the case of a municipality, the municipal manager appointed in terms of section 82 of the Local government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998);
3. any public officer in the Senior Management Service of a public body;
4. any head, rector or principal of a tertiary institution;
5. the manager, secretary or a director of a company as defined in the Companies Act, 1973 (Act 61 of 1973), and includes a member of a close corporation as defined in the Close Corporations Act, 1984 (Act 69 of 1984);
6. the executive manager of any bank or other financial institution;
7. any partner in a partnership;
8. any person who has been appointed as chief executive officer or an equivalent officer of any agency, authority, board, commission, committee, corporation, council, department, entity, financial institution, foundation, fund, institute, service, or any other institution or organisation, whether established by legislation, contract or any other legal means;
9. any other person who is responsible for the overall management and control of the business of an employer; or
10. any person contemplated in paragraphs (a) to (i), who has been appointed in an acting or temporary capacity.

The Act does not place any statutory obligation on the President or Members of the Executive, Members of Legislatures or the Judiciary,

It is important, however, to emphasise that the fight against corruption is a continuous process, which requires the involvement of all citizens and that provided with evidence, the relevant law enforcement agencies would not hesitate to take the necessary actions.

We would therefore encourage all South Africans, regardless of the position they occupy, to provide any evidence of alleged corrupt activities to the SAPS.

Reply:

1. The listeriosis outbreak has had a considerable economic impact across the meat processing industry. According to the South African Meat Processing Association (SAMPA), there has been a fall in demand since the outbreak. The listeriosis outbreak, and the announcement of the recall of products that was made on 4 March 2018, was a response to the number of fatalities directly attributable to the outbreak of listeriosis. Once the source of the outbreak had been ascertained, government was bound to issue a recall notice under the provisions of the National Consumer Commission, in the interests of public health.

The Department of Trade and Industry has undertaken a preliminary investigation into the economic and employment effects of the outbreak, which will be followed by a more in-depth study across the value chain.

An interim evaluation suggests that the pork industry is the hardest hit with a decrease in demand for processed meat of 75%, the demand for pork cold cuts decreased by 50% and profits by 40%.

The immediate impact, according to information on record, is that two processing plants and one abattoir have closed down. Approximately 2,000 jobs have been lost.

In the informal market, traders selling ready-made or prepared food have been negatively affected. While there was an initial decrease in sales by these vendors, many have since recovered by excluding processed meat or ensuring they do not procure products from the manufacturers identified as the centre of the outbreak.

2. The following interventions are directed at curbing further job losses and assisting the affected companies:

(i) The Department of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with other relevant departments, has been directed to undertake a full investigation of the impact of the listeriosis outbreak and its further effects across the value chain.

(ii) In keeping with standard operating procedure communicated to the industry, companies in distress are advised to apply for assistance to the Department of Trade and Industry under the Agro-processing Incentive, and to the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). Applications will be dealt with on a case by case basis, according to the merits of each application, and support will be provided as and where appropriate.

(iii) To ensure the requisite high levels of health and safety, government has put in place a process to establish a Food Safety Agency and attendant regulatory framework.

Government has intervened to secure public safety and the longer term sustainability of the sector, which must rest on an optimal health and safety regulatory framework and appropriate enforcement by government.

Reply:

1. According to the information on record, the former Minister of Finance, Mr KMN Gigaba, undertook the following approved official travel abroad:

(2) The Ministerial Handbook does not require the President to approve the travel of the Minister’s spouse.