Questions and Replies

Reply:

 

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT:

The claim for Lower Zingcuka was approved for settlement by the Minister on the 29th November 2023.

Current and planned roll out of activities for finalize payments for the claim as follows:

• An information session with all three villages in the Lower Zingcuka community took place on 29 – 30 January 2024 to prepare for the payment process;

• During the week of 19 – 23 February 2024 officials from the Eastern Cape office visited Lower Ngqumeya village for assisting the community with submission of required documentation;

• First payment batch covering 88 households with 544 beneficiaries is in process and payments are expected in the new financial year budget in April 2024 and May 2024;

• The remaining villages will be visited through a community outreach in the month of April to collect documentation for the outstanding households; and

• The project payment process is targeted to continue in May, June and completed on or before September 2024.

END

Reply:

There have been no releases of persons whose detention was confirmed because of issues with section 34(1)(b) and (d). The judgement in Lawyers for Human Rights vs Minister of Home Affairs and others CCT 38/16 on 29 June 2017, ordered the amendment of s34(1)(b) and (d) of the Immigration Act, 2002 (Act 13 of 2002) within 24 months of the order on 29 June 2019. However, all the magistrates’ courts continued to confirm the detention of illegal immigrants for deportation purposes beyond this date.

The non-application of section 34(1)(b) in some magistrates’ courts in the country commenced in February 2022. In ensuring the continuation of law enforcement from that date onwards, the illegal immigrants were charged criminally, as per the provisions of section 49(1) of the Immigration Act, 2002.

If found guilty, and upon serving a sentence of imprisonment or paying a fine, the deportation would be processed within 48 hours of release by an Immigration Officer. In instances where this was not possible within the stipulated timeframe, the illegal immigrant would be issued with an Order to Leave the Country, and thus self-deport.

Therefore, once the detention of an illegal immigrant has been confirmed as per section 34(1)(b), the only basis for not deporting the person would be that they expressed an intention to apply for asylum while awaiting deportation. Alternatively, the person’s legal representation would lodge an application in the High Court with jurisdiction, to review the final rejection of the asylum appeal in terms of Rule 53 of the Rules of Court.

END

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

1. The following vehicles that were procured for the Minister since 8 May 2019:

(a, b, c) Make, Model, Year Manufactured	(d)Purchase Date	(e)Purchase Price
Audi Q5 4.0 TDI Quattro S 2023 (Pretoria)	27/02/2023	R708 891.75
Audi Q5 4.0 TDI Quattro S 2023 (Cape Town)	31/07/2023	R790 000.00

1. The following vehicles that were procured for the Deputy Minister since 8 May 2019:

(a, b, c) Make, Model, Year Manufactured	(d)Purchase Date	(e)Purchase Price
Audi Q5 4.0 TDI Quattro S 2023 (Cape Town)	30/05/2023	R790 000.00
Audi Q5 4.0 TDI Quattro S 2023 (Pretoria)	31/07/2023	R790 000.00

 

Reply:

a) Policy of Unclaimed Bodies

Regulation 341 of 2005: Regulations Regarding the Rendering of Forensic Pathology Service, sections 43 and 44 of the make provision that:

43. A body not identified must be moved to a freezer within seven days of admission, and if such body remains unidentified for 30 days, the municipal council under whose jurisdiction the designated facility is, must ensure that a pauper burial for such body is undertaken.

44. The person in charge of a facility where there is an unidentified body must ensure that complete details of such body, including a photograph, fingerprints, and blood or tissue sample, are taken from the body and archived.

b) Table 1: Total number of unclaimed bodies per Province as of 15 March 2024

Province	Number of unclaimed bodies
Free State	73
KwaZulu-Natal	1336
Limpopo	283
Mpumalanga	82
Northen Cape	51
Northwest	266
Western Cape
Eastern Cape
Gauteng
Total	2091

END.

Reply:

The responses to (a), (b) and (c) are provided in the Table below, according to the Provincial Departments of Health.

Table 1.

Province	(a) Full Details of last inspection	(b) Outcomes	(c) Personal Protective Equipment
	Name of Unit	Date of last inspection
Eastern Cape	a. Mount Frere b. Mbizana c. Butterworth d. Adelaide e. Woodbrook f. Bhisho g. Mdantsane h. Queenstown i. Aliwal North j. Mt Fletcher k. Mount Road l. Uitenhage Provincial Hospital m. Gail Road n. Lusikisiki o. Graaff Reinet p. Grahamstown	23/08/2023 07/07/2023 15/03/2024 22/01/2024 19/03/2024 14/03/2024 28/09/2023 19/02/2024 08/11/2023 15/03/2024 31/01/2024 10/2023 06/2023 11/05/2023 10/10/2023 05/12/2023	- 13 Units non-compliant with health norms and standards. - 3 Units have certificates of competence	- Adequate in 9 Units. - Inadequate in 7 Units.
Free State	a. Bloemfontein b. QwaQwa c. Welkom d. Bethlehem e. Kroonstad f. Sasolburg	30/01/2024 22/02/2024 14/11/2023 16/01/2024 04/03/2024 20/02/2023	No Certificate of Competence issued at Bloemfontein and Kroonstad Units due to: - Mechanical failure of fridges. - Lack of or poor maintenance of infrastructure. - Poor health and unhygienic conditions. - Lack or poor medical waste management. 4 Units have certificates of competence	Adequate in all 7 Units.
Gauteng	a. Germiston Forensic Pathology b. Springs Forensic Pathology c. Hillbrow Forensic Pathology d. Roodepoort Police Station Forensic Pathology Services e. Diepkloof f. Pretoria Forensic Pathology g. Garankuwa Forensic Pathology h. Bronkhorstspruit Forensic Pathology i. Sebokeng Forensic Pathology j. Carltonville Forensic Pathology	17/01/2024 15/01/2024 08/11/2023 11/09/2023 20/09/2023 January 2024 February 2024 August 2023 May 2023 23/01/2024	9 Units have certificates of competence Others have not due to: - Poor management of medical waste. - Poor maintenance and infrastructure.	Adequate in 10 Units.
Mpumalanga	a. Themba b. Tonga c. Mapulaneng d. Tintswalo e. Lydenburg f. Barberton g. Witbank h. Middelburg i. KwaMhlanga j. Belfast k. Mammethlake l. Delmas m. Ermelo n. Evander o. Piet Retief p. Standerton q. Volkrust r. Embhuleni s. Balfour t. Bethal u. Carolina	19/03/2024 14/03/2024 22/02/2024 15/03/2024 18/03/2023 12/03/2024 Inspected in 2022 31/08/2023 Last inspected before COVID 01/12/2023 Not inspected 19/02/2024 24/11/2023 01/11/2023 21/02/2024 29/09/2023 24/01/2024 22/11/2023 22/09/2023 20/03/2024 24/01/2024	12 Units issued with Certificates of competence 9 Units not compliant due to: - Poor maintenance (Fridges not working properly). - Poor infrastructure.	Adequate in all 21 Units.
Limpopo	a. Elim b. Letaba c. St Rita’s d. Groblersdal e. Warmbaths f. Polokwane g. Bela-Bela h. Nkhensani i. Lebowakgomo j. Tshilidzini k. Mokopane l. Kgapane	February, November, December 2023 Not inspected Not inspected Not inspected Not inspected	-Elim Unit was non-compliant with health norms and standards. Bela-Bela and Nkhensani were issued with certificates of competence	Adequate in all Units.
North West	a. Brits Forensic b. Rustenburg Forensic c. Matlosana Forensic d. JB Marks, Potchefstroom e. Joe Morolong Hospital Mortuary f. Lichtenburg Forensic Pathology g. Mahikeng Forensic Pathology	No date provided No date provided 18/03/2024 20/03/2024 No date provided No date provided No date provided	Only Matlosana and Potchefstroom have certificates of competence Other units do not have due to: - Poor housekeeping at the storage areas	- Adequate in 2 Units - Inadequate in 5 Units.
Northern Cape	a. Kimberley b. Harstwater c. Springbok d. Calvinia e. De Aar f. Upington	01/11/2022 13/10/2023 28/02/2024 06/03/2024 13/07/2023 29/06/2022	- 4 Units non-compliant to health norms and standards - 2 Units have certificates of competence	Adequate in all 6 Units.
Western Cape	a. No name provided b. Beaufort West c. Laingsburg d. Tygerberg Forensics e. No name provided f. Hermanus g. Vredenburg h. Vredendal i. Malmesbury j. Mossel Bay FPS k. Observatory FP Institution l. Oudtshoorn FPS m. Riversdale FPS n. Swellenndam FPS o. Worcester FPS p. Ceres q. Paarl	11/10/2023 12/12/2023 13/02/2024 19/03/2024 20/03/2024 No date provided No date provided No date provided No date provided 19/01/2023 19/03/2024 20/03/2024 October 2023 Not Inspected 01/02/2023 11/10/2023 14/05/2021	15 Units have certificates of competence - One Unit was not certified with Certificate of Competence	Adequate in 16 Units. No report for 1 unit
Kwa Zulu Natal	a. Madadeni Forensic Mortuary b. Newcastle forensic Mortuary c. Phoenix Medico Legal Mortuary d. Pinetown Forensic Mortuary e. uMzimkhulu Forensic Mortuary f. Ixopo Forensic Mortuary g. Bulwer Forensic Mortuary h. Kokstad Forensic Mortuary i. Kwadukuza Forensic Mortuary j. Richards Bay Forensic Mortuary k. Eshowe Forensic Mortuary l. Park Rynie Forensic m. Port Shepstone Forensic n. Harding Forensic o. Pietermaritzburg Forensic p. New Hanover Forensic Mortuary (SAPS) q. Howick SAPS r. Dundee Forensic Mortuary s. Ladysmith Forensic Mortuary t. Escourt Forensic Mortuary u. Vryheid Forensic Mortuary v. Nongoma Forensic Mortuary w. Greytown Forensic Mortuary	19/03/2024 No date provided 11/12/2023 03/11/2023 06/12/2021 09/11/2021 No date provided 07/05/2020 29/06/2023 18/03/2024 14/01/2024 05/03/2024 18/03/2024 02/02/2024 19/03/2024 01/02/2023 19/03/2024 18/03/2024 December 2023 18/03/2024 22/12/2023 12/03/2024 11/03/2024 None/ not in use 20/02/2024	- 13 Units have certificates of competence - 10 Units are not compliant with health norms and standards due to: - Poor infrastructure. - Poor maintenance. - Areas of continuous improvements highlighted in terms of risk management, infrastructure, and incident reporting.	- Adequate in 19 Units. - Inadequate in 4 Units.

END.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

The response is only with respect to Police Stations, as DPWI is not responsible for Health Facilities.  It must be indicated in this reply that the question regarding Health Facilities, should be directed to the Infrastructure Dept. (DID).

(1) (a) Maintenance in DPWI are divided into two broad groups Preventative and Corrective:

• Preventative maintenance can be divided into two categories, interval based and condition based. Interval based maintenance is carried out in accordance with an established time schedule or an established number of units of use.The condition based preventative maintenance is initiated by monitoring the condition of the asset, this involves inspection of assets, testing and parameter monitoring to determine, if any maintenance is needed and then carrying out any requirements identified. The performance and parameter monitoring may be scheduled on request or continuously.
• Corrective maintenance is carried out after fault recognition and is intended to put an item back into a state, in which it can perform a required function. This type of maintenance can be an emergency repair, unscheduled or planned repair based on inspection or customer complaints.

(b) The maintenance approach for police station facilities is a blend of both Preventative and Corrective. The Preventative actions are schedule and/or condition based and are generally packaged in a form of a long-term contracts. There is part of the work that is done on a Corrective basis, on what DPWI refers to as Day-to-Day maintenance. The other Corrective maintenance is what the department term Planned Maintenance, which entails planned repair, refurbishment and renovation.

(c) The Department employ a 5-prong approach to Facilities Management, namely:

1. In-sourced Services / Workshops

The first line of maintenance dealing with facilities that do not have maintenance contract. Assist as a stop-gap measure during the transition between contracts. This covers some of the SAPS facilities where the workshop offering is available.

 2. Total Facilities Management (TFM)

This is a “premium offering” with sets of qualifying criteria, such as Significant Capital Investment, Facility complexity, Facility size or Facility importance (strategic or priority by User). This type of preventative maintenance approach in its nature has over 70% of the budget allocated for the scheduled base activities. With SAPS, only their Head Office has the TFM offering.

​3. Term Contract

The term contract offers both corrective and preventative maintenance. However, the most current offerings of term contracts are mostly corrective. Several of SAPS police stations are part of the term contract maintenance approach.

 ​4. Corrective/Day to Day maintenance/ Quotation Syste

All SAPS facilities that do not have any formal long-term service contracts are covered through the quotation system. This is carried out after fault recognition and is intended to put an item back into a state in which it can perform a required function.

 5. Facilities Condition Assessment

 The department carried out Facilities Condition Assessment (FCA) for various SAPS buildings as per the GIAMA, and also the maintenance plan of the department. The outcome of FCA reports informs projects within the SAPS portfolio, that are either executed as capital or refurbishment. The reasons that government buildings, in particular police stations are not maintained in a timeous manner to enhance service delivery, is because the maintenance approach is still mostly reactive as opposed to preventative/schedule based approach. The department is hard at work in reversing the current trend.

(2) The record or schedule of the maintenance of government buildings is available through the departmental Archibus system. The job card records of all logged calls closed are available.

In cases where there are preventative maintenance contracts in place, scheduling of periodic services is done either on a monthly or quarterly basis or simply based on the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or Occupation Health Safety Act provisions. This encompasses the servicing of standby generators, Air-condition services, firefighting system, etc.

Reply:

According to the KZN Provincial Health:

1. The hospital electricity supply was disrupted by the breakdown of the eThekwini Metro Council managed substation which supplies the area. The disruption continued for 3 days starting from around 11H35 on Monday 04 March 2024 up to around 11h35 on Wednesday 06 March 2024.

2. The issue was resolved at 11h35 on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (a) The delay in resolving the situation was caused by the eThekwini Metro workers' strike which prohibited the required staff from responding swiftly. (b) All six generators at the hospital were active during this time preventing the hospital from being completely shut down. This allowed vital services such as critical care, intensive care units, and four theatres to continue operating.

END.

Reply:

a) The National Department of Health has no list of planned events specifically for celebration of the 30 years of democracy, however the Department will continue to have events planned for administration of government.

b) As indicated in (a) above, there are no planned events specifically for 30 years of democracy in the Republic scheduled to take place before 29 May 2024 and therefore no description can be provided.

c) The questions asked relating to projected total cost or expenditure of each event and breakdown thereof in terms of expenditure for catering, entertainment, venue hire, transport and accommodation are not applicable as there is no cost that can be attached when there are no event planned.

END.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

1. I am not aware of any case of sexual harassment and gender-based violence that have been reported in the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) projects in the past 10 years.
2. Given that there are no case of sexual harassment and gender-based violence reported in EPWP known to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, there has been no cases that were prosecuted to secure a conviction of offending parties in the past 10 years.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

(a) Through the Expanded Public Works Programme Reporting System (EPWP-RS), the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) based on the verifications done with the Department of Public Service and Administration PERSAL system has identified suspicious transactions on the EPWP allocated budgets that may have been lost to corruption, undeserving beneficiaries and theft. In this regard:

• An estimated amount of R13.8 million may have been lost to corruption across the EPWP Sectors and Public Bodies.
• The R13.8 million referenced above in (i) was lost through payments done to underserving beneficiaries/participants benefiting from budgets allocated to the EPWP. These participants are assumed to be underserving participants as they appear as permanent government officials on the PERSAL system.
• Therefore the amount referenced in (ii) can be regarded as money lost through theft.

(b) Although interventions have been made by the DPWI to address the findings related to corruption, payments to underserving beneficiaries and theft in the EPWP, the DPWI does not have records of monies recovered and paid back to the State. However, the DPWI will develop Standard Operating Procedures for outlining practical processes which will be followed to stop payments for cases detected and to recover monies paid to beneficiaries through corruption, payment to underserving beneficiaries and theft in the future.

Reply:

a) The official report from Mpumalanga Head of the department (HOD) of Health, Tintswalo hospital has not experienced a lack of nutritional food or food. Food is one of the Department’s non-negotiable priorities to ensure that patients have access to nutritious meals. A specific budget is allocated for food, enabling the hospital to seamlessly provide meals tailored to patients’ dietary needs. Strict food safety standards are adhered to, ensuring the safety of all meals served in the hospital.

b) In 2022, the Department effectively tackled the issue of water scarcity by drilling an additional borehole and installing twenty-eight (28) Jojo tanks, each with a capacity of 10,000 litres, at strategic locations. As a result of these initiatives, access to water is no longer a problem.

c) Temporary measures were implemented to address roof leaks in the wards while awaiting hospital refurbishment in the new financial year.

d) The hospital has sufficient medical staff to provide 24-hour services. It has a complement of 49 medical doctors comprising of 34 full-time doctors, 15 sessional doctors

END.

Reply:

1. I am informed that an investigation into allegations of irregularities pertaining to 46 projects executed by Limpopo IDT Provincial Office has been instituted. Gobodo Forensic & Investigative Accounting ("GFIA") was appointed by Independent Development Trust ("IDT") in May 2023 to conduct an investigation into allegations of irregularities pertaining to the 46 projects that the IDT Limpopo regional office completed on behalf of the Limpopo Department of Education (“LDoE”).
2. These contracts are said to have been awarded between the years 2014 and 2017, the bulk which are currently on final account and have all reached practical completion with the last projects completed in 2022.
3. The investigation was initiated against R15.2 million in outstanding invoices owed to service providers for work performed on school programmes that IDT Limpopo was unable to honour due to overclaims/overspending, as alleged by the Limpopo Department of Education.
4. The service providers submitted most of the invoices to the IDT in 2022. In all cases, the department (LDoE) rejected the claims, citing that the IDT had already claimed or used up all of the project funds.
5. In response to a barrage of complaints and concerns from affected parties regarding the IDT’s failure to honour the invoices along with accusations of project fund mismanagement, the IDT appointed Gobodo Forensic & Investigative Accounting ("GFIA") in May 2023 to conduct an investigation into the claims of irregularities and the misappropriation of project funds on the 46 affected projects.
6. The investigations were concluded in August 2023 and the findings are summarized as follows:

• In contrast to the claim by the Limpopo Department of Education, it was discovered that funding and budgets were available for twenty-five (25) projects, which the IDT may still claim from the department in order to offset the outstanding debts.
• Twenty-one (21) of the forty-six (46) projects have exceeded their budgets and the IDT over-claimed from the department.

7. The IDT Limpopo regional office has conducted internal reconciliation process and had recovered some funds from the department.

8. Of the R15.2m of the outstanding invoices, thus far R6.7m has been recovered and already paid to service providers.

9. Additionally, R8.5m worth of invoices have been submitted to the department to recover the balance. These funds will then be directed towards the payment of the remainder of the outstanding invoices.

10. Financial reconciliation is said to be in the process of being finalized to assure full recovery of monies from the Limpopo Department of Education.

 

 

 

Reply:

1. (a) The amount of R400 million was reported as accumulated revenue generated over a period of five (5) financial years (i.e. from 2019/20 to date). The amount generated is from services rendered (course fees collected) without taking into account the operating expenses and salaries paid throughout the period.

(b) The Training Trading Account currently holds reserves to the amount of R128 million after accounting for salaries and operating expenses over the period. The NSG has, over the years, written letters to the National Treasury to retain surpluses in accordance with the provisions of Treasury Regulation 19.7.1.

The approved reserves are earmarked for identified multi-year projects which will improve the operations of the NSG, while others were used to cover budget cuts from the National Treasury.

2. The NSG is developing a new funding model. Engagements were held with the National Treasury on the future re-positioning of the NSG and funding pressures. The funding model is being developed in the context of the future re-positioning process, which will be submitted to Cabinet in this calendar year for consideration.

end

Reply:

 

1(a) As the Honourable Member is aware, the GBVCC only make use of the services of qualified social workers registered with the SA Council for Social Service Professions. At its inception, the GBVCC had 48 social work agents and 8 social work supervisors. This number has gradually reduced through natural attrition. Currently the GBVCC has 38 social work agents and 7 social work supervisors.

(b) Due to the sensitive nature of the GBVCC, the Department does not make use of call centre operators. The social work agents are supported by 4 Technical Shift Supervisors were employed who perform the task of a Workforce Planner and 4 Quality Assurance Managers to quality assure the work of the GBVCC. There is an onsite Systems Support Technician and there is a Call Centre support manager that supports the overall management of the GBVCC ensuring that oversees the management of all the various systems in the Call Centre including data management and system reporting.

2 (a) To ensure that members of the public can easily access services, the GBVCC uses a Toll-Free Number: 0800 428 428. (b) Information on cost to victims is not readily available.

3(a)(b) GBVCC provides 24/7 telephonic psychosocial support services, including trauma and counselling and referral services to survivors of gender-based violence. These may include a referral to social workers in the local area, SAPS for opening of a GBV case or protection order, health services or a shelter for survivors of GBV in the local area from where the client is calling.

 

 

Reply:

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) remains committed to the use of the National School Safety Framework (NSSF) as an effective and operative overarching framework to assist schools in identifying and managing safety issues, and to ensure that schools are safe and provide for inclusive environments for teaching and learning. 

At its core, issues of bullying remain the responsibility of the schools via their codes of conduct, which are outlined in the NSSF with the intention of preventing and managing incidents of misconduct within the school environment.  Learner codes of conduct are developed by schools, in consultation with the school governing bodies and learner representative councils.  The codes of conduct stipulate the rules of learner behaviour in schools, and the disciplinary procedures to be undertaken after incidents of contravention are reported; as well as the sanctions which are imposed against perpetrators who are found guilty.  This gives learners a sense of ownership over their school environment, and the safety of themselves and their fellow learners at school.  With support from the district and provincial education offices, schools are mandated to ensure that learners abide by their codes of conduct, and that incidents of bullying do not occur within the school.

This being said, the department takes incidents of bullying in all schools very seriously, and any and all measures are taken to ensure that these incidents are managed appropriately, and prevented as is pro ti ally possible.  In line with this, the Department of Basic Education is currently developing a national strategy to assist schools with preventing and managing cases of bullying, including cyber-bullying.  This strategy aims to address systemic causes of bullying to ensure that this social ill is eradicated from our schools, while also providing a practical guide for schools to deal with incidences of bullying on the ground.

Additionally, the DBE has partnered with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DC&DT) and other partners including Google, Films and Publications Board, Media Monitoring Africa and Meta, to design and implement an effective programme on online safety and cyber-bullying in schools across the country.

The Department is confident that these measures in combination, will provide schools with the support they need to keep learners and educators safe within their classrooms, and ensure that bullying is prevented in our schools.

Reply:

a) (i) See Table 1

(ii) See Table 2

Table 1.

Province	(i) Number of facilities conducting autopsies	(i) Number of facilities not conducting autopsies	Names of facilities unable to deliver services	(ii) Reasons for not conducting autopsies
Mpumalanga	17	3	Barberton FPS	Holding facility
			Belfast FPS	Holding facility
			Standerton FPS	Infrastructure challenges
Free State	7	0	N/A	N/A
Kwa-Zulu Natal	22	0	N/A	N/A
Northen Cape	5	1	Calvinia FPS	No medical officer/pathologist appointed, infrastructure challenges
Limpopo	12	3	Musina	No operational resources
			Lephalale	No operational resources
			Thabazimbi	No operational resources
Northwest	7	0	N/A	N/A
Gauteng
Eastern Cape
Western Cape

Table 2.

Mpumalanga Department of Health

Forensic Pathology Sites
a)(ii) names	Conducting autopsies	Not Conducting autopsies	Reasons for not conducting autopsies
Themba FPS	YES	N/A
Tonga FPS	YES	N/A
Mapulaneng FPS	YES	N/A
Tintswalo FPS	YES	N/A
Lydenburg FPS	YES	N/A
Barberton FPS		YES	Holding facility
Middelburg FPS	YES	N/A
Witbank FPS	YES	N/A
KwaMhlanga FPS	YES	N/A
Belfast FPS		YES	Holding facility
Mammethlake FPS	YES	N/A
Delmas FPS	YES	N/A
Ermelo FPS	YES	N/A
Evander FPS	YES	N/A
Piet Retief FPS	YES	N/A
Standerton FPS		YES	Challenges of Infrastructure
Volkrust FPS	YES	N/A
Embhuleni FPS	YES	N/A
Balfour FPS	YES	N/A
Bethal FPS	YES	N/A
Carolina FPS		YES	Challenges of Infrastructure
	17	4

Frees State Department of Health

Name of facility	Conducting autopsies (YES/NO)	Not conducting autopsies (Y/N)	Reasons for not conducting autopsies
Bloemfontein Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Botshabelo Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Phuthaditjhaba Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Bethlehem Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Welkom Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Kroonstad Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Sasolburg Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A

Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Health

Name of facility	Conducting autopsies (YES/NO)	Not conducting autopsies (Y/N)	Reasons for not conducting autopsies
Port Shepstone Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Park Rynie Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Pinetow Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Phoenix Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Welkom Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A Wrong Province
Kokstad Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Mzimkhulu Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Ixopo Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Kwadukuza Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Pietermaritzburg Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
New Hanover Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Howick Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Estcourt Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Ladysmith Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Greytown Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Dundee Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Vryheid Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Newcastle Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Madadeni Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Nongoma Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Eshowe Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Richardsbay Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
Harding Forensic Mortuary	YES	N/A	N/A
	23	0	No 5 to be removed

Limpopo Department of Health

Name of facility	Conducting autopsies (YES/NO)	Not conducting autopsies (Y/N)	Reasons for not conducting autopsies
Polokwane FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Lebowakgomo FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Mokopane FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Warmbaths FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Tshilidzini FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Elim FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Groblersdal FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
St Rita’s FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Letaba FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Kgapane FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Maphutha Malatji FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Nkhensani FPS
Musina		YES	Holding facility
Lephalale		YES	Holding facility
Thabazimbi		YES	Holding facility

Northwest Department of Health

Name of facility	Conducting autopsies (YES/NO)	Not conducting autopsies (Y/N)	Reasons for not conducting autopsies
Mafikeng FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Lichtenburg FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Brits FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Phokeng FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Brits FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Potchefstroom FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Tshepong FPS	YES	N/A	N/A

Western Cape

Name of facility	Conducting autopsies (YES/NO)	Not conducting autopsies (Y/N)	Reasons for not conducting autopsies
Beaufort West FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Ceres FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
George FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Hermanus FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Knysna FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Laingsburg FPS	NO	N/A	Currently serving as a holding facility
Malmensbury FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Mossel Bay FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Observatory FPInstitution	YES	N/A	N/A
Oudtshoorn FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Paarl FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Riversdale FPS	NO	N/A	Currently serving as a holding facility
Swellenndam FPS	NO	N/A	Training facility
Tygerberg FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Vredenburg FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Vredendal FPS	YES	N/A	N/A
Worcester FPS	YES	N/A	N/A

END.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

1. Based on information captured by Public Bodies on the Expanded Public Works Programme Reporting System (EPWP-RS), the total amount spent on the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in each of the past five financial years is reflected in the table below:

Table 1: Breakdown of amount spent on the EPWP in the past five financial years

Financial Year	Reported Project Expenditure	Total Wages Transferred to Participants
2019/20	R21 947 613 400	R12 243 313 965
2020/21	R18 646 876 666	R9 379 215 039
2021/22	R21 713 650 159	R12 186 622 905
2022/23	R25 263 740 859	R13 236 901 721
2023/24	R17 958 180 018	R8 589 297 424
Total	R105 530 061 102	R55 635 351 054

1. The number of people who have benefitted from the EPWP as reported in the EPWP-RS in the past five financial years are reflected in the table below:

Table 2: Number of people who have benefitted from the EPWP as reported in the EPWP-RS in the past five financial years

Financial Year	Number of Work Opportunities created	Unique Individual ID Numbers who have benefitted
2019/20	994 699	927 627
2020/21	938 688	865 022
2021/22	1 016 646	950 297
2022/23	990 686	916 244
2023/24	773 192	719 916
Total	4 713 911

1. From the budget allocated to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) for the EPWP, a total of R4, 650 billion has been paid to the Independent Development Trust (IDT) as an implementing partner for the implementation of the Non-State Sector Non-Profit Organisation (NSS: NPO) Programme in the past five financial years. These amount includes R4.370 billion for the programme's implementation and R280.135 million as a management fee. Below is a table with the budget breakdown.

Table 3: Amount paid to the IDT as an implementing partner for the implementation of the NSS NPO Programme

Financial Year	Wage Subsidy	Management Fee	Total (R,000)
	Amount (R'000)	Amount (R'000)
2019/20	750,424	44486	794,910
2020/21	578,484	31932	610,416
2021/22	956,134	44604	1,000,738
2022/23	1,032,693	87548	1,120,241
2023/24	1,052,431	71565	1,123,996
Total	4,370,166	280,135	4,650,301

Additionally, through the grants allocated to the DPWI for transferring to public bodies implementing the EPWP, a total of R7.724 billion conditional grant has been transferred to provinces and municipalities over the past five years. Below is a table with the budget breakdown.

Table 4: Amounts transferred to provinces and municipalities for the EPWP conditional grant over the past five years

Financial Year	Integrated Grant for municipalities	Integrated Grant for Provinces	Social Sector EPWP Incentive Grant	Total (R,000)
	Amount (R'000)	Amount (R'000)	Amount (R'000)
2019/20	730,046	437,388	430,793	1,598,227
2020/21	748,039	419,262	413,237	1,580,538
2021/22	758,693	421,016	414,444	1,594,153
2022/23	778,395	433,098	424,848	1,636,341
2023/24	522,319	396,171	395,913	1,314,403
Total	3,537,492	2,106,935	2,079,235	7,723,662

For Programme management support provided to the DPWI by the IDT on the EPWP, a total amount of R81, 700 million has been transferred to the IDT over the past 5 years.

Table 5: Amount paid to the IDT over the past five years for Programme Management Support

Financial Year	Amount (R'000)
2019/20	11,000
2020/21	16,443
2021/22	16,483
2022/23	19,174
2023/24	18,600
Total	81,700

Reply:

1. According to the Internship and Community Services Placement (ICSP) programme and confirmation from South African Military Health Services (SAMHS), only five (5) Medical Interns were allocated to military facilities for 2024 and all of these have been appointed and already commenced duty in various Military Hospitals in January 2024.

2. As stated above (a) all 5 medical interns were successfully placed and have commenced duty in January 2024, (b)(i) they all have received payment of their salaries and (ii) where they have required accommodation formally the relevant Military Hospital has provided accommodated accordingly.

END.

Reply:

a) As per the details furnished by the member of Parliament, the Department confirms that 16 of the 17 names received to be unallocated were actually allocated and have since commenced duty as indicated by the Persal report extract for the February 2024. The one outstanding applicant is not allocated because he has not met the Registration requirements as set by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

b) The unallocated applicant will be only be assisted during the mid-year cycle on condition that he has met the HPCSA Registration requirements. The table below for individual details of the applicants are avaiable on request.

 

Reply:

a) According to the HPCSA, the case of treatment of a patient at Ngwelezana Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal was duly investigated. The case was considered by the Preliminary Committee of Inquiry and finalised in line with applicable regulations. The outcome of the Inquiry was communicated to both the complainant and the respondent. In terms of the query related to the Certificate of Status (COS), the issue of a pending case against the practitioner was resolved internally and a clean COS was subsequently issued (clean COS for Case no. 25504608 was issued on 7 August 2023);

b) (i) There were delays in the finalisation of the case. This was due to the referral of the practitioner to the Health Committee of the Board for consideration of possible impairments that the practitioner may have had before the case was finalized. This is a necessary step in HPCSA’s internal processes. Also, there were system errors that led to the COS indicating a “pending complaint” against the practitioner when that was not the case;

(ii) Following this case, processes of referral between Committees were reviewed and subsequently streamlined. A new online complaints management system was introduced which allows for ease of monitoring of cases and proper tracking by both complainants and respondents, with regular updates.

END.

Reply:

a) Two (2). The cases relate to the procurement and/or management of office accommodation leases. Although there was no financial loss on the part of SASSA, the officials were found guilty of gross negligence for not renewing office accommodation leases on time.

b) The two (2) officials mentioned above were subsequently dismissed after due disciplinary processes were followed.

Reply:

The skills audit project in the infrastructure and frontline service departments is being conducted over two financial years. It started with situational analyses reports which are being finalised in the current financial year. The skills audit survey will be undertaken in the next financial year, and it will pinpoint specific gaps and areas for improvement, facilitating the development of targeted training and development programmes in each department.

End

Reply:

1. (a) What is the breakdown of the R1 billion allocation

According to the Northern Cape Department of Human Settlements, the breakdown of the R1 billion (R600 million funded by DBSA loan and R400 million funded by the province) will yield 4 168 units from 67 projects which will be delivered in two phases across 15 municipalities listed below.

(b) In which municipalities will her department build the specified houses

The Northern Cape Department of Human Settlements will construct houses in the following fifteen (15) municipalities houses: (1) !Kheis (2) Dawid Kruiper (3) Emthanjeni (4) Hantam (5) Joe Morolong (6) Kamiesberg (7) Khaima (8) Namakhoi (9) Phokwane (10) Richtersveld (11) Siyancuma (12) Sol Plaatje (13) Thembelihle (14) Ubuntu and (15) Umsobomvu

(c) What total number of houses will her department build in each specific municipality -

The Northern Cape Department of Human Settlements will construct the houses in two phases as follows:

Phase one of the project comprises the construction of 2,500 housing units at a total budget of R600 million in 14 local municipalities in the Northern Cape Province.

The municipalities with majority of the houses are the Joe Morolong Local Municipality, which has 560 houses, Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality, which has 450 houses, and Sol Plaatjie, which has 383 houses. The remaining houses will be delivered by the following local municipalities: 180 houses in Khaima; 150 houses in Siyancuma; 143 houses in Namakhoi; 130 houses in Hantam; 120 houses in Kamiesberg; 108 houses in Thembelihle; 71 houses in Phokwane; 50 houses in Keis; 55 houses in Richtersveld; 50 houses in Umsobomvu; and 5 houses in Emthanjebi.

Table 1: Local Municipalities, Targets and Budgets for Phase One

Phase two of the project constitutes eight local municipalities in the Northern Cape Province which will deliver 1 668 houses estimated to cost R400 million.

The municipalities with most houses include Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality which has 665 houses, Joe Morolong which has 350 houses, and Phokwane which has 246 houses. The local municipalities that will deliver the remaining houses include: 110 houses in Siyancuma; 107 houses in Emthanjebi; 100 houses in Thembelihle; 50 houses in Umsobomvu; and 40 houses in Ubuntu.

Table 2: Local Municipalities, Targets and Budgets for Phase Two

(d) What housing typology, such as Breaking New Ground (BNG), Social Housing, and First Home Finance & Subsidy Assistance housing will be built in each development;

The Integrated Residential Development Programme, which will provide BNG units, and the Rural Housing Programme, which will provide rural dwelling units, are the two housing programmes that will provide the two sets of housing typologies. BNG units will also be delivered in brownfields and existing settlements in the designated municipalities.

2. What preparations for the project(s) has been completed;

With respect to Phase one (R600 million) funded by the DBSA loan, all project preparation, township establishment processes, installation of basic services and servicing of sites are complete. For Phase two (R400 miilion) funded by the province, the planning processes are in progress. The construction of Phase two projects are expected to commence once Phase one is complete.

3. (a) by what date will the project(s) start

Phase one of the project will commence on 1 April 2024 and is estimated to be completed by 31 March 2025. Phase two of the project will commence upon the completion of Phase one.

(b) what are the relevant details for each location of the R1 billion housing project;

There are 67 projects in total located in the 15 municipalities as listed in tables one and two above.

4. By what date will the 4,000 housing units be fully completed and occupied?

Phase one which comprises 2500 houses is estimate to be complete by 31 March 2025. These units will be progressively occupied by qualifying beneficiaries as when they are ready. Phase two comprises 1668 houses and will commence once Phase one is complete.

Reply:

The Honourable Member is advised to refer to the Department’s Annual Performance Plan (APP), which clearly outlines key activities for the financial year. The Department will continue with the commemoration of annual campaigns which are not confined to the celebration of 30 years of democracy.

Reply:

(a) During the conceptualisation phase of the National Artisan Development Academy, a research committee was established with members from the University of the Free State (UFS), Central University of Technology (CUT), Services SETA and Motheo TVET College. The study employed a qualitative research design that involved desktop analysis of supply and demand of trades and related occupations.

The analyses involved:

1) the review of the Sector Skills Plans of six Sector Education and Training Authorities that provide funding for trade and related occupations (with particular attention paid to PIVOTAL lists, scarce and critical skills lists),

2) DHET’ s list of priority occupations and Department of Trade (DTI) Sector Strategic Integrated Project (SIP) scarce skills as well as applicable policy and legislative framework. The research activities described above resulted in a combined list of 36 possible trades. These were further grouped according to their levels of similarities. Based on these analyses, a total of 23 trades were extracted from scarce skills. Sixteen trades were common across scarce and pivotal lists. Seven trades were listed as scarce and not pivotal. Nine trades were listed as pivotal and not scarce. The trades were grouped according to similar practical equipment requirements. Nine groups could be identified, covering 31 trades. Five trades could be allocated into any group. The study recommended that Groups 1-6 be accommodated at the Academy, in addition to Hairdressing and Beauty Treatment which fall within the scope of the Services SETA is accommodated at the Academy.

(b) The National Artisan Development Academy have 3 hostels on the campus where we can accommodate a total of 192 students. Students who are in programmes which are funded by NSFAS like the Occupational Certificate: Hairdresser and Visual Art & Design N4 to N6 will be accommodated in these hostels. The Student Support Services (SSS) Unit is assisting the college with student housing at the Academy for students resides from outside Bloemfontein.

Reply:

In the first instance, the feasibility study for the establishment of the campus was delayed by more than 5 months (May to Mid-October) due to the Limpopo Department of Education (LDE) denying access to the site (former Giyani College of Education). The Department resolved this by escalating the matter to the Limpopo Office of the Premier (OTP). Subsequently, the Limpopo OTP organized a meeting with the Department and LDE on 16 October 2023 where LDE agreed to grant access to the site, and a site visit was carried out 01-02 November 2023.

In the second instance, the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) was denied access (from mid-November 2023 to end of February 2024), the Department resolved the issue by once again escalating the matter to the Limpopo OTP. The Department’s Senior Management, led by the Director-General, held a meeting with the Director-General of Limpopo on 13 March 2024. The meeting was also attended by the Limpopo Department of Education (LDE), the Mopani District Municipality, the Giyani Local Municipality (led by the Mayor), and TUT. The Limpopo OTP undertook to ensure that the Department and TUT have access to the site. The meeting agreed on an establishment of a broader Project Steering Committee that includes the Limpopo Office of the Premier, LDE, Mopani District Municipality, Giyani Local Municipality, and Community Structures.

Reply:

The Department has a plan to assist deserving institutions to build student accommodation. A number is institutions have been identified and have been presented to National Treasury for approval:

Institution	Campus	Sector	No of Rooms	No of Beds
University of Limpopo	Turfloop	University	1925	3500
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)	Bellville	University	413	750
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)	District Six, West	University	330	600
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)	Mowbray	University	440	800
Central University of Technology (CUT)	Bloemfontein	University	550	1000
Central University of Technology (CUT)	Welkom	University	550	1000
Gert Sibanda TVET College	Sibanesetfu	TVET	495	900
Gert Sibanda TVET College	Perdekop	TVET	330	600
King Hintsa TVET College	Teko	TVET	462	840
Lephalale TVET College	Lephalale	TVET	660	1200
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU)	Ga-Rankuwa	University	1100	2000
Sekhukhune TVET College	CS Barlow	TVET	440	800
Sekhukhune TVET College	CN Phatudi	TVET	385	700
Tshwane University of Technology	Ga -Rankuwa	University	330	600
Tshwane University of Technology	Pretoria West	University	990	1800
Tshwane University of Technology	Soshanguvhe	University	495	900
University of Johannesburg	Soweto	University	330	600
University of Johannesburg	Auckland Park	University	411	748
University of Johannesburg	Doornfontein	University	385	700
University of KwaZulu-Natal	Pietermaritzburg	University	825	1500
University of KwaZulu-Natal	Edgewood	University	330	600
University of KwaZulu-Natal	Westville	University	495	900
University of Limpopo	Turfloop	University	1925	3500
University of Zululand (UniZulu)	KwaDlangezwa	University	1925	3500
Institution	Campus	Sector	No of Rooms	No of Beds
University of Zululand (UniZulu)	KwaDlangezwa	University	210	400
Majuba TVET College	Newcastle	TVET	825	1500
Walter Sisulu University (WSU)	Nelson Mandela Drive Delivery Unit	University	330	600
Walter Sisulu University (WSU)	Zamukulungisa Delivery Unit	University	330	600
Walter Sisulu University (WSU)	Health Sciences Faculty Drive Delivery Unit	University	440	800
Walter Sisulu University (WSU)	Ibika	University	330	600
Walter Sisulu University (WSU)	Potsdam Delivery Unit	University	330	600
Northlink TVET College	Tygerberg	TVET	495	900
Northlink TVET College	Wingfield	TVET	330	600
Vhembe TVET College	Mashamba	TVET	385	700
Vhembe TVET College	Makwarela	TVET	330	600
Total			20856	37938

The funding for the programme is dependent on the funding allocation from National Treasury.

Reply:

The information requested by the honorable member is not readily available as registration of post-graduates is still underway. Once all universities have finalised registration, data will be collated and verified with confirmations from the National Research Foundation, the Services SETA, National Skills Fund, National Student Financial Aid Scheme and other fellow government departments as well as state owned enterprises who sponsor post-graduate studies of students. Enquiries will also be made on how funding is sourced from the latter institutions.

Reply:

For both universities, the process is currently at the second phase of technical planning studies focusing on detailed technical, geospatial, campus infrastructure, ICT, equipment, staffing and student support services costs. The scope further extends to the following tasks:

• Conducting a detailed audit of the qualifications, expertise, and capacity of existing staff at Hammanskraal police academy to determine skills gaps and requirements for the new higher education institutions and developing a talent acquisition model;
• Exploring mechanisms for securing collaborative partnerships and/or a consortium with universities already offering postgraduate qualifications with various specialisations in crime and policing studies;
• Conducting international benchmarking to assess the enhancement of education and training through next generation technologies;
• Investigating the various modalities of articulation pathways between the TVET (technical, vocational, educational, and training) sector and the new higher education institutions; and

Exploring the development of articulation pathways at the postgraduate level between the new higher education institutions and partnering universities.

The results of Phase Two technical modelling will enable the Department of Higher Education and Training to align implementation and funding plans with the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework planning process.

Reply:

1. Section 34 (1) of the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997, as amended, (the Act) states that “the council of a public higher education institution must appoint the employees of the public higher education institution”. Furthermore, subparagraph (3) states that “the council must determine the conditions of service, disciplinary provisions, privileges and functions of the employees of the institution, subject to the applicable labour law.

2. In this regard the university advised that it extended the contract of its head of security on the basis of his 35 years’ experience. He holds Security Course Certificate Grade A, B, C, D and E.

Reply:

(a) Motheo TVET college has been offering these programmes as skills programmes since 2001. The current administration of the college inherited these programmes, which were offered as unaccredited skills programmes registered by the former Industry Boards as Competency Based Modular Training (CBMT) Programmes were registered as shorter skills training programmes. Upon realising that these programmes were not accredited, the management of the college took a decision to accredit these programmes through the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) since 2019. For ease of reference the accreditation letters of these programmes is attached, as well as other programmes as received from the QCTO. The college has always marketed these programmes as skills programmes, and not as accredited programmes. (b) The colleges stands to be guided otherwise in terms of reimbursing students/parents for tuition that has been paid as these are legacy programmes registered with old industry boards as far back as technical colleges and manpower centres. (c) The occupational programmes in questioned are accredited with QCTO and the details are as follows:

• Upholstery is now OC: Furniture Upholstery
• And welding is now OC: Welder

This course has their workplace component included in the curriculum. The college is working with industry partners to place all students successfully with employers. Attached find the accreditation certificates for all these occupational programmes.

Reply:

Part 1: Prior to this Parliamentary Question, I was not informed of the amount charged by the Sol Plaatje University (SPU). This is because the accreditation of private student accommodation is carried out by the institutions in line with their own policies and processes.

In its response to the question, SPU indicates the following:

• It imposes a fee for the accreditation of off-campus accommodation for the purpose of ensuring that this accommodation meets the University’s standards for safety, quality, and student comfort.
• It charges between R500-R1500 per year for each facility.
• Following accreditation, a nominal monthly administration fee is charged for each student housed, covering ongoing oversight and support services.

Part 2 – Main Question: Yes, it is a standard practise for universities to be charged private accommodation owners a fee for the accreditation of their facilities.

Part 2 (a): SPU responded as follows:

• These funds reimburse the University for administrative tasks, including managing payments to landlords and covering associated costs such as banking fees.
• The revenue directly contributes to enhancing the living and learning environment of its students. Specifically, it offsets bank charges and supports the residence budget.
• Despite facing financial challenges in managing residence operations as detailed in its published financial statements, these efforts reflect the University’s commitment to providing quality student accommodation.
• The charges are pivotal for maintaining its high accommodation standards.

Part 2 (b): SPU reports that it introduced private student accommodation in 2023 and for the 2023 financial year, it raised an amount of R4.2 million.

Additional Information: In addition to the above, SPU indicates the following:

• The University is committed to ensuring the highest standards of off-campus accommodation for its students.
• In line with this commitment, the University implements an accreditation system accompanied by a structured fee model:

Reply:

 

According to the information received from Transnet:

TFR has embarked on a digital transformation journey that aims to change the organisation into a digitally enabled railway operator. The digital transformation journey has three phases to it, namely stabilisation, optimisation, and digitisation.

In the first two phases (stabilisation and optimisation), TFR has been focusing on the stability, availability and reliability of its current systems, applications, and tools, while enhancing and optimising them to ensure sustainability of business operations.

(a) TFR currently uses semi-automated and fragmented legacy systems, applications, and tools to schedule and track its freight rail operations.

The third phase of the digital transformation journey speaks to the end-to-end digitisation of TFR’s business processes and operations, through the implementation and integration of safe, secure, relevant, and resilient digital platforms, technologies, and related infrastructure across the organisation’s value chain. In 2022, TFR obtained approval of the business case for the implementation of a fully automated Integrated Train Plan (ITP) solution, which was followed by a rigorous procurement process enabled through an open market tender sourcing approach.

(b)&(c) To date, TFR has onboarded a service provider to implement the ITP solution:

 (i) the implementation will take place over three and half years, from January 2024 to September 2027.

 (ii) the first six months of the implementation period entails the Value Commit phase, which is currently underway to confirm and refine business needs, with the following anticipated key deliverables:

• As-Is business process analysis,
• Business Process re-engineering: To-Be business process definition,
• Change management strategy,
• Business value roadmap definition (Benefits Realisation Planning),
• Overall risk mitigation strategy.

 (iii) the execution of the ITP solution follows a phased approach, with the first release to production planned to go live in July 2025; enabling business to realise value with the first release (Base Train Planning, Fleet & Train Crew Planning) and start consuming benefits such as increased utilisation of rolling stock, optimised capacity planning, consistency in service offering, more available slots for yard activities, better utilisation of the crew, and more efficiency from the planning team, among others.

(iv) The second release scheduled for August 2026 will focus on Production Planning to enable reduction in train delays and cancellations due to crew, fleet, and network unavailability, and increased utilization of rolling stock (increased profitability).

(v) The final deployment to production will be in September 2027, this release will focus on Execution Monitoring and Deviation Management (Improved response time and decision efficiency to disruptions, enhanced visual and KPIs support for strategic decision making).

(vi) This will be followed by a ten-year system support and maintenance period.

 

Reply:

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation is fully aware of the skewed demographics in the senior academic ranks of universities and since 2018 embarked on a wide-ranging programme of sectoral redress to transform the social structure of our academic system.

In 2018, the Department of Higher Education and Training instituted the University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) funded by the University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG). This innovation was brought about around the time of the Summit on the Transformation of Higher Education in 2015.

The Staff Development component of the UCDP contributes to the creation of an academic pipeline that enables the recruitment, retention and progression of academics, particularly black and women academics, along the entire pipeline, including through enabling research development, teaching development, leadership development and professional development opportunities for academics and professional staff. A general requirement that is applied to all the sub-programmes of the UCDP is that 80% of the beneficiaries must be Black and/or women South African citizens.

One of the sub-programmes of the UCDP is the Future Professors Programme (FPP). It aims to recruit young academics into a structured and intense programme to accelerate their readiness for the professoriate. The FPP contributes to building demographically transformed, professional, and capable senior academics at public universities in South Africa across various disciplines. The programme is being implemented to address the deficiency in black and women professors, at South African public universities. Currently, 144 lecturers are supported in the programme with the rest to be onboarded in 2024/25. Of these, 68 (47%) are males and 76 (53%) are females, 126 (88%) are Black (African, Coloured and Indian) and 18 (12%) are White. A total of 87 academics have completed the programme with 52 of them promoted to Professorship and the rest rated through the National Research Foundation’s rating system. All 26 universities are participating in the programme. So far (up to the 2023/24 financial year), a total amount of R135 229 574 has been invested in supporting approximately 171 senior lecturers into a structured programme to develop them towards professorship positions.

In addition to the FPP that specifically focuses on the development of senior academics to be ready for Professorial positions, three programmes that act as the pipeline for the FPP are being implemented. These programmes include the Nurturing Emerging Scholars Programme (NESP) which recruits candidates who are interested in pursuing an academic career and who hold an Honours degree or junior degree. These candidates are supported through a structured and developmental programme to acquire Master’s degrees and are granted an opportunity of a one-year academic internship at South African universities which prepares them to apply for academic positions at universities. This includes a full scholarship to acquire a Master’s degree (or starting from an Honours level) and a one-year internship at a South African university. So far, a total amount of R113 384 650 has been allocated to universities for the implementation of this programme since its inception and a total of 193 positions and scholarships have been awarded to universities.

Next in the pipeline is the New Generation of Academics Programme (the nGAP) which recruits new academics against carefully designed and balanced equity considerations and disciplinary areas of greatest need into permanent posts at universities and supports them through an intensive development programme that includes acquiring PhDs and development towards a fully-fledged academic. To date, the programme has allocated a total of 872 posts to universities which amounts to a total investment of R2 263 522 782. So far, 772 lecturers have been recruited and appointed to the universities permanently. Of this number, 415 (54%) are females and 357 (46%) are males, 22 (3%) are white and 750 (97%) are black. A total of 188 of these lecturers have acquired their PhDs, and of these 101 are females and 87 are males. All universities are benefitting from the programme.

The third programme that can serve as a feeder to the FPP is the University Staff Doctoral Programme (USDP). The USDP supports existing permanent academics and professional staff at universities to achieve doctoral degrees through full scholarships. So far, a total of R183 456 061 has been invested in the programme since its inception in 2018 to support a total of 420 academics in universities. A total number of 324 academics are currently pursuing the PhDs with 196 (60%) being female and 128 (40%) male. Black academics supported constitute 290 (90%) and 34 (10%) white. Eighty-seven (87) academics supported have completed their PhDs and the rest are in progress. The Department has also specifically supported university programs which foster collaboration between historically-white and historically black, and urban and rural-based institutions.

Although COVID-19 negatively affected the progress of many of the academics supported through these programmes, the UCDP interventions are in full swing and will carry on until the demographics in the academic system reflects the demographics of the population.

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

Whether the Minister will furnish Mr L J Basson with:

(a) a list

There is no list as no events were planned to celebrate the 30 years of democracy in the republic.

(b) full description of all events planned by his Department to take place before 29 May 2024 in celebration of the 30 years of democracy in the republic.

There are no details available as no events were planned to celebrate the 30 years of democracy in the republic.

(i) Projected total cost or expenditure of each event and

No cost or expenditure were incurred.

(ii) Breakdown thereof in terms of expenditure for

(aa) catering

No cost or expenditure were incurred.

(bb) entertainment

No cost or expenditure were incurred.

(cc) venue hire

No cost or expenditure were incurred.

(dd) transport and

No cost or expenditure were incurred.

(ee) accommodation.

No cost or expenditure were incurred.

If not, why not, if so, what are the relevant details?

No events are planned to celebrate 30 years of democracy in the republic.

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

There is no specific event that the department is planning in celebration of the 30 years of democracy in the current financial year (2023/2024) due to budget constraints. However, it is something that will be considered later in the 2024/2025 financial year.

1. None
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. N/A

Reply:

According to the information received from Transnet:

1. The Board of Inquiry (BOI) investigating the accident had a first sitting on 5th of February 2024 and held the last the sitting on the 19th of February 2024. The draft report has been circulated to all the BOI members for comments and will be signed off latest 22nd of March 2024.

The BOI report forms part of the TFR investigation process and it is an internal document which is confidential. The BOI findings and outcomes can be shared on request.

(b)(i) 2021-2022 6 collisions

2022-2023 3 collisions

2023-12 March 2024 1 collision

(b) (ii) One sabotage case, but seven (7) of the ten (10) collisions occurred under abnormal operating conditions as a result of theft and vandalism.

(b (iii)

Province	Operations Area	Financial Year	Operating conditions	Outcome (Causes)
Mpumalanga	Nelspruit	2021/22	Abnormal: Visual Display Unit not operational leading to inability to locate train position in the section	Non-adherence to Train Working Rules in that the Train Driver declared his train complete and clear whilst it was not.
Gauteng	Welgedag	2021/22	Abnormal: Visual Display Unit not operational leading to inability to locate train position in the section	Non-adherence to Train Working Rules in that the Train Driver mislead the Train Control Officer by confirming the wrong position of his train
Eastern Cape	Port Elizabeth	2021/22	Normal	Non-adherence to the Train Working Rules in that the Train Driver passed a signal at Danger/Red which he was not authorized to pass after being warned by a previous signal which was at caution/yellow
Gauteng	Vereeniging	2021/22	Abnormal: track circuits were down leading to inability to locate train position in the section	Non-adherence to Train Working Rules in that the Train Control Officer did not make sure that the line was clear of trains before authorizing another train to proceed on the same line
Northern Cape	Kimberley	2021/22	Normal	Non-adherence to Train Working Rules in that the Train Driver exceeded the point where he was authorized up to whilst on his way to assist a failed train on the same line
Gauteng	Vereeniging	2021/22	Abnormal: Visual Display Unit not operational leading to inability to locate train position in the section	Non-adherence to Train Working Rules in that the Train Control Officer authorized a train without ensuring that the previous train was complete and clear of the section
KwaZulu Natal	Bayhead	2022/23	Normal	Non-adherence to Train Working Rules by the Track inspector in that he did not couple machines together when they were moving as a train.
Limpopo	Nelspruit	2022/23	Abnormal: Visual Display Unit not operational leading to inability to locate train position in the section	Non-adherence to Train Working Rules in that the Train Driver mislead the Train Control Officer by confirming the wrong position of his train.
Mpumalanga	Nelspruit	2022/23	Sabotage: once the angle cock is closed the following wagons’ brakes are disabled.	The train parted and the subsequent train following collided with the wagons left on the line. The angle cock was found in closed position on the last wagon that parted.
KwaZulu Natal	Richards Bay	2023/24	Abnormal: Visual Display Unit not operational leading to inability to locate train position in the section	Non-adherence to Train Working Rules in that the Train Control Officer did not make sure that the line is clear of trains before authorizing the movement into an occupied line.

Table: Total Number of Collision incidents (2021/22 – 2023/24)

(b) (iv) Interventions

1. Filling of Train Control vacancies to ensure effective supervision and alleviate fatigue;
2. Network rationalization to reduce manual verbal authorizations;
3. Approach market to explore technology on ‘Electronic Train Order’ capability; and
4. Establish back-up capacity to deal with communications failure.
5. Improve security effectiveness through Outcome Based Security contracts.

The transparency of Transnet and the continued efforts to improve operational efficiency and reduce mishaps is to be applauded.

 

Reply:

1. The proposed funding model for the missing middle is a loan scheme linked to a credit guarantee.
2. 31 884 students.
3. The funding model allows for students to repay the loan once they are employed.

Reply:

The department doesn’t have any activities planned between now and 29 May 2024 to celebrate 30yrs of democracy. (a) N/A (b)N/A (i) N/A, (ii)N/A (aa) N/A (bb) N/A (cc) N/A (dd) N/A (ee) N/A.

Reply:

Find reply here

Reply:

1. NSFAS is able to assist students with applications where there is no stable network, however it should be noted that applications closed on 15 February 2024.
2. A team can be deployed to Magabheni Sizakele Centre through a formal request sent to NSFAS. NSFAS will then assess if similar challenges are experienced in surrounding areas so that its intervention is not confined to specific or limited areas, and is also implemented in a manner that seeks to manage public sector funds efficiently.

Reply:

Neither the Department or the universities are aware of newly developed assessment systems. Section 28 (1) of the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997, as amended, provides for the establishment of a senate as a university governance structure accountable to the council for the academic and research function. In addition, the Department ensures that universities have developed policies which provide for transparent selection and admissions.

The systems used by the three universities have been in use for some time but are continuously enhanced as institutional policies evolve. The systems are set up according to the minimum admission requirements per programme and when final results are received the system matches these against the applicant, calculates the point score as per the policy of a particular university, checks for designated subjects and levels and determines if the applicant meets the requirements or not. If minimum requirements are met, the applicant is placed in a selection pool (for the programme applied for) for faculties to consider and if they do not meet the minimum they are declined (automatically). The pool is then ranked by the system from highest point score to lowest and faculties are then allowed to proceed with selections and view the fresults.

If an offer is made, the system sends out an offer via email and the applicant is given time to accept the offer which differs per institution. The system also sends a reminder email. Should the offer be accepted this is recorded and the applicants receive registration information. Should the offer not be accepted it is forfeited but can still be accepted by the faculty where late acceptance is permitted. For applicants that accept offers and do not register as per the designated deadlines, a faculty may revoke the offer. While there is some automation, selection is not automated and faculties still quality assure the results and make an offer or decline an applicant 

Reply:

The medical parole application of the mentioned offender was presented to the Medical Parole Advisory Board (MPAB) on 30 November 2023 and the application was not recommended based on his clinical state and current investigations which will allow for future treatment.

Reply:

1. The number of suspected illegal foreign nationals that have been arrested in quarter 3 of the 2023-24 financial year is 32572.
2. The number of the released illegal foreign nationals during quarter 3 from Lindela Repatriation Centre is 69.
3. The number of deported foreign nationals is 5148.

END.

Reply:

1. The Multi-Disciplinary Task Team (MDTT) has identified sixty-one (61) officials for disciplinary action in respect of potential irregular activities as at 29 February 2024 and;
2. Two (2) criminal referrals to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) for investigation of potential unlawful activities.

END.

Reply:

(i) The official vehicles for the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services are purchased and managed by Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

(ii) The Department of Correctional Services manages official vehicles for the Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services responsible for Correctional Services. The details of official vehicles purchased for the Deputy Minister since 08 May 2019 are as follows:

(a)(ii) Make	(b)(ii) Model	(c)(ii) Year of manufacture	(d)(ii) Date of purchase	(e)(ii) Purchase price
Toyota	Fortuner 2.8d 4x4	2019	2019/09/02	R606 588.20
Ford	Everest XLT 2.0d 4x4	2019	2019/09/02	R 606 539.90
Toyota	Fortuner 2.8 GD6 4x4	2023	2023/10/18	R 763 619.55
Toyota	Fortuner 2.8 GD6 4x4	2023	2023/11/22	R 763 619.55

END

Reply:

1. (a) A total of 326 offenders were released from 27 October 2023 to 02 November 2023 which is the project end date. Of the 326 offenders released, 02 offenders reoffended.

1. (b) Crimes committed by each offender are as follows:

No.	Offences Committed
	House breaking with intention to steal and Theft
	Assault

2. Details of Inmates readmitted to Correctional Centres as follows:

Readmission Date	Correctional Centres
01 November 2023	Empangeni Remand Detention Facility
02 November 2023	Jansenville

END

Reply:

(1)(a) In January, the Department of Home Affairs experienced a system downtime on the National Population Register (NPR) due to a glitch. SITA submitted an incident report and also took corrective actions to restore services. They are also replacing the infrastructure that contributed to the failure as part of their Modernisation program, which we believe will improve stability. The glitch was caused by a failure on the Telco equipment at the back-end of the system.

(1)(b) The NPR and LC (Live Capture) systems are currently responsive and accessible. However, due to power interruptions and bulk verifications, there may be some accessibility issues. To manage this, the Department is prioritising traffic between the systems and ensuring that bulk verifications are managed within the allotted thresholds.

(1)(c) SITA has started a Modernisation program for all its data center equipment, which hosts critical systems. Additionally, their primary mainframe and storage vendor is actively monitoring the performance of links on a 24/7 basis. SITA has also upgraded its mainframe hardware. Moreover, the Department and SITA are jointly developing an Application Programme Interface (API) to further manage and streamline the data verification process.

(2) The Department's Modernisation program aims to enhance the user experience and provide citizens with better access to Home Affairs-related services. To achieve this goal, critical applications and infrastructure are being upgraded, and access to and from these services is also being improved. Additionally, new channels, such as kiosks, mobile offices, mobile applications, and offices at banks and malls, are being introduced to facilitate ease of access to these services.

END.

Reply:

Details for Daveyton's recommissioning plans:

(a) The recovery of the PRASA inbound logistics in the main, the infrastructure network, rolling stock and train stations, and maintenance and train operations depots are at the centre and form an integral part of the PRASA Service Recovery Programme (PSRP) to deliver Customer Value. The Daveyton – Germiston – Johannesburg link is included in the PSRP. PRASA developed a rehabilitation phased-in approach plan to restore rail services in Gauteng. The strategy adopted focused on prioritising lines quicker to rebuild to enable the resumption of rail operations. The rehabilitation programme is divided into phases based on short turnaround times and allocations of capital funds. 

Below are the main projects that PRASA is working on to recommission the line and those include: 

NO.	CRITICAL PROJECTS	STAGE	ESTIMATED DELIVERY DATES
1	Rehabilitation of the OHTE	Procurement: Approach to Market	Jan 2025
2	Rehabilitation of Substations	Procurement Re-advert: Approach to Market	Jan 2025
3	Rehabilitation of drainage	Procurement: Adjudication	Sep 2024
4	Supply and Installation of rails	Delivery	Aug 2024
5	Rebuilding of Boksburg Bridge	Construction	Jul 2024
6	Rehabilitation of train stations	Procurement	Sept 2024

(b) The Daveyton-Germiston line is anticipated to resume the limited train operations during Quarter 3 of the 2024/25 financial year, focusing on critical areas that include the civil and electrical infrastructure and train station upgrades offering basic functionality.

The Boksburg Gas-Tanker explosion disaster of December 2022 that damaged the Boksburg Rail-Over Road Bridge resulted in additional scope of work following the bridge collapse, which affected the OHTE and rail infrastructure.

4. RECOMMENDATION

4.1 It is recommended that the EA approves the reply should she concur with its content.

______________________

MR NGWAKO MAKAEPEA

DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL: RAIL TRANSPORT

DATE:

______________________

ADV JAMES MLAWU

DIRECTOR-GENERAL: TRANSPORT

DATE:

DECISION

Reply:

a) OR Tambo International Airport.

b) The issue was caused by:

• the radio coverage challenges which caused the unavailability of forward relays at various Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) remote sites. ATNS relies on third-party telecommunications service providers to relay the data from the control centre to the forward relay and vice-versa;
• Vandalism and theft where backup power facilities are often stolen at the sites. These sites, due to their remote nature, have become susceptible to power failures as backup power facilities are prone to theft; and
• Load-shedding.

c) Mid-March 2024.

Reply:

Designation	(a) Make	(b) Model	(c) Year of manufacture	(d) Purchase date	(e) Purchase Price
(i) Former Minister Dlamini -Zuma	Volvo	XC60	2020	24 March 2020	R 806 699.96
(ii) Deputy Minister Tau Cape Town office	Toyota	Fortuner 2.8 GD6	2023	30 May 2023	R 692 347.15
(i) Minister Nkadimeng Cape Town office	BMW	X3 20D	2023	28 June 2023	R 786 295.01
(i) Minister Nkadimeng Pretoria office	BMW	X3 20D	2023	28 June 2023	R 786 295.01
(ii) Deputy Minister Tau Pretoria office	BMW	X3 20D	2023	28 June 2023	R 786 295.01
(iii) Deputy Minister Burns-Ncamashe Pretoria Office	BMW	X3 20D	2023	29 March 2023	R 788,795.00

End.