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28 September 2023 - NW2870

Profile picture: Manyi, Mr M

Manyi, Mr M to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

(1) With reference to the delay in the closure of Eskom coal power stations in relation to the conditions of the climate change pledges for the Just Energy Transition (JET) made by the rich nations to the Republic, with coal being discontinued at Komati Coal Power Station and replaced with Renewable Energy, what are the reasons for the rush to demolish the stack and the cooling towers that will be needed should there be a need to complement renewables which only give 270 MW on a 1000 MW Assets with either gas to power or small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) in the near future and (b) total number of Eskom Coal Power Stations are also due to be replaced with Renewable Energy; (2) (a)(i) which power stations are to be replaced with Renewable Energy and (ii) on what date and (c) what number of the specified power stations has he been able to motivate for their delayed closure; (3) what is the reason that the Climate Change Pledge money flows into the JET only on condition that Eskom closes its coal power stations, whereas some rich nations such as Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan are reviving their old coal power stations that were closed some years ago and are taking coal from the Republic via the Richards Bay Coal Terminal?

Reply:

(1)(a)

Cabinet has resolved that the current generation fleet must be maximised based on a broader socio-economic benefit analysis and interest of securing energy security. In terms of the NERSA license conditions, Komati Power Station cannot be decommissioned until the shutdown has been approved by NERSA, although Komati Power Station units has been shut down cannot be decommissioned until the NERSA and the PFMA approvals are received.

Work is continuing to investigate the cost benefit of the extension of life and or the repurposing of the existing fleet. If it is feasible to continue to use the flue stacks, cooling towers or any other infrastructure for other new technologies that might feasibly be constructed at the Komati site, the repurposing and repowering will take that into account

(1)(b)

Currently, Eskom does not intend to shut down any more stations and replace them with renewables. Eskom does however intend to install renewable capacity at current sites while they are still operational.

(2)(a)(i)

Currently, only Komati Power Station has been shut down for repurposing and repowering. The intention is to construct solar PV, wind and battery storage. In addition, other repurposing options are being considered.

(2)(a)(ii)

Komati was shut down at the end of October 2022. (c) No other units have been shut down since the shutdown of Komati. Eskom is currently studying the feasibility of continuing to operate the older stations.

(3)

The conditionality is imposed by the funders

Coal will continue to be a feature of South Africa’s energy mix, which will include, gas, nuclear and renewable technologies. I.e. solar PV and wind. Our National Socio-economic and Energy security requirements will dictate our investment choices and the funding thereof.

Notwithstanding the conditions attached to climate change funding, South Africa has not formally entered into any agreements. It is up to the lender to decide whether it is in its overall interest to comply with the conditions to access the concessionary aspects or to attempt to raise loans on commercial terms.

 

 

 

28 September 2023 - NW2949

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Chirwa, Ms NN to ask the Minister of Health

Whether he is informed on matters related to provincial departments with regard to staff charged with serious misconduct; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the update on the ongoing case against a certain person (details furnished) and the person’s involvement with charges of fraud and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999, and (b) how does his department intend on ensuring lasting systems to prevent such brazen acts of corruption?

Reply:

Yes the National Department of Health is informed by all provinces on many issues, including matters related to misconduct.

(a) According to the KZN Department of Health, the case against Sibongile Zungu, the former Head of Kwazulu-Natal is being handled by the law enforcement agencies and they have not been updated on the matter.

(b) In response to the prevalence of fraud, corruption and mismanagement of financial resources, the Department has sought a number of remedies to curb these anomalies by reviewing its policies, embarking on proper management of records and developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The Department has developed and adopted a Fraud Prevention Plan, Fraud Prevention Strategy and a Whistleblowing Policy which is widely circulated within the Department.

The Department continues to conduct Fraud and Anti-Corruption Awareness to all employees.

 

END.

28 September 2023 - NW2689

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Ismail, Ms H to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation

Whether Rand Water has (a) reduced the amount of water, (b) reduced the water pressure and (c) throttled the City of Ekurhuleni at any time in the period 1 January 2023 and 30 June 2023; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (i) on what dates, (ii) which areas in the City of Ekurhuleni were affected, (iii) what was the length of time in each case and (iv) what was the reason in each case?

Reply:

Rand Water has not reduced any water supply to City of Ekurhuleni during the period 1 January 2023 – 30 June 2023. There has not been reduction in pressure, nor throttling during the same period. In instances where Rand Water observes that its customers’ consumption is increasing to a level where demand will outstrip supply, Rand Water formally engages with the relevant municipality and requests them to reduce consumption. This reduction of municipal consumption can be effected through municipalities implementing water restrictions within their supply networks, or joint water meter restrictions between the municipality and Rand Water.

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28 September 2023 - NW2950

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Chirwa, Ms NN to ask the Minister of Health

Noting the alarming number of sexual crimes resulting in pregnancies of 10-year-old children being dealt with in hospitals and clinics, what (a) measures has he taken and/or directives has he issued to hospitals and clinics in protecting and/or highlighting sexual crimes that are manifesting as child pregnancies in KwaZulu-Natal and throughout the Republic and (b) role does he play in highlighting the dangers of child pregnancies emanating from sexual abuse being categorised as ordinary teen pregnancies that his department deal with at hospitals and clinics?

Reply:

(a) Measures taken and directives issued to hospitals and clinics in protecting and/or highlighting sexual crimes (child pregnancies) in KwaZulu-Natal and throughout the Republic and,

  • Maternity Care Guidelines (2023) stipulate that:
    • During the Ante Natal Care visit, every pregnant woman irrespective of age must be screened for possible intimate partner violence.
    • Every pregnant woman must be screened for mental health problems and
    • It is mandatory that health care providers report any cases of every pregnant woman below the age of 18 that point adverse incidents to social services for further management.
  • Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis guidelines (2017) stipulate that health care professionals must:
    • follow algorithm of managing women exposed to sexual assault or rape cases which includes ensuring privacy and confidentiality, proper history taking, examination, counselling, medical management, and completion of J88.
    • report (mandatory) through completion of specific form (Form 22 attached as annexure of the Children’s Act) in cases of children, persons with disabilities and the elderly.
    • Refer the affected person (10-14 year old) to the nearest Thuthuzela Centre (TTC) for management of sexual abuse in conjunction with forensic nurses, and other government agencies.
  • Termination of pregnancy guidelines(2017) stipulates that:
    • Every pregnant woman has the right to request termination of pregnancy irrespective of age of the woman.

(b) Role of the Department of Health in highlighting the dangers of child pregnancies emanating from sexual abuse being categorized as ordinary teen pregnancies

  • Conducts quarterly capacity building workshop for Health Care Workers on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect including the completion of a specific form (Form 22, as an annexure to Children’s Act No.38 of 2005) through the support of Department of Social Development who are the custodians of the Children’s Act No.38 of 2005. Over 800 Health Care Workers (HCW) are reached in one session, and four (4) sessions are held in a year since 2020 at the national level.
  • Awareness campaigns are held for the children in schools and clinics on the scourge including availability of comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services in the health care facilities. The department make use of the Online platforms such as B-Wise. Safe space for adolescents in health care facilities (Youth Zones) have been created to strengthen awareness about the dangers of teenage pregnancies. Awareness campaigns are augmented by provision of SRH services during outreach to avoid missed opportunity to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

END.

28 September 2023 - NW2948

Profile picture: Chirwa, Ms NN

Chirwa, Ms NN to ask the Minister of Health

(1)Whether he is informed on investigations in provincial departments; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the update on the investigation that was launched in June, involving two paramedics in Durban who were suspended for allegedly abandoning a sick patient in Umlazi when they refused to climb staircases to reach the patient (details furnished), (b) how will his department ensure that incidences of this nature do not occur at the expense of both worker and patient in cases of emergencies and (c) what total number of cases of this nature of neglect of patients by healthcare workers are currently being dealt with by his department; (2) whether he has found a close link between the specified cases and the shortage of healthcare workers in the Republic; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW4010E

Reply:

(1) All investigations emanating due to incidents that happen at provincial level are handled by the specific province. However, there are instances where the Ministry gets informed about some of them.

a) The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health indicates that the hearing for the two (2) emergency care personnel that were involved in this incident is scheduled to take place on 28 September 2023.

b) All cases, such as this one, follow departmental policy where incidents are investigated. If misconduct is evidently found, then the prescribed disciplinary procedures are followed, and sanctions may be instituted where warranted. In addition, all emergency personnel are registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa: Professional Board for Emergency Care and are required to abide by the Ethical Code of Practice. Such incidents will also be subjected to the HPCSA processes for managing all formal complaints against practitioners.

c) All complaints are managed directly by health facilities within Provinces. As the National Department of Health, some of the complaints are sent through the office of the Director-General, sometimes through the office of the Minister. For the last financial year we received five (5) complains and two (2) in 2023 regarding Emergency Medical Services. All of the complaints are related to response times and not negligence. According to the information we received from provinces, there are no negligent misconduct cases reported in Emergency Medical Services except the KwaZulu-Natal province.

(2) The matter of the two (2) emergency care personnel leaving a patient is still under investigation. We will await the outcome of investigation. However, it must be noted that there is no excuse for any case of negligence whether related to staff shortage or any other service related challenges.

END.

28 September 2023 - NW2931

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Mbabama, Ms TM to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

What mechanisms has her department implemented to ensure that the funding from the Agro-Energy Fund that has been launched recently (a) reaches its intended beneficiaries and (b) is not susceptible to corruption?

Reply:

a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Land Bank as the appointed Fund manager. The focus of the Agro-Energy Fund is on energy intensive agricultural activities. These include irrigation, intensive agricultural production systems and on-farm cold chain related activities. The MOU therefore details amongst others, a clear set of criteria with regards to who will benefit from the fund, the industries / commodities enterprises, the exclusions to the fund, the qualifying criteria, and other factors. This detail seeks to ensure that no anomalies are entertained and thus ensure that the most relevant enterprises apply for support.

b) Clause 18 of the MOU entered between DALRRD and Land Bank, depicts activities under Audit and Inspections, that could be carried out by DALRRD to ensure adherence to the conditions agreed to in the management of the fund. For example, the MoU provides for DALRRD, through its internal or external auditors, to undertake an audit of the Land Bank financial records relating to the Fund; the appropriation of funds, and relevant statistics and information relating to the Fund. Thus, it is envisaged that the application of all these agreed to principles will be adhered to and address potential misuse of the funds.

28 September 2023 - NW2925

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Kruger, Mr HC to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

Whether, in light of the increasing frequency of fires on agricultural grasslands across the Republic, partly as a consequence of global warming, her department has undertaken any studies to assess the economic and environmental impact of the fires, specifically in relation to global warming; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

No, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has not undertaken studies to assess the economic and environmental impact of the fires, specifically in relation to global warming. This is an area we will consider looking into in future.

The Department is aware that various country studies have been undertaken on the impact of climate change and linkage of global warming with the increase of wildfires. The Department has commissioned research studies that include vulnerability assessments on the impacts of climate change in collaboration with academic and research institutions such as the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), University of the North and University of Venda. The Department will be undertaking studies to assess the economic and environmental impact of the fires at a later stage.

Based on the outputs and recommendations from research findings and in support of the National Veld and Forest Fire Act, 1998, the Department is prioritising preventative measures to reduce the risks of fires on agricultural grassland across South Africa. Current measures include implementing departmental programmes on disaster risk reduction, which includes awareness, capacity building as well as training for farmers. The Department has also collaborated with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) as the custodian of the National Veld and Forest Fire Act to assist with strategies to reduce fire risks and hazards.

28 September 2023 - NW2678

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Whitfield, Mr AG to ask the Minister of Police

Whether, with regard to the release of the fourth quarter crime statistics for the 2022-23 financial year, and given the dramatic increases in various violent crimes, not only from the previous quarter, but year-on-year as well, any consequence management and/or disciplinary investigations are taking place against any senior SA Police Service (a) national leadership and (6) provincial leadership, given the continuous unabated increase in crime; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

Find reply here

 

 

28 September 2023 - NW2629

Profile picture: Mkhonto, Ms C N

Mkhonto, Ms C N to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation

In light of the distressing claims of the Bethesda Hospital in Umkhanyakude being without a consistent water supply since 2018, coupled with reports of essential healthcare personnel struggling to perform their duties due to inadequate availability of water, what steps of intervention and/or assistance has he taken to address the long-standing issue of water shortage at the specified health facility?

Reply:

The Bethesda Hospital is connected to very old water supply infrastructure with serious limitations in terms of capacity and efficiency which cannot meet the current demands. The adverse effects of load shedding by Eskom have worsened the situation mainly because the purification plant at Mkuze was on a different schedule to the three booster pump stations (through the game reserve), resulting in the power being available at the booster pump stations whilst the Water Treatment Works is off. However, Eskom has since corrected this, and all systems are now on the same loadshedding schedule.

The Umkhanyakude District Municipality (UKDM) has prepared a detailed business plan to complete the upgrade of the Mkuze Water Treatment Works (from 4.5 ML/d to 9 ML/d) which is critical to resolve the current situation at Bethesda Hospital. The municipality has applied for R82 million from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) for this upgrade. The Department of Water and Sanitation, through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) is funding the Hlabisa/Mandlakazi Bulk Water project to provide raw water from the Jozini Dam to the Zululand District Municipality. Provision for a tap off point (chamber) for the Mkuze WTW is being made under this project.

The DWS has also intervened through the uMngeni-uThukela Water Board in terms of Section 63 of the Water Services Act (Act 108 of 1997). Through this intervention, funding of R403 million has been allocated to deal with water issues under UKDM. The UKDM continues to monitor supply of potable water to Bethesda Hospital and further supplement with water tankering as and when required.

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28 September 2023 - NW2770

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

(a) What total amount did (i) his department and (ii) each entity reporting to him pay for printed copies of the integrated annual reports for the (aa) 2020-21, (bb) 2021-22 and (cc) 2022-23 financial years, (b) who were the suppliers in each case and (c) what total number of copies of the report was printed (i) in each case and (ii) in each specified financial year?

Reply:

a) (i) The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has not printed annual reports since 2019. DWS submits electronic copies of annual reports to Parliament since 2020 to date.

(ii) Some entities of the DWS including Amatola Water, Lepelle Northern Water, Water Research Commission, Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority and Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency; have also not printed annual reports since 2019. The details of entities that have printed annual reports, cost of the printing and suppliers are indicated in the table below.

a(ii)

(aa) 2020-21

(bb) 2021-22

(cc) 2022-23

(b)

(c) (i)

(ii)

Magalies Water

R252 782.19

R264 530.02

N/A

Black Moon Design and Advertising

100

100

Overberg Water

R144 104.53

R148 659.49

N/A

PE & R Business

200

200

Rand Water

R 521 132.57

R 582 251.90

N/A

2020/21- Blue Apple Publishing

200

200

       

2021/22 – Interactive Web Works CC

   

uMngeni Water

R19 079

R56 590

N/A

2020/21- Intwenhle Media Services (PTY LTD)

130

200

       

2021/22 Afro Spice

   

Mhlathuze Water

R 92 589.38

R 55 173.00

N/A

2020/21- AfroSpice Branding

250

120

       

2021/22- Computer Artworks

Zippy Press

   

Bloem Water

R150 535.00

R186 288.50

N/A

Molebatsi Graphics

200

200

Breede Olifants CMA

R40 252,33

R84 043,08

R61 575,00

2020/21- Apple Graphics

250

250

       

2021/22 - Personalised Promotions

   
       

2022/23 - Cinnabar Graphic Design

 

(22/23) 170

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28 September 2023 - NW2951

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Thembekwayo, Dr S to ask the Minister of Health

Whether he is informed of the operational requirements of hospitals; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the full staff complement provided for in the organogram for the SS Gida Hospital in Keiskammahoek in the Eastern Cape, (b) what total number of the specified positions are occupied in each category of staff at the specified hospital and (c) by what date will the rest of the positions be filled?

Reply:

The Minister is aware of the requirements for hospitals to function optimally.

(a) In relation to SS Gida Hospital, a small district hospital with number of 122 usable beds, the staff establishment as per approved posts on the PERSAL system is 459. The Minister is also aware that the bed occupancy rate is at 42.5%, which necessitates a review of the staff complement appropriate to render the quality of care (does not require the full staff complement).

(b) Included in the table below, are 38 appointments effected between April and September 2023 of which 11 are clinical and 27 are non-clinical.

CATEGORY

TOTAL FILLED

Chief Executive Officer L11

1

Clinical Manager Grd 01

1

Middle Manager Admin L10

1

Assistant Manager Quality L9

1

Medical Practitioners Grd 01-3

6

Dentists Grd 01

1

Information Officer L7

1

Radiographer Grd 01

2

Clinical Associate L7

1

Dentists Grd 01

1

Dental Assistants Grd 01

3

Social Worker (Supervisor) Grd 01

1

Occupational Therapist Grd 01

1

Pharmacist Grd 01-3

1

Pharmacist Ass (post basic)

1

Pharmacy Ass (Learner Basic)

1

Physiotherapist comm serve

1

Radiographer Grd 01

3

State Accountant L6

1

Accounting Clerk L5

1

Registry Clerk L4

1

Driver L3

2

Admin Officer L7

1

Admin Clerks L4

5

Admin Clerks L5

14

Mortuary Attendant L4

1

Porter L2

12

Client Information Clerk L5 (Switchboard)

1

Cleaner L2

32

Laundry Supervisor L4

1

Laundry Worker L2

4

Food Service Supervisor L4

1

Food Service Aid L2

5

Artisan Foremen Grd 2

1

Deputy Manager Nursing

1

Area Manager General In-patient Care Services

1

   

Operational Manager Speciality

1

OPD/Casualty Services

 

Operational Manager Speciality

1

Theatre/ CSSD

 

Operational Manager Speciality Maternity (Antenatal, Post Natal, Labour Ward, Neonatal)

1

Operational Manager Speciality

1

Paediatrics

 

Operational Manager General

1

Female Medical

 

Operational Manager General

1

Male Medical

 

Prof/Nurse Speciality OPD/Casualty

1

   

Prof/Nurse Speciality Maternity: Antenatal

1

   

Prof/Nurse Speciality Paediatrics

2

   

Prof/Nurse General

44

   

Staff Nurse

15

   

Nursing Assistant

23

   

(c) Interviews for 8 Professional Nurses General Grade 1 were conducted and are awaiting confirmation of appointment. Interviews for one Pharmacy post will be conducted on the 5th of October 2023. A further 12 non-clinical posts were approved for next advertisement. As a result, filling of the above posts, will ensure acceptable staffing to render quality care at the facility.

END.

27 September 2023 - NW2990

Profile picture: Van Dyk, Ms V

Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

(1) What is the rate of (a) success and (b) failure of farmers who are beneficiaries of liquidated farms; (2) whether the Land Bank repossesses farms that are not successful; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (3) whether the Land Bank hands the farms back to the Government; if not, why not; if so, what (a) total number of such farms have been handed back to the Government and (b) are the relevant details of the list of all the farms; (4) what has she found to be the impact of the liquidation of farms on food production and/or security in the Republic?

Reply:

(1)(a),(b) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development cannot respond to the question as this matter does not fall within the scope of its defined mandate and key functions.

(2),(3)(a),(b),(4) Falls away.

27 September 2023 - NW2762

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Ngcobo, Mr S to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

(a) What total amount did (i) her department and (ii) each entity reporting to her pay for printed copies of the integrated annual reports in the (aa) 2020-21, (bb) 2021-22 and (cc) 2022-23 financial years, (b) who were the suppliers in each case and (c) what total number of copies of the report were printed (i) in each case and (ii) in each specified financial year?

Reply:

(a)(i),(ii)(aa),(bb),(cc),(b),(c),(i),(ii) Please refer to Annexure A.

ANNEXURE A TO NA-QUES 2762 OF 2023

Details of Annual Reports

Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

  1. Entities
   

Ingonyama Trust Board

Commission on Restitution of Land Rights

CPA

SAVC

PPECB

OBP

NAMC

ARC

OVG

(a) Total amount

(aa) 2020-21

R0.00

R0.00

R158 281.40

R458 684

R24 250.53

R338 549.65

R29 600

R32 400

R74 766.33

R17 800.00

 

(bb) 2021-22

R145 560.00

R0.00

R177 289.75

R574 000.00

R14 209.26

R280 025.00

R17 390

R23 749.80

R52 377.62

R25 367.00

 

(cc) 2022-23

R0.00

R0.00

R289 945.00

R575 800.00

R14 209.26

R297 056.50

R21 735

R27 000.00

R383 448.74

R44 984.00

(b) Supplier

(aa) 2020-21

Falls away

Falls away

Janine Smith

Seriti Institute

Minuteman Press, Centurion

Brandesign (Pty) Ltd

Idea

Mathisisa Trading and Projects

Uvo Communication Design and Print

Maks-Millan General Trading

 

(bb) 2021-22

SonwabaM Projects (PTY) LTD

Falls away

Janine Smith

Seriti Institute

Robain Solutions, Pretoria

Openform Studios CC

Creative Laundry

Lebone Litho Printers

Uvo Communication Design and Print

Maks-Millan General Trading

 

(cc) 2022-23

Falls away

Falls away

Fine Art Printer

MAPS Media Agency

Robain Solutions, Pretoria

Openform Studios CC

Creative Laundry

Just in Graphix Communications

Anzomode

KGS Trading Enterprise

(c) (i),(ii) Total copies

(aa) 2020-21

0

0

150

400

130

500

200

160

250

120

 

(bb) 2021-22

200

0

200

400

80

500

30

150

180

50

 

(cc) 2022-23

0

0

300

300

80

250

30

150

180

50

27 September 2023 - NW2989

Profile picture: Van Dyk, Ms V

Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

(1) What (a) total number of farms have been liquidated in each province in the past three years and (b) are the details of the liquidators that have been used in each case. (2) whether the liquidated farms are distributed to upcoming farmers; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (3) whether the specified upcoming farmers receive government funding to support them; if not, why not; if so, what total amount is normally allocated to assist upcoming farmers. (4) whether this funding is channelled via Land Bank; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NW4053E

Reply:

(1)(a),(b) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development cannot respond to the question as this matter does not fall within the scope of its defined mandate and key functions.

(2),(3),(4) Falls away.

27 September 2023 - NW2694

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Mbabama, Ms TM to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

(a)(i) What laws govern the keeping of vicious breeds of dogs and (ii) who enforces the laws and (b) whose responsibility is it to ensure the public is safe from the vicious breeds of dogs; (2) whose responsibility is it to ensure that the animals are kept in adequate housing so as not to cause the humans and animals harm; (3) whether the state veterinarians are involved; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (4) (a) what steps are being taken by her department to (i) address the indiscriminate and backyard breeding of vicious breeds of dogs and (ii) regulate ownership of the vicious breeds of dogs and (b) who polices the regulations?

Reply:

1. (a) (i) The Animal Matters Amendment Act, 1993 (Act 42 of 1993).

(ii) Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

(b) Municipalities are responsible for public safety.

2. It is the responsibility of each municipality.

3. No. State veterinarians are responsible for the control of diseases; the control of vicious dogs falls outside their mandate.

4. (a) (i) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development together with some municipalities (e.g. City of Tshwane) and other relevant role players are organising dog safety and wellness campaigns to teach the public about safe dog keeping, management, controlled breeding and wellness. This information will also be made available online and through publications to empower members of the public.

(ii) Municipalities.

(b) The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

 

27 September 2023 - NW2735

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Steenhuisen, Mr JH to ask the President of the Republic

(1)With reference to his recent African Peace Mission to provide mediation in the war between Russia and Ukraine, what (a) was the full cost to South African taxpayers of the entire South African contingent, including the 120-person security detail, the media component, the delegation itself and the chartered SA Airways plane that transported the security detail and media component and (b) is the detailed breakdown of all costs; (2) what are the full details of the (a) list of names for the entire South African contingent and (b) justification for each individual’s inclusion; (3) whether he stands by the statement made by his head of protection services that their denial of entry into Poland was due to racism and sabotage on the part of the Polish authorities; if not, what is The Presidency’s official explanation for the South African contingency being denied entry to Poland; (4) whether Ivor Ichikowitz and Jean-Yves Ollivier had any role in the African Peace Mission; if not, what are the reasons that they were present at the 5 June meeting of African leaders ahead of the Peace Mission; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has caused great devastation in lost human life, destruction of infrastructure and displacement of people. It has also disrupted the supply of grain to world markets and thus precipitated food insecurity particularly in Africa.

Recognising the dangers arising from the instability caused by the conflict, together with other African Heads of State, we committed ourselves to working with both parties involved in the conflict and other key role players to finding a path to peace.

The following countries formed part of the African Leaders Peace Initiative to Ukraine and Russia on 16-18 June 2023: Comoros (as African Union Chair), Congo-Brazzaville, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.

I travelled to Ukraine and Russia with a delegation of 17 people, including the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), DIRCO staff, security and medical support personnel. The members of the delegation provided logistics and substantive support to me. From my office, I was accompanied by my Personal Assistant, Special Adviser, Spokesperson, Digital Media Manager and a Presidential Aide. An advance group of two Media Liaison Officers and two Protocol Officers departed a few days earlier for preparatory duty in the respective countries. DIRCO can provide further details of personnel that travelled to support the peace mission.

My delegation travelled on a South African Air Force aircraft to Poland. We had to travel from Poland to Kyiv due to the closure of Ukraine’s airspace. I paid a courtesy visit to the President of Poland in transit to Ukraine. We had an opportunity to discuss the relations between Poland and South Africa and explored ways in which we could deepen the relations between the two countries. We then travelled from Poland to Kyiv and back by train. The costs of travel to Ukraine from Poland by train were provided on a complementary basis by the Ukrainian government. We proceeded from Poland to Russia by air and spent one evening in St Petersburg following an afternoon and evening of talks with President Putin. The full costs to the Presidency of my delegation will be reconciled and reported in the Presidency Annual Report.

 

As part of the effort to ensure that the South African public was kept informed of the developments around the peace mission, several media houses were invited to travel to Ukraine and Russia. I am advised that due to the financial constraints experienced by several media houses, an arrangement was made for them to travel on the aircraft chartered for security personnel. While their travel was partly facilitated by my office, their travel costs were not borne by the Presidency. I am informed that the travelling members of the media were to cover their own accommodation and other incidental costs.

The details about security personnel and costs of the charter can be obtained from the South African Police Service and South African National Defence Force.

The government of Poland provided through the appropriate diplomatic channels the reasons for the decision to deny entry to an aircraft that transported security personnel and members of the media. The Polish government went further to release those reasons to the media and they are a matter of public record.

The peace mission was facilitated by the Brazzaville Foundation led by Mr Jean-Yves Ollivier. The Brazzaville Foundation team attended the preparatory meeting that took place on 5 June 2023.

27 September 2023 - NW2832

Profile picture: Kruger, Mr HC

Kruger, Mr HC to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

(1) What has her department estimate the financial losses sustained by farmers because of the destruction of farmland by fires (a) in the (i) 2020-21, (ii) 2021-22 and (iii) 2022-23 financial years and (b) since 1 April 2023; (2) what is the breakdown of the losses in each province; (3) what are the relevant details of the methodology her department employed in calculating the specified estimates?

Reply:

1. (a)(i)-(iii), (b) Please refer to the table below.

FINANCIAL LOSSES

2020/2021

2021/2022

2022/2023

(b) 1 April 2023

TOTAL

R636 576 200

R4 958 106 550

R3 611 996 300

R2 985 080 050

(2) Below is the financial breakdown of losses per province.

PROVINCE

2020/2021

2021/2022

2022/2023

2023

Eastern Cape

Nil

Nil

Nil

R3 563 000

Free State

R43 420 000

R10 500 000

R10 000 000

R6 750 000

Gauteng

Nil

Nil

Nil

R3 050 000

KwaZulu Natal

Did not submit / quantify financial losses.

North West

Nil

R4 798 963 000

R3 142 444 500

R2 391 363 000

Mpumalanga

R578 000 000

R111 000 000

R403 000 000

R561 000 000

Limpopo

Nil

Nil

Nil

R13 640 700

Northern Cape

R5 156 200

R37 643 550

R56 551 800

R5 713 350

Western Cape

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil

TOTAL

R626 576 200

R4 958 106 550

R3 611 996 300

R2 985 080 050

(3) The provinces used different methods to estimate the losses.

26 September 2023 - NW2534

Profile picture: Groenewald, Dr PJ

Groenewald, Dr PJ to ask the Minister of Police

(1) Whether the cause of death of a certain person (name and details furnished) has been determined; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details: (2) whether he will make a statement on the matter?

Reply:

Find reply here

26 September 2023 - NW2878

Profile picture: Groenewald, Dr PJ

Groenewald, Dr PJ to ask the Minister of Police

(1) What progress has been made with the investigation of a certain case (details furnished) that was opened in Cape Town on charges relating to the Riotous Assemblies Act, Act 17 of 1956, in connection with the utterances of a certain person (name furnished); (2) whether he will make a statement on the matter?

Reply:

Find reply here

 

26 September 2023 - NW2939

Profile picture: Groenewald, Dr PJ

Groenewald, Dr PJ to ask the Minister of Police

(1) What was the (a) total cost and (b) legal opinion of the private attorney on the constitutionality of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate Amendment Bill that he requested; {2) what are the reasons that he submited the specified amendment Bill to Cabinet, in spite of the legal opinion of the chief state attorney that the amendment Bill was unconstitutional and could not be certified; (3) whether Cabinet was informed of the unconstitutionality of the amendment Bill; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (4) whether he will make a statement on the matter?

Reply:

Find reply here

 

26 September 2023 - NW2586

Profile picture: Sibiya, Ms DP

Sibiya, Ms DP to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

(a) How far is the SA Qualifications Authority in dealing with reducing the certification backlog as at the latest specified date for which information is available and (b) what sustainable plans have been put in place to eliminate the problem due to its socio-economic impact?

Reply:

Response A: Provision of certificates to TVET students on time – DHET

1. The Department of Higher education and Training (DHET) is mandated to issue certificates within three months (90 working days) after students after the release of results to “eligible students’, meaning those students who have satisfied the requirements for respective qualifications. The DHET draws its mandate from the CET Act of 2006 which empowers the Department with the authority to conduct, administer and manage the GETC, NATED Report 190/1 and NC (V) examinations and assessment processes. The Certification backlog was addressed by 31 March 2022 and a report presented to PCHEST by my office. It is therefore imperative to clarify to members of this house the issues that in the public space may still be construed as certification backlog whereas the real issue is the matter of historical records.

2. However, there are various reasons why some students are not receiving their certificates. It is therefore imperative to provide the definition of what is termed Certification as well as the criteria thereof.

3. Working Definition:

- “Certification” is defined as “all eligible students who met the minimum certification requirements for various qualifications who were issued with certificates within three months (business days) after results have been approved by the quality assurers”. The bulk of the students who fall within this category are those who satisfied the certification requirements in one examination sitting and were issued with certificates within three months.

- “Certification backlog” is defined as “all eligible students who met the minimum certification requirements for various qualifications who were not issued with certificates within three months after results have been approved by the quality assurers

4. Certification criteria are described as follows:

  • NC(V) qualification: candidates have to pass all seven subjects as required in the policy.
  • NATED qualification: candidates have to pass a minimum of 4 subjects in the correct subject combinations.
  • GETC: ABET candidates have to pass a minimum of 5 subjects (with a total of 120 credits).

There are also key obstacles that are contributing to the non-issuance of certificates to TVET students. Among others are:

  • Part submission of both Internal and External marks by colleges before resulting for Nated R190/1; NC(V) and GETC qualifications
  • System functionality and alignment across the full system – non automatic combination of results after the student has accumulated the results over multiple examinations session
  • Understanding of Business Rules for certification by students at all points of data processing

5. Observation

In the main students who struggle to receive their certification within the stipulated timeframe are those who sits for multiple examinations sessions in order for them to satisfy the qualification/s requirements and thereafter apply for combinations. There are students who also involved in examinations irregularities that need further investigation for results to be finalised before certifications can be processed and released.

The DHET has a clear system in place where after certificates for eligible students are printed, the TVET section through the Chief Directorate National Examinations and Assessment, package the documents according to colleges where students sat for their examinations, generates waybills for dispatch to the respective destinations through courier services.

Under normal circumstances, where students met the requirements to be certified and the security paper printed by Government Printing Works is available, the DHET is not found non-compliant in this regard. The dilemma is only when student do not even collect the certificates from their respective colleges and chooses to seek the certificates using social media and other platforms without checking with their colleges.

The DHET works collaboratively with Quality councils, namely QCTO and Umalusi in matters relating to certification of students as well as SAQA for the verification of qualifications for those qualifications offered by the Department.

B: What sustainable plans have been put in place to eliminate the problem due to its socio-economic impact?

The DHET has also embarked on expanding the already available eServices on government portal which deals with Examination results, namely the DHET EXAMS Equeries Solution for TVET college System. I have launched this system in 2015 but planning to re – launch the same but updated system again before the end of 2023. My team in attempting to avert the recurrence of this anomaly have enhanced the system by developing another service, namely eTranscript/s, an automated system where students can access their academic records as well as receiving the status of their eCertificate report whilst waiting for a printed hardcopy from their colleges.

26 September 2023 - NW2856

Profile picture: van der Merwe, Ms LL

van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Police

What (a) total number of (i) magistrates, (ii) judges and (iii) other court officials that work and reside in KwaZulu-Natal are currently under official police protection and (b) is the total cost of the protection to the taxpayer?

Reply:

Find reply here

26 September 2023 - NW3027

Profile picture: Roos, Mr AC

Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Since the beginning of the 2023 academic year, what is the total number of learners of South African origin (a) with verified ID numbers are on the Learner Unit Record Information and Tracking System (LURITS), (b) without ID numbers were submitted on LURITS, (c) were admitted, subject to the condition that they will be excluded should they not produce the required identity documents and (d) were excluded for not producing the requisite documents?

Reply:

(a) There were 9 502 091 learners of South African origin with verified ID numbers on the Learner Unit Record Information and Tracking System (LURITS) in 2022;

(b) and 796 829  learners (excluding WC) without ID numbers were submitted on LURITS in 2022, 

Please note that DBE is still in the process of verifying 2023 data with the Department of Home Affairs.

(c) and (d). The Department of Basic Education does not put any condition to admit learners in schools, therefore, all learners are admitted with or without ID.

26 September 2023 - NW2822

Profile picture: Nodada, Mr BB

Nodada, Mr BB to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

With reference to her reply to question 104 on 8 March 2023 and the response from the Gauteng province (details furnished), what are the relevant details of the discrepancy in the reported total number of pit toilets at schools in KwaZulu-Natal (106 versus 1 495)?

Reply:

The reason for the discrepancy is as a result of the lag in the update of data after projects have reached practical completion. Further, the 1 495 schools with pits toilets from KZN in response to question 104 include schools that still have pit toilets that are yet to be demolished after the schools have already received proper toilets.

26 September 2023 - NW2695

Profile picture: Whitfield, Mr AG

Whitfield, Mr AG to ask the Minister of Police

(1) What total number of (a) gang-related crimes has been reported to the SA Police Service (SAPS) in the City of Johannesburg and (6b) gang-related incidents of (i) murder, (ii) assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, {iii) common assault, (iv) armed robbery and (v) possession of illegal firearm and/or ammunition has been reported to SAPS in the City of Johannesburg in the period 30 June 2022 to 30 June 2023; (2) what total number of (a) suspects have been arrested for any two of the above crimes, (b) accused have been convicted by a court of law in relation to any three of the crimes and (c) itegal firearms have been recovered by SAPS in the City of Johannesburg in the specified period?

Reply:

Find reply here

 

26 September 2023 - NW2745

Profile picture: De Villiers, Mr JN

De Villiers, Mr JN to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

(a) What total amount did (i) his department and (ii) each entity reporting to him pay for printed copies of the integrated annual reports in the (aa) 2020-21, (bb) 2021-22 and (cc) 2022-23 financial years, (b) who were the suppliers in each case and (c) what total number of copies of the report were printed (i) in each case and (ii) in each specified financial year?

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION:

Name of Institution/public entity

(a)

(b)

(c)

 

(i)

(ii)

(i)

(ii)

(i)

(ii)

 

(aa) 2020-21

(bb) 2021-22

(cc) 2022-23 financial years

(aa) 2020-21

(bb) 2021-22

(cc) 2022-23 financial years

(aa)

(bb)

(cc)

(aa)

(bb)

(cc)

(aa)

(bb)

(cc)

(aa)

(bb)

(cc)

 

R’000

R’000

R’000

R’000

R’000

R’000

                       

DSI

374

382

179

N/A

N/A

N/A

Creative Harvest

Creative Harvest

UVO Communication

N/A

N/A

N/A

600

200

200

N/A

N/A

N/A

ASSAf

N/A

N/A

N/A

Nil

Nil

Nil

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Nil

Nil

Nil

NRF

N/A

N/A

N/A

79

72

95

N/A

N/A

N/A

Litha Communication

South Kingdom

Shereno Printers

N/A

N/A

N/A

Nil

100

100

SANSA

N/A

N/A

N/A

Nil

Nil

Nil

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Nil

Nil

Nil

TIA

N/A

N/A

N/A

Nil

Nil

Nil

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Nil

Nil

Nil

HSRC

N/A

N/A

N/A

61

60

Nil

N/A

N/A

N/A

Kashan Advertising

Kashan Advertising

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

300

150

Nil

CSIR

N/A

N/A

N/A

145

161

170

N/A

N/A

N/A

EPI Creative (Pty) Ltd

Lebone Litho Printers

Blackmoon Design and Advertising

N/A

N/A

N/A

250

250

150

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

REPLY:

In relation to the Department of Higher Education and Training, the following information has relevance:

(a) What total amount did the entity pay for the printed copies of the integrated annual reports in the following financial years:

Organisation

(aa) 2020-21

(i) who were the suppliers?

(ii) total number of copies of the report printed?

(bb) 2021-22

(i) who were the suppliers?

(ii) total number of copies of the report printed?

(cc) 2022-23

(i) who were the suppliers?

(ii) total number of copies of the report printed?

Department of Higher Education and Training

R140 106.82

Delisiwe Trading t/a CTP Publishers and Printers (Ltd)

150 printed copies and 20 CD’s

R176 707.66

Delisiwe Trading t/a CTP Publishers and Printers (Ltd)

150 printed copies and 20 CD’s

R237 532.50

Shereno Printers (cc)

200 printed copies and 20 Memory Sticks (USB) (Not yet printed)

In relation to Public Entities the following information has relevance:

 

(a) What total amount did the entity pay for the printed copies of the integrated annual reports in the following financial years:

Entity:

(aa) 2020-21

(i) who were the suppliers?

(ii) total number of copies of the report printed?

(bb) 2021-22

(i) who were the suppliers?

(ii) total number of copies of the report printed?

(cc) 2022-23

(i) who were the suppliers?

(ii) total number of copies of the report printed?

1. FOODBEV

R0.00

N/A

0 (online submission and distribution)

R 24 971.00

Production X

100

R99 375.00

Epic Creative

250

2. HWSETA

R66 390.07

Cre8tor

350

R 84 888.40

Sand Studio

210

R89 679.91

Law print

605

3. CHE

R0.00

N/A

NA

R0.00

N/A

N/A

R0.00

N/A

N/A

4. ETDP SETA

R47 937.75

Shereno Printers

100 copies

R61 237.50

Matcom Printers

150

R63 238.50

Scarlet Studios

130

5. SASSETA

R125 546.75

Brown Block Solutions

200

R81 166,43

Brown Block Solutions

150

R137 500

Fargocure (PTY) LTD

300

6. FASSET

R176 964.48

Shereno Printers CC

300

R207 280.02

Kashan Advertising Pty (Ltd)

200

R142 617.02

UVO Communications Pty (Ltd)

200

7. QCTO

R70 987,75

Branding Formula

250

R83 540,60

45 Media

100

R85 380.60

45 Media

100

8. AGRISETA

R183 760

Through the line

500

R172 000

Rock Bottom Graphic

500

R249 147,50

45 Media

500

9. Services SETA

R0

N/A

No copies were printed

R105 877.05

Miolo Design Shop

300

R0

UVO Communication, Design and Print

Not yet printed. However, 200 copies are planned for printing at a total cost of R85 763.55

10. SAQA

R78 993.50

Pure Brown Designs

None – Only Web based due to COVID 19

R39 675.00

Milk Brown

None – Only Web based due to COVID 19

R248 684.68

BlackMoon

50

11. CETA

R519 916.80

Five Star Communications

200

R336 232.45

Five Star Communications

200

R434 814.00

INCE (PTY) LTD

100

12. MERSETA

R337 467.50

Litha Communications

200

R337 467.50

Litha Communications

200

R421 218.09

Litha Communications

200

13 MQA

R155 540.95

Milk

Brown

Designs

and communications

200 PRINTED, 150 USB, 150 CD’s

R242 691.40

Litha Communications

200 PRINTED, 150 USB, 150 CD’s

R247 017.70

Litha Communications

200 PRINTED, 150 USB, 150 CD’s

14. TETA

R90 620.00

Scarlet Studios

600

R104 431.50

Scarlet Studios

300

R99 314.00

Indima Njongo Marketing and Communication

400

15. FP&M SETA

R233 421

Busi Ntuli Communications

50 printed copies and 50 USB due to Covid

R345 828

Active Brands

400

R276 069

Active Brands

200

16. BANK SETA

R57,785.00

Busi Ntuli (Pty) Ltd

200

R71 882.00

Donna Reid CC

150

R88 235.00

Donna Reid CC

150

17. NSF

R113 861.508

Shereno Printers

200

R106 410.99

Mudau Picture Framers t/a Framefun

200

R131 948.38

Ndabase Printing Solutions

200

18. CHIETA

R68 880.38

Lebone Litho Printers

300

R76 880.38

Libone Litho Printers

300

R76 880.38

Libone Litho Printers

300

19. LGSETA

R98 258.30

Creativity Design & Marketing (Pty) Ltd

200

R104 880.00

45th Media (Pty) Ltd

200

R167 555.00

Moshate Communications

300 (Still in progress)

20. INSETA

R200 910.75

BlackMoon Advertising

300

R222 376.94

BlackMoon Advertising

300

R250 260.13

Epic Creative

300

21. CATHS SETA

R89 567.75

Oranje Printers (Pty) Ltd

150

R229 827.50

Dlloyd Creative Enterprises (Pty) Ltd

150

R145 626.95

Unique Communications (Pty) Ltd

130

22. W&RSETA

R428 950.00

-45th Media

-Kashan Advertising (Pty) Ltd

1000

R269 244.90

-45th Media

-Msomi Africa

600

R 344 008.70

45th Media

600 Planned (Not yet printed)

23. PSETA

R0.00

Ren-form cc

No hard copies printed due to Covid-19

R17 800.00

Ren-form cc

100

R0.00

N/A

PSETA will not print hard copies of the 2022/23

24. MICT SETA

R 213 312.81

Litha Communications

500

R 183 302.95

45th Media

352

Not yet invoiced as at 13 Sep 2023. R198 000.00

45th Media

352

25. EWSETA

R78 660.00

EPI Creative

120

R59 800

EPI Creative

50

R0.00

N/A

N/A

26. NSFAS

R70,189

Digital on Demand t/a
Print on Demand

TBC – invoice being retrieved

R85,183
 

R169,678

Busi Ntuli Communications (2019/20)

Sengwayo Holdings (2020/21)

300



300

*None to date

*None to date

*None to date

*NSFAS 2021/22 Annual Reports have not yet been printed.

26 September 2023 - NW2905

Profile picture: Sukers, Ms ME

Sukers, Ms ME to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

What regulations, policies and frameworks are currently under development by her department, (b) what is the current status of the specified policy instruments, (c) how long have the policy instruments been under development, (d) what are the next milestones in their development and (e) by which dates are they likely to be completed?

Reply:

a) The following Policies are currently under Development:

  1. The General Education Certificate: A Qualification at Level 1 on the General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Sub-Framework of the National Qualifications Framework (The GEC)
  2. The National Senior Certificate: A Qualification at Level 1 on the General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Sub-Framework of the National Qualifications Framework (The NSC).

b) The General Education Certificate (GEC) is currently being finalised by the GEC Working Group and is still to be resubmitted to Umalusi for further processing. The policy is still to be subjects to the SEIAS process.

The National Senior Certificate (NSC) was submitted to SAQA for registration. Umalusi is currently considering feedback from SAQA regarding Articulation and Recognition of Prior Learning. The policy was submitted to Umalusi for quality assurance, and provisionally approved.

c) General Education Certificate was published for public comments on 4 June 2021, Government Gazette 44674 and the policy for The National Senior Certificate was first submitted to Umalusi for appraisal in February 2020.

d)  The General Education Certificate will be subjected to SEISAS process before recommended for promulgation while The National Senior Certificate will be published for comments in a Government Gazette.

e) The targeted date for finalization of The General Education Certificate is December 2023 while for The National Senior Certificate is December 2024.

26 September 2023 - NW2820

Profile picture: Ngcobo, Mr S

Ngcobo, Mr S to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

(1)What are the reasons that all universities and technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges will not be implementing the Safety and Security Minimum Norms and Standards; (2) what (a) total number of TVET colleges will be selected to implement the Safety and Security Minimum Norms and Standards and (b) are the criteria that will be used to select the TVET colleges that will participate in the implementation thereof?

Reply:

(1) The Universities and TVET Colleges will be implementing the Safety and Security Minimum Norms and Standards upon finalisation. The TVET Colleges blueprint document has been developed by the South African Police Services and accepted by the Department. The Department is currently working on the implementation plan which will require funding. The blueprint document for universities is currently under development by the South African Police Services and it will be presented to the Department and university management upon finalisation.

(2)(a) The Department has not selected any colleges that will implement the Safety and Security Minimum Norms and Standards however, those colleges which are in the hot-spots areas will be prioritised upon consultation with relevant parties and stakeholders.

(2)(b) The criteria that will be used to implement the Safety and Security Minimum Norms and Standards will be determined through a consultative process, therefore it has not been determined yet.

26 September 2023 - NW2961

Profile picture: Siwisa, Ms AM

Siwisa, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Whether her department appointed a company to renovate the Bantuvuka Primary School in Lamontville in 2018; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the (a) relevant details of the company that was appointed to renovate the school in 2018 and (b) time frames that have been put in place for the completion of the renovations which are still incomplete to date?

Reply:

The question falls under the Executive Authority of the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Kwa Zulu Natal. The Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MEC for Kwa Zulu Natal as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134 (5)(b) of the NA rules. 

26 September 2023 - NW2622

Profile picture: Madokwe, Ms P

Madokwe, Ms P to ask the Minister of Police

(1) What steps of intervention has the SA Police Service taken to stop extortion gangs targeting informal businesses and township homes across the Western Cape; (2) whether he has found that while the syndicates are not being investigated and arrested by the police they will become emboldened to expand to other parts of the Republic the longer they are allowed to operate?

Reply:

Find reply here

 

 

26 September 2023 - NW2532

Profile picture: Groenewald, Dr PJ

Groenewald, Dr PJ to ask the Minister of Police

What (a) total number of murders have been committed in the Republic in each of the past ten financial years and (b) was the number of victims in each (i) age group, (ii) racial group and (iii) gender?

Reply:

Find reply here

 

26 September 2023 - NW2904

Profile picture: Sukers, Ms ME

Sukers, Ms ME to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Whether, noting that her Circular S14 of 2020 instructs provincial education departments to establish Joint Liaison Committees (JLCs) with home schoolers and that it has been over two years since the specified circular was issued, the JLCs have been established; if not, why not, in each case; if so, (a) what total number of provinces have established JLCs and (b) how regularly have such JLCs met in each province since the circular was issued?

Reply:

a) Six
b) Eastern Cape: None; Free State: None; Gauteng: Two meetings (one in 2022 and 2023); Mpumalanga: Two meetings (one in 2022 and 2023); North West: One in 2022; and Western Cape: Two meetings (2021) and Three meetings (2023) 

26 September 2023 - NW2603

Profile picture: Majozi, Ms Z

Majozi, Ms Z to ask the Minister of Police

What are the details of how new recruits are equitably distributed to each province considering that some provinces have more crime hotspot areas than others and that the SA Police Service has embarked on its 2024-25 recruitment process in which an additional 10 000 youth between 18 and 35 years will be trained’?

Reply:

Find reply here

26 September 2023 - NW2771

Profile picture: Zungula, Mr V

Zungula, Mr V to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

Whether his department has plans in place to shut down institutions that operate without being registered with the relevant bodies, if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details of the plans and (b) how have they been or will they be carried out?

Reply:

The Department has plans to close institutions that operate without being registered with the relevant bodies.

a) Plans and processes which are followed to close illegal colleges are guided by both the Constitution and the law enforcement agents. Article 29(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa requires every private provider of education and training to be registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). The purpose of registration is to ensure that private providers of education and training operate within the law, have the necessary resources, capacity and expertise to offer acceptable standards of higher education.

The Department maintains 2 Registers which are published on its website at www.dhet.gov.za for the benefit of the public. These are the Register of Private Higher Education Institutions and the Register of Private Colleges. The Register of Private Higher Education Institutions also lists all the illegal colleges to alert the public, using electronic media.

b) The Department is required to follow specific procedures before it approaches the South African Police Services (SAPS) for assistance, these include:

  1. Once the Department identifies an illegal institution, it must issue a warning letter which indicates the timeframe for a response.
  2. Should the institution admit to wrongdoing and agree to terminate its services, then the onus rests with it to inform students and refund the fees paid by students. Students are also advised to seek legal assistance and/or approach the Small Claims Court should refunds not be forthcoming.
  3. The Department is required to file a case with SAPS in terms of the relevant legislation should the institution desist or not respond or persist in operating illegally. Private higher education institutions are further listed on the list of bogus colleges.
  4. Thereafter, the responsibility lies with SAPS and the Prosecuting Authority to execute further steps to address the conduct of the institution.
  5. It must be noted that the Department engages extensively with the institution before it approaches SAPS for closure.

26 September 2023 - NW3037

Profile picture: Boshoff, Dr WJ

Boshoff, Dr WJ to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education

As at the latest date for which information is available, what (a)(i) is the total number of singlemedium Afrikaans schools in the Republic and (ii) was the total number of such schools 10 years ago and (b) is the capacity for admission of learners in such schools?

Reply:

(a)(i)(ii)

Table 1 below indicates that there were 1 429 Afrikaans single medium schools in 2013; and 1 004 in 2022. 

Table 1: Number of Afrikaans single medium schools, by province, in 2013 and in 2022

Province

2013

2022

EC

193

111

FS

75

41

GT

168

115

KZ

12

3

LP

22

26

MP

28

24

NC

231

155

NW

52

58

WC

648

471

SA

1 429

1 004

Source: 2013 Annual School Survey and 2022 LURITS

(b) Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) are the ones that manage admission of learners and they always ensure that every learner is placed at a school. 

22 September 2023 - NW2855

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

(1)Whether, with reference to her reply to question 628 on 22 March 2023, BRICS member countries now have a common understanding on what (a) process potential candidates should follow to officially apply for admission to BRICS and (b) standards and criteria should be taken into account when considering potential candidates, there is a common understanding of the process; if not, what is the position in each case; if so what are the relevant details in each case; (2) noting that the Republic is party to the Johannesburg II Declaration signed at the recent BRICS Summit held on 22 to 24 August 2023, which calls for all Member States to cooperate in the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms under the principles of equality and mutual respect, how can she explain Republic’s support for the inclusion of Iran into BRICS as Iran has been repeatedly flagged by the United Nations for serious human rights violations, including allegations of torture, as well as sexual and gender-based violence committed against women, men and children, especially in detention?

Reply:

1. Yes, a) BRICS member countries have a common understanding on what the process for a potential candidate should be as well as the standards and criteria for the inclusion of a new member. b) BRICS member countries have reached consensus on the guiding principles, standards, criteria, and procedures of the BRICS expansion process which are outlined in the agreed upon BRICS Expansion document.

2. The decision to invite the six new members was a consensus driven decision and that prospective members were considered on the basis of regional strategic influence, the support for multilateralism including its reform and the commitment to sustainable development.

South Africa and Iran enjoy an historical and fraternal relationship, with both countries interacting regularly, notably through the Joint Commission of Cooperation (JCC), with the 15th session of the JCC being held on 10 August 2023. This is the longest running and one of the most active structured bilateral mechanism South Africa has with any country in the Middle East Region. Through our bilateral relations and our cooperation in other multilateral fora, South Africa have continuously engaged Iran on a number of political and economic areas of cooperation, including human rights issues. For instance, South Africa as a member of the Human Rights Council, looks forward to making use of the Human Rights Dialogue Forum, to increase its bilateral cooperation on human rights issues, including constructive and meaningful dialogue, for mutual benefit with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The inclusion of Iran as a new member of BRICS will provide a new platform to further enhance these engagements in the BRICS Spirit of mutual respect and understanding

22 September 2023 - NW2971

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Matiase, Mr NS to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

What are the relevant details of the forms of support that her department has provided to small-scale peasant family farming in rural (a) KwaZulu-Natal, (b) Limpopo and (c) Eastern Cape?

Reply:

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has two interventions that directly support production at a subsistence or household level, i.e. Ilima/Letsema and the Presidential Economic Stimulus (PES).

  • Ilima/Letsema programme is aimed at supporting rural communities and vulnerable households to produce their own food and rehabilitate irrigation schemes. Since its inception in 2008, the Ilima/Letsema programme has supported 1 572 952 (one million five hundred and seventy two thousand nine hundred and fifty two) beneficiaries to produce their own food. The support includes starter packs for household, schools and community gardens, mechanization support as well as production inputs.

a) KwaZulu-Natal: 2022/23 financial year: the programme has supported 4 560 beneficiaries with production inputs; 1 104 were vegetable producers, 815 maize producers, 1 300 dry beans producers, 256 goat producers and 650 red meat producers.

b) Limpopo: 2022/23 financial year: 7 960 subsistence farmers were supported through Ilima/Letsema for production of vegetables and subtropical fruits.

c) Eastern Cape: 2022/23 financial year: 22 645 households have been supported for maize and vegetable production.

  • In terms of the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) support, the Department has exposed over 146 000 subsistence producers to technology as part of supporting these producers with agricultural inputs. All these applicants submitted support applications via a paperless platform and used the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), for the first time in the country.
  • The Department continues to supply agricultural inputs to subsistence producers through the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES). Currently a total of 36 895 subsistence producers are receiving support with crops and livestock inputs.
  • The lead commodities are fruits and vegetables at 42% support, 33.4 % livestock, 17% poultry and 6.9% grains. It is encouraging to observe that subsistence producers, even in the most remote and rural areas of the country, continue to utilise technology in all the PES processes.

22 September 2023 - NW2881

Profile picture: Powell, Ms EL

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

(1)What are the (a) dates and (b) relevant details of meetings and full minutes of all bilateral engagements between (i) her, (ii) the officials of her department, (iii) the Deputy President and (iv) the President and their counterparts in Uganda regarding the anti-homosexuality bill signed into law by the President of Uganda, Mr Yoweri Museveni, in May 2023; (2) what bilateral engagements will the Republic pursue with the (a) President of Uganda, (b) Members of the Executive and (c) Members of Parliament in Uganda regarding the alleged human rights abuses that members of the LGBTQIA community will now confront as a result of the anti-homosexuality bill that has been signed into law by the President of Uganda in May 2023? NW3305E

Reply:

1. There have not been any bilateral engagements between the President, Deputy President, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and officials in the department with their Ugandan counterparts regarding the anti-homosexuality bill signed into law by the President of Uganda, Mr Yoweri Museveni, in May 2023.

2. South Africa is guided by its Constitutional principles which seeks to amongst others, promote and respect human rights of all people including members of the LGBTQIA community. South Africa is monitoring developments in Uganda and will raise its concerns with the Ugandan authorities through diplomatic channels.

22 September 2023 - NW2936

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Alexander, Ms W to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

Whether the National Treasury has undertaken any analysis to determine the extent of possible disparities in the salary scales for males and females who occupy similar positions in the senior management service in the Government; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

Regulation 89(1) of the Public Service Regulations, 2016 provides that the Minister for the Public Service and Administration shall, in terms of section 3(5) of the Public Service Act, 1994, annually make determinations regarding the cost-to-employer packages applicable to members of the SMS. Such determinations shall be implemented with effect from 1 April of each year. The determination by the MPSA provides for four salary levels, i.e., salary level 13 (Directors) to 16 (Director-General). These salary levels (scales) are uniformly applied for all employees, irrespective of gender and/or race, etc. Therefore, the basis for the application of these requirements is meeting the minimum requirements for appointment into the Public Service in line with the Regulations and relevant determinations/directives.

Sub-Regulation 44(1) of the Public Service Regulations states that an “Executive Authority may set the salary of an employee above the minimum notch of the salary level indicated by the job weight…..”. In this regard, all appointments are remunerated at the minimum notch of the applicable level, unless the appointed employee meets all the requirements in terms of Regulation 44 of the Public Service Regulations.

End

22 September 2023 - NW2999

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Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

What (a) number of public servants were disciplined for abusing sick leave in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21 and (iii) 2021-22 financial years and (b) steps has her department taken to curb the abuse of sick leave within the Public Service and to ensure that it does not have a negative impact on the performance of individual departments?

Reply:

a) The management of employee discipline regarding the abuse of sick leave within the public service is decentralized, as per section 7(3)(b) of the Public Service Act 1994. In the decentralized human resources model applicable in the public service, individual departments are responsible for maintaining discipline and managing such cases. Therefore, specific statistics related to employees disciplined for abusing sick leave can be obtained from respective departments.

b) The Minister for the Public Service and Administration (MPSA) plays a critical role in establishing norms and standards, as mandated by section 3(1)(c) of the Public Service Act. To implement these norms and standards, the MPSA issues regulations, determinations, and directives, which guide various aspects of public service operations. Concerning leave management, the MPSA has provided guidelines through Regulations (regulation 48), the Determination and Directive on Leave of Absence in the Public Service, as well as the Policy and Procedure on Incapacity Leave and Ill-health Retirement.

Within the decentralized HR model, the responsibility to prevent the abuse of sick leave rests with the heads of individual departments, as outlined in Regulation 48(c) of the Public Service Regulations, 2016. They are expected to ensure that employees adhere to the norms and standards established by the MPSA regarding sick leave usage.

Furthermore, the MPSA has instituted the Employee Health and Wellness Framework, which enables the development of strategies, mechanisms, and interventions by government departments, components, and provincial administrations. These initiatives aim, among others, to implement Health and Productivity Management and Wellness Management within the Public Service, addressing issues that could lead to sick leave abuse.

To ensure compliance with the established norms and standards, the MPSA has also created the Office of Standards and Compliance (OSC). One of the focus areas of the OSC is the management of leave in the public service. The OSC is tasked with setting standards and monitoring compliance to MPSA guidelines, including those related to leave management. This focus on leave management by the OSC ensures that departments will be held accountable for their compliance with MPSA norms and standards in this regard.

End

22 September 2023 - NW2889

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Myburgh, Mr NG to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

Whether (a) her department and (b) any of the entities reporting to her (i) contributed in any way, materially or otherwise, to the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School in Tanzania and (ii) sent any visitors and/or participants to the specified school; if not, what is the position in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

Reply:

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and entities reporting to department have not made any contribution towards the establishment of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School in Tanzania and have not sent any visitors and/or participants to the school.

22 September 2023 - NW2983

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Masipa, Mr NP to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

What (a) total amount did her department spend on the dinner of Budget Vote 29 with stakeholders and (b) is the detailed breakdown of the (i) amount and (ii) items on which it was spent?

Reply:

a) No funds were spent by the Department. The gala dinner event was funded entirely by sponsor contributions.

b) (i),(ii) Falls away.

22 September 2023 - NW2901

Profile picture: Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN

Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

What total number of (a) cases of irregular expenditure by public servants have been brought forward in the Government since 1 January 2023 and (b) female staff have been appointed in the senior management service in the past eight months?

Reply:

(a) The total number of cases of irregular expenditure by public servants which the departments reported to the Public Service Commission from 1 January 2023 is 247.

(b) From 01 January 2023 to 31 August 2023, the Public Service has appointed 524 females to positions within its Senior Management Service, as verified by data from PERSAL. This is against a total number of 1174 appointments, representing 44.6% of total appointments. Women now currently make up 44.6% of all SMS. The Department of Public Service and Administration is working directly with Heads of Corporate Services across the public service to provide the necessary technical support to ensure gender parity at the SMS level and across the whole public service.

End

22 September 2023 - NW2970

Profile picture: Matiase, Mr NS

Matiase, Mr NS to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

What measures has she put in place to create a platform where rural farmers can harness new opportunities and grow within the agricultural sector?

Reply:

Since 2004, following the closure of the Agriculture Credit Board (ACB), the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development developed the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) to ensure that the class of post-1994 farmers received the support that will enable their growth within the agricultural sector, since structures that existed pre-1994 had been privatised and the support that was available for small scale farmers were not within reach by these new class of farmers and beneficiaries of land reform. The CASP became a platform through which farmers, particularly previously disadvantaged farmers, could get access to the following:

  • training and capacity building;
  • production inputs;
  • on-and-off- farm infrastructure support;
  • mentorship and business development;
  • market access support; and
  • extension support and advisory services.

For the CASP pillar on training and mentorship, a total of 79005 small holder farmers were trained in various skills programmes across the nine provinces. An additional 3 275 farmers were provided with mentorship.

A number of further support programmes were later introduced to support rural farmers and communities to harness opportunities and grow within the agricultural sector, including the following:

  • Ilima/Letsema programme aimed at supporting rural communities and vulnerable households to produce their own food and rehabilitate irrigation schemes.
  • Land Care programme which is aimed at protecting the land, minimizing degradation and teaching communities to care for the land.
  • Recapitalization and Development Programme – which aimed at accelerating productive land reform farms by stimulating production and maintaining the infrastructure on these farms.
  • Land Development Support aimed at commercialising land reform farms.
  • Presidential Employment Stimulus support: The Department has exposed over 146 000 subsistence producers to technology as part of supporting these producers with agricultural inputs. All these applicants submitted support applications via a paperless platform and used the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), for the first time in the country.

The Department continues to supply agricultural inputs to Subsistence Producers through the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES). Currently a total of 36 895 subsistence producers are receiving input support in respect of crops and livestock. The lead commodities are fruits and vegetables at 42% support; 33.4% livestock, 17% poultry and 6.9% grains. It is encouraging to observe that subsistence producers, even in the most remote and rural areas of the country, continue to utilise technology in these PES processes.

22 September 2023 - NW2998

Profile picture: Gondwe, Dr M

Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

What (a) total number of government officials voluntarily retired from the Public Service between 1 April 2019 and 30 April 2023 and (b) of the specified total number, what number of public servants had reached the retirement age of 65 years?

Reply:

a) The total number of government officials who voluntarily retired from the Public Service between 1 April 2019 and 30 April 2023 is 74 642.

A breakdown of those who retired before reaching the statutory retirement age of 65, i.e. from 60 to 64 is 47 722 from the Provincial Departments and 9 110 from National Departments.

Retirees between the period 1 April 2019 and 30 April 2023

60 - 64

65 and above

TOTAL

Provincial Departments

47 722

15 515

63 237

National Departments

9 110

2 295

11 405

TOTAL

56 832

17 810

74 642

b) The total number of retirees from the age of 65 and above is 17 810. Out of the total number in this category, 15 515 were from Provincial Departments and 2 295 were from National Departments.

End

22 September 2023 - NW2866

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Ceza, Mr K to ask the Minister of Health

What are the details of the steps of intervention that have been taken to ensure that patients with clinical referrals are not turned away at the H A Grove Hospital in Mpumalanga, as it is the case currently?

Reply:

According to Mpumalanga Department of Health patients were never turned away. H A Grove Hospital is one of the two district hospitals servicing patients from Emakhazeni sub-district in Nkangala district, as direct patients or referrals from the local clinics both as emergencies and outpatients. The outpatient department has a booking system to avoid long queues and long waiting times. Patients are booked according to the different outpatient clinics.

END.

22 September 2023 - NW2880

Profile picture: Powell, Ms EL

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

What (a) are the total costs and (b) is the breakdown of the specified costs to her department in respect of (i) the Parliamentary study tour to Europe to inspect vacant buildings in June 2023 and (ii) all monies contributed to the Africa Peace Mission to Ukraine in June 2023?

Reply:

(i) The total costs incurred by the Department in relation to the Parliamentary study tour to Europe was Euro 4290.90 with the following breakdown:

  • Air Transport: 1287.00
  • Hotel Accommodation: 1563.45
  • Daily Allowance: 604.75
  • Ground Transport: 835.70

(ii) The Department did not make any financial contribution to the African Peace Mission to Ukraine.

22 September 2023 - NW3000

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Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

(a) On what date and (b) how did her department started piloting integrity assessments for the Senior Management Service within the Public Service and (c) what has been the outcome of the specified integrity assessments?

Reply:

a) The integrity assessment will be implemented from April 2024, starting with Senior Managers.

b) The piloting of integrity assessments is planned between October and December 2023.

c) The outcome of the specified integrity assessments will be made known once the pilot is completed.

End

22 September 2023 - NW2897

Profile picture: Gondwe, Dr M

Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

What (a) total number of public servants do not have qualifications for the positions they currently occupy, and (b) positions do they currently occupy?

Reply:

(a) The Minister for the Public Service and Administration (MPSA) issued a Directive on Compulsory Capacity Development, Mandatory Training Days, and Minimum Entry Requirements specifically for Senior Management Service (SMS). The Directive prescribes the minimum qualification requirements and experience for entry into SMS level post with effect from 01 April 2016.

The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), can only provide qualification data solely for SMS members in compliance with this Directive.

The total number of public servants with qualifications not specified on PERSAL as of 14 September 2023 is 1801. Departments were guided to complete the qualification information on PERSAL, and this process is ongoing.

SMS Members with Qualifications unspecified on PERSAL

Occupational Classification

Appointed in SMS per Regulation Date

Total

 

Before

1 August 2016

From

1 August 2016

 

Total

1,265

536

1,801

Administrative Related

91

54

145

Advocates

 

2

2

Agriculture Related

2

 

2

Communication and Information Related

4

2

6

Computer Programmers

 

1

1

Computer System Designers and Analysts

 

1

1

Crime Investigators

 

1

1

Custodian Personnel

 

1

1

Economists

2

 

2

Finance and Economics Related

20

5

25

Financial and Related Professionals

18

11

29

Financial Clerks and Credit Controllers

2

 

2

General Legal Administration and Rel. Professionals

2

1

3

Head Of Department/Chief Executive Officer

21

6

27

Health Sciences-Related

3

2

5

Human Resources, Org. Dev., and Related Prof

11

4

15

Human Resources Related

11

4

15

Identification Experts

3

 

3

Information Technology Related

4

1

5

Legal Related

4

1

5

Natural sciences-related

2

2

4

Operational Planning

 

1

1

Other Admin, Related Clerks and Organisers

2

3

5

Other Administrative Policy and Related Officers

2

 

2

Other Information Technology Personnel

8

 

8

Other Occupations

9

 

9

Police

 

1

1

Professional Nurse

1

1

2

Risk Management and Security Services

4

 

4

SAPS

1

1

2

Secretaries and Other Keyboard Operating Clerks

 

3

3

Security Officers

1

 

1

Senior Managers

1,031

427

1,458

Social Sciences Related

1

 

1

Social Work and Related Professionals

2

 

2

Trade/ Industry Advisers and Other Related Professionals

2

 

2

Veterinarians

1

 

1

Table 1: Data Source: PERSAL (Excluding Defence and State Security Agency)

 
 

(b) The purview for determining qualification requirements, for instance, current positions occupied, rests with the individual Executive Authorities for roles outside the SMS classification, such as those under Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD) and different coordinated positions. As guided by the DPSA, these standards align with Regulation 64(1) of the Public Service Regulations, 2016, which stipulates that Executive Authorities must identify and document comprehensive employment criteria based on essential objectives, core functions, and inherent job prerequisites.

End

22 September 2023 - NW3013

Profile picture: Smalle, Mr JF

Smalle, Mr JF to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Whether her department issued an instruction to municipalities to award municipal officials danger pay for their efforts during COVID19; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) criteria were used to determine the financial award to each official, (b)(i) total number of officials and (ii) municipalities benefited from the awards and (c)(i) total amount was budgeted for and/or (ii) paid over by each municipality in each case?

Reply:

No, the department has not issued an instruction to any municipalities to award municipal officials danger pay for their efforts during COVID19.

End.