Questions and Replies

Reply:

Yes, the matter was investigated by Serious Organised Crime, per Enquiry No. 19/11/2016.

There is no evidence linking the person (name and details furnished) to rhino poaching activities.

Reply:

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has provided the following information with respect to current debt. It must be noted that student debt is only repayable once the graduate or dropout is employed and earning in excess of R30 000 per annum.

Category	Amount Outstanding
Graduates	R6.148 billion
Drop outs	R4.002 billion
Total	R10.150 billion

COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:

EXT:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

QUESTION 2463 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

STATUS:

DATE:

Reply:

I responded to a similar question from the Honourable Member on 30 June 2017 and indicated the terms of the Boards and Councils reporting to me. Please find enclosed a copy of the reply for ease of reference.

Currently, there are no new advertisements out for filling of any positions in Boards and Councils in my portfolio.

Reply:

As mentioned previously the dti officials, including role-playing staff in the Ministry have attended study group meetings of the African National Congress. The participation of officials from the dti were limited to responding to technical queries e.g related to legislation. Upon invitation, officials only attended when they were in Cape Town for other purposes.

 

Reply:

Honourable Member, the Department could not find any information using the ID number provided and efforts to gain more information from your office failed.

I am therefore requesting that you provide me with further details so that we can make the necessary intervention and assist to resolve the matter.

Further, cases such as these should concern all of us as public representatives and our first instinct should be to assist. I hope the Honourable Member has, beyond asking the question, provided some assistance and advice on what the person referred to should do while this matter is being investigated.

Reply:

Chapter 3 of the National Water Act, 1998 makes provision for the protection of water resources. As part of protecting the water resources, the Minister is required to determine water resource classes and Resource Quality Objectives. The water source areas will therefore be protected by ensuring that they are prioritized for protection when determining the water resource classes and resource quality objectives. Once the class of a water resource and the resource quality objectives have been determined they are binding on all authorities and institutions when exercising any power or performing any duty under the National Water Act, 1998. The Department has regulatory measures in place, which include monthly water quality monitoring programmes in order to ensure that the levels of protection are maintained and any transgressors are dealt with accordingly.

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Reply:

(a) The preliminary investigation is still underway and there are no outcomes;

(b) A preliminary investigation to establish the veracity of the allegations made in a protected disclosure has been instituted by the Minister of Science and Technology and CSIR Board.

Reply:

(a) The Kwamaphumulo (KTA) and Stanger Taxi Associations (STA), in Kwazulu-Natal, have been embroiled in conflict that has claimed many casualties, amongst others, the killing of Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Chonco and Inkosi Mbongezi Zondi, an ex-member of the Cato Manor Organised Crime Unit.

Lt Col Chonco was appointed as the Provincial Co-ordinator and was tasked to investigate the taxi violence between the KTA and the STA.

On 27 August 2008, Lt Col Chonco was killed, whilst transporting accused persons to court. The KTA was suspected of being involved in the killing of the officer.

It is alleged that the killing of Lt Col Chonco had triggered the Cato Manor South African Police Service (SAPS) members’ elimination of all the persons suspected in the involvement of the death of Lt Col Chonco.

The 18 members who were suspended on 11 September 2012 and the three members who were suspended on 30 August 2012, respectively, are members of the Cato Manor SAPS, who were allegedly involved in the elimination of the suspects who were involved in the killing of Lt Col Chonco and Inkosi Mbongezi Zondi.

The disciplinary cases against the members, involve allegations of tampering with the murder scenes in Esikhaweni: CAS 103/04/2010, Durban Central: CAS 185/02/2009, Tongaat: CAS 190/03/2009, Durban North: CAS 69/07/2011 and Melmoth: CAS 142/11/2008.

(a)(i)(ii)The incidents relate to allegations that Cato Manor SAPS members shot and killed members of the community, who according to them, were suspects in the cases that they were investigating.

N.B. The three members attached to the National Intervention Unit (NIU), based in Durban, were involved in the same offences with the Cato Manor Organised Crime Unit. However, the NIU is a component reporting to the Division: Operational Response Services, while the 18 members are reporting to the Head: Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI).

(b) Melmoth CAS, 142/11/2008.

All the employees charged, were acquitted of the alleged misconduct.

Esikhawini, CAS 103/04/2010.

The disciplinary hearing was postponed indefinitely.

Tongaat, CAS 190/03/2009.

All employees have appeared before the Chairperson. The matter is postponed indefinitely for closing arguments.

Durban Central, CAS 185/02/2009.

All the witnesses have testified and the matter is still in progress.

Durban North, CAS 69/07/2011 and Durban North, CAS 71/07/2011.

The matter has not yet been placed on the court roll.

Reply:

(a) and (b) Major General P M Mokushane’s application for Security Clearance was presented before the Security Vetting Panel (SVP) on 1 April 2015. Consideration whether to issue, deny or downgrade the clearance level applied for was presented. The panel established that there were outstanding results of a counter intelligence investigation, as per the SVP request of 26 May 2014. Furthermore, his personal documents, as prescribed by the National Strategic Intelligence Act 2002 (Act No 67 of 2002), had also not been received. As a consequence thereof, the SVP decided to issue a “NO CLEARANCE”.

On 9 February 2016 the application of the Major General was placed under review, at which stage the counter intelligence investigation results had been received to the effect that, the investigation against him had been “serious and sensitive”, and further that, no additional information could be exposed, with regard to the investigation. The outstanding personal documents, which included matric and tertiary qualifications, had still not been made available, rendering the SVP unable to form an objective opinion, with regard to his security competency. It was then agreed to issue a “NO CLEARANCE”.

Reply:

Yes, Magalies Water is paying for courses or further studies for the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Executive Officer for a Senior Executive Program-Africa: Harvard Business School in collaboration with Gordon Institute of Business Science. The total cost of the courses is R326 542.50 each (US$25,000/person) for the period 31/07/2017 to 01/12/2017. Below are further details regarding the courses as follows:

The Senior Executive Program-Africa is aimed at building exceptional leaders in the African continent. Harvard Business School Executive Education offers the Senior Executive Program - Africa, in partnership with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) of Pretoria University in South Africa. It is designed to strengthen the leadership skills and build insight into local, regional, and global markets, the program explores the proven approaches of successful leaders in Africa and around the globe, preparing participants to compete effectively, seize the region's many growth opportunities, and sustain success for one’sorganisation.

The 2017 offering comprises a module in Kigali from 13 August to 18 August 2017; an independent work module from August 2017 to November 2017; and a module on the Harvard Business School campus in Boston from 26 November to 01 December 2017. It is intended to help participants build the knowledge, perspective, and confidence needed to lead more effectively and accelerate the company's growth. Participants also have the opportunity to share insights and learn from other senior leaders across Africa.

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Reply:

(1)(a) Currently the Deputy Director General under suspension is Mr Anil Singh.

(1)(b) Following allegations of misconduct by the Deputy Director-General, the Director-General decided to apply a precautionary suspension in terms of Chapter 7 of the SMS Handbook of the manager concerned pending an investigation into such allegations.

(1)(c) Arising from the suspension, the Director-General appointed a senior manager in an acting capacity as Deputy Director-General: Regulation whose responsibility it is to perform all the functions, duties and delegations pertaining to the post.

 

(2) No, the date for the publication of the Draft National Water and Sanitation Bill in August 2017 cannot be met due to the following:

The Bill was presented to the ESEID cluster on 19 July 2017, requesting approval for submission to Cabinet for Cabinet to approve the publication of the Bill in the government gazette for public comment.

The cluster recommended further consultation with all other government departments being members of both the ESEID and SPCHD clusters. The further consultation took place on 10 August 2017 and the Bill will be resubmitted to the cluster at the date to be specified. Only after Cabinet has approved, the Bill will be gazetted for public comments.

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Reply:

(1) The case has been remanded in court. No further suspects could at this stage be linked to the case. Concerted efforts are being made to locate the stolen computers.

(2) None of the stolen computers have been recovered, thus far.

(3) Yes, the arrested suspect has been criminally charged and the case has been remanded to, 17 July 2017.

(4)(a)(b) Gauteng Provincial Investigation Unit has not made any further arrests. Currently, there is no evidence that links any other person to the case.

Reply:

(a)(i)(ii)(aa)(aaa)(bbb)(bb)(cc) The South African Police Service (SAPS), is not currently funding any institution of research and development, domestically and/or internationally.

It is, however, of importance to note the existence of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which was concluded on 18 February 2014, between the SAPS and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The MOA was realised, as a result of the need by the SAPS to access scientific and engineering expertise. This was to support both the operational and strategic components, in responding to the strategic objectives and priorities of the SAPS, which includes the modernisation of various aspects of policing. This is based on a quotation basis for a specific service, when requested.

(b) For a reply by the entities reporting to the Minister of Police.

Reply:

The Question in Parliament, no 1360, that appears in the National Assembly Internal Question Paper no 17 dated 19 May 2017, refers.

The reply to Question 1004 was submitted and attached here is the remaining annexures

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:

(a)(i) The Department has appointed a service provider to assist with the development of the White Paper National Rail Policy. 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 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 and technical discussions in finalizing the policy positions.

(b)(i) (aa)(bb)(cc)(dd)

During the finalization of the draft White Paper process it became apparent that some policy proposals needed further research to consider implementation challenges. This was done in order to balance the views of different stakeholder’s that emerged during consultation.

(ii) The draft White Paper of Rail Policy has been finalised and payments have been processed on those deliverables achieved. The consultations with provinces is underway.

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:

1. Evidential blood test results are handled by forensic laboratories and handed directly to the SAPS for processing in court.

2. This information is contained in the SAPS docket and the RTMC does not keep this data.

3. This matter is handled by the SAPS and the justice department.

4. This information is kept by the SAPS as the authority that processes the cases for court.

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 case docket is still under investigation.

(1)(b) Edenvale, CAS 84/05/2017, murder and business robbery.

(2) No arrests had been made to date. The investigating officer is still following up on leads.

(3)(a) No suspects have been interviewed to date.

(3)(b) Seven witnesses were interviewed.

(3)(b)(i) The witnesses were interviewed, on 7 May 2017.

(3)(b)(ii) Four statements were made by the witnesses.

(4) It is not possible to commit to a specific date. The case will be finalised once all the exhibits have been analysed and all leads followed up.

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:

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 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) R600 is Main Road P212 which is 34km under Okhahlamba Local Municipality; the

bi) Departmental has been maintaining the road by means of the following activities:

• Verge Maintenance is being done on regular basis;
• Pothole Patching has been done by the Departmental internal team when it is required; and
• During the 2016/17 financial year seal rejuvenation has been done on the road between km 0.5 to km 13.

b) Main Road P212 is due for Heavy Rehabilitation and design is schedule to commence in the first quarter of 2018/19 financial year in order to start Phase1 Construction in the third quarter of the 2018/19 financial year.

c) The Rehabilitation of Phase 1 is anticipated to commence in the third quarter of 2018/19 financial year.

d) The project cost estimate is R 161.8 million for Rehabilitation of 34kilometres in three financial year.

e) The Department will advertise the contract through open tender to get contractor to rehabilitate the road.

Reply:

(a) and (b) No, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) nor the entity, the African Renaissance and International Cooperation fund (ARF) reporting to her are not funding any institution of research and development.

(i) None

(aa)(aaa) None

(bbb) Not applicable

(ii) None

(bb) None

(cc) None

Reply:

1. (a) Please see the graph link below: (please turn to the next page for more visible graph)

https://pmg.org.za/files/RNW2525GRAPH-170904.pdf

(b) The average monthly cost of toll collection amounts to R53,8 million.

(c) See (b) above.

(d) See (a) above.

(2) The honorable member is invited to view the information at the offices of SANRAL.

Reply:

(a)(i)(ii), (b), (c) and (d)

PROVINCE	(a)(i) TEMPORARY UNITS	(a)(ii) PERMANENT UNITS	(b) UNITS OCCUPIED	(c) NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES	(d) ON WAITING LIST
Eastern Cape	68	1 221	824	3 170	0
Free State	24	668	547	547	55
Gauteng	0	1 407	1 073	1 073	27
Limpopo	25	875	639	639	0
Mpumalanga	0	864	844	844	0
KwaZulu-Natal	425	946	840	840	0
Northern Cape	38	434	366	676	0
North West	7	600	478	478	0
Western Cape	0	426	347	1 453	0
Head Office Components	67	867	920	934	6
TOTAL	654	8 308	6 878	10 654	88

(e) The waiting lists are not available to the public.

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:

(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:

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:

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)(a)(i)(ii) Statements have been obtained from witnesses in the investigation of the murder of the specified person and of the vicious attack on her husband.

(1)(b) Norkem Park, CAS 100/05/2017.

(2) No suspects have been arrested, thus far. The investigating officer is still following up on leads.

(3)(a) No suspects had been interviewed at this stage.

(3)(b) Witnesses have been interviewed and statements were obtained.

(3)(b)(i) The witnesses were interviewed on 8 May 2017 and 9 May 2017.

(3)(b)(ii) Statements have been obtained from the witnesses.

(4) It is not possible to commit to a specific date. The case will only be finalised once all the exhibits have been analysed and all the leads have been followed up.

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:

		(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:

(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:

(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)(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:

(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:

(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:

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:

(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:

(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:

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:

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 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:

(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:

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:

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) 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