Questions and Replies

Reply:

a) The Department has studied the allegations against Fintech companies and regards them as very serious. The Department has engaged the NSFAS board on several occasions and is awaiting Werksmans Attorneys’ findings so that any decision taken is guided by verifiable facts and evidence, is lawful, reasonable, and procedurally fair as per legal prescripts derived from our constitution, and related legislation, including the Public Administrative Justice Act of 2000. In addition, the Department has despatched a senior official to be incorporated into the Appeals Committee to assist with tracking progress and developing solutions to arising problems.

b) The Department regrets that some students have been affected by the systems introduced by the Fintech companies. The Department has been advised that NSFAS has sent a team of senior officials to ten of the most affected institutions to engage the students and understand the challenges they are experiencing with the Fintech companies. The team will be concluding their report on 22 September 2023. It is expected that they will numerate all issues, and resolve them with necessary alacrity, including finalising a Change Management Strategy.

Reply:

(a) What new insights were received from the Integrated Digital and Analytics Operating Framework?

I have been informed by South African Tourism (SAT) that the framework provides real-time insights into the performance of digital campaigns. This includes what travelers are interested in and looking for. The data comes from digital analytics tools that SAT has a license for, namely Google Analytics and Meltwater, can be extracted at any point.

The insights extracted include but are not limited to:

1. What travelers are specifically looking for on search engines used across the conversion curve and while experiencing the country;

2. The traveler sentiment and conversation opportunities at each stage of the conversion curve, inclusive of arrival and experiencing the country. The departure survey remains an established research method by the Analytics division at SA Tourism to extract departure related information. While the digital analytics data can complement the formal research, it is currently used to inform digital marketing campaign performance and improvement opportunities.

3. The type of devices travelers use to consume specific types of content;

4. How long it takes for Domestic travelers to book; - Taken from user behavior on Sho’t left and any advertising leading users to Sho’t left. Since the first time the user saw something on Sho’t left all the way until they clicked on “Book Now”.

5. Provincial demand for domestic travel. – It is demand to travel. The location where online users, in South Africa, are searching from to find Shotleft travel deals.

(b) What are the relevant details in this regard?

The integrated digital and analytic-operating framework is designed to deliver 3 goals across SA Tourism locally and globally;

1. Standardize how SA Tourism business units measure the individual digital marketing campaign performance.
2. Centralize and standardize the storage and management of data;
3. Gather travel demand and experience data for ingestion into the Visitor Information System;

The suite of channels is that which SA Tourism uses to market the country and or engage with sector stakeholders. They are: CRM, Websites, Apps, Social Media, Paid Media, Search Engines for which there are standard tools to measure using Google Analytics, Meltwater and Microsoft.

This forms part of the 2025 strategic journey to champion digital for the sector and is an APP target.

Reply:

1. (a) 2020-21

1.(i) What are the processes, procedures, mechanisms and timelines to monitor the progress of each project.

• I have been informed by the Department that the National Department of Tourism has an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). The MOA is valid from November 2020 to November 2023.
• The Department uses the terms and conditions of the MOA to ensure compliance by the DBSA. The MOA is accompanied by an Infrastructure Programme Implementation Plan (IPIP) which is informed by the National Treasury’s Framework for Infrastructure Delivery and Procurement Management (FIDPM).
• The IPIP compels the DBSA to seek concurrence / sign off from the Department in order to move on to the next stage of the project.
• The Department will then sign off or concur at each project stage for DBSA to move on to the next stage.
• The Department has wel- established governance structures to manage and monitor the implementation of its infrastructure programme through the DBSA; namely, Programme Management Meetings, chaired by the DDG: Destination Development and Steering Committee Meetings, chaired by the DG.
• The Minister also meets Quarterly with the DBSA .
• The Department receives monthly and quarterly progress and expenditure reports from the DBSA.
• The Departmental Project Managers conduct site visits on a monthly basis.

(1)(ii) What are the processes, procedures, mechanisms and timelines to monitor the status of each project

Refer to (1) (i) (a).

(2)(a) Who is responsible for such monitoring?

• Departmental Project Managers
• Directors
• Chief Directors
• DDG
• DG

(2)(b)(ii) How are project status reports reported

• Presentations at Progress and Steering Committee meetings
• Monthly Progress Reports
• Quarterly Progress Reports

(2)(b)(iii) To whom are project status reports reported

• At Progress Meetings - to NDT DDG: Destination Development and Head of Infrastructure Delivery: DBSA.
• At Steering Committee Meetings - to DG and Group Executive: Infrastructure Delivery, DBSA.

(2)(c) What processes, procedures and/or mechanism are in place should a project not meet what is required or when deadlines are not met.

• DBSA and the appointed service providers have a contract in place which outlines processes and procedures.
• A default notice will be issued to an underperforming Contractor according to the Contract being utilised.
• If the Contractor has been delayed, they will claim for Extension of Time based on the event and Contract.
• A Contractor will be requested to put in place a Recovery /Catch up Plan to be strictly monitored.
• DBSA offers loans to contractors with cash-flow challenges which are affecting project progress.
• DBSA may terminate contracts of contractors who continuously fail to remedy non-performance.
• Where necessary, constant monitoring, supervision and also site visits are conducted by Principals to projects with persistent challenges delaying project completion.

(1) (a) and 2 (a-c) 2021-22 Same as above

(1) (a) and 2 (a-c) 2022-23 Same as above

(1) (b) and 2 (a- c) April 2023 Same as above

Reply:

a) According to the records of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), there is no authorisation that has been issued for water use activities associated with a chrome wash plant located on Portion 71 of Farm Groenkloof 464-JQ in Madibeng Local Municipality, North West.

The DWS has taken steps to address the alleged unlawful development of a chrome wash plant on Portion 71 of Farm Groenkloof 464-JQ and has taken the following actions:

• Site investigation was conducted on 19 September 2023
• The DWS is in the process of issuing a Notice of Intention to issue a Directive in terms of National Water Act to the company responsible for the unlawful water use through development of the chrome wash plant.

b) Further administrative action to be taken and compliance with the stipulated timeframe will be guided by the response of the owners of the chrome wash plant. Should the owners of this wash plant fail to comply with the prescripts of the Notice to be issued by DWS, the Department will proceed with further enforcement actions.

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Reply:

1. (a) The political parties of the respective BRICS Plus countries were invited by South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress, to attend the BRICS Political Party Plus Dialogue. The South African Government was not involved in organising the BRICS Political Party Plus Dialogue. (b) The South African Government was not involved in the selection nor the extending of invitations to any political party.

2. (a) The Departmental contribution to the BRICS Ministerial of 1st and 2nd June hosted in Cape Town amounted to ZAR 9 848 909.51 (b) The South African Government and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation did not contribute to the BRICS Political Party Plus Dialogue. (c) The Department will only be able to provide information once the reconciliation of accounts has been completed.

3. (a) The full and cumulative costs for the BRICS Ministerial were ZAR 9 848 909.51.(b) The South African Government and the Department did not contribute financially to the 2023 BRICS Political Party Plus Dialogue. (c) The Department will only be able to provide the full and cumulative costs once the reconciliation of accounts has been completed.

Reply:

1. (a) There is no application that was submitted in terms of the Draft Regulations Published on 19 May 2023. The Regulations published on 19 May 2023 are not yet implemented because they were issued only for public comments.

(b) Refer to the response above.

(2) The total number of Licences received and issued to HDIs from 2019 – 2023 August is 457.

2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
84	60	141	117	55

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Reply:

Yes, as an asset owner the Department had some of the national water resource infrastructure declared as National Key Points, dependent on the criticality of specific government water schemes. All of these National Key points are guarded by qualified armed security guards which are officials in the department whereas non-strategic assets are guarded by private security companies. It must be noted that due to the nature of conveyance systems (including canals, pipelines and tunnels), it would be challenging to have sufficient security measures in place to completely mitigate the risk of vandalism.

However, there are operating and maintenance agreements with water boards and water user associations for government water schemes that are remotely located. These institutions assist with the safeguarding of these assets.

Water Boards have taken similar steps to have some of their critical infrastructure declared as National Key Points, but more is to be done for similar classification strategies to be followed at the municipal level; regarding local water and sanitation assets (owned by municipalities).

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Reply:

1 (a) See table below

1 (b) No projects were initiated since 1 April 2023. The projects initiated since 2020/21 financial year are listed in the table below.

2 (a) and (b) - See table below

3 (a) and (b) - See table below

4 (a) and (b) - See table below

Please note

Practical completion – It is a stage of completion as certified by the Professional Service Provider where the work has been completed and is free of patent defects other than minor defects identified in the list for completion. The facility can be used for the intended purpose.

Works completed – Completion of works as per the scope of works and contract and the employer is entitled to possession of the works and site.

Projects	(1)(i) On what date was each project initiated	(1)(ii) Which of the projects were completed and not completed	(2)(a) What are the actual completion dates for each completed project in each case	(2)(b) What are the deadlines by which the incomplete projects were to be concluded in each case	(3)(a) What were the dates on which it was decided that each project was incomplete in each case	(3)(b) What were the reasons for each project not being completed by the set deadline in each case	(4)(a) What total budget was allocated to each incomplete project in each case (4)(b) What total amounts were spent on each incomplete project in each case
COMPLETED PROJECTS
Khomani San Interpretative Centre and Narrative Development	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in March 2020	Completed	Construction started in June 2021 and was completed in March 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Nwanedi Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in January 2023 and was completed in July 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Blouberg Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in January 2023 and was completed in July 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Musina Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in January 2023 and was completed in July 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Makapans Valley WHS	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in January 2023 and was completed in July 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Modjadji Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in January 2023 and was completed in July 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Manyeleti Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in January 2023 and was completed in July 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Andover Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in January 2023 and was completed in July 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
SS Skosana Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in January 2023 and was completed in June 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Double Mouth Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in January 2023 and was completed in July 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Khayelitsha Lookout Hill	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in December 2022 and was completed in June 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
De Hoop Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in December 2022 and was completed in June 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Wolvekloof Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in December 2022 and was completed in June 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Goukamma Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in December 2022 and was completed in June 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Kogelberg Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in December 2022 and was completed in June 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Oviston Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion). PC was granted on 01.09.2023	Construction started in Jan 2023 and was completed in Sept 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project was affected by hunting season. Contractor had limited access to site causing delay against the baseline PC date	Project completed
Cedarberg Wilderness	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in and was completed in June 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Nyandeni	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in August 2022 and was completed in Aug 2023	Project completed	Project completed	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently completed through the DBSA contract.	Project completed
Western Tembuland Lodge	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Works completion)	Construction started in July 2022 and completed in June 2023	Project completed	Project completed	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently completed through the DBSA contract	Project completed
Maluti Hiking and Horse Trail	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Works completion)	Construction started in July 2022 and completed in June 2023	Project completed	Project completed	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to poor workmanship. Project is currently completed through the DBSA contract.	Project completed
Monontsha Access Road	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in September 2022 and completed in September 2023	Project completed	Project completed	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently completed through the DBSA contract.	Project completed
Songimvelo Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in January 2023 and completed in September 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
Thomas Baines Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Completed (Practical completion)	Construction started in February 2023 and completed in September 2023	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed	Project completed
WORK IN PROGRESS PROJECTS
Tshahogwe Game Farm	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction is about 56% towards completion.	Construction is in progress	2023-11-14	Completion date not yet due	Completion date not yet due	Budget R24,991,978 Exp R8,856,601
Mtititi Game Farm	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction is about 89% towards completion.	Construction is in progress	2023-11-07	Completion date not yet due	Completion date not yet due	Budget R26,073,422 Exp R13,510,035
Mapate Recreational Social Tourism Facility	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 72% towards completion.	Construction is in progress	2023-10-03	Completion date not yet due	Completion date not yet due	Budget: R25,654,359 Exp: R8,640,430,66
LP Matsila Lodge	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 55% towards completion.	Construction is in progress	2024-01-05	Completion date not yet due	Completion date not yet due	Budget R40,221,328 Exp R9,289,770
Nandoni Dam	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Contractor appointed. Site was handed over to the contractor on 08.09.2023.	Construction is in progress	2024-07-08	Completion date not yet due	Completion date not yet due	Budget R35,656,655 Exp R1,624,755
Numbi Gate - Mdhluli Cultural Centre	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 12% towards completion.	Construction is in progress	2024-03-26	Completion date not yet due	Completion date not yet due	Budget R33,009,600 Exp R2,681,202.38
Numbi Gate - Nkambeni Community Centre	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 8% towards completion	Construction was halted due to land claim challenges. The Department is intervening.	2024-03-26	Completion date not yet due	Completion date not yet due	Budget R23,724,670 Exp R2,485,333
Mpofu and Fordyce Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 28% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-12-02	Completion date not yet due	Not Applicable	Budget R3,370,866 Exp R1,404,286
Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 80% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-09-30	Completion date not yet due	Not Applicable	Budget R3,190,962 Exp R2,039,944
Cwebe and Dwesa Nature Reserves	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 20% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-12-01	Completion date not yet due	Not Applicable	Budget R4,599,194 Exp R830,624
Gariep Dam Resort	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 90% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-12-31 (Proposed revised Practical Completion date)	Project is in progress	Slow performance of the contractor. The project is now in penalties	Budget R4,146,014 Exp R1,145,953
Phillip Saunders Resort	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 70% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-10-30 (Revised proposed Practical Completion date 2023-12-31)	Completion date not yet due	Additional scope of work requested by end under/client and extension of time under review to determine the completion date	Budget R4,830,059 Exp R2,464,793
Maria Moroka Resort	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 70% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-09-15 (Revised proposed Practical Completion date 2023-12-31)	Not Applicable	Slow performance of the contractor. The project is now in penalties	Budget R4,526,601 Exp R836,120
Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 99% towards completion.	Construction is in progress	2023-08-14 (Revised proposed Practical Completion date 2023-09-29)	Not Applicable	Slow performance of the contractor. The project is now in penalties	Budget R5,187,975 Exp R2,773,746
Doornkloof Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 50% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-11-23	Completion date not yet due	Not Applicable	Budget R3,323,874 Exp R1,155,025
Rolfontein Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 60% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-11-23	Completion date not yet due	Not Applicable	Budget R3,968,732 Exp R1,576,356
Goegap and Witsand Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 59% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-11-23	Completion date not yet due	Not Applicable	Budget R7,879,259 Exp R3,187,007
Product Enhancement at Anton Lembede Museum Ethekwini Municipality (KZN)	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 10% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2024-02-28	Completion date not yet due	Not Applicable	Budget R22,066,867 Exp R915,043
Product Enhancement at Sol Plaatjie Museum (NW)	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Contractor appointed. Construction in progress, about 1% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-12-29	Completion date not yet due	Not Applicable	Budget R22,066,867 Exp R915,043
Royal Khalanga	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Construction in progress, about 26% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2024-03-25	Completion date not yet due	Not Applicable	Budget R16,610,039 Exp R2,252,210
Qatywa Lodge	Project initially not completed in 2016. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Construction in progress, about 45% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2024-03-12	Completion date not yet due	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R 23,750,000 Exp: R 23,288,668 Current Phase Budget: R37,059,884 Exp: R17,434,079
Mthonsi Lodge	Project initially not completed in 2016. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Construction is in progress, about 73% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-11-30	Completion date not yet due	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R 28,215,000 Exp: R 27,531,883 Current Phase Budget: R35,105,786 Exp: R19,299,000
QwaQwa Guest House	Project initially not completed in 2018. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Construction is in progress, about 98% towards completion. Practical completion anticipated for 30.10.2023.	Construction is in progress	2023-09-18 (Revised proposed Practical Completion date 2023-10-30)	Completion date revised to Oct 2023	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract. The design for the sewer had to be changed hence the delay in completion of the project	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R21,875,949 Exp: R17,945,269.74 Current Phase Budget: R23,008,994 Exp: R18,960,588
Vredefort Dome Interpretation Centre	Project initially not completed in 2012. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Construction is in progress, about 37% towards completion.	Construction was halted	2023-10-17	Completion date not yet due	The initial phase of the project was completed however there were structural defects due to geotechnical instability. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract. However, construction was stopped due to poor contractor performance. Contractor was terminated. DBSA currently looking for a replacement	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R 3,009,453 Exp: R 2,927,652 Current phase Budget: R26,320,876 Exp: R6,695,541
Isibhubhu	Project initially not completed in 2011. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Construction in progress, about 80% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2023-09-16 (Revised proposed Practical Completion date 2023-11-15)	Completion date revised to Nov 2023	The initial phase of the project was completed however not maintained over time. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract. Project experienced slow performance of contractor at commencement of project due to cash constrains and material sourcing challenges. DBSA loan facility assisted in the procurement of material and contractor performance improved. Suspension of work due to annual reed dance also delayed progress	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R 15,000,000 Exp: R 14,889,708 Current Phase Budget: R33,149,775 Exp: R12,606,711
The Oaks	Project initially not completed in 2019. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Construction in progress, about 36% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2024-02-07	Completion date not yet due	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R 26,550,216 Exp: R 25,483,869 Current phase Budget R28,542,771 Exp R6,151,499
Ngove	Project initially not completed in 2016. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Construction in progress, about 20% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2024-02-06	Completion date not yet due	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R 20,133,951 Exp: R 19,993,013 Current Phase Budget: R 33,167,262 Exp: R1,824,192
Tisane	Project initially not completed in 2015. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Construction in progress, about 53% towards completion	Construction is in progress	2024-01-05	Completion date not yet due	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R 18,810,000 Exp: R 18,299,799 Current Phase Budget: R30,374,169 Exp: R9,320,845
Lehurutshe Bird and Trophy Hunting	Project initially not completed in 2009. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Contractor procurement finalised and contractor appointed. Construction will commence in Oct 2023	Contractor procurement was finalised	2024-03-26	Completion date not yet due	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R 2,827,500 Exp: R 2,809,808 Current Phase Budget: R22,917,686 Exp: R1,099,089
Phiphidi Waterfall	Project initially not completed in 2019. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Contractor appointed. Site was handed over to the contractor on 08.09.2023.	Contractor procurement was finalised	2024-07-16	Completion date not yet due	The initial phase of the project was not completed due contractual disputes with the Implementing Agent. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R 29,477,099 Exp: R 23,264,771.67 Current Phase Budget: R23,350,230 Exp: R1,176,489
Muzi Pan	Project initially not completed in 2015. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Contractor procurement finalised. DBSA currently preparing contract documents. Construction will commence in Oct 2023.	Contractor procurement was finalised	Completion date will be determined once the contract is signed	Completion date is yet to be determined	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R 12,447,480 Exp: R 11,887,690 Current Phase Budget: R18,376,724 Exp: R540,983
Manyane Lodge	Project initially not completed in 2016. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Contractor procurement phase. Tender evaluation has been completed	Contractor procurement is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	The initial phase of the project not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Initial incomplete phase Budget: R 48,465,113 Exp: R 47,884,114 Current Phase Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Lotamoreng Dam	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in Nov 2020	Construction tender went out on 04.09.2023. Briefing was on 12.09.2023. Tender closes on 28.09.2023 This is a re-tender.	Contractor procurement is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
VhaTsonga	Project initially not completed in 2011. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Contractor procurement stage	Contractor procurement is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to poor workmanship. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Budget and expenditure on the initial incomplete phase Budget: R 9,185,000 Exp: R 9,068,064 Current Phase Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Kamiesburg	Project initially not completed in 2011. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Design Development stage	Design development is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	The initial phase of the project was not completed due to budget shortfall. Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Budget and expenditure on the initial incomplete phase Budget: R 5,100,000 Exp: R 4,815,074 Current Phase Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Platfontein	Project initially completed in 2017 however with structural defects. The project resumed in 2020 under the DBSA contract	Concept stage	Concept development is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	The initial phase of the project was completed however there were structural defects post completion Project is currently in the process of being completed through the DBSA contract	Budget and expenditure on the initial incomplete phase Budget: R 32,206,320 Exp: R 32,072,057 Current Phase Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Hluleka Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Concept stage	Concept development is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
JL Dube Precinct	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Design Development stage	Design development is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Contractor tender evaluation	Contractor procurement is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Product Enhancement at McGregor Museum (NC)	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Contractor tender evaluation	Contractor procurement is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Product Enhancement at AmaHlubi Cultural Heritage (KZN)	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Concept stage	Concept development is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Product Enhancement at Lehurutshe Liberation Heritage Museum (NW)	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Concept stage	Concept development is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed is appointed
Tourism development at Orange River Mouth (NC) as part of the Indi-Atlantic Route	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Design Development stage only. Will not proceed to the construction phase	Design development is in progress	Design planning to be completed in Oct 2023	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Tourism Development at Hole in the Wall (EC) as part of the Indi-Atlantic Route	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Design Development stage only. Will not proceed to the construction phase	Design development is in progress	Design planning to be completed in Oct 2023	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Tourism development at Harold Johnson Nature Reserve (KZN) as part of the the Indi-atlantic Route	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Design Development stage only. Will not proceed to the construction phase	Design development is in progress	Design planning to be completed in Oct 2023	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Mahikeng Hotel School	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Concept stage	Concept development is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
Pilanesberg Game Reserve	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2020	Professional Service Provider procurement	Professional Service Provider Procurement stage	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed
SKA Visitor Interpretation Centre	Contract with the Implementing Agent signed in 2021	Design development stage	Design development is in progress	Completion date will be determined once the contractor is appointed	Completion date is yet to be determined	Not Applicable	Budget will be disclosed after contractor is appointed

Reply:

The definition of “indigenous languages” in the Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions, published on 30 October 2020 has been revised in line with legal advice the Department of Higher Education and Training has received on the matter. The revised definition was published on 7 July 2023 in Government Gazette no 48923, under the title, “Amendment of the Definition on the Language Policy Framework For Public Higher Education Institutions, Determined in Terms of Section 27(2) of the Higher Education Act, 101 of 1997 as amended”.

Reply:

a) The core responsibility of a Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) is to develop a Sector Skills Plan (SSP) as mandated by the Skills Development Act (Act No. 97 of 1998). SETAs facilitate the delivery of sector-specific skills interventions that enable the achievement of the outcomes of the National Skills Development Plan (NSDP) and other applicable policy instruments. Research is critical in this regard, as SETAs are required to conduct research to identify occupations/skills in demand in their respective sectors.

The Department develops (and annually updates) the Sector Skills Plan Framework, guiding the SETAs, which takes into account amongst others, change drivers such as : regulatory and policy issues such as government legislation (i.e. White Paper for Post School Education and Training, National Plan for Post School Education and Training, etc); national and provincial plans which drive growth and development; economic growth or decline in a sector; changes to the nature of work such as changes in technology, work organization, production and process innovation; the business environment such as export markets, consumer preferences, and competitiveness in the market, globalization and others; immigration and emigration and social issues such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, health and safety issues, etc. The SSPs include chapters such as Sector Profile; Key Skills Drivers; Occupational Shortages and Skills Gaps; SETA Partnerships and SETA Monitoring and Evaluation. Other Labour Market Intelligence Instruments such as National List of Occupations in High Demand; Critical Skills List; Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan Skills Strategy guide the implementation of skills development interventions. Subsequently, each SETA develops an Annual Performance Plan and Strategic Plan (as tabled in Parliament) and is monitored through the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Innovation and other parliamentary processes. Annual Reports are compiled and tabled to Parliament, monitoring the performance of the SETAs. Consequently, the Department as directed by the Skills Development Act (Act No.97 of 1998) also enters into Service Level Agreements with the SETAs.

(b)

Year 2020/21: (b) Total number of programs have been implemented in the provinces and beneficiaries trained and completed programs
Province	(aa) Beneficiaries trained	(bb)Beneficiaries completed
Eastern Cape	18 944	12 500
Free State	7 101	5 546
Gauteng	57 167	43 038
KwaZulu Natal	22 243	18 389
Limpopo	20 384	19 805
Mpumalanga	8 862	8 804
North West	7 247	7 192
Northern Cape	4 787	3 835
Western Cape	18453	14 620
Total	165 188	133 729

Year 2021/22: (b) Total number of programs have been implemented in the provinces and beneficiaries trained and completed programs
Province	(aa) Beneficiaries trained	(bb)Beneficiaries completed
Eastern Cape	28 929	13 963
Free State	18 210	28 020
Gauteng	60 591	43 362
KwaZulu Natal	33 069	19 919
Limpopo	20 752	14 580
Mpumalanga	12 291	9 196
North West	11 422	8 649
Northern Cape	5 890	4 804
Western Cape	23377	15 250
Total	214 531	157 743

Year 2022/23: (b) Total number of programs have been implemented in the provinces and beneficiaries trained and completed programs
Province	(aa) Beneficiaries trained	(bb)Beneficiaries completed
Eastern Cape	23159	13115
Free State	11630	5581
Gauteng	79105	46643
KwaZulu Natal	41827	21865
Limpopo	27749	19929
Mpumalanga	17731	10585
North West	9957	6951
Northern Cape	8450	4061
Western Cape	30531	14748
Total	250 139	143 478

(c)(i) The SETAs and the Department conduct tracer studies, to track the beneficiaries of the SETA skills development interventions on a regular basis, one of these studies was conducted by Rhodes University, and its outcomes are summarised as follows.

One of the key measures of interest in any tracer study of graduates or completers is the employment rate. If the percentages of completers in Workplace Based Learning Programs (WBL) programs in self-employment and employment are added together, the result is an employment rate of roughly 80% for learnership completers and 60% for those who have recently completed apprenticeships. Therefore, the employment rate among the sample of SETA-funded WBL completers is very high. A key difference between the completers of apprenticeship and learnership programs, however, is that a third of apprentices were not working at the time of the survey compared with about 17% of learnership completers. Based on this alone, one conclusion is that learnership programs appear to be more closely associated with a smooth transition into employment. At the same time, only very small numbers of WBL completers reported studying further after the completion of their training program (6% of apprentices and 3% of learnership completers).

WBL completers who are employed, one of the key findings is that nearly all completers (who were employed at the time of the survey) within each WBL program found employment within six months after the completion of their WBL program. There were only slight differences in the percentage of apprenticeship (89.5%) and learnership (96.3%) completers who found employment within a six-month period. In terms of employment characteristics, the findings suggest that apprenticeship completers were more likely (43.6%) to be employed in a permanent position relative to learnership completers (22.3%). The vast majority (58.4%) of learnership completers were employed in fixed-term positions at the time of the survey. While this would suggest that an apprenticeship is a more direct route to stable employment, about 29.3% of apprenticeship completers were in casual employment (compared with just under a fifth of learnership completers). Therefore, while permanent employment was the modal form of employment for the completers of apprenticeships, a substantial group was also in the most unstable type of employment relationship (casual employment).

(c) (ii) Notably, in the tracer study by Rhodes University, is that the share of WBL completers in self-employment is less than one percent. One of the artisan tracer studies conducted by the Department indicated that 2% (whilst 79% were employed) were self-employed. About 15% of those self-employed individuals indicated that they saw an opportunity for self-employment.

(c) (iii) see as referred above.

Reply:

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS NOT IMPLEMENTED BY DBSA

(aa) 2020-21

(a)(i) What are the processes, procedures, mechanisms and timelines to monitor the progress of each tourism project

I have been informed by the Department that it appointed various entities to implement its tourism infrastructure projects. The relationship between the Department and these entities is regulated through Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs).

Each project has a Project Steering Committee (PSC) established to oversee the implementation of the project.

• The Department receives monthly progress and expenditure reports from entities.
• Entity coordination meetings are held with entities individually and collectively.
• The Departmental Project Managers conduct site visits on a monthly basis.
• The Department issues management letters to non-performing entities where outputs are not satisfactory.
• Entities with their appointed service providers have a contract in place which outlines processes and procedures.
• The entity is expected to issue a default notice to an underperforming contractor according to the contract being utilised.
• If the contractor has been delayed, they will claim for Extension of Time based on the event and contract.
• A contractor will be requested to put in place a Recovery /Catch up Plan to be strictly monitored.
• The entity may terminate contracts of contractors who continuously fail to remedy non-performance.
• Where necessary, constant monitoring, supervision and also site visits are conducted by Principals to projects with persistent challenges delaying project completion.

(a)(ii) What are the processes, procedures, mechanisms and timelines to monitor the status of each tourism project

Refer to (1) (i) (aa).

(b) Who is responsible for such monitoring

Project Managers

(c) How is monitoring conducted

• Site visits
• PSC meetings
• Progress reports

(d) To whom are project status reports presented and/or submitted

• Director
• Chief Director
• DDG: Destination Development

(aa) 2021-22 (a)– (d) same as above

(aa) 2022-23 (a)– (d) same as above

(bb) 1 April 2023 (a)– (d) same as above

Reply:

The Department met with NSFAS board and requested that they provide a turn-around strategy to the Minister. Furthermore, NSFAS submitted an audit plan to the Minister on 04 September 2023, which the Department will monitor monthly. In addition, the Department has been engaging with the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) and NSFAS to ensure further research on the price cap of student accommodation is concluded and used to inform policy decisions. The Department intends to extend the IFC focus to include an assessment of the accreditation of accommodation system established by NSFAS with the intent to resolve the grading system. The Department facilitated a meeting between National Treasury and NSFAS, and with the assistance of Information Technology (IT) experts, advised NSFAS on a more appropriate IT strategy before additional funds were transferred to NSFAS to support IT improvements. With regards to the payment system, the Department is awaiting the SIU and Werksmans Attorneys’ findings before it makes further decisions.

Reply:

The National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) administers the Prohibition of Mercenary Activities and the Regulations of Certain Activities in a country of Armed Conflict Act (Act 27 of 2006) that regulate and control matters related to the question posed. However, the competency and responsibility to enforce the law, gather intelligence, investigation and prosecutorial discretion, regarding the breach of the abovementioned laws does not reside with DIRCO but other Government departments such as the Departments of Justice and Constitutional Development, Defence and Military Veterans, State Security and the National Prosecution Authority.

Reply:

a) What activities were included in the Global Tourism Brand Campaign in the period under review.

I have been informed by South African Tourism (SAT) that reinstating our brand after the COVID-19 global pandemic with the ‘Live Again’ campaign was critical in driving sustainable economic growth, raising awareness of South Africa as a tourism destination, and aiding efforts to reclaim our position in the global travel community.

The ‘Live Again’ global brand campaign, which was launched in February 2022 in responding to reigniting the global demand, which is one of the strategic interventions as part of the sectoral recovery plan, was rolled out in FY22/23.

SAT produced a global campaign AV that was seeded in key source markets through a global media buy. The overall objective of the campaign was to increase awareness and build positivity towards the destination. The media buy included the following key platforms:

CNN YouTube National Geographic

BBC Twitter/X Facebook

Search WeChat Programmatic

Premium Display Online Travel Agents

(b) (i) What positive gains have been experienced in implementing the Global Advocacy Programme.

The main objective of the Global Advocacy campaign is to garner a positive image of South Africa and its offering. Through various interactions and activations, South African Tourism has participated in platforms with individuals with influence driving and advancing a positive narrative about the country.

Examples of these are:

1. During Internationale Tourismus Börse (ITB) in Germany in early March 2023, both the Deputy Minister, Fish Mahlalela as well as Ambassador Stone Sizani spoke candidly about the initiatives and discussion in government around issues of safety and security. This gave the media covering the event an indication that the issue is being addressed at government level.
2. During Meetings Africa 2023, we also had a few leading influential business events voices positively advocate for South Africa as not only a capable business events host but also as a country that has an in-depth knowledge economy. In various activities through our hub teams, work has been done in advancing global advocacy initiatives including working with various embassies and missions.
3. During the State of the Nation address earlier this year, CNN’s Richard Quest visited the country and recorded a series of inserts in Cape Town.  He showcased the best of the region. As a leader in shaping business opinion, his recording of his show in South Africa and featuring several positive human-interest stories contributed in driving a positive narrative about South Africa. 
4. Other noteworthy areas where we have seen gains that can also be attributed to efforts of the Global Advocacy programme is around airlift. Over the last year, we have seen a number of airlines reintroducing direct routes to South Africa from various countries. This is surely a vote of confidence and trust in our destination.

(ii) What positive challenges have been experienced in implementing the Global Advocacy Programme.

The biggest challenge around Global Advocacy is still issues that affect the overall reputation of South Africa. These include reported cases of safety and security especially those affecting the tourists but those also affecting citizens. Tourists are also beginning to enquire about load shedding. Although the tourism industry continues to operate, tourism businesses experience disruptions and delays in operations.

Picking up learnings of the past few years of load shedding, some businesses have put measures in place to offset the effects of load shedding. Some have installed UPS units (Uninterrupted Power Supply units), or other back power supplies such as generators. Furthermore, load shedding may cause delays in traffic, due to traffic lights not working, when tourists are commuting to reach attractions around the country. Prolonged periods of load shedding such as Stage 6 may also lead to disruption of other tourism and related experiences.

Reply:

1. The findings of an International Finance Corporation study which was supported by the Department of Higher Education and Training (the Department) are that as of 2020, there were 125 891 beds by public student accommodation providers (TVET Colleges and Universities) and 97 219 beds by private student accommodation providers.
2. We will need to request this data from the institutions. We will therefore await advice on whether we should proceed to do so and how long should we give them to provide such information. We may not receive a response from all of them irrespective of the response time we give them.
3. The survey was conducted by the International Finance Corporation in 2020, and it was supported by the Department. The report was released in April 2021.
4. The report is attached at Annexure A of this response.
5. The Strategic Planning Unit may have incorrectly reported that there was a draft strategy and that it was approved by the Director-General. The strategy was never drafted. We will therefore await advice on the way forward.

Reply:

a)  The total number of applications that were received in terms of section 21(a) and (b) and section 21(d) from farmers or farming and/or agriculture entities in the past three financial years are indicated in the table below:

Year	Number of received applications
2020	395
2021	355
2022	393
Total	1143

b) The number of the specified applications that were issued with licences in each specified year (i) within 30 days, (ii) within 60 days, (iii) within 90 days and (iv) after 90 days of receipt thereof?

Licences issued
Year of application Submission	30 days	60 days	90 days	over 90 days	Total
2020	0	0	1	165	166
2021	3	15	26	113	157
2022	8	15	11	168	202
Total	11	30	38	446	525

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Reply:

What are the

a) relevant details of all contracts and/or arrangements that the Road Accident Fund (RAF) has had with the Sunshine Hospital,

The RAF signed a Cooperation agreement with Sunshine Hospital in November 2007. The agreement had no expiry date. Upon review it was found that the relationship is no longer beneficial to the RAF business. Sunshine hospital was engaged and informed of the decision to terminate the relationship through a letter in July 2018.

b) detailed reasons for terminating any of the RAF contracts and/or arrangements with the specified hospital,

The agreement was not compliant with the RAF’s corporate governance prescripts whereby all signed agreements had an end date. The relationship was not relevant to RAF business and Sunshine was misrepresenting the nature of the relationship claiming to be a “RAF hospital”. There is evidence of sown cases of possible corrupt practises by Sunshine.

(c) Below is the list of all transaction in favour of Sunshine Hospital, listed by category, for the period 1 April 2014 to date:

Overall,

There were 28,941 transactions to the value of R3.53 billion of which, 1 132 with a value of R18.75 million were due to a court judgement.

(d) Below is the list of details of the total amounts of all (i) court judgments and (ii) cost orders granted against the RAF in favour of Sunshine Hospital.

In summary:

Plaintiff Attorney Capital are costs for the court order judgement, the Plaintiff Attorney Costs are legal costs awarded to Sunshine Hospital. Interest Costs are in relations to the capital awarded to Sunshine Hospital in the Judgement. Sherrif & Writ costs are costs of attachment and execution.

Reply:

a) How has the One Global Brand Activation aligned the work of:

`I have been informed by South African Tourism that a number of global brand activations were delivered across various markets and platforms in collaboration with key stakeholders. Some of the key platforms that were activated include World Travel Market in London, ITB in Berlin, Arabian Travel Market in Dubai and BRICS Outreach programme in Nigeria.

(i) Brand SA in the international markets

Where the opportunity for collaboration exists, SA Tourism works with Brand SA for joint activations. For the period under review, the BRICS outreach platform presented an opportunity for collaboration with Brand SA and BRICS Business Council. The activation included a stakeholder engagement with both government and business counterparts in Nigeria to forge relations. Furthermore, the platform presented a leveraging opportunity to promote the BRICS Summit.

(ii) Provinces in the international markets and (iii) Municipalities in the international markets

In terms of collaboration with provinces and municipalities, the activations were delivered in a form of showcasing destination experiences at the strategic platforms abroad. This was done through exhibitions and further showcasing of SMMEs arts and crafts to enhance the destination showcase.

(b) What are the planned summer campaigns for the coming summer season in the Republic.

The Sho’t Left “Gimme Summer That Sho’t Left” summer campaign was launched in the Eastern Cape on 19 September 2023. The campaign creates a good platform to promote an inclusive South Africa as an appealing and must-experience tourism destination for both Domestic and International travellers while showcasing a wide variety of experiences including Hidden Gems, during the Festive season.

This is also an opportunity for South Africa to showcase how welcoming and inclusive we are to our Regional and International Tourists. Therefore, through this campaign, the Hub teams will leverage and showcase South Africa’s season readiness to welcome visitors in line with their insights for their respective markets.

Underpinning this campaign will be the rollout of the “Make Someone’s Day” initiative which is part of the overall Welcome Programme that drives inclusivity to mitigate unpleasant incidents. The Welcome Program seeks to inspire and educate South African tourism role players and ordinary South Africans to exceed tourist expectations.

The “Make Someone’s Day” campaign, is positioned to showcase and highlight the importance of trade in the tourism value chain. We create and sustain sector partnerships with the trade through information sharing, toolkit developments, training and fact sharing. Through these we developed inclusive Welcome Training modules to help our partners upskill their frontline service staff.

The main objectives of the campaign are as follows:

• To inspire South Africans to travel and spend more during this coming Festive Season.
• To invite and inspire travellers from outside of South Africa to choose to come visit

South Africa during the festive season and beyond

• To encourage South Africans to explore more provinces (Geographic Spread)
• To showcase the wide variety of tourism experiences on offer in South Africa for both

domestic and international travellers through engagements with the travel trade and

deals loaded on the South African Tourism trade platform.

• To ensure increased collaboration between SAT and Private Sector/Other Stakeholders
• To ensure the destination is inclusive, warm and welcoming to all travellers

The campaign, co-created with provinces and the private sector, will be rolled out across all media platforms including TV, Radio, Out of Home, digital and will be supported through activations in provinces. This deal driven campaign will run from 1 October 2023 to 14 January 2024.

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1. (a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development is not at liberty to disclose identifying information about owners who offered their assets to the Department. The Department can however illustrate through the list of farms below where the prices were inflated.

(b),(c)(i),(ii)(aa)-(bb) List of farms where the prices were inflated (names withheld).

Farm Name	(c)(i) farm locations Western Cape	Offer to Sell	(c)(ii) (aa) their Market Value	Final Offer	Status	(c)(bb) the total amount by which each farm was inflated
Farm A	Western Cape	R30 000 000	R23 580 000 (land and improvements)	R13 990 000	Final Offer Declined and after negotiations asking price of R27 million	R3 420 000 (price inflation after final offer)
Farm B	Western Cape	R18 604 651	R11 032 000 (land and improvements)	R11 337 000	Final Offer Declined and after negotiations asking price of not less that R23 million	R11 968 000 (price inflation after final offer)
Farm C	Western Cape	R2 900 000	R3 126 000 (land and improvements)	R2 282 660	Final Offer Declined and after negotiations, asking price of not less than R 3.2 million	R17 340 (price inflation after final offer)
Farm D	Western Cape	R65 000 000	R51 400 000 (land and improvements)	R24 777 479	Offer accepted	R0 (owner accepted reduced offer)
Farm E	Western Cape	R10 607 300	R 7 016 620 (land and improvements)	R6 300 000	Offer accepted	R0 (owner accepted reduced offer)
Farm F	Western Cape	R65 000 000	R67 975 000 (land and improvements)	R66 452 500 [R50 877 500.00 (land + R15 575 000.00 (movables)]	Final Offer Declined and after negotiations requested a new asking price which the department did not consider.	Cannot be determined as the department withdrew from further negotiations.

2. Yes. The Office of the Valuer General issues the conditional certificate to the property owner to which he/she makes representations within 30 days in terms of the Regulations under the Property Valuation Act No. 17 of 2014, considering the current use value of the property; historical value pertaining to acquisition benefits on the property; market value of the property; and lastly, the direct state investment and subsidies on the property. During this period the Office of the Valuer General in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development enters negotiations with the property owner to reach an agreement on offers made.

Reply:

The RFB number referred to above is not for this Department. 

Reply:

Answer to Portfolio Committee Question on Dropout 

There are two main data sources for estimating learner dropout rates for South Africa: STATS SA’s General Household Survey and Education Management Information System (EMIS) data. Both involve lags in between when the data is collected, when it gets consolidated and when it can be analysed.

STATS SA’s General Household Survey, which is conducted annually, is a nationally representative survey of South African households and collects information about the highest level of education attained by each member of the household. If a person’s highest level of education is grade 11, for example, and they are old enough to be unlikely to still be in the process of completing a higher level of education, it can then be assumed that they exited the education system at that point. The sample sizes are not large enough to permit precise estimates of dropout for each grade and province separately. The table below shows the estimated percentages of children reaching each grade, and conversely, the estimated percentages of children dropping out after each grade. The average across each grade comes to 4.5%. So, if we had to come down to a single statistic for the annual dropout rate, we could estimate that in recent years about 4.5% of all children in grades 1-11 exit the school system each year, though of course most of this dropout is after grades 9 to 11. Based on this methodology, data collected in a particular year is reflective of dropping out in the years preceding that year, but not necessarily of dropping out in that year. As the table shows, grade survival rates (or completion rates) have been increasing over time in recent years. Using GHS data from 2019-2021, the estimated percentage of youths who completed grade 12 had reached a figure of 57,0%.

The second approach is to use EMIS data to estimate departure ratios after each grade. The term ‘departing’ is used here because several forms of departing do not represent an educational failure: learners can leave the system due to death, emigration, transfer to a college and of course because they have successfully completed Grade 12. When analysing EMIS data, it is impossible to know the reason for the departure. These statistics also have limitations, mainly because for around 17% of learners who stay from one year to the next, national ID numbers cannot link the learners across the two years. This non-linkage problem reduces substantially to just 3% if variables other than the ID number are used, but even this presents challenges for the calculation of the flow statistics. A key question is whether apparent drop-ins from one year to the next are actually the same learners as apparent drop-outs from the previous year. Despite these difficulties, the department has estimated departure ratios using EMIS data, and these are presented in Table 2, which shows estimates of the percentages departing the school system at the end of 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Table 1: Survival rates and drop-out rates for each grade based on GHS data

2015-2017	2017-2019	2019-2021
	Percentage reaching at least this grade	Grade-specific dropout rate	Percentage reaching at least this grade	Grade-specific dropout rate	Percentage reaching at least this grade	Grade-specific dropout rate
Total cohort	100%		100%		100%
No schooling		0.6%		0.6%		0.7%
Grade 1	99.4%	0.2%	99.4%	0.1%	99.3%	0.0%
Grade 2	99.3%	0.2%	99.3%	0.3%	99.3%	0.2%
Grade 3	99.1%	0.5%	99.0%	0.2%	99.1%	0.2%
Grade 4	98.6%	0.4%	98.8%	0.3%	98.9%	0.4%
Grade 5	98.2%	0.6%	98.5%	0.6%	98.4%	0.4%
Grade 6	97.6%	1.5%	97.8%	1.4%	98.0%	1.3%
Grade 7	96.2%	2.9%	96.5%	2.7%	96.7%	1.9%
Grade 8	93.4%	4.7%	93.9%	4.3%	94.9%	3.8%
Grade 9	89.0%	9.3%	89.9%	8.9%	91.3%	6.8%
Grade 10	80.7%	15.6%	81.9%	15.3%	85.1%	12.4%
Grade 11	68.2%	25.0%	69.3%	23.7%	74.6%	22.4%
Grade 12	51.1%		52.9%		57.9%

Notes: Own calculations using General Household Survey datasets, STATS SA.
Three years of GHS data are pooled together with the purpose of increasing the sample size and therefore constructing more stable estimates over time. For the GHS datasets of 2015-2017, only persons born between 1991 and 1993 were included; for 2017-2019, only persons born between 1993 and 1995 were included, and for 2019-2021, only persons born between 1995 and 1997 were included. These age ranges were decided on in order to ensure that persons included would have been old enough to have been unlikely to still be completing school but young enough so as to reflect recent trends in school completion and dropout.

Table 2: Departure ratios at the end of 2018, 2019 and 2020 based on EMIS data

Source: DBE Analysis of EMIS data for 2018-2021

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(a)The Department is working on gazetting a ”cut-off” for old taxi vehicles (OTVs) registered on or before 04 September 2006. The cut-off” date is intended to act as a measure that will assist in getting the taxi owners to bring the vehicles to be scrapped.

(b)A total of 1284 old taxi vehicles (OTVs) have been scrapped from 01 April 2023 to date.

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1. We have strengthened the verification process of bank statements and other supporting documents. We have had engagements with banks to secure nodal persons to assist in verifications. Weekly meeting are being held with the eVisa adjudicators to review their process and enforce the verification process and update their SOP. Cases that require in depth investigation will be referred to the mission for interview and verification of supporting documents. Missions are engaging the local banks to also inform them of the need to verify their bank statements.
2. No, the system is working, it only requires enhancement for verification process.
3. The system will be further enhanced to assist with detection of duplication use of sponsors and their contact numbers and duplication of accommodation information.

END

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Department

Financial Year	Service Provider	Number of Copies Printed	Amount
*2020/21	None	None	None
*2021/22	None	None	None
2022/23	PHN Investment (Pty) Ltd	Thirty (30)	R129,999,00

*For these financial years, the Annual Reports were submitted electronically.

Name of Entity	(aa), b, c (i)(ii) Financial year 2020-21	(bb) b, c (i)(ii) Financial year 2021-22	(cc), b, c (i)(ii) Financial year 2022-23
South African Civil Aviation Authority) (SACCA)	(a) R396 247.08 (b) Supplier – Ideology Communications and Design (Pty) Ltd (c) (i)(ii) 400 Copies	(a) R143 655.70 (b) Supplier – Shereno Printers CC (c)(i)(ii) 250 Copies	(a)R155 148.16 (b) Supplier –Shereno Printers CC (c) (i) (ii) 250 Copies
Air Transport Navigation Network Services (ATNS)	The entity did not print the Annual Reports for the 2020/21 financial year. The pdf versions of the Annual Reports were submitted to the Executive Authority and the relevant authorities. In addition, the web versions reports were uploaded on the ATNS website.	The entity did not print the Annual Reports for the 2021/22 financial year. The pdf versions of the Annual Reports were submitted to the Executive Authority and the relevant authorities. In addition, the web versions reports were uploaded on the ATNS website.	The company anticipates printing twenty (20) copies for the 2022/23 financial year and the procurement process is underway.
Airport of South Africa (ACSA)	(a)R149 361 (b) Supplier – Trialogue with Pure Brown as printing subcontractor (c) Delivered 150 printed copies and 15 braille copies	(a)R212 418 (b) Ince Communications Agency with House of print and Shereno (Braille copies) as subcontractors (c) Delivered 105 printed copies and 80 braille copies	(a) final cost determination will be available in mid-September 2023 Supplier – Ince (b)Communications Agency with House of print and Shereno Printers (Braille copies) as subcontractors (c) To deliver 70 printed copies and 30 braille copies
South African Maritime Safety Authority( SAMSA)	(a) R68 400 (b)Head south media and Mass Projects and Construction (Pty) Ltd (c )120 Copies	(a)R80 000 (b)Mitarae Projects & Trading (Pty) Ltd (c )100 Copies	Final cost determination has not been concluded.
Cross Boarder Transport Road Agency(CBRTA)	(a)R116,863.00, for Design, layout and Printing (b)Gijana Trading and Projects cc (c)100 Copies	(a)R23192.03 for printing only (b)Shereno Projects (c) 60 Copies	The Annual Report for this year has not been finalised and therefore no cost has been determined.
South African National Road Agency (SANRAL)	(a)R461 367,37 (b)GBF Print (c)300 copies (for each volume)	(a)R570 903,65 (b)Multiprint Litho (c )300 copies (for each volume)	(a)+/- R600 000 (b)This amount is an estimate and will only be finalised once the AG has approved the final print file. ( c) 300 copies
Railway Safety Regulator (RSR)	R72,139-50	Triple Trend Printing	200
	R22,977-00	Production S	80
	R41,177-68	Production S	140
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA)	R0-00	Reports published electronically by the entity	R0-00
Ports Regulator of South Africa (PRSA)	Smartdog PR and Marketing Business Print (Pty) Ltd Shereno Printers cc	R111 400.00 R84 065.00 R8 727.50 (Not yet paid)	200 150 150 (Not yet delivered)
South African Maritime Safety Authority​ (SAMSA)	Head south media	5	R4 195,00
	Head south media	20	R9 400,00
	Mass Projects and Construction (Pty) Ltd	100	R59 000,00
	Mitarae Projects & Trading (Pty) Ltd	100	R85 000,00
Road Accident Fund (RAF)	R292 922.25	Shereno Printers	600 copies + 50 CD/DVD
	R372 186.00	Msomi Africa	1000 copies + 1000 CD/DVD
	R321 324.95	Reamotle	200 copies + 50 CD/DVD
Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC)	R221 982.33	Ndabase Printing Solution	300
	R263 407.50	Ndabase Printing Solution	300
	R163 990.00	Seriti Digital Printing	300
Road Traffic Infringement Agency	R492 000.00	Edricnet	145
	R477 000.00	Ndila Creative Print	150
	R490 995.00	Lineageco Digital	150

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Reply:

The Department intends to go paperless as it already has an approved digital transformation strategy which involves digitising its administrative business processes which are department wide as well as its core business processes. This journey towards a paperless organisation is intended to be implemented in a phased approach partnering with SITA and based on resource availability.

Thank You

 

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In 2014 GTAC Unit within the National Treasury conducted a Feasibility Study on Situational Analysis & Options Assessment for Thusong Service Centres. The Study recommended that the primary responsibility for the funding of Thusong Centres should rest with Municipalities as it is envisaged that these Centres would be managed by Municipalities. The recommendation emphasised that the funding would come from various sources, for example, capital funding from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) and the Neighbourhood Development Grant.

The Minister for the Public Service and Administration does not have the direct responsibility with respect to the funding of the Thusong Service Centres. The Minister derives the authority in terms of Section 18 of the Public Administration Management Act, 2014, which provides for the development of a Framework for Service Centres. The Draft Framework is developed and currently it is being consulted with all key stakeholders, amongst others it will address matters such as the establishment, promotion, and maintenance of Service Centres.

Currently, the Thusong Service Centre Program is located, managed, and funded differently across Provinces. In three Provinces (Western Cape, KZN and Mpumalanga), the Program is located and funded by Provincial CoGTA through Municipalities under Municipal Infrastructural Grant (MIG). In the remaining six Provinces the Program is located under Offices of the Premier.

Due to lack of a Lead Department for the program, no specific funding is ringfenced to ensure functionality and sustainability of the Thusong Service Centre Program.

End

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(1) The Department of Health can confirm that the Oracle tender in Ekurhuleni, does not relate to processes undertaken by the Department hence we are unable to clarify the involvement of the specified person and the outcome of that tender process.

(2) (a) The Gupta-linked Mediosa contract has been thoroughly investigated by the Klerksdorp Serious Commercial Crimes Unit (SCCU) and the person implicated is currently on trial before the Mahikeng High Court. The SCCU investigation did not implicate Dr Masike.

(b) The contract that North West Department of Health entered into with Mediosa was terminated in February 2018.

 

END.

Reply:

1. The information on the tables below was obtained from provinces. Western Cape Province data includes all violent incidents by patients towards staff and not just mental health care users.

(a)(i); (b)(i); (c)(i)

	(a)(i)				(b)(i)	(c)(i)
Province	2019	2020	2021	2022
Eastern Cape	11	4	3	7	Staff physically assaulted or manhandled (kicked, punched, bitten, slapped, pulled) by mental health care users	Elizabeth Donkin and Fort England Specialised Psychiatric Hospitals
Free State	1	1	1	7	Four (4) staff members reported being physically assaulted or manhandled by mental health care users. One (1) got injured whilst separating mental health care users that were fighting and the other five(5) got accidentally injured whilst giving an injection or handling an aggressive user.	Free State Psychiatric Complex, Phumelela hospital, Thebe and National hospitals
KZN	5	3	11	10	Staff physically assaulted or manhandled (kicked, punched, bitten, slapped, pushed, hit with an object) by mental health care users	Madadeni, Town Hill, Ekuhlengeni, Umzimkhulu specialised psychiatric hospitals as well as at King Dinuzulu Complex
Mpumalanga	2	7	33	12	Staff physically assaulted or manhandled by mental health care users	Mental health units/wards at Witbank, Rob Ferreira, KwaMhlanga, Mmametlhake, Embhuleni, Barberton Shongwe and Piet Retief Hospitals
North West	2	6	14	5	Staff physically assaulted or manhandled (stabbed with a pair of scissors, clapped, punched, attempted strangling, scratched, kicked, hit with objects by mental health care users	Witrand, Potchefstroom, Job Shimankana Tabane, Klerksdorp/Tshepong Complex, and Moses Kotane Hospitals
Western Cape	No data	16	20	74	Staff physical assaults by patients. (Data include all incidents and not limited to incidents of mental health care users in psychiatric hospitals)	Psychiatric facilities and general facilities

(a)(ii); (b)(ii); (c)(ii)

	(a)(ii)	(b)(ii)	(c)(ii)
Province	Since 1 January 2023
Eastern Cape	6	Staff physically assaulted or manhandled (shoved, beaten) by mental health care users	Elizabeth Donkin and Fort England Specialised Psychiatric Hospitals
Free State	8	Staff physically assaulted or manhandled (pushed, punched) by mental health care users	National and Thebe Hospitals
KZN	27	Twenty-two staff members were physically assaulted or manhandled (pushed, punched, kicked, clapped) by mental health care users. Two were held hostage whilst three fell and got injured whilst handling aggressive mental health care users	Madadeni, Town Hill, Fort Napier, Ekuhlengeni specialised psychiatric hospitals as well as at King Dinuzulu Complex
Mpumalanga	6	Staff physically assaulted by mental health care users	Witbank Hospital and Mammetlhake Hospital
North West	10	Staff physically assaulted or manhandled (hit with an object, head-butted, clapped, punched) by mental health care users	Job Shimankana, Moses Kotane, Klerksdorp/Tshepong Complex
Western Cape	123	Staff physical assaults by patients. (Data include all incidents and not limited to incidents of mental health care users in psychiatric hospitals)	Psychiatric facilities and general facilities

We still await information from Gauteng, Limpopo and Northern Cape Provinces.

(d) Section 16 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No 85 of 1993) requires the Chief Executive Officer to have safety protocols and procedures in place. Information received from provinces indicates that various mechanisms and procedures are implemented to protect healthcare workers at psychiatric facilities and these include:

• Appointment of Hospital CEOs and District Managers according to Section 16(2 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act)
• Health and Safety Representatives and Committees are nominated and trained
• Conducting continuous risk assessments of mental health care users
• Searching of staff, patients and visitors for any dangerous weapons and illegal substances
• In-service training of staff on management of aggressive mental health care users
• Standard operating procedures for restraints and seclusion of mental health care users

2. The provinces and health facilities in terms of Section 16 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, No. 85 of 1993 designates that the ‘Chief Executive Officer’ - (Head of Department of the provincial department of Health or the Head of the health facility) - should have safety protocols and procedures in place.

3. While this is a function which is managed by health facility management in every health facility and supervised by provincial health departments, the NDoH, liaises with provincial occupational health units to provide support where required.

4. Please find attached, the occupational health and safety policy for the NDoH. NDoH is awaiting the health facility copies from the provinces.

END.

Reply:

The information provided below was accessed the National Health Information System (DHIS)

	Psychiatric hospitals	Provincial hospital	Regional hospital
	Total number of patients treated for mental health related illness in psychiatric hospitals (outpatients departments)	Total number of patients treated for mental health related illness in emergency and outpatients’ departments (ambulatory services)	Total number of patients treated for mental health related illness in emergency and outpatients’ departments (ambulatory services)
2019	209396	47860	152340
2020	110982	57467	140785
2021	75284	57763	152147
2022	81568	67271	167223
2023 (January-July)	45486	46207	99627

NB:

• Specialised psychiatric hospitals do not have emergency departments
• The statistics for emergency and outpatients departments in provincial and regional hospitals are not separated in the DHIS.

END.

Reply:

The Department has developed the National Policy Framework and Strategy on the Prevention and Control of Cancer. This policy informs implementation of services, starting with prevention and awareness through to management and treatment and concluding with palliative care.

The Department is also administering Human Papilloma (HPV) vaccine to grade 5 girls aged 9 years and older for cancer prevention, since 2014. Other education measures include utilization of different media platforms in collaboration with provinces and non-governmental organisations and patient advocacy groups. These organisations work together with Provinces in conducting screening activities as well as providing education on cancer awareness.

(a) According to KwaZulu-Natal Health Department, specific programmes targeting cancer prevention and education in KwaZulu Natal include PhilaMa Campaign, UuMdlavuza Pap Smear Drive, and Large Loop Excision of the Tranformation Zone (LLETZ) Drive.

Public Awareness on cancer is done through health education sessions, MEC Community Outreach events such as Isibhedlela kubantu; Weekly MEC Live Lunch Time Chat in selected Radio Stations, Health Community Engagements and Community Radio Stations health slots to address various health topics.

The following prevention and education activities are ongoing:-

• Staff capacity building and training
• Facility based health awareness and Health Education,
• Provision of posters and pamphlets,
• Partnership with Cancer Association,
• Cancer screening during outreach programmes

(b) The KwaZulu-Natal Health Department indicated that they reach the most remote areas through:

• Services in health facilities in rural areas
• Cancer screening that is conducted during outreach programmes,
• Use of mobile vehicles of the Department and of partners
• MEC Community Outreach events such as Isibhedlela kubantu; Weekly MEC Live Lunch Time Chat in selected Radio Stations and Health Community Outreach Engagements.

END.

Reply:

a) Synchronisation of Kusile Unit 5:

• Kusile Unit 5 is forecast for first synchronisation in November 2023.

b) Return to operation of all other Kusile units:

• Kusile Unit 4 has been in commercial operation since 31 May 2022, the unit was taken out on a 30 day planned outage and was scheduled to return to service on the 17 September 2023, the unit was returned as planned on 17 September 2023.
• Kusile Units 1 to 3 are forecast to return to operation between October and November 2023
• Kusile Unit 6 is forecast for first synchronisation in August 2024.

Name	Date of return
1. Kusile 1	30 Oct -11 Dec
2. Kusile 2	30 Nov-24 Dec
3. Kusile 3	14 Oct-26 Nov
4. Kusile 5	28 Oct-30 Dec

Reply:

Yes, Emergency Medical Services is provided on a 24 hour, 7 days a week basis in all 52 health districts by approximately 3000 ambulances operational from 483 EMS stations located strategically throughout South Africa, in both, rural and urban settings.

a) Ambulances are further strategically assigned within the districts into municipal areas based on community needs, that is, the population density, location of district health services, accessibility to public transport and related socioeconomic factors taking into consideration budget availability. These ambulances are dispatched from our Emergency Communication Centres within the respective districts when requested upon by the callers/patients via our toll-free emergency number - 112.

b) The following measures are in place to complement numbers of ambulances we have:

• In planning the EMS footprint, provinces consider rural settings, and the most marginalized citizens are taken into account.
• Our public EMS in all provinces have service level agreements with private EMS providers for urgent calls and interfacility transfers.
• Prioritized recruitment of EMS personnel for rural districts.
• Use of vehicles with 4 x 4 capabilities are sourced in rural areas for ease of access in the tough terrain of the province. It must be noted that road infrastructure in rural areas is poor and distances to be travelled between health facilities and communities is longer which results in longer response times to emergencies.
• Air ambulance service is used to access some of the hard-to-reach rural settings for life threatening cases.
• Implementation of Planned Patient Transport to reduce usage of ambulances for patients needing transportation only between health facilities.
• EMS plays an integral role in the District Health System, as is the case in any geographical area, therefore, works collaboratively with Primary Health Services and District Hospitals to ensure access and continuity of health care.
• Notwithstanding these measures, we acknowledge that there are service-related challenges, like ambulance shortages, high number of ambulance breakdowns exacerbated by long turnaround times by repair service providers, etc and are cognisant of the variance in service, especially on our rural communities.

END.