Questions and Replies

Reply:

(1). Where there are facilities, Club development, learn to swim in schools and communities, inter-school swimming leagues for primary and secondary schools, which is an extra-curricular activity are offered as development programs.

Schools participate in both recreational and competitive leagues; In-school swimming takes place in the first and fourth term, during life skills/life orientation/physical education lessons at schools that have access to facilities.

Swimming South Africa (SSA)’s qualified swimming teachers have been placed at community pools in townships where Foundation phase learners from adjacent schools attend lessons during physical education lessons. Water safety education takes place during the winter months at identified schools. Capacity building programs

are offered to educators for learn to swim, introductory coaching and coaching level one. These programs are funded by DSAC and NLC.

(2). Yes, as government, we are mostly reliant on school and club facilities when offering swimming development programs. This is due to the lack of functional swimming pools in many municipalities in provinces, especially in townships.

(a) Programs that are offered include learn to swim in quintile 1 – 3 schools during physical education; learn to swim in communities; club development; splash polo and artistic fun.

(b)i. Development clubs receive funding for coaches & swimming teachers, as well as administration, and athletes that are selected for national teams are assisted financially.

b(ii). Schools administer their own inter-school programs during extra-curricular activities. However, the Provincial Departments of Sport, Arts & Culture support schools’ swimming championships or trials, water safety education in schools in some provinces and provincial teams that are selected for S.A. Schools Championships.

(3). It is well established fact that funding for sport and recreation in general is insufficient, this is equally true for programs aimed at promoting and facilitating access to swimming in communities. A collaborated and integrated approach to the development of swimming by Local, Provincial and National Government is required.

Furthermore, it is important that local Government ensure that existing facilities are maintained, and new swimming pools are built in township and communities where there are no facilities.

THANK YOU

Reply:

My department recognises the importance of market access as an enabler for creatives to sell their products locally and globally. These could take various forms, and music is one of these art forms. To this end, my department has developed and implemented an array of initiatives to facilitate creatives’ access to markets; One significant initiative through which this is done is the Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE).

MGE is a comprehensive program aimed at stimulating economic growth within the arts, culture, and heritage sectors. Touring Ventures is one of the programmes of MGE, developed mainly to provide funding and support for the touring of local art products to be showcased on international platforms and markets.

This initiative serves multiple purposes including taking unique and culturally rich creations to international audiences. By exposing international audiences to South African creative products, the government helps expand the global reach and recognition of local artists.

Through this, eligible local creatives are provided with opportunities to perform at international exhibitions, book fairs, festivals, theatre plays, concerts, and events.

These performances not only allow creatives from different disciplines to showcase their talents but also connect them with international industry professionals, potential collaborators, and fans who are the buyers of the art products. This exposure can lead to international collaborations, increased fan bases, and enhanced market access.

Furthermore, the exposure gained from international tours can lead to increased demand for performances, both domestically and internationally. By presenting South African art products on global stages, the government enhances cultural diplomacy and fosters positive international relationships, and this includes performing at various cultural seasons organised by the Department.

Cultural seasons, also known as cultural festivals or arts seasons, are periods of time during which a specific theme, genre, or cultural aspect is highlighted and celebrated through a series of artistic and cultural events, performances, exhibitions, and activities.

South Africa has entered into bilateral agreements with other countries, which enable the participation of local creatives in various disciplines, music being one of them, in the respective countries.

There is a lot of work that the department does to create an enabling environment for creatives to participate on international platforms, exposing the different art products the country produces in the Music space, Book and Press, Design, Craft, etc.

THANK YOU

Reply:

1(a). The KZN Philharmonic Orchestra is occupying the 3rd floor Since 1 April 1998.

(b). Towards the end of the 1990s The Playhouse Company reduced its operational size due to funding constrains it was going through. This was in line with what was contained in the Draft White Paper of the Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology.

The KZNPO was one of the five artistic companies of the Playhouse Company during that period. As part of the restructuring process the boards of the Playhouse Company and the KZNPO agreed to enter into a mutual benefit relationship (Public Private Partnership) where the orchestra would not take its retrenchment packages in return for a continued working relationship with the Playhouse.

Part of the agreement between the two organisations boards was that the orchestra would use office space on the third floor of The Playhouse’s administration building rent free. This mutually reciprocal working relationship would assist each arts organisation on sustaining itself in order to continue to create jobs for artists and offering artistic services to the community of KZN.

(2). No rental income is received from the KZNPO by The Playhouse Company. Therefore, no rental income is reflected in The Playhouse Company’s AFS.

It must further be noted that The Playhouse Company leases the premises from the Department of Public Works at no charge.

THANK YOU

Reply:

(1). The Department through its various funding agencies has since COVID 19 disbursed funds to deserving arts projects and initiatives to soften the blow to the cultural and creative industry. In addition, the Department commissioned The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) to conduct research post-COVID-19 on the Precarity and Social Status of Arts Practitioners and the report has been completed and will be circulated widely to the sector. The Department of Sport Arts and Culture also received a budget allocation of R650 million for PESP 1, R15m for PESP2, R440 million for PESP 3 and R462m for PESP 4 to provide relief to the creative sector, over the last three financial years.

(2). Yes, the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan is available, see attached.

THANK YOU

Reply:

(1) In 2016, the Department entrusted National Empowerment Fund (NEF) through a tender process to manage Venture Capital Fund (VCF) for a period of 3 years (2016/17 -2018/19) to the amount of R100 000 000.00 (One Hundred Million Rand Only) therefore the amount allocated was not 175 million.

(2)

(a). Yes, NEF was granted the project management role through Supply-Chain Management (SCM) processes.

(b). The tender was signed for a period of three years as indicated above.

THANK YOU

Reply:

MARATHON	a) MALES	b)FEMALES
(i) Cape Town Marathon	Four (4) tests (no athlete tested positive)	Four (4) tests (no athlete tested positive)
(ii) Two Oceans Marathon (ultra and half marathon)	Ten (10) tests (no athlete tested positive)	Nine (9) tests (no athlete tested positive)
(iii) Comrades Marathon	All top ten (10) athletes were tested. No athlete tested positive	All top ten (10) athletes were tested. No athlete tested positive

Reply:

As part of its establishment, the BMA integrated a total of 2100 staff members from 4 different government departments. The departments include:

• The Department of Home Affairs.
• The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.
• The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
• The Department of Health.

As part of the transfer, the BMA received R1.3 billion (R1 341 224 000) for Compensation of Employees as well as Goods and Services from the four transferring departments, in line with the transfer of functions and resources. The transferred amount was not new money, but money that was already in the respective departmental baselines.

In addition, the BMA requested a budget of R2.6 billion as new money from the National Treasury in order to capacitate the Authority, but was only allocated less than 10% of the requested amount. The allocated new money by National Treasury was R250 million to the BMA for the 2023/24 Financial Year.

This led to the total budget of the Authority being R1.59 billion, which is a total of the R1.3 billion old money and R250 million new money allocated by the National Treasury.

END

Reply:

1. (a) The employee was suspended in terms of the Disciplinary Code applicable to members of the SMS (the Code) as it was alleged that the employee had committed serious acts of misconduct (29 charges) including several allegations of prejudicing the administration of the department, failing to carry out lawful instructions, abuse, insolence and gross insubordination. The employer believed that the employee’s presence in the workplace may jeopardise the investigation, endanger the well- being or safety of employees and/or witnesses and undermine the work of the employer.

(b) The employee was suspended in accordance with the Public Service Act and the Code by the Director-General, which was subsequently extended by the chairperson in terms of paragraph 2.7. 2(c) of the Code.

(c) (i) The employee was suspended from 13 October 2020 until 27 September 2023, when the matter was finalised.

(ii) The employee was suspended on full pay in terms of paragraph 2.7. 2(b) of the Code.

2. The DPSA is not aware of any whistleblowing report submitted by the employee and cannot therefore provide details thereof.

End

Reply:

a) The Department has implemented an e-Visa system for tourist purposes, attendance of meetings and conferences and short-term business visas for 35 countries that are not visa exempt.

b) This e-Visa system will be extended to Study, Business and Intra Company Visas categories by the end of this financial year.

 

END

Reply:

(1)(i)(ii)(iii) 

Response to (1)(i)(ii)(iii) on actual numbers is attached.

Question 2 can best be responded by respective provinces as they are the custodians of schools.

Reply:

The Department does not keep records of school fees to either public or independent schools. The responsibility to charge schools fees is left with the School Governing Bodies in consultation with and with the approval of parents in an Annual General Meeting convened for that purpose. In terms of section 39 of the South African Schools Act, 84 of 1986: 

"(1) Subject to this Act, school fees may be determined and charged at a public school only if a resolution to do so has been adopted by a majority of parents attending the meeting referred to in section 38(2). 

(2) A resolution contemplated in subsection (1) must provide for-

(a) the amount of fees to be charged; and

(b) equitable criteria and procedures for the total, partial or conditionaln exemption of parents who are unable to pay school fees.

(3) The governing body must implement a resolution adopted at the meeting contemplated in subsection (1).

This therefore makes it a school governance matter outside the jurisdiction of the Department. The Department intervenes in appeal cases of application for school fees exemptions and where learners are refused education on the basis of the parents' inability to pay school fees.

Reply:

1. (a) As guided by national legislation on whistle blowing, the Protected Disclosures Act (Act No. 26 of 2000), the Department and its public entities encourage the public and employees to report all suspected cases of fraud and corruption on available platforms such as the SAPS Crime Stop and the Public Service Commission’s Whistle Blower and Corruption Hotline.

This is to avoid duplication and to ensure suspected cases are reported to relevant law enforcement agencies that have the necessary resources to investigate such cases.

(b) (c)

	Number of reported cases since 2013	Nature of complaint(s)
Social Development	24	NPO corruption, poor governance, conflict in the organisation, fraud, and theft/hijacking of the organisation
National Development Agency	7	Civil society organisations not receiving their training certificates
SASSA	3 262	Fraud and corruption involving social grants

2. (a) reported cases are referred to law enforcement agencies for further investigation and prosecution, where there is enough evidence to do so.

(b) refer to 1 (b) (c)

(c) refer to 2 (a)

Reply:

a) As indicated in my reply, the Department is finalising the Sector Strategy for Employment of Social Service Professionals in collaboration with provincial departments of social development and other key departments in the social cluster such as Basic Education, Correctional Services and the private sector. The funding bid for the Strategy has been submitted to the National Treasury for consideration in the upcoming Mid-Term Budget Policy Statement.

b) To date, the Strategy has been widely consulted with key structures and will be tabled for Cabinet consideration in the current financial year.

Reply:

Section 18 (1) of the Water Services Act, Act 108 of 1997 states that a Water Services Authority must report on the implementation of its development plan during each financial year. The reports must be made within four months after the end of each financial year and must be given to the Minister for Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development, the relevant Province and every organisation representing municipalities having jurisdiction in the area of the water services authority.

Such reports are not submitted to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), but rather to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).

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Reply:

1. (a) (i)(ii) The current rate is R169,68 per each assessment, which is the same for disability-related grants.

It is important for the Honourable Member to note that the achievement of the targets is dependent on availability of the assessor and space at the health facility where assessments are to be conducted.

(b) The targeted number of assessments per day is 40

(ii) 200

(iii) 800

2. The assessment current rate of R169, 68 is uniform across the country.

3. MBCHB qualification from a recognised institution, registration with HPCSA plus 2 years post registration as a medical officer. Privately contracted doctors and doctors in the employ of the state are also allowed to undertake social assistance work in the internship programme.

Reply:

Currently the process of conducting lifestyle audits on members of the executive is not legislated, therefore in order to legitimately obtain the information of individual members in order to conduct the lifestyle audits, members of the executive had to grant consent in writing.

The Office of the Director General considered two options for conducting lifestyle audits on members of the executives. The first option was to use the internal capacity within government with the support of external expertise on certain aspects such as data analysis.

Bodies such as the State Security Agency (SSA) or the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) could be considered to conduct the lifestyle audit. The second option was to fully outsource to an external audit firm or consortium of experts and closely project manage the rollout of the audit.

The Presidency is using both options, the pre-investigation phase which is the first phase of the lifestyle audit will be conducted by an external service provider.

As previously stated in the oral reply for PQ 2883, it is anticipated that this project will be concluded by the end of this financial year.

Reply:

(a),(b),(c) The Commission on Restitution of Land Rights has no record of any claims submitted for Hansmoeskraal 202, Syferfontein 203 and Buffelsdrift 204 on or before 31 December 1998 in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Act No. 22 of 1994.

The claim reference number A769 was lodged by the late Mr Abraham Arries for Pacaltsdorp which was dismissed as it was non-compliant with the provisions of the Restitution of Land Rights Act, 1994. Attached as Annexure A is a copy of the non-compliance letter addressed to the claimant.

 

---END---

Reply:

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

Reply:

(1). My department does not possess any legal authority or mandate to access or review the financial records of SAMPRA. We therefore cannot confirm or assist on this matter.

Kindly be advised that the Performers Protection Act of 1967, as amended, delineates the specific responsibilities and requirements related to the management

and accounting practices of needle-time collective management organisations. In this needle-time, CMOs are required to provide financial accounting and reporting exclusively to the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) as mandated by the mentioned legislation.

(2). SAMPRA's decisions regarding which musicians or performers they engage or funding for specific events, fall within their operational discretion and are not typically subject to specific reporting requirements to DSAC. Their primary obligation in this context is to comply with relevant intellectual property laws and regulations, particularly those governing royalty collection and distribution, which are primarily overseen by the CIPC.

(3). We are unable to provide specific comments or information regarding SAMPRA's internal business affairs.

(4). In the context of the aforementioned, we recommend that you reach out directly to SAMPRA to source the information or you can refer all the matters to the relevant authority, thus the CIPC for further investigation.

THANK YOU

Reply:

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT:

The rand value of South African Agricultural exports from April 2022 to March 2023 financial year (12 months):
	Billion Rand
(a) United States of America	8.820
(b) European Union (27)	41.948
(c) Russian Federation	4.357
(d) People’s Republic of China	12.055
(e) African continent	80.286

Note:

• Agricultural products - WTO definition;
• Billion = R1 000 000 000; and
• Source: SARS trade data obtained from the Easydata platform from Quantec. The Department subscribes to the data tool.

Reply:

Find here: Reply

Reply:

a) There are four (4) portions of the farm Tubbs Hill 650 LT which were handed over to Batlhabine ba Mogoboya Community also known as Batlhabine Communal Property Association namely; the Remaining Extent of Portion 1, the Remaining Extent of Portion 8 and Portion 11 of the farm Tubbs Hill 650 LT.

b) Please refer to the table below:

 

NAME OF THE FARM	EXTENT IN HECTARES/SIZE	LAND PURCHASE AMOUNT/COST	CROPS/ FARMING ACTIVITIES
Portion 11 of Tubbs Hill 650 LT	110.5866 ha	R5,375,888.00	Mango, Litchi, Banana orchards
R/E of Portion 8 of Tubbs Hill 650 LT	46.5116 ha	R5,650,000.00	Mango, Litchi, Banana orchards
Remaining Extent of Tubbs Hill 650 LT	108.0423 ha
Remaining Extent of Portion 1 of Tubbs Hill 650 LT (Remaining Extent of Coombe Bank 649 LT included by virtue of being valued and acquired as an economic unit)	78.7672 ha 184.4299 ha	R10,274,431.00	Mango, Litchi, Banana orchards
Total	343.9077	R21 300 319.00

Water

Water is sourced from Letsitele river through canals and stored in different reservoirs including earth dams. The farms are affiliated on the Letsitele Water Board. Boreholes are also available for consumption. Micro irrigation has been installed.

Infrastructure

The farms have homesteads and sheds which are predominantly used for packing and storage. There are also staff quarters in these different farms.

(c)(i),(ii) Please refer to the table below:

NAME OF THE FARM	PORTION	FARMING ACTIVITIES
Tubbs Hill 650 LT	Portion 11	Mango, Litchi, Banana orchards
Tubbs Hill 650 LT	R/E of Portion 8
Tubbs Hill 650 LT	Remaining Extent
Coombe Bank 649 LT	Remaining Extent
Tubbs Hill 650 LT	Portion 1 (R/E)

Post Settlement support

An amount to the tune of R13 720 261 was since released for the Development Assistance of Batlhabine Communal Property Association. There are different lessees on the farms transferred to Batlhabine CPA.

d) The approved Phase 1 submission indicates that initially 213 households were verified and consequently the number has increased to 582 households upon approval of the Phase 6 submission.

(e)(i),(ii) Please refer to the table below:

SUPPLIER DETAILS	PURPOSE OF EXPENDITURE	TOTAL COST
Truck & Tractor Specialist	Purchase of Tractors	1,069,890.00
Levuboer BK	purchase of chemical spray	166,383.00
Greater Tzaneen Municipality	settlement of electricity and water bills	131,782.29
Batlhabine CPA	Transfer to CPA - Operational & capital expenses to crop farming	4,500,000.00
Petrow Agri (PTY) Ltd	Purchase of fertilizers	163,567.20
Batlhabine CPA	Transfer to CPA - Operational & capital expenses to crop farming	7,688,638.51
TOTAL	13,720,261.00

END

Reply:

The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs did not issued any regulations and/or directives to municipalities with regard to end-of-year functions. This specific matter is addressed in the Local Government: Municipal Cost Containment Regulations issued by the National Treasury as well as MFMA Circular 82.

It is recommended that honourable member redirect the question to Minister of Finance for the National Treasury to respond accordingly.

End.

Reply:

Find here: Reply

Reply:

a) The figures were derived from the land claims database which records that a total of 83 067 claims have been settled in terms of approved Sections 42D, 42E and 35 submissions in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Act, 1994 (Act No. 22 of 1994).

b) About 80 000 claims lodged by 31 December 1998.

c) 83 067; the number of settled claims to date is higher than the number of claims lodged as a result of how claims were accounted for previously ie where rights in land per claim were counted as opposed to the individual claim form lodged per claim.

 

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Reply:

a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) jointly 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 (brochures) to empower members of the public.

b) Keeping of vicious dogs and related matters are governed by the Animal Matters Amendment Act, 1993 (Act No. 42 of 1993), which is administered by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

DALRRD is working with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to amend the Animal Matters Amendment Act, 1993 (Act 42 of 1993), to strengthen the Act with respect to offences and penalties.

We are also looking into DNA investigation to confirm the exact breeds of these types of dogs.

Reply:

(a). Cricket South Africa (CSA) has indicated that there were no findings or recommendations by Judge Ngoepe and

(b). There is nothing to implement.

THANK YOU

Reply:

(1)(a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) approved South African Farmers Development Association’s (SAFDA’s) ratoon management project for small-scale farmers in the sugar commodity to the value of R99 267 367.32. The project benefited over 10 679 farmers with a total of 116 415 bags of fertilizer across eleven mill areas in the six districts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province.

(b) SAFDA, through its Service Level Agreement with DALRRD, applied for ratoon management support/intervention to the Small-Scale Growers (SSGs) from the six KZN districts. As a commodity organisation, SAFDA uses Farmer Production Support Units (FPSUs) as instruments of delivery for all its farmer support services. This fertilizer project is accordingly delivered through FPSUs. FPSUs are geographically aligned and clustered according to industry mill areas and municipal districts. All 116 415 bags of fertilizer have been delivered. Verification of the portfolio of evidence was conducted by both SAFDA and provincial and district officials of DALRRD.

(c)(i),(ii),(d) The total cost for agricultural inputs was R99 267 367.32, and the total farming equipment purchased for all six FPSUs was R66 070 762.16; this equipment was procured over two years based on the approved business plans. Other minor FPSU office equipment procured amounts to R1 917 201.47. SAFDA was responsible for further distribution to the farmers at their cost using their existing fleet of trucks and bakkies.

(2) It was not advertised through specific political organisations, but the handover ceremony was organised through DALRRD’s communications unit, SAFDA communication unit and district, and local municipalities; and the advert was through loud hailing by communications officials.

3. The table below illustrates a summary of production input deliveries and the expenditure incurred:

SSG FERTILIZER PROJECT: 2023 SUMMARY OF DELIVERABLES

Municipal District	BUSINESS PLAN	RAND VALUES	Bags @R856
	Area	Growers
Umzimkulu	1 436.65	235	6 148 862	7 183
Sezela	3 166.59	1 661	13 553 005	15 833
UGU	4 603.24	1 896	19 701 867	23 016
Umfolozi	2 478.89	1 624	10 609 649	12 394
UMKHANYAKUDE	2 478.89	1 624	10 609 649	12 394
Gledhow	2 210.40	182	9 460 512	11 052
Darnall	1 948.55	160	8 339 794	9 742
Maidstone	1 476.30	343	6 318 564	7 382
ILEMBE	5 635.25	685	24 118 870	28 176
Noodsberg	849.60	714	3 636 288	4 248
Eston	737.45	487	3 156 286	3 687
UMGUNGUNDLOVU	1 587.05	1 201	6 792 574	7 935
Pongola RCL	136.60	16	584 648	683
ZULULAND	136.60	16	584 648	683
Amatikulu	4 040.22	2 661	17 292 142	20 201
Felixton/Makhatini/Jozini	4 801.75	2 596	20 551 490	24 009
KING CHETSHWAYO	8 841.97	5 257	37 843 632	44 210
TOTALS	23 283	10 679	97 274 342.52	116 415

 

Note! The total of R97 274 342.52 excludes management fees of R1 993 024.80.

4. No. Political affiliations were not considered, and therefore, the public procurement process was followed by requests for more than three written quotations from various service providers in the sector and the responsive quotation in terms of price was approved by both SAFDA (implementing agent) with the oversight of the Department. Kynoch Fertilizer was the preferred supplier as they were also the lowest quote and even leading in this industry.

(a),(b) Fall away.

Reply:

(1). As the Minister I am not in a position to indicate whether the CSA elections were legitimate or not because as per the National Sport and Recreation Act (NRS) I do not get involved nor interfere in administrative matters of National Federations unless a dispute is tabled for my attention.

(2.) (a&b) I have also not been informed of any non-compliance and therefore cannot pronounce on this matter.

THANK YOU

Reply:

The Department of Employment and labour does have new and existing strategies to curb unemployment in the country. These include:

1. The developed a National Employment Policy (NEP) in line with the ILO Employment Convention No C122 and Employment Policy guidelines with 09 intervention areas. The Draft policy is currently under consultations within government Departments and will be soon tabled to Cabinet before it is formally released for public comment.

2. The Draft National Labour Migration Policy and the Employment Services Amendment Bill to give effect to the policy have been finalised and are to be submitted to Cabinet once all the applicable certificates are obtained during November 2023

3. The mandate that we are executing on-behalf of the President to coordinate the National Pathway Management Network, that is bringing a range of actors in youth employment under a single roof. To give effect to this, we have contracted GTAC to assist us in managing this massive program that is working with the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative. This program has already delivered more than 800 000 employment opportunities for young people.

4. The Department also co-ordinates the Pathway Management Network, and contributes more than R 372 million annually to this process.   Through the Pathway Management Network more than 108 061 earning opportunities have been secured by youth, during the first quarter of 2023. Through the Youth Employment Service, which is a private sector initiative, more than 10 695 youth secured workplace experience opportunities, through the revitalised youth service, more than 47 000 youth gained insight into different fields of work. In collaboration with the Department of Higher Education and Training the Pathway Management Network has placed more than 1 6437 TVET graduates in opportunities.

5. The work we do on daily basis throughout our 126 offices, mobile units and online to assist work seekers to access work opportunities. For the period April 2023- August 2023, the Department registered more than 334, 088 new work seekers on its ESSA database. More than 77 357 work opportunities were registered by employers with the Department. And 32 444 work seekers were placed into employment opportunities. A further 142 648 work seekers were provided with life skills interventions and employment counselling interventions to help them transition to the labour market.

6. The Compensation fund has created 1,325 additional jobs. The Compensation Fund's provide bursaries that are intended to impact on the workforce by assisting those in need, creating job opportunities, and empowering marginalised youth.

7. The CCMA also assisted with the prevention of job losses. Between April 2023 and July 2023 more than 6000 jobs were saved.

8. Productivity SA’s: In Quarter 1 of 2023/24, supported 420 enterprises within 20 districts contributing to 3500 jobs. Trained a total of 667 Entrepreneurs, managers and workers, and capacitated 247 Productivity Champions. Demographics of Entrepreneurs, Workers and Managers trained indicates that of the 667 people trained, 201 are youth, 289 are women and 487 are Black Entrepreneurs as per information reported. The Business Turnaround and Recovery Programme has intervened in 30 new companies from April 2023 to date and saved 2076 jobs of which 1088 (52%) are youth.

9. The UIF through Labour Activation Employment Programmes has placed 8 523 beneficiaries into employment opportunities and over 5 723 are youth and people belonging to vulnerable groups.

10. The Department is an advocate of employment equity legislation and continues to do everything it can to change the employment demographics patterns in the broader economy. The amendments to existing legislation and the Regulations that have been published as part of our further consultations, are intended to accelerate the rate of transformation and employment of blacks in various positions.

11. The Department has 13 Factories across the country that provide employment to more than 1000 People with Disabilities. We also provide income subsidies to 9 Designated organisations on a rotational 3 years circle who employ people with disabilities within their ranks.

Reply:

(1). The beneficiaries of airplay monitoring extend to various stakeholders within the music industry and the broader cultural landscape as well government, with each group using the data for different purposes to support the promotion and development of South African music.

(2). Section 2 of the Culture Promotion Act of 1998 grants the Department the mandate to establish, launch, or finance organisations or projects that have the potential to foster develop and promote arts and culture in the country. Therefore, monitoring airplay is about inculcating the developmental goals as provided in the said legislation. It allows, inter alia, for the Department to track the extent to which local music, representing the country's culture, is being broadcast and promoted on radio stations and other platforms, among others.

This information can help identify areas where support for local artists and music genres may be needed, aligning with the promotion of the country's cultural diversity. Airplay monitoring can also help identify emerging and talented artists who may benefit from financial support, mentorship, or other forms of assistance to further their careers. This aligns to foster and develop talent within the country's arts and culture sector.

3. Concerning the matter in this case, we do not have any records regarding the awarding of a two-year tender to a certain company.

THANK YOU

Reply:

This was an initiative from the Presidency which included a number of Deputy Ministers, and my department was invited together with various other Departments. Therefore, the outcomes of the Presidential Task Team and the overall expenditure were not absorbed by the Department, and I will suggest that we follow this matter with the Office of the Presidency.

THANK YOU

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

1.

a) Number of Applications received	b) Progress of each application	C Full details in terms of
		(i) Applicant	(ii) timelines	(iii) Additional Information
3	This application has progressed through the Agrément South Africa evaluation process. Status: The application is at the final stages of evaluation, pending confirmation from the client for a site/factory visit in the USA.	Black Lion Capital	End of March 2024.	ASA will reach out to the client to finalise the anticipated site visit.
	Progress: The application is stalled at the application review phase. Reason: The client wants to further develop their system.	SMACT Building systems	The timeline is dependent on the client’s response.	After the peer review of the application by ASA assessment team, questions were sent SMACT, and we are still waiting for their response.
	Progress: The application is at the assessment work offer phase; the contract of assessment is currently with the client according to Agrément South Africa records. Status: The assessment work offer was sent to the client and has elapsed without the client’s approval; revision of the assessment work offer would be required to proceed with the project	RevCon Technologies	The timeline is dependent on the client’s response.	The initial offer was sent to RevCon on the 22/01/2020, which was not accepted by the client and it has lapsed.

2. Indicate if any ASA employee or board member is:

(a) An employee of the applicant/s	(b) members of the board of the applying organisation / company	(c) have any links with the companies that have applied
None	None	None

Reply:

(1). Yes, Mr Noore Nacerodien from Cape Town Softball Association lodge an appeal asked for SASCOC’s intervention in relation to setting up an independent disciplinary committee to re- attend to this case and the possibility that it’s referred for arbitration.

In complying with the dispute resolution mechanism of SASCOC, the National Federation was contacted, and Softball SA advised SASCOC not to intervene as it was an internal matter and later was sub-judice as the court of law was approached.

(2). Mr Noore Nacerodien was advised by the Operations team that the matter will be raised with the National Federation.

(3). With the case being sub-judice within the National Federation processes, and as per SASCOC’s dispute resolution procedures Softball SA resolved the matter internally. SASCOC was never involved, and Softball SA closed on the matter as per their confirmation through President of Softball SA Mr. Mashilo.

Reply:

(a)(i). The Department of Sport Arts and Culture provided financial support as follows during the past 5 years:

2017/18 financial year: R500 000 (Five Hundred Thousand Rand)

2018/19 financial year: R1 700 000 (One Million and Seven Hundred Thousand Rand.

(ii). The organisation was funded by the following public entities:

ENTITY	AMOUNT	FINANCIAL YEAR	PURPOSE
National Arts Council	R100 000	2020/21	Covid-19 Online Youth Arts, Culture & Heritage Programme
	R100 000	2020/21	Strategic Initiative COVID19
	R780 200	2020/21	Youth Arts & Culture Skills Development
	R1 819 465	2020/21	Online & Physical Youth Arts, Culture & Heritage Programme
	R800 000	2022/23	Young Artists Employment Project
National Heritage Council	R100 000	2018/19	Schools Advocacy programme
	R1 000 000	2022/23	PESP 3 funding for job creation in the heritage sector

(b). 2017/18: The Project “Pad A Girl Festival”

2018/19: The project was “The Voice of the June 16”.

(c). The funding was provided through the Mzansi Golden Economy which has guidelines that articulate the criteria for funding.

(d). Upon awarding the financial support in the respective years, the Department assessed the reports and was satisfied that the entity met the criteria required for funding. The funds were accounted for by the entity.

THANK YOU

Reply:

Because the facility is owned and operated by the City of Cape Town, the Department relies on assistance through the Western Cape Provincial Cultural Affairs & Sport to request information from the City of Cape Town.

The reply as provided by the City of Cape Town has reference:-

(a). An engineering consultant was appointed to assess the extent of the damage to the roof and determine the repair methodology. This assessment was carried out using roofing tender 266 C for the repairs.

(b). The consultants have completed their inspection of the roof structure. However, the Department is currently awaiting the final report on how to repair and remedy the structure before proceeding with roof sheeting repairs.

Unfortunately, the replacement of the sheets cannot proceed until it is confirmed that the structure is sound and can support the new sheets. The goal is to prevent future damage to the roof, which means that it is essential for engineers to conduct a proper assessment and provide guidance on how to fix this issue.

It is anticipated that the Department will receive the final report by October 20th, at which point quotes can be obtained from contractors for the specified repair methodology. The reopening of the Langa Indoor Sports Centre will depend on the progress of these repairs following the consultant's recommendations.

THANK YOU

Reply:

1. Yes, ALL members of SASCOC were invited to the Safeguarding Conference held 17 – 18 February 2023.
2. ALL members of SASCOC were invited to the Safeguarding Conference held 17 – 18 February 2023.
3. Yes, this statement is outlined in the SASCOC Safeguarding Policy

THANK YOU

Reply:

(1). The Benoni Town Hall has not officially been declared as a Heritage Site. However, by virtue of the building being older than 60 years, in terms of section 34 (1) of the National Heritage Resources Act, “No person may alter or demolish any structure or part of a structure which is older than 60 years without a permit issued by the relevant provincial heritage resources authority”.

(2). No, my department is not aware of the derelict state of the building as the City of Ekurhuleni manage it. On enquiring from the City of Ekurhuleni through the Gauteng Provincial Heritage Resources Authority, the Department was informed that the Benoni Town Hall is one of the facilities listed on the Heritage assets of the City of Ekurhuleni as part of the GRAP 103 compliance. The hall was officially opened on 12 October 1938 and closed off in 2014 due to a maintenance backlog on the roof and walls.

(a). My department is not aware how much it would cost to repair the Hall as the City of Ekurhuleni manage it.

(b). My department has also not set aside funds for the maintenance of the hall as it is an asset of and managed by the City of Ekurhuleni.

THANK YOU

Reply:

This matter is currently under review by the Department. In light of this, we are not in a position to provide any further information.

THANK YOU

Reply:

(1). In the response by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) they indicated that the contract between themselves and The Guardian expired in July 2023.

(2). SASCOC indicates that they have never initiated a tender process for Safeguarding services and currently has no intention of doing so in the future. Safeguarding matters are managed collaboratively with key stakeholders and National Federations.

(3). The list of federations that comply with the safeguarding accreditation is attached.

THANK YOU

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

(1)

(a)

- MOU was prepared in 2020, GPG referred it back stating that clauses need to be changed;

- Secondly in 2021 the department prepared lease agreement and they stated that they have don’t budget;

- The department in 2022 prepared a user agreement where it was going back and forth, until the parties (GPG, DSD and DPW&I) decided to sit together and draft in order to suit everyone;

(b)

- November 2023,

- All 5 houses are not occupied presently and they are renovated but 1 is occupied and it is used as offices.

(c)

(i) For security, from January 2019 to 31 September 2023 the amount will be R11’694’ 9927.60:

- 421 Ulundi Street in Mountain View = R58 250.14 per month

- 54 Kordaat Avenue in Die Wilgers = R60 000.00 per month

- 05 Adina Street in Waterkloof = R60 750.00 per month

- Salvakop = Not safe guarded by the department

(ii) Renovations and/or refurbishments were done through workshops (in house)

(iii) Gardening was done through workshops (in house)

(d) The projected monthly cost to the DPWI, should the buildings remain closed, is approximately R 259 887.25 for 5 to secure the buildings

(2) No. There were no unforeseen costs incurred.

Reply:

(1). The Ministry and the Department have no knowledge of such allegations. I am sure you will agree that autonomous organisations like SAMRO have their own established governance structures and internal mechanisms for addressing matters related to their operations, including concerns or disputes. Members of such organisations are encouraged to utilise these internal processes to address and resolve any issues, disputes and concerns that may arise.

(2). While I understand your concerns, it is important to emphasise that responsible government entities, including ours, do not engage in addressing or getting involved in unfounded theories. We always operate based on facts, evidence and established procedures to ensure fair and just governance.

Therefore, concerns on any matter of importance should be directed to us through appropriate channels.

This will ensure that such matters are thoroughly examined and resolved. We are a government committed to serving the needs of our people, and it is through this commitment that we can make meaningful contributions to the well-being of our artists and the advancement of the entire nation.

As a department we are convinced that the approval of the Cultural and Creative Industry Masterplan by Cabinet; and the process of implementation that commenced will ensure focus into the areas that will grow and sustain the industry.

THANK YOU

Reply:

There are a number of private companies offering music monitoring services in the country. However, affordability can be a significant challenge for many artists, especially emerging and independent ones. While private music monitoring services offer valuable benefits, they may not be accessible to all due to associated costs. The department has in 2021 supported Away from Here Trading to run a pilot project to test and validate new technologies, methodologies, or processes for monitoring music airplay.

The pilot project collected data on the airplay of music across various platforms and locations. This data is invaluable for tracking how, when, and where music is played, which is essential for accurate royalty distribution.

Monitoring music airplay is essential for artists and copyright holders as it ensures fair compensation, transparency, and recognition in the music industry. It also provides government with data-driven insights that inform strategic decisions on matters pertaining to

protection of intellectual property rights, as we support the economic and cultural contributions of the music sector.

THANK YOU

Reply:

Because the facility is owned and operated by the City of Cape Town, the Department relies on assistance through the Western Cape Provincial Cultural Affairs & Sport to request information from the City of Cape Town. The Department hereby requests and require more time to submit a response.

The response as provided by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport refers:

(1) No formal investigation has taken place regarding the facility.

• 1. There was an investigation instituted by a school for an incident which happened on the school premises, which is not part of the Lavender Hill Shared Facility.
  2. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), consulted and decided that the Lavender Hill Shared Facility (previously referred to as the Lavender Hill CARES Complexes), be made accessible to the primary beneficiaries, the schools in the cluster and surrounding areas where the facility is built.
  3. The facility was closed on 12 May 2023 for the departments to finalize access for the schools.
  4. The facility was re – opened on 05 June 2023 for schools to use.

(2).

2.1. One staff member was placed on precautionary suspension on full pay as from 15 May 2023, whilst an incident of alleged theft and/or use of sport equipment belonging to a school, without permission being granted by the school, was being investigated.

2.2. The school however decided not to proceed with the case, and the employee was informed that he may return to duty as from 01 September 2023.

(3)(a). The facility is built on land where schools are built and thus falls under the jurisdiction of the WCED. There is an agreement in principle between the WCED and DCAS, for DCAS to manage the facilities on behalf of the WCED.

(b). Funding is allocated by WC Government Provincial Treasury to the WCED to build the facilities. Earmarked allocations are made available to the WCED to maintain the facilities and provide equipment. DCAS pays the stipends of staff to manage and maintain the facility on behalf of the WCED.

(c). WCED to provide this information.

(d). The facility is a shared multi – purpose facility catering for different codes, namely:

1. Baseball – focus code.
2. Basketball – secondary code
3. Chess – secondary code
4. Football – focus code.
5. Hockey – focus code.
6. Indigenous Games
7. Netball – secondary code
8. Rugby – secondary code
9. Softball – focus code.
10. Table Tennis – secondary code
11. Tennis – secondary code
12. Volleyball – focus code.

Thus no one code can lay claim to the facility.

(4). As mentioned above, no code or club can lay claim to the facility. The above – mentioned codes have access to the facility through a booking system for schools. 

 

THANK YOU

Reply:

(a). In terms of the Heads of Terms agreement that was signed on 04 March 2019, with the signatories being World Netball (previously known as International Netball Federation), Netball South Africa, and the former Sport and Recreation South Africa, there were no guarantees for Government to pay World Netball.

(b). The total amount invested by government up until now is ZAR 109 137 552.00. This amount may be adjusted based on the final reconciliation.

THANK YOU

Reply:

To my understanding, collecting management societies (CMOs) in the field of copyright and intellectual property, typically follow international standards and best practices when determining the management fees, they charge for their services. Many CMOs align their management fee structures with international standards and guidelines set forth by organisations like the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC). These standards provide a framework for how CMOs should operate, including their financial practices.

The important part is that CMOs often seek endorsement or approval from their members regarding the management fees. This democratic process ensures that members have a voice in fee-related matters. SAMRO, as a membership-based organisation, operates under the authority and governance of its members. In other words, the organisation's business and decision-making processes are primarily the responsibility of its members.

THANK YOU

Reply:

a) All DHA offices have information technology support even though it is not always on-site support because we have 48 resources in total providing IT support across all DHA offices. One IT support resource is assigned to each District within the Province, while specialists at head office provide assistance for all of them remotely when they log a call. The Department has installed generators in Live Capture offices to ensure backup power during load shedding.

b) As indicated earlier, all offices are given IT support physically and remotely and where no generators are installed like in non-modernised offices, officials collect manual applications for later capturing.

END

Reply:

1. The following progress has been made:

• • • A civic supervisor was appointed who monitors service delivery and the process to clear the long queues.
    • A staff member is designated to manage the queues daily.
    • The prioritised categories of clients for example, persons with disabilities, the aged (senior citizens) and mothers with babies are referred into the office.
    • The office utilizes all possible back office staff to assist at counters during the mornings in order to expedite quicker service to awaiting clients
    • The supervisor also assists the team dealing with client queries and complaints. Complaints received are escalated within the office management structure. If not resolved it is escalated to the district and provincial level where necessary.
    • Internal formal disciplinary processes are followed where there are complaints against staff not performing or assisting clients properly. There is 1 formal disciplinary matter currently at this office.
    • The Somerset-West office now also provides for late registrations of births for all categories. Immigration services are also now rendered at this office.

2. The office is not aware of clients queueing overnight. It must be noted that the building is shared with the Department of Employment and Labour and that 1 entrance is used for both. Often clients assume that all awaiting clients are there for the DHA services, which inflates the numbers. It has been stated that DHA queues are demarcated and separated according to services into separate queues in order to assist clients as speedily as possible. The office is obliged to assist clients who made bookings and still seeks to assist as many walk-in clients as possible. The Booking system is advertised with posters and during the mornings an official assist and advise client to use the booking system. Some clients opt however to wait to be served as a walk-in.

3. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities are under the categories of clients who are prioritised. These clients report at the entrance and are assisted by officials in a prioritised manner. The Office has a ramp used by clients who have mobility challenges and assistance is afforded by staff and security officials to enter the office.

END

Reply:

1. Yes, the data contained in the biometric databases of the (a) Home Affairs National Identification System and (b) Automated Biometric Information System is encrypted. The security systems and standards that are implemented are HTTPS using TLSv1.2 and entrust digital certificates.

2. No, the client cannot store any data on their own. They can only do verification against DHA based on the request of the client.

END

Reply:

(a)(i) Total number of uncollected ID documents is 566 429 Out of 566 429 cases there are 63 452 deceased cases leaving a balance of 502 977 uncollected IDs.

(a)(ii) The breakdown per Province is depicted in the table below:

PROVINCES	ALIVE	DECEASED	TOTAL
EC	61839	11562	73401
FS	34986	5004	39990
GP	111841	13177	125018
KZN	68337	8492	76829
LP	42806	6078	48884
MP	30839	3403	34242
NW	33861	4396	38257
NC	15905	2822	18727
WC	63500	6225	69725
Mobile Unit	6596	1697	8293
E-Channel	32467	596	33063
G /TOTAL	502977	63452	566429

(b)(i) The table below depicts the offices per Province with 4000 and more IDs on hand pending collection.

 

NO	Province	Top Five (5) Offices Per Province	Volume on Alive Status	Volume on Deceased Status
1	Eastern Cape	Port Elizabeth	8350	2015
		East London	3834	782
		Mthatha	3408	645
		Uitenhage	3274	646
		Lusikisiki	2321	318
2	Gauteng	Akasia	8344	1031
		Pretoria	7371	780
		Johannesburg	7274	1597
		Mamelodi	6516	459
		Randburg	5996	687
3	Western Cape	Cape Town	7396	745
		Wynberg	5726	699
		Bellville	5528	506
		Paarl	4437	470
		Nyanga	4304	532
4	Kwa-Zulu Natal	Ethekwini	6813	639
		Pinetown	4867	549
		Pietermaritzburg	4496	643
		Commercial Road	4212	683
		Ugu	3343	512
5	Free State	Bloemfontein	6744	783
		Sasolburg	3292	635
		Welkom	3122	631
		Koffiefontein	2519	727
		Bultfontein	2402	173
6	North West	Rustenburg	4107	551
		Klerksdorp	3018	776
		Brits	2763	392
		Mmabatho	2203	538
		Mankwe	2035	274
7	Limpopo	Polokwane	3832	641
		Lebowakgomo	2704	387
		Tzaneen	2671	730
		Groblersdal	2166	561
		Thohoyandou	2146	332
8	Northern Cape	Upington	2613	749
		Kimberley	2109	342
		Kuruman	1798	371
		De Aar	975	310
		Jan Kempdorp	897	201
9	Mpumalanga	Nelspruit	2505	318
		Witbank	2485	359
		White River	2128	367
		Piet Retief	1815	201
		Lydenburg	1749	193

(b)(ii) The main reasons clients are not collecting their IDs are as follows:

• Clients having valid Green ID Books resulting in applicants not returning to collect the new Smart ID Card.
• Financial constraints (e.g. no money to travel to DHA offices).
• Long queues at offices discourages clients.
• Clients are unable to collect Smart ID Cards during system downtime.
• No updated contact details provided by applicant.e.g. number on system no longer exists or contact number not belonging to applicant.
• Time Constraints.
• No money to travel to DHA Offices.
• Travel distance to DHA Offices - office may be far from they stay/ work etc.
• Applicant relocated to another town / city / country etc.
• Applicant is deceased.

(c) The Department recently enhanced its Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS) with a “collections” option in order for clients to schedule an appointment to collect their IDs in all live capture offices.

The Modernisation system was also enhanced with a new capability for front offices to “redirect” IDs and passports to alternative offices as required by the client.

The Department also communicates to the public when various offices will open on Saturdays. Clients are encouraged to take advantage of the extended hours on Saturdays to collect documents they have applied for and not wait for the last minute.

At local front office level, clients are also being called in to collect while mobile units are taking IDs to rural areas, Schools and high volume communities for distribution of IDs for collection.

There is reactivation of SMS to reminding clients for clients to collect the uncollected IDs at the offices.

There are also Community Outreach Programmes in partnerships with IEC, Department of Basic Education, Metros, Districts and Local Municipalities. Uncollected ID volumes are shared with stakeholders to market and encourage clients to collect their documents through the various platforms provided.

The Department is also in the process of preparing the necessary resources to have high volume offices open on Saturdays from 30 Sept to 11 Nov 2023 (5 Saturdays only) for collection purposes as a build-up to Voter Registration Weekend taking place on 18 and 19 November 2023.

END