Questions and Replies

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:

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 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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

(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) 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:

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:

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:

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. (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:

(a) Daveyton station and the other stations on the same line before decommissioning due to theft and vandalism. The station was rated as Super Core because it generated over R1 million in revenue and had high patronage and a high frequency of trains that operated in the corridor to serve the high demand.

As a high-performing corridor, all stations were well-resourced and allocated with customer and protection service staff to effectively manage access to stations and trains by manning all entry points to allow only paying customers entry through the successful implementation of various revenue enhancement programmes like “iThikithi eSandleni” and “Home and Away” initiatives to ensure that all commuters paid for their train fares and verified before entering and exiting the stations. Daveyton station used to have infrastructural building facilities that complied with the universal access and the lifts that provided access to the platforms.

(b) The train service in Daveyton – Johannesburg last ran on 18 January 2020. The Springs to Johannesburg terminated on 05 February 2020, just before the introduction of the March 2020 lockdown. Below is the table that indicates the number of passenger trips for both the year 2018 and 2019 respectively:-

LINE	ACTUAL PASSENGER TRIPS	TERMINATION DATE
	2018	2019
Daveyton - Johannesburg	14 956	9 989	18 JAN 2020

Daveyton station was run by trained personnel from Customer Services. There were staff members responsible for station maintenance/cleanliness, ticket sales, customer care, etc. For the safety of commuters, PRASA had internal Protection Services members and contracted security officials responsible for the safety of personnel, commuters, the company’s assets and trains. For commuters to plan their trip, the station had noticeboards displaying train schedules.

Trains ran on schedule, and Train Control Officers monitored movement at the Gauteng Nerve Centre (GNC). Trains arrived and departed from designated platforms, numbered for easy identification. Train announcements were made over public address system, indicating train arrivals, departures, delays, and other important train service information. The station had safety measures implemented, where warning signs and safety announcements were made to ensure customers’ safety.

Customers purchased train tickets at the ticket office before boarding the train, including weekly and monthly tickets. The station had functional amenities such as restrooms, platform shelters, and benches for journey experience and comfort.

Reply:

(1) (a) Daveyton Train Station has been non-operational since Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 to date.

(b) The station is still currently non-operational due to the severity of the theft and vandalism that occurred during Covid-19, with the station building’s rails, steel steps, doors, roof sheets, station gates, as well as overhead wires, signalling equipment, and all other equipment for basic functionality completely vandalised. However, the Rebuild and Recovery Programme for the Daveyton line is in progress, with the station scheduled to be open in the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year.

(2) There are two (2) security guards deployed for each shift at the Daveyton Station for 24 hours and two (2) security guards deployed to guard the Relay Room, which is situated within the vicinity of the Station.

(3) (a) Commuters could travel from Daveyton to Johannesburg Park Station via Germiston Junction and nineteen (19) stations in between. The line offered critical junctions like Dunswart, where commuters could connect from the far east of the Springs and Germiston Junction / Station.

(b) The ticket prices were zonal with a minimum cost of R7-50 to a maximum of R12-50 for a single trip. Monthly tickets were selling at a minimum of R142-00 to a maximum of R252-00. However, it should be noted that Prasa has not yet provided for weekly and monthly ticket sales.

(4) Daveyton is one of the seven (7) ‘Supercore’ stations out of fifty-two (52) stations in the Eastern Corridor. The routes, as mentioned in 3(a) was profitable, generating a revenue of around R24 million per year, with around 1,2 million tickets sold/issued.

Reply:

(1) In Daveyton, where trains are currently not operational, commuters use taxis as the main mode of transport for both long and short distances. Daily commuters were paying R7,50 for a single trip on the train and in the taxi; the fare is R23 for a one-way/single trip. The average cost of taxi transport per month is nearly R1300.00 compared to rail transport, which costs an average of R 416.00 monthly.

The table below is a cost comparison for road vs rail transport:

Transport destinations	2020-2021	Train fare	2022-2024	Train fare
	Taxi		Taxi
Daveyton- Dunswart	R20.00	R7.50	R23.00	No service
Daveyton - Germiston	R23.00	R8.50	R25.00	No service
Daveyton - Johannesburg	R27.00	R11.50	R35.00	No service
Daveyton- Pretoria	R50.00	R12.50	R70.00	No service

(2) Rail commuter transport is a cost-effective means of transportation. It is affordable, Government subsidized, and accessible. It has the ability to move a large number of commuters at once, which makes it an efficient mass mover. This accessibility provides commuters with access to economic opportunities at an affordable rate

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) There is no long term contractual relationship between RAF and Heart FM, the project was a once of agreement. It arises out of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) Strategic intervention of promoting road safety. The RAF has developed a strategy to identify and explore environments where road users are present. Music festivals have been identified as one of such environments.

A pilot project was implemented with Heart FM to implement this mandate, as a partner to educate the road users (Heart FM listeners) and festival attendees on the importance of road safety. As road users are engaged on these platforms, although they attend such events to have fun, they must be mindful not to drink and drive. They are strongly encouraged to stay safe on the road.

b) The total budget was R1 091 779.80.

c) On the day of the music festival, the RAF had activations, where RAF were educating the target audience on road safety. Twenty-four complimentary tickets were given to the Marketing team to carry out their work on the day of the event. No one else received tickets. On the day of the event, RAF were able to interact with 2,500 people. The RAF had access to 700, 000 listeners from Heart FM for a period of two weeks daily. The organisation also gained digital exposure through social media platforms as well as Heart FM’s as RAF co-branded during that period.

d) None

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.

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:

1. RAF has made no commitment with iHeart. The event was part of a pilot project to promote road safety.

2. RAF has not sponsored or made any donation to iHeart.

Reply:

(1) The Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC) is a non-profit organisation established in 1909. PIARC’s broad aim is to promote international cooperation and the exchange of knowledge on issues relating to roads, road infrastructure and road transport. With more than 125 member countries, PIARC brings together governments from all over the globe. Its members represent all levels of economic development and every region in the world. In addition to national governments, PIARC includes regional authorities, collective members, and individual members.

The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) represents South Africa and has been an active member and participant in PIARC since 1998. The works of PIARC are primarily done through Technical Committees on four-year cycles. The Technical Committees have representation from various countries from a wide cross section and spectrum around the world, including developed and developing nations. South Africa is an example of a member country with an economy in transition.

It is important for both developed and developing nations including those such as South Africa, that have a world class national road network, to have a voice on these PIARC Technical Committees, to represent the SADC region and the African continent, to ensure that the standards/specification and products produced are aligned to varying needs. The works of the Technical Committees generally culminate in best internal practices and experiences, which take the form of Literature Review Reports, Reports on the Collections of Case Studies for specific topics of interests and relevance, briefing notes, Technical Reports and Technical documents, as well as other technical documents on Technical events, all of which are road or road transport related. There are also various International Seminars held in various parts of the world on road and road transport topics depending on the needs of such countries or regions. These are coordinated by PIARC in conjunction with localised road authorities.

During the past four-year work cycle (2020-2023), SANRAL together with PIARC co-hosted Technical Committee meetings for two Technical Committees namely, TC 2.2 Accessibility and Mobility in Rural Areas and TC 3.1 Road Safety, as well as an International Seminar with SARF and the international Road Federation, in Oct 2022, as part of the knowledge exchange initiatives promoted by PIARC and its members. SANRAL showcased our commitment to Transformation, Skills Development, Engineering Excellence and Flagship projects.

2(a) SANRAL participation in PIARC is directly aligned to SANRAL’s strategic priorities as outlined in the SANRAL ACT 7 of 1998, section 26 which states:

(r) to liaise with bodies of professional persons performing work with regard to national roads in the Republic or similar roads elsewhere;

(s) to liaise and exchange information, knowledge and expertise with the official bodies or authorities entrusted with control over roads of a national or international character in other countries, and to participate in the conferences, seminars and workshops of those bodies or authorities and in the activities of any multinational or international association of those bodies or authorities;

2(b) The contribution of the SANRAL representatives/members on the various PIARC structures have been significant over the last four year cycle, as evident in the body of work and reports, and seminar proceedings, which are available and published on the PIARC official website (www.pairc.org).

It is clearly evident that South African PIARC Technical Committees members selected to the attend the final meetings and Congress, in addition to presentations made at the said World Road Congress (WRC) in Prague, have also made significant contributions to this international body of work. Their participation in the WRC is therefore a logical conclusion to share and receive feedback on the body of knowledge produced during the four-year cycle.

To further illustrate this point, South Africa had active representation on a number PIARC Technical Committees during the 2020-2023 cycle. The following reports have South African PIARC Technical Committee Members as part of the Author groups and/or acknowledged for their contributions. These include and are not limited to the following technical reports and products under the 4 primary Strategic Themes, namely:

Strategic Theme 1: Road Administrations

Technical Committee on Performance of Transport Administration produced:

• It´s All About People – Defining and Promoting Diversity and New Talent Management - Technical Report. ISBN: 978-2-84060-773-1
• Customer Experience and Public Value Creation – Technical Report. ISBN: 978-2-84060-748-9
• Diversity and Talent Management in Transport Administrations – The Road to Success. - Literature Review Report. ISBN: 978-2-84060-670-3

Technical Committee on Finance and Procurement produced:

• Best Practices in Funding and Financing of Road Infrastructure - Collection of Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-688-8

Technical Committee on Disaster Management produced:

• Climate Change, Resilience and Disaster Management for Roads - Seminar ISBN: 978-2-84060-777-9
• A Study on Financial Management of Disasters in the International Arena - Briefing Note ISBN: 978-2-84060-694-9

Strategic Theme 2: Mobility

Technical Committee on Mobility in Urban Areas produced:

• Case Studies on Travel Behaviour Data Collection in Metropolitan Regions - Briefing Note ISBN: 978-2-84060-798-4

Technical Committee Accessibility and Mobility in Rural Areas produced:

• Rural Roads: Pillars of Rural Development - Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-812-7

 

Technical Committee on Road Freight produced:

• Control and Enforcement Measures to Reduce Truck Overloading and Associated Infrastructure Damage on Road Networks - Collection of Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-689-5

Technical Committee on Road Network Operation/ITS produced:

• Utilizing Data to Optimize Road Network Operations - Collection of Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-684-0

Strategic Theme 3: Safety and Sustainability

Technical Committee on Road Safety produced:

• Specific Road Safety Issues for LMICs: Illustrative Examples - Collection of Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-775-5

Strategic Theme 4: Resilient Infrastructure

Technical Committee on Road Pavements (Structural Design) produced:

• Innovative Pavement Maintenance and Repair Strategies - Collection of Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-721-2
• Use of Recycled Materials in Pavements - Case studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-678-9

Technical Committee on Bridges produced:

• Road Bridges - New Rehabilitation Materials and Technologies - Technical Report ISBN: 978-2-84060-709-0

Technical Committee on Tunnels produced:

• Good Practices in Maintenance and Traffic Operation of Heavily Trafficked Urban Road Tunnels - Technical Report ISBN: 978-2-84060-734-2
• Improving Road Tunnel Resilience, Considering Safety and Availability - Literature Review ISBN: 978-2-84060-631-4

Technical Committee Road Design Standards produced:

• State of the Art in Road Design Standards - Literature Review ISBN: 978-2-84060-708-3

The congress, organised by PIARC and the Czech Road Society, brought together more than 6,000 participants from 120 countries, including 1,700 Czech and Slovak students, 4,000 delegates and 40 ministers and deputy ministers from around the world, who shared their views, policies and practices over five days. The Congress hosted 65 sessions, 16 workshops and 15 technical visits.

The insights gained from the above reports, presentations and discussions are then incorporated, where applicable, into the South African Committee of Transport Officials National Guidelines Series for South Africa, which consist of over 30 publications that are used to guide officials and industry consultants on the applicable best practices to be applied in South Africa.

Reply:

Find reply here

Reply:

The Directive on Human Resources Management and Development for Public Service Professionalisation, Volume 1, ratified by the Minister for Public Service and Administration on 16 February 2024, specifies various support mechanisms to aid departments in implementing the National Framework for Public Sector Professionalisation. These mechanisms encompass, among numerous others, the following:

(a) Forms of Support Offered to Departments

In the context of forms of support offered to departments, the Directive specifies support in recruitment and selection, detailing requirements for the Senior Management Service (SMS), including the Nyukela Certificate, experience waiver for entry-level roles, and graduate recruitment programs. It obligates departments to train individuals appointed without experience, incorporating training, coaching, and mentorship for employee development. The Directive mandates that new employees undergo induction within six months of joining while existing staff must participate in re-orientation programs every five years. The Directive merges performance management with professional development, advocating for reporting tools to enhance impactful performance outcomes and link them to organisational goals. Furthermore, the Directive prescribes the maintenance of a qualifications database to align skills development with Human Resources plans and address the sector's skill shortages.

(b) Impact of Support on the Implementation of the Framework

Under the "impact of support on the implementation of the framework," it is imperative to note the Directive emphasises strict compliance and outlines legal consequences for non-compliance, aiming to enhance public sector proficiency and ethics through rigorous recruitment, comprehensive training, and ongoing professional development. This strategic approach is expected to have a positive ripple effect on the successful enactment of the Framework. With the official full-scale implementation date slated for 1 April 2024, and despite being nascent, proactive measures and preliminary applications of the Directive have already been set in motion. The implementation phase is reinforced by a meticulously designed monitoring framework, which employs systematic observation, in-depth analytical review, and the strategic leveraging of insights to strengthen accountability and transparency across the board. This methodology is finely tuned to align with the Directive's overarching goals, aiming to catalyse a transformative journey towards heightened excellence and professionalism within public service entities.

(c) Training and Workshopping of Heads of Department and Senior Management

Within the context of training and workshopping for heads of department and senior management, the Directive was extensively discussed at forums such as FOSAD, GSCID, and various inter-government committees, ensuring its comprehensive circulation for broad-based consultation and understanding. It was thoroughly workshopped with corporate leaders, encompassing senior managers and relevant officials, during the department’s routine monthly meetings with Heads of Corporate Services across the public service. Despite the Directive's formal effectuation date being 1 April 2024, proactive steps have been undertaken by the MPSA to roll out outreach and educational initiatives aimed at the actual implementers within the public service, as evidenced by the programmes already undertaken in the Mpumalanga province. These outreach and educational sessions to all provinces have been planned for the first quarter of the 2024/2025 reporting period, signifying ongoing efforts in this crucial implementation area.

End

Reply:

	(a) Make	(b) Model	(c) Year of manufacture	(d) Date of purchase	(e) Purchase price paid since 8 May 2019
(i) Minister	BMW	X3 XDRIVE 20D	2022	4 March 2024	R786 710
(ii) Deputy Minister	Audi	Q5 4.0 TDI	2023	13 October 2023	R795 000

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Reply:

1 (a-b) and (b)

Section 197 (1) of the Constitution states that “within public administration there is a public service for the Republic, which must function, and be structured, in terms of national legislation, and which must loyally execute the lawful policies of the government of the day”. The Code of Conduct for Public Servants also state under Section 12(f) of the Public Service Regulations, 2016 that public servants “Shall not abuse his or her position in the public service to promote or prejudice the interest of any political party or interest group”. Section 13(k) states that public servants shall “refrain from party political activities in the workplace”.

The question by the Honourable Member is therefore unfortunate, as it has undertones of dragging public servants into party political work. This is wholly unethical and against the Constitution. The Public Service and Administration cannot and must not work on the basis of opinion polls, which we are not aware of their methodologies, limitations and biases. The professionalisation of the Public Service requires that public administration be protected from political interference and abuse. To this end, the Department has proposed through the amendments to the Public Service Act, a clear delineation of duties and responsibilities to improve accountability between the political and administrative sphere.

End

Reply:

(a) (i) Please see attached

(b) (c) (d) The requested information resides with the provinces. The Honourable member is kindly requested to direct the question to the Members of the Executive Council (MECs). 

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Reply:

1 The reasons for postponements are the following:

1. The case referred to above is the State v Johannes Mmola and four others as evidenced in Rabie Ridge CAS 106/05/2021 where the accused are charged with murder and malicious damage to property. According to courts records, the case was postponed 59 times not 75 times. Please see the attached annexure A.
2. The record of the court proceedings was painstakingly scrutinized by the Chief Prosecutor, East Rand and the majority of the postponements were as a result of absent legal representatives or the changing of legal representatives
3. After various remands for address verification and the sorting out of legal representation for the accused, the bail application commenced on 06 July 2021. Various other remands occurred during the course of attending to the bail application.
4. On 08 September 2021 the bail application proceeded where the investigating officer gave evidence in opposition to bail being granted. Bail was denied on 22 September 2021 for the first four applicants and the matter was postponed for further investigations. The matter was eventually remanded to 11 October 2021 for the post-mortem report and photo album.
5. On 08 November 2021, Adv Mudau came on record, handing in a legal brief from Mgiba Noxolo Incorporated. Only accused 5 was at court and the matter was remanded to 12 November 2021 for the other accused’s presence and for Adv Mudau to hand documents to the prosecutor with the intention to apply for bail on new facts.
6. Following various postponements, the application for bail on new facts for accused 4 was refused on 10 February 2022. Adv Mudau appeared for accused 2-5. The court allowed for a final remand for further investigations to 28 April 2022.
7. On 28 April 2022, Adv Mudau indicated his intent to bring an application on new facts for accused 5 who was absent as he was hospitalised. The court was then informed on 05 May 2022 that accused 5 had passed away and the case was postponed to 23 June 2022 for the death certificate and instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). On 23 June 2022, the case was transferred to the Tembisa Regional Court for 27 June 2022 under case number TRC228/2022.
8. On 14 July 2022, Adv Mudau informed the court that he had not received financial instructions and the family of the accused requested a postponement until 29 July 2022 to raise the funds.
9. Adv Mudau was absent on three subsequent court appearances whereupon the accused decided on 12 August 2022 to apply for legal aid on 12 August 2022.
10. Various postponements occurred in relation to the sorting out of legal representation. On 21 November 2022 it was confirmed that Ms Ledwaba will represent accused 3 and Judicare will be appointed to represent accused 1 and 4. Case was postponed to 08 December 2022 for this purpose. On 14 December 2022 and 16 January 2023, the matter was again postponed for the appointment of Judicare attorneys.
11. The court was eventually able to postpone the case till 07 March 2023 for disclosure purposes. On 07 March 2023, the matter was set down for trial at the Tembisa Regional Court for 25 May 2023.
12. On this day, the legal representative for accused 2 was not available as he was attending an urgent bail application in the High Court.
13. The matter was subsequently postponed to 11 September 2023 for trial. All within the control of the prosecution will be done to ensure that the matter proceed on 11 September 2023.
14. On 11 September 2023, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
15.  
16. On the same day, the first state witness, who suffers from a kidney disease, collapsed whilst in court and was rushed to hospital. The matter was rolled over to 12 September 2023 to potentially proceed with the matter, should this witness be available.
17. On 12 September 2023, the witness was still indisposed. The matter was postponed to 27 October 2023. On this date, the evidence in chief of the first state witness was concluded and the legal representative of Accused 1 started with cross-examination which was not finalised on 27 October 2023.
18. The matter was postponed to 16 January 2024 for continuation of the cross-examination of the first state witness.
19. On 16 January 2023, the third legal representative commenced with cross-examination of the first state witness. At this time, the witness requested a postponement due to ill health and having to be hospitalised.
20. The case was postponed to 08 July 2024 for the continuation of the cross-examination of the first witness.

2. The costs of individual criminal cases are not quantified. The cost of each case is part of the operational costs to run the Courts on a daily basis. The National Prosecuting Authority takes the management of court time seriously, and where prosecutors are guilty of misconduct in causing a case to be postponed unnecessarily, disciplinary/ remedial actions are taken. The only costs that the department incurred is R560.00 that relates to travelling expenses of the witness.

3. (a) Reply to question 1 provide various reasons for postponements. The question raised relating to consequence management does not have regard to the multifarious reasons for postponements which would have been granted by the Presiding Officers. The majority of postponements were not fruitless and wasteful expenditure and thus consequence management is not appropriate for any Legal Aid SA Official save for the double briefing by our Judicare Practitioner, Adv Mhlari, on 23 May 2023, which will be raised with the practitioner for consequence management in accordance with the Legal Aid SA ‘s Judicare accreditation terms and conditions.Save for the few occasions when the State applied for postponements for justified further investigation, the State has always been available and prepared to proceed, but due to external contributing factors, as set out above, the matter was postponed.

(b) From the record of proceedings and information supplied by the prosecutor, there is no indication of any undue delays occasioned by the State.

END

Reply:

(1)(a) The resignations have not impacted operations as the Contractor has built-in a capacity to train more that required security staff for any disturbance that may arise at the Centre.

(1)(b) The affected staff was from security the Contractor has accordingly trained enough staff for security functions and it is therefore easy to replace the resigned and dismissed staff.

(2) The current available plan is designed to replace the resigned and dismissed staff within a period of a month (30 days). There are people who underwent security training and were vetted by the authorised institution as well as DCS Training Standards. The trained officials await vacancies that may arise from the Centre as and when they arise, details of these individuals are provided to DCS for certification, it is only after certification has been granted by DCS that the Contractor appoints the individuals.

 

END

Reply:

The freeze dryer was not operational over the December period due to technical issues which required the services of a specialist service provider. Finding the specialist took some time with an appointment only made in January 2024. The freeze dryer has been operational since the third week of February 2024.

Six batches of vaccines have been freeze-dried to date. Production is continuing over seven days (every day of the week) to cover the production backlog.

Reply:

The Department of Human Settlements manage to build two hundred and forty-five, five hundred and eighty-seven (245 587) houses since 1 January 2019 to date (which is only for quarter one to quarter three of the current financial year. These houses were built throughout the nine provinces as per the breakdown on the below table.

Province	18/19 (Q4)	19/20	20/21	21/22	22/23	23/24 (Q1-Q3)	Total
EC	1 126	8 757	5 427	6 833	5 550	3 455	31 148
FS	761	2 290	1 890	1 647	311	188	7 087
GP	2 593	12 153	9 495	7 354	6 982	4 803	43 380
KZN	4 743	15 737	10 315	12 033	9 325	7 593	59 746
LP	3 954	8 135	4 518	4 269	4 808	6 200	31 884
MP	250	6 710	4 522	2 955	1 900	1 300	17 637
NC	96	620	221	591	173	84	1 785
NW	1 653	6 739	2 847	2 734	3 918	2 768	20 659
WC	3 007	8 184	6 354	6 200	5 665	2 851	32 261
Total	18 183	69 325	45 589	44 616	38 632	29 424	245 587

Reply:

The Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, implemented as the Basic Education Employment Initiative across all provinces has had four (4) successful Phases, of which Phase IV concluded in September 2023.  As there is no phase currently active, there are no teaching assistants employed in the Basic Education Sector. 

Reply:

In terms of Proclamation R84 of 2022, gazetted on 5 August 2022, I authorised an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into certain allegations with respect to the affairs of the University of Fort Hare. The matters for investigation included allegations with respect to the awarding of honours degrees.

I am informed by the SIU that the investigation is ongoing.

The SIU proclamations issued by the President are not meant for specific individuals but are rather related to alleged maladministration and/or malpractices in connection with the affairs of a State institution.

Reply:

No, the Minister has not engaged with King Misizulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini and the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform because –

a) the administration of the Ingonyama Trust Act rests with the Minister for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, who is in terms of the provisions of the Act, the competent Executive Authority regarding the affairs of the Ingonyama Trust.

b) The Minister is also not a competent authority in relation to the issue of the desirability of the King taking the Chairpersonship of the Trust. The composition of the Board falls within the purview of the Minister for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.

End.

Reply:

(a),(b),(c) None.

(i)(aa),(bb),(cc) (ii)(aa),(bb),(cc) (iii)(aa),(bb),(cc) Falls away.

Reply:

The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has approved a Manual in terms of section 14 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (Act No.2 of 2000) (PAIA) which, amongst others, deals with and promotes the right to access records held by the DPSA, as a public body and sets out the procedures to be followed by members of the public to access records held by the DPSA.

Furthermore, the DPSA has published, on its website, a Notice in terms of section 15 of PAIA identifying categories of records of the department which are automatically available without a person having to request access in terms of the procedures contained in the Manual.

The Manual and section 15 Notice are available on the DPSA website at the following link: https://www.dpsa.gov.za/paia/

In so far as human resource data and any other information to enable external analysis, research and advice is concerned, such requests are considered and released subject to the provisions of the PAIA and the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (Act No. 4 of 2013) with due regard to the lawful requirements for the further processing of personal information.

End

Reply:

 

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Reply:

(1) The AI Kuwait that docked in Cape Town was ferrying 17500 heads of cattle from Rio Grande, Brazil to Iraq. A South African Company, acting on behalf of their customer, approached the Department with a request to allow the vessel that was transporting 17500 heads of cattle to dock in Cape Town to load 2000 tons of animal feed. Detailed specifications of the vessel were provided, ensuring stringent measures to prevent contamination. Loading procedures for the feed were outlined, involving the use of conveyor belts. No livestock from South Africa was carried on this vessel.

Relating to the cases of exports from South Africa, the current laws, standards, and international norms and standards that are used for the exports of live animals from the Republic, already serve to provide assurances for animal welfare. The department is, however, working on beefing up the regulatory framework by introducing regulations for the export of animals by sea.

(2) Yes.

(a),(b) The first draft will be finalised by the end of April 2024. This will be followed by the formal legislation development processes including a socio-economic impact assessment, public consultation, and review of the comments from the public. Once the process has been completed, the document will be presented to the Minister for consideration and promulgation. It is envisaged that the second part of the process will be completed in the second quarter of the next financial year.

(i),(ii),(ii),(iv) The regulations will include the appropriate measures.

(3) Any possible prohibitions will be considered during the drafting of the regulations.

4. No.

Reply:

It is our understanding that the transgressions (non-compliance with the Municipal Investment Regulations) in relation to the VBS investigations is currently before the courts. We are therefore unable to provide any comment in this regard at this point in time.

End.

Reply:

1. For ease of reference firstly find an updated summary of the total number of matters under investigation as at January 2024.

DIVISION	TOTAL MATTERS UNDER INVESTIGATION
DPP: WC	11
DPP: FS	3
DPP: MTHATHA	10
DPP: EC	12
DPP: NW	11
DPP: KZN	27
DPP: MPUMALANGA	8
DPP: NC	5
DPP: JHB	23
DPP: PTA	14
DPP: LMP	13
UNKNOWN DPPS/JURISDICTION
TOTAL	137

(2) Herewith the total number of cases carried by each of the divisions at the following phases:

(a) Phase A (0-33%) – available evidence, locating or compiling of docket, inquest reports, witness statements, detainee statements, location of SAPS 14 or Mortuary reports etc.

(b) Phase B (34-65%)- Expert reports, engagements with experts to obtain reports or to perform reconstruction of scenes.

(c) Phase C (66-100%) – Stages nearing completion of investigations and /or decision making based on evidence and expert reports.

NO	DIVISION	A	B	C	Total
1	WC	2	0	9	11
2	FS	0	0	3	3
3	MTHATHA	1	0	9	10
4	MKHANDA	6	0	6	12
5	NW	6	0	5	11
6	KZN	16	2	9	27
7	MP	6	0	2	8
8	NC	4	0	1	5
9	JHB	21	0	2	23
10	PTA	8	0	6	14
11	LMP	12	0	1	13
					137

Reply:

(1) (2) and (3) The question falls under the Executive Authority of the Members of the Executive Council (MECs) of the 9 Provincial Education Departments (PEDs). The Honourable Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MECs as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134 (5)(b) of the NA rules. 

Reply:

a) Reasons for dependency on external service providers by municipalities for the work that can be done internally have been investigated and documented in the State of Local Government Report (SOLG) as follows:

• Lack of adequate support from National and Provincial Government departments and other service delivery departments.
• High vacancies rates in key senior management positions within municipalities (especially distressed municipalities) has resulted in the increased reliance on external service providers in core services.
• The absence of CFOs in municipalities impact sound financial management and vacancies in the technical departments compromise service delivery.
• Revenue challenges in municipalities (especially dysfunctional municipalities) caused by negative economic position makes is difficult for them to attract and retain competent staff members.

b) Measures to build internal capacity to provide the core services required by the public:

a) The introduction of the Municipal Systems Act: Municipal Staff Regulations of 2021, in line with the Municipal Systems Act, 32 of 2000, laid a solid foundation for the achievement of the objective to strengthen the capacity of municipalities to perform their functions through recruitment and appointment of suitably qualified and competent persons, thereby professionalising local government and decreasing the use of external service providers for core functions.

b) Municipal Skill audits (Gapskill system):

Chapter 5 of the MSR obliges municipalities to conduct Skills development to:

• support the achievement of the municipality’s goals set out in the Integrated Development Plan by providing critical skills that ensure the delivery of quality services.
• promote the development and retention of competent municipal staff, including the development of technical, professional and specialist staff who have the required qualifications and skills.
• support the employment equity objectives of a municipality.
• be based on high quality provision and effective workplace learning and development practices, including coaching, mentoring, on-the-job learning and opportunities for the practical application of skills in the workplace.

Moreover, the department is finalizing the enhancement of the Gapskill system in order to assist municipalities to support staff members to:

• clarify the skills required for jobs, identifying relevant skills needs and develop opportunities to satisfy the skills needs.
• identify new skills and knowledge required by staff to support their career growth and progression.
• create learning opportunities which will allow their staff to develop the skills and expertise to enable them to compete effectively for placement in new or vacant posts; and
• ensure that skills development is a KPA in senior managers and supervisors performance agreements.

c) Professionalisation of the public services:

• The Department is participating in the implementation of the Professionalisation of public service through the setting of uniform standards for staff establishment, job competency framework, recruitment, selection and appointment, performance management, capacity building and skills development.
• To deal with the issue of bloated organograms, the Department developed prototypes staff establishments according to powers and functions of different categories of municipalities and is now in the process of piloting and validating the prototype staff establishments in all municipalities, over a period of 36 months. The implementation of the prototype staff establishments will result in the “fit for purpose” functional operating models of municipalities. Capacitated municipalities will no longer rely on service providers for core services.
• In 2016, the Department introduced competency assessment for senior managers in line with the Competency Framework as promulgated in 2014 with the Regulations on appointment and conditions of services for senior managers (Regulations). The Department has finalised the review of the current Local Government: Competency Framework and assessment batteries for different categories of municipal positions during the 2022/23 financial year and has embarked on the pilot and validation of competency assessment batteries during the 2023/24 financial year.

d) To strengthen the coordination of capacity building in local government, the in order to build internal capacity:

The NCBF of 2004 has been reviewed and resulted in the approval of the Integrated Local Government Capacity Building Strategy (ILGCBS&IP) in 2022. This aims to provide an overarching new framework strategy that incorporates all current existing capacity building strategies in local government. The ILGCBS&IP will decisively deal with the rise of well-intended, but uncoordinated short-term municipal capacity building interventions and ensure that all municipalities become adequately capacitated to take on their redistribution, transformation and developmental tasks in a viable, structured and affordable way, and within the shortest possible period of time (as directed in the Constitution).

Establishment of a Sector-wide National Capacity Building Coordinating Forum as a coordination mechanism - consists of key sector departments, provincial departments responsible for local government, state associated institutions (LGSETA, SALGA). It serves as single-window of capacity building coordination and a clearing house for any initiative that is earmarked for local government.

End

Reply:

(1)(a) The total number of inmates completed (a) rehabilitation programmes are 7912.

(1)(b) The total number of inmates completed (a) re-integration programmes are 11697.

(2)(a) Total number of the released inmates who have reoffended completed rehabilitation programmes are 382.

(2)(b) Total number of the released inmates who have reoffended completed re-integration programmes are 51.

(3) Yes, the rehabilitation and re-integration programmes are effective and sufficient to prevent re-offending. Out of the total number of 16 472 inmates who were released on the special remission programme only 433 has re-offended as on 29 February 2024.

END.

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Reply:

The Department of Water and Sanitation has not planned any events to take place before 29 May 2024 in celebration of the 30 years of democracy in the Republic.

 

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Reply:

(a)(b),(c) Any member of the Communal Property Association (CPA), can make a request to the CPA executive to access CPA information. A request must be formally made to the CPA executive committee and the Department can assist if the Committee fail to provide the copy of the constitution, financial statements, and updated membership register.

(d) A request must be formally made to the Land Claims Commission to obtain copies of the title deeds.

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