Questions and Replies

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) 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 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:

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 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) 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) 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:

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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(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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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. (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:

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

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(1)(a)

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

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

(1)(b)

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

(2)(a)(i)

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

(2)(a)(ii)

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

(3)

The conditionality is imposed by the funders

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

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

 

 

 

Reply:

(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:

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

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

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

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

 

END.

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:

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

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

a(ii)	(aa) 2020-21	(bb) 2021-22	(cc) 2022-23	(b)	(c) (i)	(ii)
Magalies Water	R252 782.19	R264 530.02	N/A	Black Moon Design and Advertising	100	100
Overberg Water	R144 104.53	R148 659.49	N/A	PE & R Business	200	200
Rand Water	R 521 132.57	R 582 251.90	N/A	2020/21- Blue Apple Publishing	200	200
				2021/22 – Interactive Web Works CC
uMngeni Water	R19 079	R56 590	N/A	2020/21- Intwenhle Media Services (PTY LTD)	130	200
				2021/22 Afro Spice
Mhlathuze Water	R 92 589.38	R 55 173.00	N/A	2020/21- AfroSpice Branding	250	120
				2021/22- Computer Artworks Zippy Press
Bloem Water	R150 535.00	R186 288.50	N/A	Molebatsi Graphics	200	200
Breede Olifants CMA	R40 252,33	R84 043,08	R61 575,00	2020/21- Apple Graphics	250	250
				2021/22 - Personalised Promotions
				2022/23 - Cinnabar Graphic Design		(22/23) 170

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Reply:

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

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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:

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

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

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

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

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

END.

Reply:

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

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

Reply:

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

• Maternity Care Guidelines (2023) stipulate that:

• • During the Ante Natal Care visit, every pregnant woman irrespective of age must be screened for possible intimate partner violence.
  • Every pregnant woman must be screened for mental health problems and
  • It is mandatory that health care providers report any cases of every pregnant woman below the age of 18 that point adverse incidents to social services for further management.
• Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis guidelines (2017) stipulate that health care professionals must:

• • follow algorithm of managing women exposed to sexual assault or rape cases which includes ensuring privacy and confidentiality, proper history taking, examination, counselling, medical management, and completion of J88.
  • report (mandatory) through completion of specific form (Form 22 attached as annexure of the Children’s Act) in cases of children, persons with disabilities and the elderly.
  • Refer the affected person (10-14 year old) to the nearest Thuthuzela Centre (TTC) for management of sexual abuse in conjunction with forensic nurses, and other government agencies.

• Termination of pregnancy guidelines(2017) stipulates that:

• • Every pregnant woman has the right to request termination of pregnancy irrespective of age of the woman.

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

• Conducts quarterly capacity building workshop for Health Care Workers on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect including the completion of a specific form (Form 22, as an annexure to Children’s Act No.38 of 2005) through the support of Department of Social Development who are the custodians of the Children’s Act No.38 of 2005. Over 800 Health Care Workers (HCW) are reached in one session, and four (4) sessions are held in a year since 2020 at the national level.

• Awareness campaigns are held for the children in schools and clinics on the scourge including availability of comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services in the health care facilities. The department make use of the Online platforms such as B-Wise. Safe space for adolescents in health care facilities (Youth Zones) have been created to strengthen awareness about the dangers of teenage pregnancies. Awareness campaigns are augmented by provision of SRH services during outreach to avoid missed opportunity to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

END.

Reply:

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

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

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

CATEGORY	TOTAL FILLED
Chief Executive Officer L11	1
Clinical Manager Grd 01	1
Middle Manager Admin L10	1
Assistant Manager Quality L9	1
Medical Practitioners Grd 01-3	6
Dentists Grd 01	1
Information Officer L7	1
Radiographer Grd 01	2
Clinical Associate L7	1
Dentists Grd 01	1
Dental Assistants Grd 01	3
Social Worker (Supervisor) Grd 01	1
Occupational Therapist Grd 01	1
Pharmacist Grd 01-3	1
Pharmacist Ass (post basic)	1
Pharmacy Ass (Learner Basic)	1
Physiotherapist comm serve	1
Radiographer Grd 01	3
State Accountant L6	1
Accounting Clerk L5	1
Registry Clerk L4	1
Driver L3	2
Admin Officer L7	1
Admin Clerks L4	5
Admin Clerks L5	14
Mortuary Attendant L4	1
Porter L2	12
Client Information Clerk L5 (Switchboard)	1
Cleaner L2	32
Laundry Supervisor L4	1
Laundry Worker L2	4
Food Service Supervisor L4	1
Food Service Aid L2	5
Artisan Foremen Grd 2	1
Deputy Manager Nursing	1
Area Manager General In-patient Care Services	1
Operational Manager Speciality	1
OPD/Casualty Services
Operational Manager Speciality	1
Theatre/ CSSD
Operational Manager Speciality Maternity (Antenatal, Post Natal, Labour Ward, Neonatal)	1
Operational Manager Speciality	1
Paediatrics
Operational Manager General	1
Female Medical
Operational Manager General	1
Male Medical
Prof/Nurse Speciality OPD/Casualty	1
Prof/Nurse Speciality Maternity: Antenatal	1
Prof/Nurse Speciality Paediatrics	2
Prof/Nurse General	44
Staff Nurse	15
Nursing Assistant	23

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

END.

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.

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:

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:

(a) The Mpumalanga Department of Health indicates that an enquiry was opened with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Middelburg on 07 October 2021. This was followed by an internal Department of Health investigation which is about to be concluded. In addition, a case of theft has been opened at Kwa Mhlanga Police Station, CAS number 357/08/2023.

(b) The department is constantly in consultation with the family on this matter. The family will receive an official report once the Department has received feedback from the South African Police Service (SAPS) & Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.

 

END.

Reply:

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

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

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