Questions and Replies

Reply:

(a) As part of its mandate to uphold aviation safety and security, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) routinely conducts ramp inspections on aircraft operating into and within the South African air space.

On the evening of Friday, 18 August 2017, one of the aircraft inspected was a Boeing 767-200 operated by Air Zimbabwe. The inspection conducted by SACAA personnel discovered that the operator, Air Zimbabwe, was not complaint with both international civil aviation standards, and Part 129 of the South African civil aviation regulations. Part 129, among others, requires an operator to be in possession of a Foreign Operator’s Permit in order to conduct operations into South Africa. A copy of the Foreign Operator’s Permit, together with other documents, must be on-board an aircraft at all times, and made available for inspection on request by the relevant authorities.

As a result of the inability of the Air Zimbabwe flight crew to produce a copy of the Foreign Operator’s Permit, the SACAA instructed the crew not to take off until such time that there is full compliance with Part 129 of the South African civil aviation regulations.

The airline resumed operations as soon as they were issued with a Foreign Operator’s Permit.

(b) The SACAA was informed by South African Airways (SAA) that its operations were affected on 19 August 2017 when the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) instructed the SAA flight crew not to take off until such time that there was full compliance with the applicable Zimbabwean civil aviation regulations. It was established that, SAA, just like Air Zimbabwe was not in possession of a Foreign Operator’s Permit that would allow them to operate commercially in the Zimbabwe airspace.

Both airlines resumed operations as soon as they were respectively issued with Foreign Operator’s Permits.

Reply:

(a)(i)(ii)(aa) to (ff) The South African Police Service (SAPS) did not find any indication that any services were procured or payments made to the mentioned company.

(b) To be replied to by other entities which report to the Minister of Police.

Reply:

(a) There are no criteria for Driving Schools in force in Road Traffic Legislation at present. Provinces and Local Authorities apply Regulation 250 of the ROAD TRAFFIC ACT NO. 29 OF 1989 to register only Driving School Instructors.

The following should be noted in regard to the DRAFT Driving School Legislative Framework which is not yet in force, as published in Government Gazette, No. 38142 dated 31 October 2014 and 28 January 2015 No. Gazette 38429. This draft legislation addresses numerous of the current shortcomings in the driver training system of the country. The following is a list of the most important areas which will be addressed by the draft driving school legislative framework should the Department put this legislation in force:

Legislation	Area which legislation will regulate once in force
Section 28	Instructor to be registered
Section 28A	Application for registration as instructor
Section 28B	Registration and grading of instructors
Section 28C	Suspension and cancellation of registration of instructor
Reg 114A	Application for registration as instructor
Reg114B	Examination and test to determine competence to act as instructor
Reg 114C	Registration of instructor
Reg 114D	Cancellation or suspension of registration of instructors
Reg 114E	Application for Grades of instructors amendment of registration of instructor
Reg 114F	Grades of instructors
Reg 114G	Manner of application for registration of driving school
Regulation 114H	Consideration of suitability of driving school and person or body of persons to operate a driving school
Reg 114I	Requirements to be met for registration of a driving school
Reg 114K	Manner of registration of a driving school
Reg 114L	Notification of change of particulars of a driving school
Reg 114M	Approval for appointment of an instructor prior to appointment by a registered driving school
Reg 114N	Grades of driving schools
Reg 114O	Manner of suspension or cancellation of registration of a driving school
Reg 114P	Duties of a driving school
Reg 114Q	Powers and duties of inspectorate of driving schools

(b) The the purpose of a driving licence test is to test the competency of applicants when operating a motor vehicle on a public road whilst obeying all road rules and signs. The Driving Test is prescribed in the applicable K53 Manuals for the various categories of vehicles.

Reply:

(1) The death of a 17-year-old community member, as reported in The New Age of 2 February 2017, is currently being investigated by the Gauteng Provincial Investigation Unit under Temba CAS 724/01/2017, Murder. The investigation in the case docket is ongoing.

(2) No suspect has been identified thus far.

(2)(a)&(b) Not applicable.

Reply:

(a) Performance benchmarks were implemented at all SAPS Garages, in order to ensure the timeous turnaround of SAPS vehicles, to ensure that adequate vehicles are available at all stations and units.

The following benchmarks were implemented and are monitored on a monthly basis:

(i) Opening and closing of job cards per garage within specific timeframes for the following types of repairs and services:

• Accidents – 30 days;
• Damages – 15 days;
• Repairs – five days; and
• Services – one day.

(ii) The set production standard of individual artisans per Garage is set at 90%.

(iii) The vehicle availability percentage is set at 86% for the entire SAPS.

(b) The supervision of the various processes at the SAPS Garages, including, inter alia, the allocation of work, the performance of artisans and the various administrative processes, must be improved.

(c) An Improvement Plan has been implemented at all the SAPS Garages, to improve service delivery at the garages.

Reply:

a), (b), (c) & (d)

The Investigation Case Docket Management System (ICDMS) does not make provision for separate statistics on the possession, sale, manufacturing and use of drugs. All are categorised under drug-related offences. The total number of convictions secured, is as follows:

(i) 2007/2008 financial year = 62 019;

(ii) 2008/2009 financial year = 68 330;

(iii) 2009/2010 financial year = 77 213;

(iv) 2010/2011 financial year = 85 700; and

(v) 2011/2012 financial year = 97 373.

Reply:

(1). The e-toll scheme is official government policy and shall continue to be implemented subject to a decision to the contrary from Cabinet.

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

Reply:

a) The Department of International Relations and Cooperation did not co-ordinate or partner with the Southern African Liaison Office to host this event and did not spend any money on the workshop entitled: Dialogue on Major South African Foreign Policy Trends and Issues of 2017

b) Not applicable.

Reply:

1(a) The information pertaining to the resourcing of police stations is confidential, which in the public domain, could jeopardize the safety of police stations and personnel and ultimately impact on the safety of the public. The confidential information regarding the resourcing of police stations, is directly linked to the safety of police premises and police officials.

The Station Commander erred on the side of caution by deferring the questions on resourcing, referring the Councillor to the Provincial Office. Questions regarding the resourcing of police stations are usually referred to the Provincial Commissioner and are responded to accordingly.

The conduct of the Primrose Station Commander is in line with the recent instruction issued by the Provincial Commissioner, regarding the disclosure of confidential information.

The Station Commander in no way intended to hamper civilian oversight, however, the disclosure of confidential information by the SAPS, must be done responsibly.

(1)(b) The mandate of the National Assembly is in no way hampered as the Provincial Commissioner will gladly respond to any requests submitted for information regarding the resourcing of a police station, as long as such information will not jeopardize the safety of police stations, police officials or the community that the SAPS serves.

2. The responses to questions asked, in the form of minutes of the meeting held on 27 May 2016, was attached to the response of Question number 542.

3. All questions were responded to after this office became aware of the meeting and the questions posed.

Reply:

1.Primrose Police Station comprises three sectors.

The allocation of vehicles to these sectors is as follows:

(2)(a)(i) Sector one – two vehicles;

Sector two – one vehicle; and

Sector three – one vehicle.

(2)(a)(ii) Two sector vehicles are not in working order.

(2)(b) Vehicle one – mechanical breakdown, three weeks.

Vehicle two – mechanical breakdown, one week.

(3)(i) 14 visible police officials are allocated to each shift.

(3)(ii) Four Relief Commanders are allocated, one per shift.

Reply:

1. The position of the Government of the Republic of South Africa is that no ransom is paid for South African citizens taken hostage.

2. No, the Government has to date not paid any ransom directly or indirectly for the release of South African citizens.

3. No, the Minister has not been informed of any ransom that has been paid to date by any other entity and/or persons for the release of South African citizens.

4. The Minister will have no objection to making a statement on the matter.

Reply:

		(aa) Name of Company	(bb) The amounts outstanding	(cc) Reason for non-payment	(dd) How long have the invoices been unpaid	(ee) Envisaged date of payment
(a) DEPARTMENT
(i) Inclusive Education		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
(ii) Special Needs System		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
(b) ENTITIES
SACE
(i) Inclusive Education		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
(ii) Special Needs System		N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
UMALUSI
(i) Inclusive Education (ii) Special Needs Systems	1.	UTI	R4,206.85	Invoices not paid due to the year-end budget transitions.	35 days	18/05/2017
	2.	AJ Martin Locksmiths	R685.00	Invoices not paid due to the year-end budget transitions.	36 days	12/05/2017
	3.	Brinant Security	R60,086.11	Invoices not paid due to the year-end budget transitions.	55 days	25/05/2017
	4.	Persequor Tuindienste	R2000.00	Invoices not paid due to the year-end budget transitions.	35 days	25/05/2017
	5.	Servest Cleaning	R30,115.12	Invoices not paid due to the year-end budget transitions.	55 days	29/05/2017
	6.	Kashan Advertising	R10,264.56	Documents were misplaced	53 days	27/06/2017
TOTAL			R107,357.64

Reply:

I have being advised by the Department as follows:

The Steering Committee of the Internet for All Initiative has not yet been established.

(1)(a)(i) Not Applicable

(1)(a)(ii) Not Applicable

(2)(b) (i) Not Applicable

(2) (b) (ii) Not Applicable

(2) (b) (iii) Not Applicable

(2) (b) (iv) Not Applicable

(2) (b) (i) No budget has been allocated for programme implementation .

(2)(b) (ii) N/A

Approved/Not Approved

------------------------------

Dr Siyabonga Cwele, MP

Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

Date:

Reply:

(a) The top five exports by South Africa to Swaziland in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H271012: Light oils and preparations:	R1,626,086,619
H271600: Electrical energy 1000 kwh	R862,164,842
H100590: Unspecified maize	R487,222,526
H330210: preparations used in the food or drink industries	R360,638,988
H870421: Motor vehicles for the transport of goods not exceeding 5t	R230,763,011

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

(b) The top five imports by South Africa from Swaziland in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H330210: Mixtures of odoriferous substances used in the food or drink industries	R4,501,258,031
H382490: Unspecified chemical products	R1,845,841,148
H170113: Cane sugar specified in Subheading Note 2 to this Chapter	R1,772,053,266
H170114: Other cane sugar	R760,772,322
H620462: Trousers made of cotton	R437,624,046

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

Reply:

Air Traffic and Navigation Services SOC Limited (ATNS)

1. ATNS provides its services equally to all airspace users, and our credit terms are 30 days from date of invoice. SAA has from 01 April 2017 to date been settling their invoices on average 45 days after due date and as a result ATNS has been charging SAA interest due to late payment.

2. (a)(i) ATNS provides air traffic control services, air traffic flow management services, aeronautical information management services and alerting services to SAA and (ii) similarly to all other airspace users, (b) the rates charged are as per government gazette no 40552 dated 20 January 2017, Notice 29 of 2017, (c) ATNS credit terms are 30 days from date of invoice and this applies to SAA as well, (d) The total amount owed by SAA as at 31 July 2017 was R 65 610 477, (e) The below table is the age analysis as at 31 July 2017:

Customer Name	Customer Balance	Current	31 - 60 Days	61 - 90 Days	91 - 120 Days	121 & Over
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS	65,610,477	33,278,543	32,158,541	173,394	-	-

3. ATNS never extended/agreed to change its payment terms to SAA, from 01 April to 31 July 2017, SAA has not adhered to ATNS credit terms and as such ATNS charged SAA interest on late payments.

Reply:

I have been informed by SAPO as follows:

SAPO does not have a contract with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) as yet. SAPO has, however, received a letter of intention to work with SASSA.

(a) The final monetary value will be determined out of engagements between SAPO and SASSA.

(b) Not applicable as no contract has been signed.

(c) SAPO has submitted its proposal including its capacity to SASSA. Further, SAPO has informed me that it has the capacity to deal with various aspects of the value chain including banking services.

Approved/Not Approved

------------------------------

Dr Siyabonga Cwele, MP

Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

Date:

Reply:

(a) S v (names and details furnished)

The matter relates to a rhino crime syndicate in the Musina district and involves 1870 counts of rhino crimes and racketeering. The next appearance date for the case is 29 January 2018. One of the accused has lodged representations and the process of considering such representations is currently underway.

(b) S v (names and details furnished) (syndicate)

The matter relates to 318 counts of rhino-related crimes and racketeering; including theft of rhino horns from the Nature Conservation office in Giyani. The next appearance date is 15 September 2017 in the North Gauteng High Court. The motion application in which, inter alia, the presumptions contained in certain provincial legislation are being questioned, is being addressed.

(c) S v (names and details furnished)

This matter involves a (names and details furnished) who is involved in large scale dealing in rhino horn. He and accomplices are charged with, among others, various counts of C/S 57 of NEMBA. The matter has been postponed to 31 August 2017 for a new attorney and an application by the State for the recusal of the magistrate.

(d) S v (names and details furnished)

There are 12 accused in the matter, two of whom are members of SAPS. The accused are regarded as a rhino poaching syndicate also involved in other kinds of crime. The case against has been remanded to 28 November 2017 in the regional court, Skukuza. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) North Gauteng has directed that the case must be transferred to the High Court for trial and the case has been remanded awaiting the High Court date.

(e) S v (names and details furnished) and Others

The accused were charged with counts of dealing in rhino horn; alternatively possession of rhino horn. The trial was scheduled to take place on
23 August 2017, but Accused no 1 was murdered with his wife a few days prior to the commission of the trial. The matter has subsequently been postponed to
6 September 2017 for the State to consider its position against Accused no 2 and 3.

Reply:

I have been advised by the Department as follows:-

(1)(a) To advise the Department on the amount of spectrum required to ensure that the Wireless Open Access Network is viable.

(1)(b) R 1 197 022, 80 (VAT Inclusive)

(1)(c) End of August 2017

(2)(a)&(b) No. This is an internal study to inform the implementation of the policy. The Minister is required by law to engage stakeholders and the general public on policy and policy directions. The study will inform the future policy direction, and I will consult stakeholders as it becomes necessary.

Approved/Not Approved

------------------------------

Dr Siyabonga Cwele, MP

Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

Date:

Reply:

(a) The top five exports by South Africa to Malawi in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H870421: Motor vehicles for the transport of goods not exceeding 5t	R 163,157,897
H210690: Other food preparations not elsewhere specified	R 133,314,749
H390210: Polypropylene	R 121,339,450
H380893: Herbicides, anti-sprouting products and plant-growth regulators	R 94,252,581
H271012: Light oils and preparations:	R 91,965,903

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

(b) The top five imports by South Africa from Malawi in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value (in Million Rands)
H090240: Other black tea (fermented) and other partly fermented tea	R 394,218,297
H240120: Tobacco, partly or wholly stemmed or stripped	R 60,900,308
H170199: Other cane or beet sugar containing flavouring or coloring matter	R 40,980,620
H400129: Other latex rubber products not pre-vulcanised	R 35,945,579
H441299: Other products of plywood, veneered panels and similar laminated products	R 26,991,161

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

Reply:

I have been informed by the Department as follows:

(a)-(b) No budget allocations from the Department’s estimates of expenditure have been or will be transferred to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA). ICASA has budgeted for this area of work as reflected in its Annual Performance Plan.

Approved/Not Approved

------------------------------

Dr Siyabonga Cwele, MP

Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

Date:

Reply:

1. The Minister will exercise his discretion in terms of Section 49 (1) of the MPRDA for mining in the area subsequent to the submission of a technical report currently been compiled by the Joint Planning Task Team comprising officials from the Department of Mineral Resources, Department of Environmental Affairs and Department of Water and Sanitation.
2. On the strength of the information received, the Minister is considering to restrict the granting of any right over the properties within a buffer zone of the Mapungubwe work Heritage site. The environmental sensitivity of the wetlands and grasslands as well as the overall occurrence of certain species were duly considered when the area was declared to be a buffer zone. If the area falls outside the buffer zone as declared, the necessary studies shall be conducted and the result thereof shall be presented for further consideration by the Minister. The restriction would not constitute prohibition and each case will be considered on its merits.

Approved/Not Approved

Mr MJ Zwane, MP

Minister of Mineral Resources

Date Submitted:-……………/………………/2017

Reply:

(a) (i) The Department appointed a service provider to assist with the drafting of the Railway Safety Bill and payment of invoices are aligned to project deliverables/milestones. The Department only process payment once it is satisfied with the deliverables and delays in finalising the deliverables subsequently leads to under expenditure.

(ii) The project team has regular engagements to fast-track the deliverables.

(iii) This is monitored through constant engagement, progress reports and regular follow ups with the service provider.

(b) (i)(aa)(bb)(cc)(dd) The Railway Safety Bill had to undergo the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System(SEIAS) process, which was not anticipated, as the SEIAS process was not yet introduced by the time the project timelines were drafted. The stakeholder consultations process also took longer than was anticipated and this further prolonged the completion of the deliverables. This subsequently also negatively affected the timeframes and the deadlines.

(ii) The draft Railway Safety Bill has been finalised and it is due for submission to Cabinet for approval for further broader consultation.

NW2778E

Reply:

(1) The suspension of Mr Aphane is still a matter between the department and the employee. The circumstance leading to the suspension cannot be disclosed to anyone as this is still under investigation. This cannot be revealed as it might taint the integrity of the investigation.

(2) The matter is still under investigation and the processes are within the 60 days prescribed by the law and no findings and outcomes have been reached. The matter will be subjected to disciplinary processes as guided by Chapter 7 of SMS handbook.

Reply:

(a) The top five exports by South Africa to Namibia in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H271012: Light oils and preparations	R2,261,295,005
H870421: Motor vehicles for the transport of goods not exceeding 5t	R2,108,908,680
H271600: Electrical energy 1000 kwh	R1,527,564,830
H300490: Unspecified Medicaments	R862,922,173
H170114: Other cane sugar	R750,358,210

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

(b) The top five imports by South Africa from Namibia in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H220300: Beer made from malt	R715,769,582
H010229: Unspecified live bovine animal	R624,109,615
H710231: Unworked or simply sawn, cleaved or bruted	R445,852,448
H790120: Zinc alloys	R274,928,114
H030355: Jack and horse mackerel	R269,110,278

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

Reply:

(a) The top five exports by South Africa to Zambia in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H271012: Light oils and preparations:	R 2,077,475,340
H843149: Parts for boring or sinking machinery	R 712,322,890
H271600: Electrical energy 1000 kwh	R 686,494,530
H870421: Motor vehicles for the transport of goods not exceeding 5t	R 541,189,908
H310290: Other, including mixtures not specified in the foregoing subheadings	R 498,243,927

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

(b) The top five imports by South Africa from Zambia in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H740311: Cathodes and sections of cathodes	R 720,415,928
H740811: Of which the maximum cross-sectional dimension exceeds 6 mm	R 475,504,693
H520100: Cotton, not carded or combed:	R 269,585,968
H720221: Containing mass more than 55 per cent of silicon	141,168,698
H854449: Insulated copper wire	115,810,930

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

Reply:

(a) The top five exports by South Africa to Zimbabwe in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H271600: Electrical energy 1000 kwh	R2,000,576,962
H100590: Unspecified maize	R1,534,766,472
H271012: Light oils and preparations	R752,936,660
H870421: Motor vehicles for the transport of goods not exceeding 5t	R558,812,658
H150710: Crude oil, whether or not degummed	R530,622,383

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

(b) The top five imports by South Africa from Zimbabwe in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H750110: Nickel mattes	R2,229,094,553
H260400: Nickel ores and concentrates	R1,366,860,404
H240120: Tobacco, partly or wholly stemmed or stripped	R769,540,454
H253090: Minerals not elsewhere specified	R175,025,246
H261000: Chromium ores and concentrates	R124,332,647

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

Reply:

(a)(i) The Department has appointed a service provider to assist with the development of the National Railway Safety Strategy. Payments of invoices are aligned to project deliverables/milestones. The Department only process payment once it is satisfied with the deliverables and any delay in finalising the deliverables subsequently leads to under expenditure for that period.

(ii) The project team had regular engagements with the service provider in order to fast-track the deliverables

(iii) This is monitored through constant engagement, progress reports and regular follow ups with the service provider.

(b)(i) (aa)(bb)(cc)(dd) The period which was initially set out for stakeholder consultation proved to be not sufficient which affected deliverables, the timelines, the timeframes and the deadlines.

(ii) The the timelines, the timeframes and the deadlines are interrelated and in addressing them the Department continuously work closely with the service provider to ensure that the missed time-frames/timelines/deadlines are corrected.

NW2781E

Reply:

(a) The top five exports by South Africa to Mozambique in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H261000: Chromium ores and concentrates	R 3,412,980,607
H271600: Electrical energy 1000 kwh	R 3,320,872,456
H720241: Containing mass more than 4 per cent of carbon	R 2,304,527,424
H271012: Light oils and preparations	R 1,714,658,103
H260300: Copper ores and concentrates	R 744,247,536

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

(b) The top five imports by South Africa from Mozambique in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

 

Products	Value in 2016
H271111: Natural gas	R 3,108,880,405
H271600: Electrical energy 1000 kwh	R 2,644,697,897
H271012: Light oils and preparations:	R 1,232,553,978
H760511: Of which the maximum cross-sectional dimension exceeds 7 mm:	R 455,280,852
H670490: Other wigs, false beards and eye lashes and products of human hair	R 409,189,161

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

Reply:

(a) The top five exports by South Africa to Angola in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H843143: Parts for boring or sinking machinery of subheading 843041 or 843049	R518,496,654
H880230: Aeroplanes and other aircraft, of an unladen mass exceeding 2 000 kg but not exceeding 15 000 kg	R360,413,163
H110313: Maize meal (corn):	R312,714,968
H271012: Light oils and preparations:	R205,893,309
H240220: Cigarettes containing tobacco:	R186,216,177

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

(b) The top five imports by South Africa from Angola in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H270900: Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude	R18,556,018,256
H710231: Unworked or simply sawn, cleaved or bruted	R20,209,823
H732690: Other articles of iron and steal	R7,162,152
H843143: Parts for boring or sinking machinery of subheading 843041 or 843049	R7,159,374
H847990: Parts of Machines and mechanical appliances not else specified	R6,918,335

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

Reply:

I have been informed by the Department as follows:

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is currently working on transparency mechanisms to regulate the expiry of data bundles. Initial interventions will ensure provisions to ensure that all segments of data bundles do not automatically expire after 30 days but have a cascading scale as proposed in ICASA’s Draft Regulations:

1MB to 50MB: 10 days

50MB to 500MB: 30 days

500MB to 1GB: 60 days

1GB to 5GB: 90 days

5GB to 10GB: 180 days

10GB to 20GB: 12 months

>20GB: 24 months

In terms of the Draft Regulations:

Industry will be required to inform consumers as data gets depleted due to use, and also allow them an option to choose whether to purchase more data bundles as opposed to the usual default to out of bundle rates. The final regulations will be in place by the end of October 2017.

The Competition Commission has announced the commencement of its inquiry into the ICT market and the data market in particular (from 18 September 2017 to 31 August 2018). The intervention of the Commission will include the following actions:

 (a) Obtain a clear understanding of the data services value chain, including interactions and commercial relationships between different levels of the value chain as well as the relationship with other parts of the ICT sector and the broader economy;

 (b) Assess the state of competition throughout the value chain in order to identify areas of market power where consumers may be exploited and to identify any structural, behavioural and regulatory factors that may influence pricing;

 (c) Benchmark South African data pricing against those of other countries; and

 (d) Establish whether data supply quality and coverage is adequate by international standards and the country's developmental needs.

Approved/Not Approved

------------------------------

Dr Siyabonga Cwele, MP

Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

Date:

Reply:

(a) The top five exports by South Africa to Botswana in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H710231: Unworked or simply sawn, cleaved or bruted	R7,633,268,686
H271012: Light oils and preparations	R7,176,487,201
H271600: Electrical energy 1000 kwh	R1,646,527,967
H260400: Nickel ores and concentrates	R1,148,293,100
H870421: Motor vehicles for the transport of goods not exceeding 5t	R1,133,167,489

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

(b) The top five imports by South Africa from Botswana in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H710231: Unworked or simply sawn, cleaved or bruted	R1,770,508,887
H854430: Ignition wiring sets and other wiring sets of a kind used in vehicles, aircraft or ships	R1,558,813,338
H283620: Disodium carbonate	R527,498,394
H020230: Boneless Meat of sheep or goats, fresh, chilled or frozen	R285,871,610
H391729: Tubes, pipes and hoses, and fittings therefor of other plastics	R213,685,874

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

Reply:

1. The appointed staff within Community Education and Training (CET) colleges was transferred from the erstwhile Adult Education and Training units within the Provincial Departments of Education to the Department of Higher Education and Training under Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act of 1995. The conditions of service for these appointed staff can only be changed through a collective bargaining process in terms of both the Labour Relation Act and Public Service Act.

2. The Department intends to standardise the post establishment model.

(a) In the short-term, the Department is applying the post provisioning model to CET colleges whilst the Department is working towards a programme funded model, which is deemed to be more efficient. The outcome of the programme diversification pilot will assist the Department in determining which programmes are in demand, and what are the cost drivers for each programme.

(b) The implementation of a standardised post establishment model will require the allocation of additional funding. The Department has compiled a draft costed model for the standardisation of the conditions of employment for CET college staff. The model has to be subjected to a collective bargaining process and tabling to National Treasury for additional funding through a bidding process. The speed at which the collective bargaining process progresses depends on the Public Service Central Bargaining Council’s (PSCBC) determination on whether the CET college lecturers’ conditions of service are collectively bargained for in the General Public Service Sector Bargaining Council or any other collective bargaining council which the PSCBC may determine.

(c) The implementation of a standardized post establishment model is subject to the availability of funding and conclusion of a collective agreement with Labour. Service Sector Bargaining Council

COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:

EXT:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

QUESTION 2370 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

STATUS:

DATE:

Reply:

(a) The top five exports by South Africa to the United Republic of Tanzania in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H720839: Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, hot-rolled, not clad, plated or coated of a thickness of less than 3 mm	R358,002,635
H870421: Motor vehicles for the transport of goods not exceeding 5t	R341,876,063
H480810: Corrugated paper and paperboard, whether or not perforated	R185,115,280
H720711: Semi-Finished products of iron or non- alloy steel of rectangular (including square) cross-section, the width measuring less than twice the thickness	R148,088,917
H390210: Polypropylene:	R134,075,221

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

(b) The top five imports by South Africa from the United Republic of Tanzania in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H090240: Other black tea (fermented) and other partly fermented tea	R63,291,536
H610910: T-shirts, singlets and other vests, knitted or crocheted of cotton	R53,910,173
H090111: Coffee (Not decaffeinated)	R51,046,486
H710231: Unworked or simply sawn, cleaved or bruted	R38,273,794
H240220: Cigarettes containing tobacco	R19,419,945

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

Reply:

Guidelines on Parliamentary Questions published on the Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports (ATC) dated 25 November 2017 indicate that “Questions may not refer to matters under consideration of a parliamentary committee or deal with matters within the jurisdiction of the chairperson of a parliamentary committee or a House of Parliament;". The matter on travel to Dubai is with Office of the Members’ Interest for consideration by the Parliamentary Committee on Ethics and Member’s Interests.

Reply:

The provision and implementation of close-in-transit protection services, is provided to the National Director of Public Prosecutions. This was done after a Threats and Risk Assessment have been done many years back and has been the norm with all other predecessors appointed to hold the same office. Security services are therefore provided to the Office of the NDPP, irrespective of the person holding such office at any time. Threats and Risk Assessments are done as and when required and the outcome thereof will determine the kind of security required. Threat assessment reports remain confidential.

Reply:

(1) (a) What is the total amount that has been spent on Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality’s Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system to date and (b) what was the initial budget;

The amount spent on the City of Ekurhuleni’s Bus Rapid Transit system has spent R1 687 509 216 to date and the initial budget was R 2 272 685 751.

(2) (a) on what date was the specified BRT system supposed to have been fully operational, (b) by what date will the specified BRT system be fully operational and (c) what additional amount is needed in order for the BRT system to become fully operational;

 (a) The date that the BRT system was supposed to be fully operational was June 2016.

 (b) The BRT system will be partially operational (kerbside) by the end of September 2017, subject to the finalisation of negotiations with affected taxi operators. Full operations (on trunk route) are scheduled to when the infrastructure is fully complete, in 2018.

 (c) There is no additional money that is needed in order for the BRT system to become fully operational, outside of the allocated budget of R660m for infrastructure and operations for the 2017/18 financial year.

(3) what are the reasons for the delay in making the specified BRT system operational?

The reasons for the delay in making the BRT system operational include but are not limited to:

(a) Delays in the procurement process for the various work streams, especially BRT Infrastructure. Currently, the stations, stream crossings, pedestrian bridges, bridges on the trunk route are still under construction.

 (b) The slow pace of construction by some of the infrastructure contractors as well as financial cash flow challenges, and lack of performance experienced by some contractors, some of whom had their contracts terminated. For instance, the contractors for some sections of the trunk were constantly penalised due to failure to meet project milestones and delivery deadlines while the initial station contractors were terminated due to inability to proceed within the budget as a result of poor cash flow management.

 (c) The protracted process of negotiations between the City of Ekurhuleni and the Ekurhuleni Taxi Industry, and the long process of establishment of the Special Purpose Vehicle (Vehicle Operating Company named KTVR), which will be contracted for the BRT operations by the City of Ekurhuleni.

NW2665E

Reply:

(1) (a) The rhinos were translocated from the Kruger National Park; and

(b) were translocated to Langgeluk Beleggings property in Kroonstad which comprises several farms across the Kroonstad district.

(2) The 20 rhinos are in private ownership and management.

(3) Private rhino owners authorised to possess rhinos are responsible for the security of their rhinos. Government supports such rhino owners, either upon request or through the overall national and provincial programs like the Intergrated Strategic Management Approach.

(4) (a) and (b)

The size and the whereabouts of the stockpile cannot be disclosed for security reasons.

---ooOoo---

Reply:

I have been informed by the Department as follows:

1(a) (i) The Department has not finalised the appointment of the NCAC members. The Department is reviewing the received applications and thereafter the appointment process will be finalised.

(ii) As indicated in 1(a)(i) above, the appointment process has not yet been concluded, however, the professional designations of the applicants are as follows: (5) five from the legal fraternity, (4) four government officials, (5) five from academia, (16) sixteen from the ICT-sector, (1) one member of a research council and (3) three members of NGO’s.

(1)(b) The appointment of NCAC members have not been finalised.

(1)(c) 34 nominations were received

(2) No

(2)(a) Cabinet approval is not a prerequisite, however, according to the NCAC Terms of Reference, the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services has the responsibility to appoint the Council Members.

(2)(b) See (2)(a) above

(3) The Minister will meet with the Council as soon as the members of the Council have been appointed.

(4)(a) According to the National Cybersecurity Policy Framework the mandate of the NCAC is to advise the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services on policy and technical issues, and other matters pertinent to Cybersecurity pursuant to building confidence and trust in the secure use of ICTs.

(4)(b) After appointment, the NCAC will engage with the Department and the Minister, thereafter it will adopt a work plan which will detail the deliverables for the term of the Council.

Approved/Not Approved

------------------------------

Dr Siyabonga Cwele, MP

Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

Date:

Reply:

(a) What number of complaints have been lodged with the Ombudsman

Financial period	Total number
2013/14	156
2014/15	1270
2015/16	2133

NB: Final information relating to the 2016/17 will be made available once the Annual Report is tabled in Parliament. In regard to earlier Parliamentary Question 1614, details relating to 2016/17 were provisional and were still to be verified.

and (b) what number of the complaints submitted, expressed as percentages,

(i) were successful for the applicant(s) and (ii) were unsuccessful in that there was no merit in the applications? NW2614E

Year	Successful for taxpayer	Unsuccessful for taxpayer
2013/14	80%	20%
2014/15	84%	16%
2015/16	87%	13%

NB: The 2016/17 information will be made available once the Annual Report has been tabled in Parliament.

Reply:

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is the legislatively empowered controlling entity for statistics on the importation and exportation of goods. Exercising this control entails record-keeping, verification, publication and analysis of trade data. SARS does not ordinarily disclose the names of either importing or exporting companies to the Department of Trade and Industry. SARS considers this information to be highly confidential and, in acting within the confines of the Customs and Excise Act, Act 91 of 1964 as amended, SARS may only disclose such information in very limited circumstances.

 

 

Reply:

(a)(i) The Department has appointed a service provider to assist with the development of the National Railway Safety Strategy. Payments of invoices are aligned to project deliverables/milestones. The Department only process payment once it is satisfied with the deliverables and any delay in finalising the deliverables subsequently leads to under expenditure for that period.

(ii) The project team had regular engagements with the service provider in order to fast-track the deliverables

(iii) This is monitored through constant engagement, progress reports and regular follow ups with the service provider.

(b)(i) (aa))bb)(cc)(dd) The period which was initially set out for stakeholder consultation proved to be insufficient and this affected delivery period that has subsequently affected the timelines, timeframes and deadlines.

(ii) The timelines, timeframes and deadlines are interrelated and in addressing them the Department continuously work closely with the service provider to ensure that the missed time-frames/timelines/deadlines are corrected.

NW2781E

Reply:

1. (a) The funding allocation to Provincial Education Departments is as follows:

Province	Allocation 2017/18	Allocation 2018/19	Allocation 2019/20
	R’000	R’000	R’000
Eastern Cape	3 537	12 283	14 622
Free State	11 368	28 864	34 360
Gauteng	12 632	30 707	36 554
KwaZulu-Natal	5 558	14 739	17 545
Limpopo	9 853	24 565	29 243
Mpumalanga	12 883	31 322	37 285
Northern Cape	2 021	6 142	7 312
North West	2 274	6 756	8 042
Western Cape	11 874	30 093	35 822
Total	72 000	185 471	220 785

(b) Provinces will distribute the grant in accordance with the following guidelines as stipulated in the Grant Framework:

• 13% for training of teachers and the 31 Outreach Teams;
• 11% for Learning and Teaching Support Materials, toolkits and equipment for centres and designated schools;
• 56% for compensation of itinerant teams and provincial co-ordinators; as well as
• 20% for administration including travel, vehicles, accommodation and subsistence.

(2) (a) The Grant will be used to benefit learners in the following ways:

• To provide therapeutic and psycho-social intervention to learners and their families in targeted 186 schools and 280 care centres by appointing and training 155 specialised staff, who will provide the therapeutic intervention and procuring equipment as well as learning teaching support materials (LTSM) to be used by the staff;
• To track, provide learner-specific support and follow up on their progress by creating a comprehensive and reliable database of learners in the targeted schools and care centres;
• To provide quality education and support to learners by further developing the professional capacity, knowledge and skills of caregivers and teachers in the 280 care centres, 186 schools;
• To facilitate leaners’ access to various government services and other intervention programmes through working collaboratively with other government departments and non-governmental organisations (NGO); and
• To advocate for learners’ rights to access public-funded quality education through documenting and reporting on the Grant’s achievements.

(b) The Grant will be used to benefit teachers in the following ways:

• To provide accredited training programmes to teachers in 186 schools, caregivers in 280 care centres and 155 therapists, on disability and on how to implement the Learning Programme for Learners with Severe to Profound Intellectual Disability;
• To develop teachers’ and caregivers’ professional practice in managing learners with severe to profound intellectual disability, through the provision of onsite training and support by a team of therapists and special needs teachers; and
• To provide caregivers in 280 targeted care centres an opportunity to acquire a Level 5 qualification, which is currently being developed by the DBE in collaboration with the University of Cape Town.

(3) Yes. The grant was prompted by the judgement of the Western Cape High Court in 2010, in the case of the Western Cape Forum for Intellectual Disability against the Government of South Africa and the Government of the Province of the Western Cape (Case No: 18678/2007).

Reply:

1. (a) 21 sites

(b) R154 152 385.16

(c)

1. Strelley Northern Cape
2. Jebolo: Northern Cape
3. Prieska Old Hospital: Northern Cape
4. Langley Limpopo:
5. Mafefe Kappa: Limpopo
6. Prieska Parkland Creation: Northern Cape
7. Heuningvlei: Northern Cape
8. Vergenoeg: Northern Cape
9. Ga-Lotolo: Northern Cape
10. Lokaleng Northern Cape
11. Ditabogong: Limpopo
12. Mahlatjane: Limpopo
13. Klipriver: Kwazulu Natal
14. Sithilo: Kwazulu Natal
15. Ga-Madiba: Limpopo
16. Betle: Limpopo
17. Mang le Mang: Limpopo
18. Masaneng: Northern Cape
19. Buisvlei South: Northern Cape
20. Buisvlei North: Northern Cape
21. Motsane: Limpopo

2. (a) 234

(b) R1 701 278 865

3. 2029

Approved/Not Approved

Mr MJ Zwane, MP

Minister of Mineral Resources

Date Submitted:-……………/………………/2017

Reply:

With regards to the above information requested please see attachment - Annexure A.

 

 

Reply:

(a) The top five exports by South Africa to Lesotho in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H271012: Light oils and preparations	R1,880,742,274
H100590: Unspecified Maize	R497,459,187
H110313: Maize meal	R355,693,456
H853890: Unspecified Parts	R298,432,918
H252329:Unspecified cement	R242,309,390

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

(b) The top five imports by South Africa from Lesotho in 2016; listed at 6-digit HS Code level and in accordance with Rand value; were the following:

Products	Value in 2016
H853620: Automatic circuit breakers:	R353,169,564
H940190: Seats (excluding those of heading 9402)	R313,721,058
H620342: Mens or boys suits made of cotton	R273,217,737
H510529: Wool not Combed	R212,947,375
H610910: T-shirts made of cotton	R201,385,719

Source: www.thedti.gov.za

Reply:

Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS) is in a better position to provide a Reply to this Parliamentary Question. This Parliamentary Question should be redirected to DTPS

Reply:

(a) The letter, dated 23 May 2017, from Michael Waters MP (Deputy Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance), was received on 12 June 2017. The office of the Provincial Commissioner, acknowledge of receipt, thereof.

(b) A case of crimen injuria and corruption (bribery) was opened, as per Edenvale CAS 108/06/2017. The matter was reported to the Cluster Community Police Board, for the necessary disciplinary action to be instituted against the Chairperson. A date was set for, 20 June 2017.

Reply:

(a) The compliance promotion and awareness workshop held on 08 June 2017 produced positive outcomes in relation to the implementation of the department’s environmental legislation. The workshop provided:

i) the competent authorities (national Department of Environmental Affairs, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Ethekwini Municipality) with an opportunity to present to the traditional healers, muti traders and muti collectors all applicable environmental legislation and to promote awareness of all legal requirements that have to be complied with when they carry out their business;

ii) the traditional healers and muti traders and muti collectors with an opportunity to provide an insight into their understanding of the various legal requirements that they have to comply with;

iii) the traditional healers, muti traders and muti collectors with an opportunity to provide proof of their willingness to comply with environmental legislation and the steps or initiatives undertaken to ensure that they operate within the ambit of the law; and

iv) the traditional healers, muti traders and muti collectors also had an opportunity to highlight the challenges and frustration they encounter in respect of the permit application process and the delay in issuing permits by some of the authorities. They also requested authorities to consider reviewing the duration of the permit with a view to increasing the validity period from one year to two or three years.

The highlight of the workshop was the announcement by Mr Zihlahlazemithi Cele (a traditional healer from the area of uMlazi, who has cultivated more than 500 indigenous plants species with medicinal value) that he no longer harvests from the wild. The department is accordingly encouraging all traditional healers to be like Mr Cele and establish their own muti-gardens.

(b) The department is working with all relevant stakeholders in the province, namely, the South African Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), the provincial environmental authorities, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the eThekwini Municipality and the leadership of traditional healers to ensure that there is increasing compliance with environmental legislation. The department is working closely with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife which is a permitting authority in the province to ensure that permits are issued as speedily as possible. These initiatives are aimed at preventing the trade in critical and endangered species at the various muti markets in operation around the country and is the first phase of an ongoing compliance drive being pioneered in this economic and medicinal sector.

---ooOoo---

Reply:

(1) The Council on Higher Education (CHE) has been utilising a consultative approach to engage with higher education institutions for the past year on how best to undertake institutional quality assurance, underpinned by a review of recent trends in quality assurance internationally. In line with these trends, the CHE is preparing a framework document for the new process, which will be called Institutional Quality Reviews (IQRs). IQRs will assess the effectiveness of institutions’ quality assurance systems. The framework document will be presented to the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) on 9 November 2017, where after a copy can be made available. The process will be piloted in February 2018. Volunteers to undergo pilots will be solicited at a meeting of Deputy Vice-Chancellors: Academic as well as Teaching and Learning on 20 September 2017.

(2) The implementation of IQRs is scheduled to begin in the 2018/19 financial year, provided funding is made available.

COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:

EXT:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

QUESTION 2372 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

STATUS:

DATE:

Reply:

(a) Four (4)

(b) and (c)

DESIGNATION	NAME	PERIOD SERVED IN POSITION
Director - General	Ms N. Nduli	16 July 2008 to 15 October 2009
Director - General	Mr L. Zita	16 September 2010 to 16 August 2012
Director - General	Prof EV Vries	01 October 2013 to 22 September 2015
Director - General	Mr MM Mlengana	01 July 2016 – current (Was placed on pre- cautionary suspension on 11 July 2017).