Questions and Replies

Reply:

The total number of transactions approved between January 2000 and March 2016 is 4450.

The IDC offers the following financing products:

• term debt,
• revolving credit facilities,
• guarantees,
• working capital loans,
• business support loans and
• quasi-equity (e.g. preference shares or subordinated loans).

The IDC may also take direct equity investments in companies at times.

The products and terms are structured in a way that will suit the business’ needs most appropriately and may be used on their own or in combination depending on the clients’ requirements.

Debt facilities have fixed repayment terms (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually) determined by the cash flow of the company whereas equity-type transactions have longer terms and do not necessarily have fixed repayment terms, rather milestone or event based repayment terms and /or a bullet payment at a future date.

In respect of loan financing, IDC offers a discount when achieving the development objectives as determined by IDC from time to time.

Over the years the IDC has managed a range of different funds in an effort to respond to various needs in the economy, each with customised pricing. For example, the Gro-E Youth programme for youth-empowered enterprises (more than 25% equity held by youth) has a loan cost of prime less 3% and an equity cost-structure based on a 6% Real After Tax Internal Rate of Return and where jobs are created at a cost of below R500 000 per employment opportunity.

Prior to April 2017, the IDC had a client confidentiality framework in place that is typical for a financial institution. Since 1 April 2017, the IDC provides information on business partners that it funds, on the IDC website. Approvals for the first quarter of the 2017/18 financial year are available on the website.

In accordance with the above, the IDC assures me that it has mechanisms in place to ensure that in any transaction appropriate consideration is taken in terms of amounts approved, interest charged, and requisite security taken over and above the provision of post investment support provided to IDC funded clients.

Additional details may be accessed from the IDC Annual Reports, copies of which are tabled in parliament and which may also be accessed at www.idc.co.za

-END-

Reply:

My Department did not implement any emergency Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) projects in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 financial years. The amount spent on emergency works at waste water treatment plants in each province in the 2016-17 financial years is detailed in the table below:

PROVINCE	LOCATION	MUNICIPALITY	PROJECT NAME	NATURE OF INTERVENTION	PROJECT COST
Free Sate	Oranjeville	Metsimaholo	Refurbishment of Oranjeville Waste Water Treatment Works.	Refurbishment of WWTW and Pump Stations (Mechanical and Electrical)	R8 012 848.39
Free Sate	Deneysville	Metsimaholo	Refurbishment of Deneysville Waste Water Treatment Works.	De-sludging of WWTW ponds	R2 468 343.42
Free Sate	Vrede	Phumelela	Refurbishment of Vrede Waste Water Treatment Works.	Refurbishment of WWTW and Pump Stations (Mechanical and Electrical)	R42 457 532.10
Free Sate	Harrismith	Maluti-A-Phofung	Refurbishment of Wilge Waste Water Treatment Works.	Refurbishment of WWTW (Mechanical and Electrical)	R11 853 659.90
Free Sate	Reitz	Nketoana	Refurbishment of Reitz Waste Water Treatment Works.	De-sludging of WWTW ponds and the refurbishment of Mechanical and Electrical components.	R24 409 008.78
Free Sate	Viljoenskroon	Moqhaka	Refurbishment of Viljoenskroon Waste Water Treatment Works.	Refurbishment of WWTW (Mechanical and Electrical)	R15 058 146.26
Free Sate	Bothaville	Nala	Refurbishment of Bothaville Waste Water Treatment Works.	Refurbishment of WWTW and Pump Stations (Mechanical and Electrical)	R17 163 326.86
Free Sate	Frankfort	Mafube	Refurbishment of Frankfort Waste Water Treatment Works.	De-sludging of WWTW ponds and the refurbishment of Mechanical and Electrical components.	R8 816 442.23
Free Sate	Villiers	Mafube	Refurbishment of Villiers Waste Water Treatment Works.	De-sludging of WWTW ponds and the refurbishment of Mechanical and Electrical components.	R8 217 708.53
Free Sate	Qalabotjha	Mafube	Refurbishment of Qalabotjha Waste Water Treatment Works.	De-sludging of WWTW ponds and the refurbishment of Mechanical and Electrical components.	R16 634 295.75
Free Sate	Namahadi	Mafube	Refurbishment of NamahadiWaste Water Treatment Works.	De-sludging of WWTW ponds and the refurbishment of Mechanical and Electrical components.	R27 685 929.09
Free Sate	Parys	Ngwathe	Refurbishment of ParysWaste Water Treatment Works.	Refurbishment of WWTW (Mechanical and Electrical)	R2 450 308.16
Northern Cape	Warrenton	Magareng	Refurb of Warrenton WWTW	Refurbishment	R 10 77 712
Northern Cape	Barkly West	Dikgatlong	Refurb of Barkly West WWTW	Refurbishment	R 14 592 052
Northern Cape	Douglas	Siyancuma	Refurb of Douglas WWTW	Refurbishment	R 23 367 715
Northern Cape	Olifantshoek	Gamagara	Refurb of Olifantshoek	Refurbishment	R 12 925 769
Northern Cape	Dibeng	Gamagara	Refurb of Dibeng WWTW	Refurbishment	R 10 108 813
Mpumalanga	Ermelo	Ermelo (Mpumalanga)	Refurb of Ermelo WWTW	Upgrade	R 44 275 029.44
Gauteng	Leekuil	Leekuil(Vaal)	Refurb of Leekuil WWTW	Refurbishment	R 36 417 498.79
Mpumalanga	Standerton	Standerton	Refurb of Standerton WWTW	Refurbishment	R 14 502 308.22
Gauteng	Vaal Marina	Vaal Marina	Refurb of Vaal Marina WWTW	Refurbishment	R 7 951 441.09

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Reply:

We record our undertaking as that the questions relate to Rand Water Zuikerbosch Pumping Station. We also respond with understanding that stripping refers to demolition of infrastructure for the purpose of constructing the new infrastructure, upgrade refers to augmentation. We refer to augmentation when we upgrade our infrastructure to meet water supply demands.

Rand Water implemented augmentation programmes at Zuikerbosch pumping station to provide additional capacity of 200 Ml/d. Annexure A shows augmentation projects implemented at Rand Water Zuikerbosch pumping station in the last five years. The balance of the other contracts at Zuikerbosch pumping station over the last five years is shown in Annexure B.

(1)(a) Refer to Item 7 on Annexure A regarding what was a demolition work which entailed demolition of an old pilot filter house 2B. Demolition was necessary so that new filter house 2B to provide additional 100 Ml/d could be constructed. Refer to Item 11 on Annexure A was the construction of a new sedimentation tank to provide additional 100 Ml/d. The contractor could not achieve contractual obligations and some structures had to be demolished and reconstructed properly.

(1)(b) Refer to the Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 on Annexure A regarding all upgrades forming part of augmentation projects at Zuikerbosch pumping station as part of additional 200 Ml/d added to the infrastructure to meet water supply demands. Items 7 and 11 on Annexure A refer to demolition work (stripping) and the rest of the items refer to augmentation (upgrades).

(2)(a) Demolition work as referred to in Item 7 on Annexure A shows Jampe Construction being the contractor that failed to demolish an old pilot filter house 2B. They were appointed for R1, 736,009 and were paid R342, 510 at the time of terminating their contract due to non-performance. The termination was referred to mediation as per the provisions of contract and the termination was upheld by the mediator. After they were terminated, their remaining scope of work was added to the work awarded to Superway (Pty) Ltd. In addition to demolition of an old pilot filter house 2B, Superway was appointed for the construction of the new filter 2B.

(2)(b) Refer to Item 11 on Annexure A regarding upgrade workshows Dipcivils (Pty) Ltd being the contractor that failed their contractual obligations to construct a new sedimentation tank. They were appointed for R103, 349,955.00 and were paid R57, 911,310.90 at the time of terminating their contract due to non-performance. As of part recouping the costs, Rand Water has held the surety (R10.3m) and retention (R5.8m) from the contractor. The total amount held is R16.1m which is the sum of surety and retention. Furthermore, Rand Water's Legal Service Department has been pursuing claim for damages. Dipcivils had undergone business administration in the process.

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Reply:

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 2250

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07/08/2017

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25/2017

2250. Mr R K Purdon (DA) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:

What steps has her department taken to ensure that appropriate career guidance is offered to deaf learners in each (a) full-service school and (b) school for the deaf in each province? NW2484E

RESPONSE: 2250

(a) and (b) The Department of Basic Education (DBE) offers the following career guidance to all learners in the system regardless of the school they attend and barriers to learning they experience:

1. Through the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for Life Orientation.
2. Through the Khetha programme, the Department of Higher Education and Training, offers career information, advice and counselling services through publications, platforms and campaigns including:

• training and support through exhibitions / career services;
• a National Helpline which is manned by trained career advisers fielding calls from learners and students and providing information, advice and counselling;
• an online platform namely the National Career Advice Portal (NCAP) – to assist users to make three main decisions focusing on subject choice, career decisions, and determining job fit;
• the Apply now campaign which focuses on distributing information booklets; and
• the radio programme which provides career information on national as well as community radio stations in 12 languages.

Reply:

(a) has funding been set aside for the initiative?

The Revitalisation of the Agriculture and Agro-Processing Value Chain (RAAVC), as a pillar of the 9 Point Plan was subjected to the Operation Phakisa methodology. The purpose was to deepen the implementation planning and management of RAAVC. Operation Phakisa initiatives are therefore not necessary new, but by and large the up-scaling and fast tracking of existing programmes and projects where applicable. However, there are a few initiatives which are new or calling for the overhauling of existing programmes.

Furthermore, Operation Phakisa is a method through which the private sector, civil society and government are enjoined through the development of 3-feet deep plans of initiatives agreed upon at the five-week Lab. Funding and implementation of the Phakisa initiatives are thus a joint venture between the private, civil and public sector.

Public funds committed to Phakisa are the existing funds within the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as well as the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, used in a manner to leverage greater private sector buy-in, and investment.

(b) what progress has been made to date in giving effect to the initiative?

The Operation Phakisa Lab outcomes must firstly be wholly owned by all stakeholders and role players within Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. The DAFF and DRDLR have invested a lot of time in communicating and syndicating with industry and civil role players through workshops, closed and open meetings. These engagements are also intended to lead to the finalisation of agreements for implementation among key role players, which will be pronounced on through a public event, namely the Open Day. We are 65% though this phase of Operation Phakisa.

The date for the Open Day will be determined by the Office of the President.

(a) has funding been set aside for the initiative?

The Revitalisation of the Agriculture and Agro-Processing Value Chain (RAAVC), as a pillar of the 9 Point Plan was subjected to the Operation Phakisa methodology. The purpose was to deepen the implementation planning and management of RAAVC. Operation Phakisa initiatives are therefore not necessary new, but by and large the up-scaling and fast tracking of existing programmes and projects where applicable. However, there are a few initiatives which are new or calling for the overhauling of existing programmes.

Furthermore, Operation Phakisa is a method through which the private sector, civil society and government are enjoined through the development of 3-feet deep plans of initiatives agreed upon at the five-week Lab. Funding and implementation of the Phakisa initiatives are thus a joint venture between the private, civil and public sector.

Public funds committed to Phakisa are the existing funds within the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as well as the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, used in a manner to leverage greater private sector buy-in, and investment.

(b) what progress has been made to date in giving effect to the initiative?

The Operation Phakisa Lab outcomes must firstly be wholly owned by all stakeholders and role players within Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. The DAFF and DRDLR have invested a lot of time in communicating and syndicating with industry and civil role players through workshops, closed and open meetings. These engagements are also intended to lead to the finalisation of agreements for implementation among key role players, which will be pronounced on through a public event, namely the Open Day. We are 65% though this phase of Operation Phakisa.

The date for the Open Day will be determined by the Office of the President.

Reply:

(1)(a) The position of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Overberg Water has been vacant since May 2015 to date.

(1)(b) My Department seconded Ms ONV Fundakubi as the acting CEO at Overberg Water. The secondment was effective from 1 July 2015 and terminated on
22 June 2017.

(2) Yes, the current acting CEO, Mr Phakamani Buthelezi, was recommended by the selection panel for permanent appointment as CEO at Overberg Water.

(2)(a) On 9 March 2016, the panel recommended to the Overberg Water Board the approval of the appointment of Mr Buthelezi for the position of CEO at Overberg Water.

(2)(b) My Department wanted the Board and former Acting CEO, Ms Fundakubi to deal with all outstanding issues related to the finalisation of the Annual Report of 2016/17 before processing the appointment of the new CEO.

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Reply:

(a) Provinces and schools procured Braille titles for learners with visual difficulties in the 2016/17 financial year according to the resources and budget available to them. Out of nine (9) provinces, six (6) provinces procured resources for their visually impaired learners. One (1) of the three (3) provinces that have not procured centrally, Limpopo, indicated that they are working with Braille Production houses within their province to produce Braille Master copies for each subject in each grade. The Department is waiting for responses from other two provinces (Free State and Kwa Zulu-Natal) that did not order Braille textbooks centrally; and will provide such information once it is received.

(b) It has to be noted that Braille books, by their nature, are resources that can be repeatedly utilised, and that schools and provinces are mostly required to procure top-ups for learners with visual impairment. The number of resources procured by all schools and provinces during the 2016/17 financial year is 2941, procured according to the needs of individual learners and schools. The list of titles of the books procured per title per province is attached as Annexure A.

(i) & (ii) The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is not in possession of information on the number of learners with visual impairment who do not currently have their own copy of the required large print books for learning at each school and in each province. The honourable member is advised to direct such a question to the National Council of Provinces or the Provincial Education Departments as it is a provincial competency.

Reply:

a) Relevant Degree or BTech in Civil Engineering, Master Degree advantageous (The job advert of the position is attached).

b) The current incumbent is Ms Tsakane Radebe.

c) The position is a 5-year contract and the successful candidate assumed her duties effective from the 01 May 2016.

d) The details of the specified person’s qualifications are as follows:

• Matric
• National Diploma: Mechanical Engineering
• Bachelor of Technology: Mechanical Engineering
• Project Management Professional
• Certified Associate in Project Management

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Reply:

(1) (a) (b) Yes, the Appeal Board was appointed in terms of Section 23 of Animal Improvement Act, 1998 (Act No. 62 of 1998). The Appeal board, under chairmanship of Advocate S Phaswane concluded its assignment on the 29th of June 2017. In its conclusion, the Appeal Board set aside the decision of the Registrar; however the board decided to not consider the scientific process. (Copy of the report is attached as requested).

(2) (a) (b) Yes the department was informed of such instances where breeders have sold and/or illegally exported boerboels as Black Boerboels, even without official registration as a breed with the department. At this stage the matter (s) is under investigation.

Reply:

Land bank and DBSA responses are provided below, however, IDC does not report to the National Treasury.

LAND BANK RESPONSES:

(a) (b) (iii)

Distinction between current and non – current assets:

The Group presents the assets and liabilities in decreasing order of liquidity as it provides information that is more reliable and relevant than a current/non-current presentation because the Group does not supply goods or services within a clearly identifiable operating cycle.

Gross Loans by Maturity Value
	Group 2017 R’000	Group 2016 R’000	Bank 2017 R’000	Bank 2016 R’000
< 3 Months	7 685 650	6 209 050	7 685 650	6 209 050
3 – 6 months	4 793 132	4 606 878	4 793 132	4 606 878
6 – 9 months	3 533 562	1 506 583	3 533 562	1 506 583
9 – 12 months	1 004 508	545 831	1 004 508	545 831
1 – 5 years	4 351 860	9 082 557	4 351 860	9 082 557
> 5 years	21 655 326	16 873 417	21 655 326	16 873 417
TOTAL	43 024 038	38 824 315	43 024 038	38 824 315

(aa) Listed Investments:

(aaa) Held directly:

Listed investment (1)
	Group 2017 R’000	Group 2016 R’000	Bank 2017 R’000	Bank 2016 R’000
Rhodes Food Group Holdings Limited	197 000	-	197 000	-

(bbb) Held indirectly:

Assets earmarked for medical aid liabilities Listed investments
	Group 2017 R’000	Group 2016 R’000	Bank 2017 R’000	Bank 2016 R’000
Local equity	242 749	230 734	242 749	230 734
Local bonds	53 187	33 594	53 187	33 594
Foreign equity	49 582	63 794	49 582	63 794
TOTAL	345 518	328 122	345 518	328 122

The assets earmarked for medical aid liabilities are managed through a mandate by Coronation Asset Managers.

(bb) Unlisted investments:

(aaa) Held directly:

Unlisted investments (2)
	Group 2017 R’000	Group 2016 R’000	Bank 2017 R’000	Bank 2016 R’000
Capespan Capital (Pty) Ltd	1 288	849	1 288	849
Acorn Agri (Pty) Ltd	75 000	-	75 000	-
TOTAL	76 288	849	76 288	849

Investments in Land Bank 100% owned subsidiaries
	Group 2017 R’000	Group 2016 R’000	Bank 2017 R’000	Bank 2016 R’000
Land Bank Life Insurance Company (Life Insurer)	-	-	30	30
Land Bank Insurance Company (Short term Insurer)	-	-	350 000	200 000
TOTAL	-	-	350 030	200 030

(bbb) Held indirectly:

Assets earmarked for medical aid liabilities Unlisted investments
	Group 2017 R’000	Group 2016 R’000	Bank 2017 R’000	Bank 2016 R’000
Commodities – Local ETF	2 514	3 563	2 514	3 563
Cash – Local	11 834	25 272	11 834	25 272
TOTAL	14 348	25 835	14 348	28 835

The assets earmarked for medical aid liabilities are managed through a mandate by Coronation Asset Managers.

Investments held by subsidiaries (LBIC)
	Group 2017 R’000	Group 2016 R’000
Equities	412 151	474 424
Commodities	35 568	33 064
Collective investment schemes	370 893	354 568
Bonds	247 763	259 810
Cash deposits and similar securities	146 564	178 045
Investment Policy	13 980	33 986
TOTAL	1 226 920	1 333 897

The above listed investments held by subsidiaries are managed through mandates by with the following Asset Managers:

• Coronation Fund Managers Limited
• Momentum Asset Management
• Argon Asset Management
• Investec Asset Management
• Old Mutual Investment Group (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd Group

DBSA RESPONSE:

2. Equity Investment YE 2016/2017
Unlisted	Beyond 12 months
Direct Investments
Ohorongo	81 313 764
Proparco	452 956 708
The Currency Exchange Fund	578 411 113
Indirect Investments - Private Equity Investments
African Agriculture Fund (Phatisa)	176 917 010
AgrieVie (Strategy Partners)	152 856 925
African Health Fund (Aureos)	243 667 465
African Infrastructure Investment Fund	394 847 707
Convergence Partners	82 385 417
Emerging Capital Partners	615 555 323
Ethos	1
HIFSA	1 867 607 518
International Housing Solutions	190 242 204
Medu Capital	18 699 500
PAIDF	882 236 100
PAIDF 2	21 936 838
PAIP	-
Shanduka	-
Trinitas	76 847 532
Vantage Capital	136 027 906
Frandevco	-
One and only Cape Town Holdings	-
StarSat	-
Development Bank of Zambia	-
Total equity investments	5 972 509 032

Reply:

(1) Adv. Mosotho Petlane holds the position as the Chairperson of Magalies Water Board.

(2)(a) Yes, Adv. Petlane was charged in 2005 for fraud. However, the case was dismissed by the Court of Law.

(2)(b) No, my Department is not aware of any allegation that was leveled against Adv. Petlane.

(2)(b)(i)Magalies Water does not have the details of the allegations.

(2)(b)(ii)Yes, the case was dismissed by the Court of Law.

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Reply:

a) The internal audit function at Magalies Water is outsourced because the entity currently does not have an established internal audit division.

b) The duration of the period is three (3) years. The contract commencement date is 01 October 2015 and will expire on 30 September 2018.

c) The internal audit function is outsourced to PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS.

(d) Terms of the contract are as follows:

1. Provision of Internal Audit Services:

• Evaluating adequacy and effectiveness of controls and advising managers at all levels in determining key control indicators and develop recommendations for enhancement or improvement of these controls;
• Assisting the Chief Executive Officer in achieving the objectives of the institution by evaluating and developing recommendations for the enhancement or improvement of processes through which —
• Objectives and values are established and communicated;
• The accomplishment of objectives is monitored;
• Accountability is ensured; and

2. Corporate values are preserved:

• • • Analysing operations and conformity to organisational mandate; and
    • Reviewing the Internal Audit Charter for the approval by the Audit and Risk Committee and Magalies Water Board, and thereafter adhere to the Charter;
    • Liaising with the Risk Specialist in the development of a risk-based 3-year rolling internal audit plan;
    • Conducting forensic audits as and when required;
    • Evaluating specific operations at the request of the Board or management, as appropriate;
    • Maintaining professional audit staff with sufficient knowledge, skills, experience and professional certification to meet the requirements of the internal audit charter;
    • Evaluating adequacy and effectiveness.

(e) The total amount paid is R4 213 594.28

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Reply:

(a)  According to the Sector Plan provided to provinces by the Department of Basic Education, the deadline for placement of orders is 30 June 2017. Provinces are to adhere to the deadline to place orders for their schools hence the Parliamentary Question has been forwarded to provinces to provide the details for the question at hand. The Department of Basic Education is not in possession of the detail. The Honourable Member is advised to direct these questions to the National Council of Provinces or directly to the Provincial Education Departments.

Reply:

The Lounges are facilities operated by SAA and offer selected passengers, comfort beyond that that is afforded in the airport terminal. Such comfort includes comfortable seating, quieter environment, and often better access to customer service representatives. Other offers include wireless internet access and other business services.

The Lounges mainly serve as a service offering to premium passengers, those flying business class, and to frequent fliers who are Voyager members and have achieved a prescribed voyager membership status.

During financial year 2016/17 SAA’s eight (8) Lounges generated a revenue totaling: (a) R74, 867, 946 at the operating costs of: (b) R106, 519, 595

Philosophy of an Airline Lounge:

An Airline Lounge is more of a differentiating factor than a profit/revenue making stream, for the following reasons:

• The market is seeing increased ground services activity as operators strive to compete on quality provision. The business/first class lounge is an especially important part of the ground service experience, and one of the most critical branding elements for an airline.

• To meet the needs of First Class, Business Class and Airlines Frequent Flyers customers, airlines seek to offer a complete airport to airport experience, not only in the air but also on the ground. Well-designed lounges provide a refuge from a very busy airport and an opportunity for airlines to demonstrate their character, qualities and service level.

• For the airline, the quality of their lounge and lounge services are an extension of their brand and a way of enhancing customer relationships. As passengers spend more time at the airport, due to increased security, congestion and delays, the lounge experience has become a powerful differentiator in airline selection.

Reply:

(a)(b)(i) (aa)(aaa)(bb)(bbb)

All current and non-current assets form part of the audited Annual Financial Statements and are included in the Department’s and Entities 2016/17 Annual Reports.

Reply:

(a) The total number of persons who were given early naturalisation according to the available information is twenty-two (22).

(b) The relevant details for cases which were regarded as exceptional included people who were bringing investment in the country, United Nations representatives, global sports bodies’ executives and executives of multi-national companies. Members will be given a full lists of these cases.

Reply:

The application dates for Boxing South Africa were as follows:

(a) opened on: 28 July 2017

(b) closed on: 13 August 2017

In the case of the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport, the advertisement is still to be published, as quotations were awaited from the Government Gazette and the National Press. It is expected that the advertisement will be issued shortly before he end of September 2017 and the closing date for the nominations shall be 30 days from the publication of the advertisement.

Reply:

a) Currently, the Department of Transport does not have any agreement with the Ivory Coast

b) (i) (ii) (c) (d) (e) (i) (ii) Falls away

Reply:

The investigation into the death of Mr Herbert Nkabiti is underway and has not yet been completed. The investigation has been commissioned by the board of Boxing South Africa. Once the investigation is complete and the report is submitted to the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa, the Minister will apply his mind as to the next course of action.

Reply:

Chapter Six of the of the Tax administration Act regulates the confidentiality of taxpayer information. In terms of Section 69 (2) of the Tax Administration Act, a SARS official may not disclose “Taxpayer information” to any person who is not a SARS official. Although there are certain exceptions to this general prohibition none of these exceptions permit SARS to disclose detail in the course of answering the questions posed to SARS. 

The Commissioner does not discuss taxpayer information with the Minister.

Reply:

a) Two thousand and two (2002) SVDP applications were received by 31 August 2017.

b) The gross value of foreign assets declared, based on the 40% inclusion, is R34 939 070 557. The values of the individual declarations range from zero Rands to 1.4 Billion Rands.

We note that some taxpayers have disclosed 100% of the value of foreign assets on the application forms as opposed to only 40%. SARS is verifying the information submitted and will only be in a position to finalise this value once all applications have been verified.

c) (i) SARS is also not in a position to confirm the number of applications by economic sector at this stage.

(ii) This will be confirmed once the verification process has been concluded.

d) Of the 2002 applications received, three hundred and five (305) applications have been processed, resulting in two hundred and eighty (280) SVDP agreements being concluded with tax liabilities totalling R 1 031 627 067.

e) (i) Of that amount, R822 381 676 has been collected to date.

(ii) As highlighted above, based on taxpayers’ own declarations, an additional amount of about R4 billion is potentially collectable, however, we are in the process of verifying the correctness of the declarations.

Reply:

(a)

1. African lion (Panthera leo) is included on Appendix II to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In 2016 at the 17th Conference of the Parties to CITES, the Parties adopted an annotation to this listing in relation to the growing international trade in lion bones:

“A zero annual export quota is established for specimens of bones, bone pieces, bone products, claws, skeletons, skulls and teeth removed from the wild and traded for commercial purposes. Annual export quotas for trade in bones, bone pieces, bone products, claws, skeletons, skulls and teeth for commercial purposes, derived from captive breeding operations in South Africa, will be established and communicated annually to the CITES Secretariat”.

2. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), in its role as the scientific co-ordinator of South Africa’s CITES Scientific Authority was requested to advise the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on the setting of this quota. The problem statement was formulated as the following question: “What is the current annual sustainable supply of lion bone from captive breeding operations?”

3. In setting the quota, the following issues were considered:

•  

  a) The need to avoid the creation of a monopoly in the supply of lion bones to Asia;

   b) the need to incentivise compliance with the quota and avoid stimulating illegal trade;

   c) the need to anticipate any unintended consequences;

  d) possible confounding effects of the United States of America’s (USA) January 2016 listing of Panthera leo as threatened on the Endangered Species Act;

   e) the fact that South Africa has a healthy wild lion population of approximately 3 500 individuals which is currently experiencing no major threats and persists alongside a large captive population of approximately 7 000 individuals in around 260 lion breeding/captive facilities in South Africa. Within this context, illegal use and/or trade in wild lion in South Africa is considered small to negligible based on available information;

  f) the existing trade in lion bone between South Africa and eastern and south-eastern Asia which emerged in 2008 and has since shown an increasing trend. The supply of Felidae bones and skeletons from the Southern African Development Community region is sourced mostly from captive produced lions from South Africa as a by-product of the lion trophy hunting industry; and 

   g) submissions from a public consultation process managed by the Department of Environmental Affairs in which various parties argued for a zero quota whereas representatives of captive lion facilities argued that far greater numbers could be sustainably harvested and this would reduce demand for bones from wild lion. Despite claims of positive or negative impacts associated with trade, there is considerable uncertainty about the outcomes of either approach or very little objective evidence to guide decision making. Outcomes of past prohibitions or forced limitations in the supply of wildlife products to Asian markets is the subject of considerable debate both nationally and internationally, as demonstrated in three case studies below:

   (i) The increased poaching of rhinos in South Africa and potential links to the domestic moratorium on the trade in rhino horn;

   (ii) the increased poaching of elephants in Africa which some commentators have ascribed to the one off sales of ivory permitted by CITES whereas others have ascribed to perceived future scarcity of ivory because of the 2007 CITES moratorium on ivory sales; and

   (iii) the switch to the utilisation of and trade in lion bones and bones of other felids subsequent to the 2007 CITES Decision to phase out tiger farms.

The uncertainty regarding the impact (on wild lion) of a trade ban for lion bone derived from captive bred animals partly informed the annotation adopted at the 17th Conference of the Parties (CoP17) to CITES. It should also be noted that the annotation formed part of a broader set of Decisions (17.241 – 17.245) that focused on lion conservation in general and the need to obtain additional information on legal and illegal trade and the effects of international trade on lion population trends.

4. In advising the Department of Environmental Affairs on the current annual sustainable supply of lion bone from captive breeding operations in South Africa, it was recognised that there is at present insufficient data to determine sustainable production of lions in all lion breeding facilities throughout South Africa. The export records for captive produced lion trophies were therefore interrogated on the assumption that lion breeding operations would have been managed wisely in order to ensure the sustainable production of adult trophy lions.

5. In 2016, SANBI collaborated with the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) to undertake an analysis of CITES trade in the SADC countries between 2005 and 2014. In relation to the export of Panthera leo trophies from SADC, the following was established and formed the basis for the recommended quota of 800 skeletons per year:

• On average 1 080 lion trophies were exported from SADC every year; and
• of these, 80% were direct exports from South Africa (864 individuals per year) and were comprised of predominantly captive produced lion trophies (less than 10 wild lion were hunted per year over this time period).

6. The recommended quota accords well with a study conducted by WildCRU (Oxford University, UK) and TRAFFIC (July 2015) which estimated that the skeleton resource base from trophy hunting was up to 833 skeletons per year over the period 2008 to 2010. Information provided by DEA indicated that 651 lion skeletons and 69 sets of bones were legally exported from South Africa between October 2015 and September 2016 which is consistent with the numbers estimated by UNEP-WCMC and the WildCRU/TRAFFIC report.

7. The rationale for setting the lion bone export quota was discussed at the 13th meeting of the South African Scientific Authority held in February 2017. Based on the issues outlined in section 3 (above) the Scientific Authority reasoned that the correct approach would be to establish a quota based on the best estimates of current supply and to immediately initiate studies to address some of the uncertainties so that future quotas can be informed by better evidence. As a result, the recommended quota of 800 skeletons was approved for submission to me and SANBI was requested to initiate the required studies as budget permitted (see under Part (b) below).

(b)

1. It should be noted that there are no wild tigers in South Africa and lion poaching in South Africa has been and is currently negligible. There has been some recent reports of captive lions being killed for traditional purposes (medicine or for bones in divination sets).

2. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has initiated a three-year collaborative project with the University of the Witwatersrand, Oxford University and the University of Kent entitled “Analysing and monitoring the lion bone trade in South Africa”.

The aims of the project are to:

a) increase our understanding of the captive lion breeding industry and the lion bone trade in South Africa;

b) investigate how the trade in captive produced lion bone under a quota system affects wild lion populations; and

c) strengthen the evidence base for the annual review of the quota in order to ensure it is sustainable and not detrimental to wild populations.

3. This project will form the basis of an adaptive management approach towards the lion bone export quota. Should poaching of wild lion occur as a direct result of the trade in captive produced lion skeletons, the quota will be adjusted accordingly.

4. A system involving random testing of DNA samples collected from lion skeletons at ports of exits has been devised to ensure skeletons originate from captive breeding operations and also to verify that no tiger skeletons are being exported.

---ooOoo---

Reply:

During the late afternoon of 9 November 2016 flash flooding resulted in sections of the national road network in Gauteng being flooded. SANRAL initiated an investigation by a Specialist Engineering Company for the meteorological, hydrological and hydraulic assessment of the R24/N12, Linksfield and Gillooly’s interchanges to understand the underlying causes of the flooding. A final report was tabled on 12 September 2017 by the investigating Specialist.

The report reflects on the event of 9 November 2016 and explored reasons for the flooding which occurred at specifically three sites (see Figure 1):

• R24/N12 interchange
• Linksfield Road interchange
• Gillooly’s Interchange

Figure 1 – Three main problem areas investigated

It was established that an exceptional rainstorm of 1:200 intensity occurred on 9 November 2016.

From the conducted hydrological and hydraulic analyses the following can be concluded:

• Storm water drainage is a complex phenomenon as the magnitude changes with time and it is a dynamic process where it could be affected by specific conditions up- or downstream.

• The Linksfield interchange flooding can be attributed to the excessive high rainfall resulting in peak floods exceeding the hydraulic capacity of the drainage systems. A blockage at one of the culvert inlets further exacerbated the problem resulting in water overtopping the embankments and spilling onto the N3. The flow phenomenon was interesting and unexpected. In cases where debris however blocks a hydraulic structure flooding can occur.

The median barrier in the case of the N3 flooding probably prevented further loss of life as it prohibited water from crossing the N3 which would have washed vehicles into the Little Jukskei River. It further resulted in the N3 north bound being accessible during the event and providing an escape route.

• The R24/N12 culvert system is inadequate to handle the recommended design flood (1:80). The inlet configuration, changes in catchment area and proximity of the commercial developments all played a role in the problems experienced at this site.

• Various scenarios have been analysed to find a workable solution for conveyance of the floods downstream. The suggested solution would be to provide an additional four 3 X 1.8m culverts underneath the R24/N12 and create a retention/stilling pond upstream, linking the existing channel to the new culvert system. The existing structure underneath the N12 consists of two 1.2 x 3.1m culverts. The situation here is that if the capacity of the culverts under the N12 is increased the houses on the northern side of the N12 is flooded. A rough estimate of the cost of these works is R30 to R40 million.

• Increasing of the capacity of stormwater conduits and the inlets at the Gillooly’s interchange is required to drain water from the freeway. The existing pipe system is made of 600mm diameter pipes and it is proposed to supplement them with a 900mm pipe. This needs to be jacked and a rough estimate of the cost is R4 to R5 million.

The recommendations of this report need to be further detailed and the proposed improvements need to be further developed, including detailed designs before it can be implemented. These improvements should be able to handle a 1:80 year rainstorm.

Reply:

(a) i None

Province	Number of learners on waiting list at a school for the deaf	Measures in place to ensure learners are registered
EC	0	No waiting list
KZN	24	Learners being referred to other schools further from their homes
LP	0	No waiting
NC	24	Leaners are placed in mainstream schools until space is available.
NW	2	The school is moving to a new building and which has enough space to accommodate the learners.
GT	0	No waiting list.
MP	6	Advocacy campaigns are part of the priority activities every year. Learners are placed in the Full-Service Schools that are in their neighbourhood.
WC	0	No waiting list.
FS	0	No waiting list.
TOTAL	56

(ii)

(b) Provincial Education Departments have trained all Special Schools on the implementation of the Policy on Screening Identification Assessment and Support (SIAS), the Policy that regulates admissions to schools. Those that has learns on waiting list have measures in place.

Reply:

1. (a) The list of titles of the books for the National Catalogue that were produced as Braille books is attached as Annexure A.

1. (b) The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is not in possession of the number of titles ordered for each school that is attended by learners with visual impairment. The DBE has information in respect of orders made in each province. The number of resources procured by schools and provinces during the 2016/17 financial year is 2821, procured according to the needs of individual learners and schools. The list of procured copies per title in each province is attached as Annexure B.

2. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is not in possession of information on the total current stock of each title at each school in each province that is attended by learners with visual difficulties. The honourable member is advised to direct such a question to the National Council of Provinces. The list of the total current stock procured for each title in each province is attached in Annexure B.

Reply:

(a) The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD)

The DSBD has not funded any institution of Research and Development (i) domestically nor (ii) internationally and does not have a discretionary fund in place.

(aa)(aaa) Not applicable.

(aa)(bbb) Not applicable.

(aa)(bb) Not applicable.

(aa)(cc) Not applicable.

(b) The Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA)

SEFA does not fund any institution of research and development (i) domestically nor (ii) internationally.

(aa)(aaa) SEFA, however, acknowledges the importance of research and has established research collaborations with some of the South African Universities. SEFA has established research collaboration with the University of South Africa (Unisa), North West University (NWU), University of Free State (UFS) and University of Stellenbosch.

(aa)(bbb) The scope of the research collaboration with the universities focuses on cooperative research between SEFA and the institutions on issues relating to access to finance for SMMEs and Co-operative Enterprises.

(aa)(bb) Not applicable.

(aa)(cc) Not applicable.

(b) Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA)

SEDA has not funded any Research and Development institutions.

(aa)(aaa) Nonetheless, SEDA has Service Agreements with Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and Bureau Economic Research (BER).

(aa)(bbb)(i) SEDA partnered with GEM South Africa through University of Cape Town to participate in the research study that support SMMEs products and policy developments); and

(aa)(bbb)(ii) BER is the research partner housed at the University of Stellenbosch – assist with compiling Economy Sector update to tract the development in the SMME Sector).

(aa)(bb) Not applicable.

(aa)(cc) Not applicable.

Reply:

a) The Department requires Provincial Education Departments to report on vacancies in their respective departments on a quarterly basis. The latest information available is for the quarter April to June 2017. As at the end of June 2017, there were 15 888 vacancies of educators at schools.

PROVINCE	PRINCIPAL	DEPUTY PRINCIPAL	HOD	TEACHER	TOTAL
Eastern Cape	496	294	1 241	151	2 182
Free State	124	154	499	0	777
Gauteng	100	376	1 181	0	1 657
KwaZulu-Natal	312	310	1 030	0	1 652
Limpopo	856	490	1 515	2 102	4 963
Mpumalanga	1 222	97	81	622	2 022
Northern Cape	70	56	208	274	608
North West	87	79	232	380	778
Western Cape	191	247	811	0	1 249
Total	3 458	2 103	6 798	3 529	15 888

Source: PED Report of vacancies as at June 2017

b) The table below shows the salary notch for each post level and the number of vacant posts.

POST LEVEL (PL)	PL1 (Teacher)	PL2(Head of Department)	PL3 (Deputy Principal)	PL4 (Principal) from (P1 to P5)
MINIMUM NOTCH	R 185 769	R 308 877	R 367 773	R 308 877 (P1) R 367 773 (P2) R 439 914 (P3) R 508 422 (P4) R 626 559 (P5)
NUMBER OF VACANCIES	3 529	6 798	2 103	3 458

Source: PED Report of vacancies as at June 2017

c) All the vacant posts indicated above are funded as part of the compensation of employees budget for the 2017/18 financial year.

Reply:

(a)

Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) only report on the number of schools which did not receive meals on quarterly basis. The records of schools affected are kept at district offices. A process is underway to collect this data.

i. 2014	ii. 2015	iii. 2016
117 schools (60 schools in EC and 57 in LP)	115 schools (85 in LP, 29 in EC and 1 in GP	400 schools (32 in GP,111 in LP,145 in EC, 112 in FS)

(b)

2017

109 schools in KZN and EC

(2) what are the relevant details in each case with regard to the (a) name of the school, (b) date(s) on which meals were not received, (c) number of learners affected, (d) reasons for non-delivery and (e) steps taken by her department to address the issue?

NW2468E

Response:

(2)(a) (b)(c) and (d)

The 2014 – 2017 records of schools, number of learners affected, the dates and reasons are kept at the Districts while the Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) submits a composite record of schools that did not receive NSNP meals in the quarterly reports. The Department is in the process of collating this data from the PEDs which is anticipated to be completed at the end of September 2017.

(2)(e)

Generally, the following steps are taken:

If there is continuous or persistent non-delivery, the Department of Basic Education deploys a Response Team to the province to monitor and help address challenges in the affected schools. On the occasion that non-feeding is reported by the media or member of the public, DBE will immediately consult the province to intervene and provide a report on how it was addressed. Further steps that were taken include:

 a) Identifying training needs if there are shortcomings in the management and control of NSNP funds;

 b) Meetings with Service Providers/Suppliers on quality and non-delivery of food items;

 c) Liaison with Department of Health in terms of alleged food contamination;

 d) Termination of a contract in cooperation with PED where there is gross sub-standard delivery.

All these cases were resolved within reasonable time frames.

Reply:

Country	2016-2017	YTD August	Sector
Angola		155 119 582
Angola Ministry of Finance	-	155 119 582	Transportation
Ghana	1 576 372 369	343 879 518
Cenpower Generation Company Limited	24 732 369	60 647 143	Energy
Karpower International	1 551 640 000		Energy
Ghana Airports Company Limited		283 232 374	Transportation
Kenya	220 562 054	45 381 516
Kenya Pipeline Company Limited	220 562 054	45 381 516	Commercial -  Transportation
Madagascar		99 725 954
Ravinala Airports, S.A.		99 725 954	Transportation
Zambia	1 803 965 113
Itezhi-Tezhi Power Corporation (ITPC) Lusaka	158 009 192	-	Energy
Maamba Collieries Limited	217 955 921		Energy
Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited	1 428 000 000	-	Energy
Zimbabwe	49 061 705 *	-
*Infralink (Private) Limited	49 061 705	-	Roads And Drainage
Total Disbursement	3 649 961 241	644 106 570

* This disbursement was a short term loan in respect of the insurance premium paid on behalf of Infralink (Private) Limited with the view of ensuring that the insurance cover on the loan does not lapse.

Reply:

The NEXUS report is a provincial report of the investigation undertaken by the North West province before the formation of the Ministerial Task Team (MTT). It was presented to the Chairperson of the MTT for its investigation. The Minister will determine if this provincial report should be tabled in the National Assembly for referral to members of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education.

Reply:

1.  The Honourable Member is advised to source the information from the National Council of Provinces and/or directly from the Provincial Education Departments as this is a provincial competency.

Reply:

(a) The Draft National Minimum Norms and Standards for Resourcing an Inclusive Education System have been completed and will be presented to the Heads of Education Committee (HEDCOM) on 14-15 August 2017. HEDCOM recommended that the Draft document be presented to the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) in September 2017, for approval to be published for public comment as Guidelines. A cost analysis for the implementation of the norms in the 2018 Medium Term Expenditure Framework has also been completed and submitted to National Treasury for consideration of an increase in baseline funding.

(b) Provinces have always reported on specific expenditures relating to inclusive education on a quarterly basis and will continue to do so.

Reply:

The department of Basic Education developed a Turn-Around Strategy for all Special Schools and provided a monitoring tool for use by Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) to monitor the schools’ function (see Annexure A). This monitoring system is also applicable to schools for the deaf.

Annexure A

MONITORING TOOL FOR SPECIAL SCHOOLS (CHECK LIST)

2015/16

Province: _________________________

Name of district:		Circuit:
Name of special school:		Emis No.:
Postal Address:	Physical Address:
Name of Principal:		Contact Number(s):
Learner Enrolment :		Number of Professional Teaching Staff:
Lowest Grade:		Highest Grade:
Number of Professional Specialist Support Staff e.g. Social Workers, Therapists, etc.:		Number of Non-Teaching and Non-Professional Teaching staff:
Administrative Support Staff:		School Stamp
Date of Monitoring:
Names and signatures of Monitor/s:
1
2
3
Principal’s name and signature:

SPECIAL SCHOOLS CHECKLIST

FOCUS AREA 1: EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION IN BARRIERS TO LEARNING

To ensure that all learners who experience barriers to learning have access to an appropriate school and specialised support related to their support needs; schools should be able to screen, identify and support learners who experience barriers to learning, including those with disabilities, and thereby improve the teaching and learning environment for maximum participation by all learners.

ACTIVITY	YES/NO	RESPONSIBILITY	PROGRESS
A policy on early identification and intervention is available		DBE
Policy on early identification (SIAS) has been mediated		DBE & PEDs
Learners are screened and identified according to barriers to learning they experience		Schools
Schools are appropriately supported in addressing barriers to learning		Districts
Barriers to learning at school are verified		Districts
The implementation of SIAS is monitored and supported		DBE and PEDs
Barriers to learning are identified at admission and learners are appropriately placed		Schools

FOCUS AREA 2: IMPROVING CURRICULUM DELIVERY IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS

Curriculum delivery must focus on ensuring differentiated teaching and assessment as well as adaptation of materials so that learners can access the national curriculum. The same curriculum support and monitoring that is provided by national, provincial departments to ordinary schools must be provided to special schools.

ACTIVITY	YES/NO	RESPONSIBILITY	PROGRESS
Learners in the school participate in ANA		District; School
Teaching and Learning activities are differentiated and adapted so that all learners can access the national curriculum		School
The school participates in FET intervention programmes such as Winter School Programmes		PED
Curriculum coverage is monitored		PED
Teachers have requisite and appropriate specialised skills and knowledge(qualifications) for subjects and programmes offered at the school		District; School
There is an effective referral system to provide learners with access to assistive devices and technologies they require and are utilising these		District; School
Every learner has a textbook per subject in every grade		District; School
The school has received all appropriate workbooks per grade and the workbooks are utilised.		District; School
All teachers in the school participated in CAPS training organised by the province.		PED; District; School
All teachers in the school received all relevant CAPS documents.		PEDs; District; School
The school is implementing CAPS in all grades		District; School
The school time-table has been drawn according to CAPS specifications.		School
All teachers of grades R-9 were trained in the utilisation of workbooks.		PED; District; School
Mathematics and literacy activities form part of everyday teaching		District; School
Workshops for skills programmes are well resourced and utilised.		PEDs; District; School
Specialist rooms such a school library, laboratory, Braille production, recording room (for Deaf learners), etc. are available, adequately resourced and utilised.		PEDs; District; School

FOCUS AREA 3: FUNCTIONALITY OF SUPPORT STRUCTURES (SGBs, DBSTS, SBST)

Special schools should have a clear understanding of the structures that help the school to function optimally. Structures have a mandate of monitoring and provide regular support to special schools.

ACTIVITY	YES/NO	RESPONSIBILITY	PROGRESS
Democratically elected SGB exists		School
The SGB is functional (it carries out responsibilities as according to SASA of 1996): Admission policy exists and is approved by district the district Expenditure approval processes and policies in place Audited financial statements are submitted annually before end of June The SGB carries out fund-raising activities for improving teaching and learning		School
Specialist Professional Support Staff such as therapists, professional nurses, social workers, Braille Instructors, Orientation and Mobility Instructors, etc. where applicable, are available		PED; District; School
Parents are involved by the school in the teaching and learning activities of their children and for support provision.		School
Children/learners applying for admission to the school are assessed for appropriate support and placement		District; School
A list of children or learners (waiting list) who may not be admitted either because of capacity or support reasons is drawn up and submitted to the District for further processing		School
All children/learners submitted to the district for admissions are appropriately placed in schools where they will be adequately supported to participate effectively in teaching and learning		District
A school-based support team (SBST) has been established and it is functional		School
A district-based support team (DBST) verifies and supports schools with regard to support required		District

FOCUS AREA 4: INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE UNIVERSAL DESIGN PRINCIPLE

Infrastructure generally, school buildings and classrooms must be accessible (Universal Design Principle) to all learners and teachers. More importantly, buildings must be comfortable and safe and classrooms must stimulate learners to want to be there and to take responsibility for their own learning.

ACTIVITY	YES/NO	RESPONSIBILITY	PROGRESS
The design of the physical infrastructure meets the set out legal safety and health standards		District; School
The physical structure ensures full accessibility of the whole school environment. This includes: Availability of ramps Covered and user-friendly pathways to classes Appropriate furniture which also aligns to disabilities and school programmes Availability of multipurpose rooms/spaces Access to ablution facilities Accessible drop-off zones Appropriate hostel accommodation		District; School
The school has safety regulations, security personnel available and emergency exits are accessible		District; School
Facilities and infrastructure are upgraded to support access to sports fields and other physical facilities		District; School
Adequate hostel staff is available and stays within the school premises		School
All learners have access to public and/or private transport that is universally accessible and subsidised (in the case of learners from poor homes)

FOCUS AREA 5: PSYCHO-SOCIAL AND THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT

ACTIVITY	YES/NO	RESPONSIBILITY	PROGRESS
The school has posts for psychologists/ counsellors/social workers
The posts for psychologists/counsellors/social workers are filled
The school has posts for Therapists (OT/ Physio/Speech
The posts for Therapists (OT/ Physio/Speech are filled
The school has access to psychologists/social workers from outside the school
The school has access to therapists from outside the school

FOCUS AREA 6: INCLUSIVE CULTURES, POLICIES AND PRACTICES

ACTIVITY	YES/NO	RESPONSIBILITY	PROGRESS
The school does not discriminate in its admission policy on the basis of language
The teaching staff profile reflects language and racial diversity
The school has an inclusive education policy
The school actively supports inclusivity and human rights of learners
The school encourages outplacement of learners into mainstream schools
The school actively promotes transition to work after school
The school seeks collaboration with surrounding mainstream schools

FOCUS AREA 7: MANAGEMENT

ACTIVITY	YES/NO	RESPONSIBILITY	PROGRESS
The school principal is in the first place a manager of curriculum
The SMT collaborates to ensure quality of curriculum delivery
The SMT ensures that the school complies with all policies of the DBE
The Circuit manager visits the school regularly and ensures that it complies with all accountability measures of the DBE.

FOCUS AREA 8: PROVISION AND UTILISATION OF LTSM AND ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

ACTIVITY	YES/NO	RESPONSIBILITY	PROGRESS
Each learner has access to textbooks in all subjects offered at the school
Each learner has access to the workbooks
All teachers make use of textbooks and workbooks
All learners have access to assistive technology
All learners have access to ICT that is available at the school
Learners with visual impairment have access to Braille/large print LTSM
Blind learners have access to Perkins Braillers
Partially sighted learners have access to assistive technology
Deaf learners have access to SASL technology
Hard of hearing learners have access to hearing aids and FM systems

FOCUS AREA 9: SCHOOL SPORTS, ENRICHMENT, EXTRAMURAL AND RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMES

To organise an inclusive and integrated school sport programme to all learners irrespective of ability and to promote health life-practices, mutual respect and career opportunities

ACTIVITY	YES/NO	RESPONSIBILITY	PROGRESS
A comprehensive school based policy is available and caters for a variety of sports codes.		School
The school sports coordinating team is in place and synergises school sport programmes and teaching and learning time.		School
Opportunities for participating in school sports are created and available to learners		School
The school sports forms part of the enrichment and extramural programmes and promote the development of basic motor skills		School

SPECIAL SCHOOL MONITORING

Comment by Principal:

Comment by Monitor:

Reply:

The following table provides the background and summary of the progress reported by Provincial Education Departments with regards to the closing and merging of small and non-viable schools:

Province	No. of schools identified for closure	No. of schools officially closed/ merged to date	No. of schools in process of being closed/merged
EC	1 902	0	189
FS	171	No info	93
GP	126	106	20
KZN	865	171	252
LP	301	197	53
MP	43	9	34
NC	57	43	14
NW	293	233	60
WC	36	35	0
TOTAL	3 668	653	695
Source: PEDs

(a) Provincial Departments of Education ensure that all the necessary infrastructure provisions are made at the Host School to accommodate the additional learners and members of staff from the schools earmarked for closure or Re-aligned Schools.

(b) It is part of the process in the planning for the merger of schools that the learner transport needs are identified and referred to the relevant section for implementation when all the processes have been concluded. In cases where the function is with the Provincial Department of Transport (PDOT), the needs are submitted to PDOT for implementation.

(c) National School Nutrition Programme funds follow learners in merged schools.

(d) The Provincial Education Departments are also providing support to schools in terms of school finance. Funding for the school allocation follows the learners.

Reply:

(a) Since the inception of the contract in October 2009, the toll operator has been paid R3 840 million up to August 2017 for toll operational costs. This amount includes the amount of R476 million paid under provisional sums for amongst others, rates and taxes of all properties related to the project, rental costs of customer services centers, purchasing of e-tags, printing of invoices and other correspondence to violators and posting of these invoices. The honorable member is invited to view the monthly information at the offices of SANRAL.

(b) The contractor participated in a tender process during which the contractor provided rates for the provision of services in terms of the requirements of the Contract. These rates are fixed for the contract period and only adjusted for inflation in accordance with the published CPI. At the end of every month, measurement of the quantity of services performed by the contractor takes place. The contractor is then compensated for these services in accordance with the tendered rate. For example the contractor is required to record each toll transaction. The end of month payment will be calculated by multiplying the actual number of toll transactions recorded, with the tendered rate as was provided at the tender stage. Provisional sums are paid in terms of invoices produced e.g. municipal accounts, postage costs, etc. The toll operator therefore does not receive the toll revenue, but is compensated for services provided in terms of tendered rates.

(c) The current e-toll operations contract comes to an end in December 2019 and has an option to be extended for a further 2 years. SANRAL will review its options and the performance of the current contractor before making a decision whether to extend the contract for such an extension or retender.

(d) R645 million.

Reply:

a) There is no public funding paid directly from National Revenue Fund to Political Parties, Independent public representatives in local government and independent election candidates from each sphere of government. Funds are administered by the IEC and allocated for represented political parties at national and provincial legislatures.

b) The total amount appropriated from 2014/15 to 2016/17 financial years, Represented Political Parties Fund (RPPF) amounts to R383 million administered by the IEC and Parliament appropriated amounts to R1.1 billion. Political party funding through Parliament comes as a transfer made by Parliament.

Year	RPPF	Parliament
2014/15	122 096 000	352 173 000
2015/16	127 394 147	371 033 000
2016/17	134 480 800	385 478 000
2017/18	141 204 000	414 438 000

In 2017/18 financial year only RPPF and Parliament appropriated amounts to R141.2 million and R414.4 million respectively.

c) The Constitution stipulates the funding for political parties to enhance multi-party democracy and the national legislation provide for the funding of political parties participating in national and provincial legislatures on an equitable and proportional basis. The Public Funding of Represented Political Parties Act 103 of 1997 provides a broad framework for the public funding of represented political parties at national and provincial legislatures. The allocations from the Represented Political Parties Fund (RPPF) are paid to each political parties calculated as follows:

i) Allocating 90% of the total amount of funding available from the Fund during a particular financial year paid proportionally. The proportional allocation is determined by dividing the amount (90% from the total funding available during a financial year) proportionally among the participating parties in any legislative body in accordance with the number of seats awarded to each participating party in the National Assembly and the Provincial Legislatures jointly.

ii) The remaining 10% of the amount of funding available from the Fund during a particular financial year is paid equitably meaning it is divided equally among the participating parties in the provincial legislatures.

The allocations from Parliament to political parties is provided by Parliament and regulated by Section 34 of the Financial Management of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act of 2009.

d) Funds allocated are transferred quarterly to RPPF and Parliament. Further details on when allocations are made should be obtained from the relevant transferring authority.

e) RPPF funds are allocated to political parties for any purposes compatible with its functioning as a political party in a modern democracy, whereas Parliament allocations are for political party support, constituency support and also for party leadership support. Again further details on what funds are used for can be obtained from the transferring authority and or the annual report of each receiving political party.

Reply:

a) In the 2016/17 financial year, six (6) provinces (not four (4) provinces), procured resources for their visually impaired learners. One (1) of the three (3) provinces that have not procured centrally, Limpopo, indicated that they are working with Braille Production houses within their province to produce Braille Master copies for each subject in each grade. The Department is waiting for responses from the two other provinces (Free State and KwaZulu-Natal) that did not order Braille textbooks centrally; and will provide such information once it is received.

b) The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is not in possession of information on the number of learners with visual impairment who do not currently have their own copies of Braille books for learning at each school and in each province. The honourable member is advised to direct such a question to the National Council of Provinces or Provincial Education Departments as it is a provincial competency.

Reply:

The Ntshupetsang report is a provincial report of the investigation commissioned by the Gauteng province before the formation of the Ministerial Task Team (MTT). It was presented to the MTT for its investigation. The Minister will determine if this provincial report should be tabled in the National Assembly for referral to members of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education.

Reply:

a) On the 19th July 2017 I met with the Minister of Police and the Acting National Commissioner and his team to discuss the state of affairs between the metered taxis and /app-based operators and to propose a more focussed enforcement strategy.

In addition, I met with the MEC for Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport and the MMC’s of the relevant metropolitan municipalities on the 24th July 2017.

Furthermore, I met with the Gauteng Metered Taxi Council, the Concerned Metered Taxi Operators and the app-based operators on the 27th July 2017 in Midrand.

I also arranged a walk-about programme on 11th September 2017 in Sandton to sensitize operators that they must abide by the prescripts of the law which requires them to have a valid operating licence and that there will be no compromise on law enforcement.

b) See a) above.

c) The issues raised by the metered taxi and app-based operators are being addressed in the National Land Transport Amendment Bill which is before the Portfolio Committee on Transport.

Reply:

1. Interim requirements have been developed and accepted by the acting CEO of the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications in accordance with Section 22 (2) (c) of the Legal Metrology Act. The remainder of the question is therefore not applicable.

2. The system is currently undergoing type approval evaluation in accordance with the interim requirements.

Reply:

The Pension Funds Act, 24 of 1956 as it stands does not make provision for the Office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator to have jurisdiction over pension funds other than those registered in accordance with the Act.

Reply:

a) No, the Department has not awarded any tenders to (i) Sahara Computers, (ii) Sahara Systems, (iii) TNA Media (Pty) Ltd, (iv) Infinity Media Networks (Pty) Ltd, or (v) any subsidiary of any of these entities since 1 January 2002.

b) This information is only available at the Provincial Departments of Education and can be obtained through the NCOP or directly from provinces.

Reply:

(a) (i)In csaes of teachers found guilty of sexual abuse follwing a disciplinary hearing, these teachers are automatically placed on the Child Protection Register by Provincial Departments of Education.

(ii)Any teacher found guilty of sexual abuse is dismissed from their post.

(b) (i)In the case of physical abuse of learners, the teacher is not automatically placed on the Child Protection Register. Only if the nature of the abuse is a criminal offence, will the teacher be placed on the Child Protection Register.

(ii) Physical abuse is a form of corporal punishment and is a dismissable offence.

Reply:

(a) (i)The Department of Basic Education is not in possession of such information. The Honorable member is advised to direct such question to provinces.

(ii) In light of the fact that the South African Council for Educators (SACE) does not have jurisdiction over learners in a school, and does not implement the code of conduct for learners; no cases of physical assault on educators by learners have ever been reported to the SACE over any of the periods mentioned.

.

Reply:

(a) The main cause of the delays have been two litigation matters before the High Court of South Africa, Western Cape which were brought by the applicants “Trustees Elect Ndabeni” and “Ms Fikiswa Fesi” as a member of the Trust respectively .

(b)(i) The Department has opposed the action brought by the Trustee elect to compel the Master of the High Court to formally appoint them as trustees because of irregular processes leading up to such elections and has supported Ms Fesi in her application to have the sale agreement of restituted land parcels set aside because such agreement had not been resolved in a properly constituted community meeting.

(ii) The Department has ensured that alienation of the restituted land could not be registered at the Deeds Office which would have resulted in gross injustice and substantial prejudice to all Ndabeni claimants and beneficiaries since the intended sale would have been for a third of the actual market value of the said land.

Reply:

Since inception of Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) programme
(b)(i)(ii) (aa)	(a)	(b)(i)	(b)(ii) and (c)
Province	Number of Beneficiaries	Number of Farms	Totals Hectares purchased and transferred
EC	7117	506	191171
FS	4027	466	125899
GP	2832	148	7262
KZN	22501	343	187772
LP	3921	222	45352
MP	8891	187	92900
NC	1215	122	120656
NW	4840	255	164852
WC	14254	165	229593
TOTALS	69598	2414	1165458

(aa)(aaa),(bbb) Please refer to Annexure A for provincial breakdown per annum since inception.

(bb) None; the programme provides for full ownership by beneficiaries.

(aaa),(bbb) Falls Away.

Reply:

(a) The farm Papkuilfontein 469 JR was acquired by the then South African Development Trust during 1989 to be incorporated into the former Homeland of KwaNdebele, and is held vide Title Deed No T32900/1985. The farm Papkuilfontein 469 JR (including Unit 2 of the farm Papkuilfontein No: 469 JR has been under the management and control of Government since 1985 until the date of transfer to the claimants. These properties have not been valued since registration in the name of the Republic of South Africa during 1985. As a cost cutting measure the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform’s Mpumalanga Regional Land Claims Commission conducted “comparable sales” to establish the comparable value of the farm in question.

(b) The comparable sale done was with the farm Wolvenkop 192 JR where a valuation report was done in 2012. According to the valuation report done, the price of the farm Wolvenkop was between R4100 to R9000 per hectare at that time. The conclusion of the independent valuer was at R2 970 000.00 for the farm Wolvenkop 192 JR, in extent of 762.2389 hectares of natural grazing. Another farm in the same area of Papkuilfontein 469 JR, where comparable sales value was used, was the farm Waterval 34 JS, where the independent valuer arrived at a value of R2500 to R5000 per hectare. The conclusion of the independent valuer was at R400 000.00 for 137.8533 hectares in extent.

Reply:

(1) 4024 land claims settled in Limpopo as at 31 March 2017

(2) (a) 4095 land claims finalised as of 31 March 2017 in Limpopo

(b) 507 land claims outstanding as at 31 March 2017 in Limpopo

(c) 16349 new land claims lodged as at 27 June 2016 in Limpopo

(3) (a),(b) The information is currently not available.

Reply:

a) The land claimant verification for the Kwandabeni claim was conducted on three occasions in 2012, 2013 and 2015. It has to be noted that the final verification list was to be taken to the community for objection and comments. However, this could not materialize due to conflicts experienced within the Kwandabeni claimant community.

b) The lack of continuity is the reason why there have been many verifications as new Trustees after elections would not continue with the verification that was conducted during the tenure of the erstwhile Trustees.

c) The verification was done internally by the Office of the Regional Land Claims Commissioner.

d) No amount was spent by the Department.

Reply:

(a),(b) No.

(i),(ii)(aa),(aa)(aaa),(bbb),(bb),(cc) Falls away.