Questions and Replies
05 December 2016 - NW2454
Krumbock, Mr GR to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(a) How many international trips were undertaken by (i) the Chief Executive Officer, (ii) each executive and (iii) each board member of the Education Training and Development Practices Sect5or Education and Training Authority (aa) in the 2015 calendar year and (bb) since 1 January 2016 and (b) what was the (i) cost, (ii) purpose and (iii) detailed itinerary of each specified trip?
Reply:
(a) (aa) Trips undertaken in the 2015 calendar year:
(i) Chief Executive Officer: 1
(ii) None.
(iii) Five Board members: 1
(bb) No trips were undertaken since 1 January 2016.
(b) (i) Cost are detailed in the table below.
Names of Delegates |
Position |
Total Costs (R) |
Ms N Nxesi |
CEO |
100 536.36 |
Ms S Mabusela |
Chairperson |
100 536.36 |
Ms S Geyer |
Board member |
100 536.36 |
Mr Z Saphetha |
Board member |
100 536.36 |
Ms V Hofmeester |
Board member |
100 536.36 |
Ms A Wallace |
Board member |
87 605.16 |
TOTAL |
590 286.96 |
(ii) Attending the World Skills Conference and competition.
(iii) The detailed itinerary is attached as an annexure.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
05 December 2016 - NW2487
Figlan, Mr AM to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(1)Whether (a) the Chief Executive Officer, (b) each executive and (c) each board member of the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA) submitted reports for each international trip they undertook (i) in the 2015 calendar year and (ii) since 1 January 2016; if not, in each case, why not; if so, in each case, on what date; (2) whether he will make the specified reports available to Mr A M Figlan; if not, why not; if so, by what date; (3) whether any staff members of the W&RSETA were formally appointed to act in the positions of the persons who travelled internationally; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are (a) the names of each staff member who was appointed in an acting position in the specified period and (b) further relevant details in this regard?
Reply:
1. (a) The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) did not travel internationally during the period in question.
(b) Mr A Sipengane submitted a report for the World Association for Cooperative Education Conference.
(c) Mr N Ketlele (Board Member) submitted a report for the International Leadership Development Programme.
(2) The reports are available, upon request.
(3) The CEO did not travel internationally during the period in question. Managers within the portfolio of Mr Sipengane reported to the CEO during his trip abroad.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2487 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
05 December 2016 - NW2193
Baker, Ms TE to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
(1)What (a) is the current status of the Ermelo Waste Water Treatment Plant in Mpumalanga and (b) are the results of the water quality tests of the treated effluent in each month since 1 January 2016; (2) whether the specified plant complies with the standards for effluent discharge as regulated by her department; if not, what action has she taken to rectify the situation; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1)(a) The Ermelo Wastewater Treatment Plant is currently receiving 12-16 Ml/day and is designed to handle 10 Ml/day. Overall, the infrastructure of the plant is in a bad condition and this has compromised the sewage treatment process to the extent that substandard effluent is being discharged.
(b) The Green Drop System, which the Department utilizes to monitor compliance levels of wastewater treatment works in the country, shows that the level of compliance for the plant from 01 January 2016 to September 2016 is zero for micro, physical and chemical parameters specific for wastewater effluent.
(2) The effluent from the plant does not comply with the general standard. The Department had meetings with the municipality, inspections were conducted and correspondence was also sent to the municipality. Due to the lack of response from the municipality, a task team (comprising DWS, the Departments of Human Settlements, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Economic Development, Environment and Tourism as well as the District and Local Municipalities) was then established to address the concerns related to the plant. See Tables 1 and 2 below:
Table 1: Correspondence with the Municipality prior to establishment of the task team
DWS Action |
Issues raised |
Type of communication |
Municipality response |
Issued communication due to poor water quality discharging into the stream |
|
Letter dated 23 November 2009 |
None |
Site inspection conducted on 14 July 2010 |
|
Section 19 letter dated 19 July 2010 |
None |
Site inspection conducted on 11 Nov 2011 |
|
Meeting held with the municipality immediately after the inspection |
The problem was resolved same day |
Site inspection conducted on 14 June 2012 |
|
Meeting with municipality on 06 August 2012 |
Raised their challenges |
Table 2: Correspondences with the Municipality after establishment of the task team
DWS Action |
Issues raised |
Type of communication |
Municipality response |
Issued communication based on the meeting held on 06 August 2012 |
|
Letter dated 14 August 2012 |
None |
Follow up |
|
Letter dated 11 October 2012 |
Submitted insufficient action plan on 14 November 2012 |
Task Team |
Actions from minutes |
Meeting on 26 September 2012 at Govan Mbeki Municipality |
No feedback, the Municipality sent another person without information |
Task Team |
Actions from minutes |
Meeting on 14 November 2012 at Lekwa Municipality |
Attended |
Task Team |
Actions from minutes |
Meeting on 06 February 2013 at Dr Pixley ka Seme Municipality |
Did not attend |
Issued a communication |
|
Letter dated 22 February 2013 |
None |
Task Team |
Actions from minutes |
Meeting on 12 June 2013 at Gert Sibande District Municipality |
Did not attend |
Issued a communication |
|
Letter dated 22 August 2013 |
None |
Assessment of WWTW on 29 October 2013 and 13 March 2014 |
|
Letter dated 24 March 2014 |
None |
The Department allocated R 44 275 029 million to refurbish the Ermelo Waste Water Treatment Plant in Mpumalanga. The project commenced in November 2015 and is scheduled for completion in January 2017.
---00O00---
02 December 2016 - NW2306
Mazzone, Ms NW to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
Whether any (a) internal and/or (b) external forensic reports pertaining to (i) his department and/or (ii) each entity reporting to him were completed from 1 January 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, in each case, why not; if so, what is the (aa) name, (bb) subject matter and (cc) date of conclusion of each of the specified forensic reports?
Reply:
DPSA
- No Internal forensic reports pertaining to the Department of Public Service and Administration were completed from 1 January 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available.
Why not? there were never any cases that came to our knowledge that required a forensic investigation.
- No External forensic reports pertaining to the Department of Public Service and Administration were completed from 1 January 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available
Why not? there were never any cases that came to our knowledge that required a forensic investigation
(aa) N/A
- N/A
- N/A
The Public Service Commission (PSC) is an independent Constitutional body, and its budget is appropriated via the Minister of Public Service and Administration.
(a) & (b)(i) Not applicable
(a) & (b)(ii) No internal or external forensic report has been commissioned by the PSC from 1 January 2009 to date.
(aa) Not applicable, please see (a) and (b) above.
(bb) Not applicable, please see (a) and (b) above.
(cc) Not applicable, please see (a) and (b) above.
The Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) has not had any (a) Internal and /or (b) external forensic reports completed from 1 January 2009 to date; because the organisation has not had any reported and /or investigated forensic cases.
THE NATIONAL SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
(a) None
(b) Yes
(i) National School of Government
(aa) KPMG
(bb) Fraudulant Transactions – misappropriation of funds
(cc) 15 June 2011
Government Employees Medical Scheme
(a)(i): Not applicable to GEMS
(a)(ii) No completed internal forensic investigation report is available. Why Not: An investigation into the leaking of information to the press is still underway.
(b)(i): Not applicable to GEMS
(b)(ii) No. Why Not: Allegations made in relation to one of the Scheme’s procurement processes is still underway.
Note that the Scheme does have a Claims Risk Management function where reported cases of fraud, waste and abuse are subjected to investigation. The actions pursued by the Scheme in response to the forensic investigation outcomes include reporting healthcare providers to regulatory bodies such as the Health Professions Council of South Africa and criminal prosecution.
02 December 2016 - NW2509
Bozzoli, Prof B to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(1)(a) How many training centres in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality applied for accreditation to the Construction Education Training Authority (CETA) for the (i) 2014-15 and (ii) 2015-16 financial years, (b) what are the names of each of the specified centres, (c)(i) how many of the centres obtained accreditation and (ii) for which courses specifically, (d) what were the reasons for some of the centres not obtaining accreditation and (e) what plans are in place to assist the centres to obtain accreditation; (2) what (a) qualifications do the assessors who visited the specified centres have and (b) training material is made available by the CETA for training centres to use?
Reply:
1. (a) (i) No training centres within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality region applied for accreditation during the 2014-15 financial year.
(b) - (e) Not applicable.
(ii) 2015-16 financial year
(a) Applications for accreditation |
(b) Names of each specified centre |
(c) (i) How many centres obtained accreditation? |
(c) (ii) Courses accredited |
45 |
|
20 |
|
- The previous accreditation issued to training providers came to an end on 31 March 2016.
- Applications for re-accreditation were received by the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) in 2015.
- Due to the extension of the National Skills Development Strategy III, accreditation for all applicants were extended to 30 June 2016.
(d) Reasons for not receiving accreditation |
(e) What plans are in place to assist centres to obtain accreditation? |
Each training provider that is not compliant received an evaluation or compliance report from CETA with specified findings with remedial actions. The report is signed off by both the CETA Compliance Officer and the provider representative. Some of the main reasons for not obtaining accreditation are:
|
Learning Materials:
Practitioner/Assessor Qualifications:
One-on-one meetings, telephonic or e-mail support:
|
2.
(a) What are the qualifications of Assessors? |
(b) Training material from CETA to training centres |
CETA uses its own staff as compliance officers to conduct the site audit visits for accreditation. Standardised accreditation instruments, tools and checklists are utilised by the compliance officers. Assessors have education and training, and/or human resource development qualifications with accompanying relevant experience. Staff members with technical construction qualifications are involved in the accreditation compliance site visits. |
CETA has made available standardised learning materials for the National Certificate in Electrical Construction to support small electrical contractors, as well as standardised learning materials for the National Certificate in Construction Contracting to support small and emerging construction enterprises. |
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2509 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
02 December 2016 - NW1893
Maynier, Mr D to ask the Minister of Finance
(1)Whether the National Treasury has evaluated the (a) feasibility, (b) affordability and (c) procurement process of the nuclear build programme that the Government is proposing; if not, in each specified case, why not; if so, in each specified case, what are the relevant details; (2) whether the National Treasury has produced any reports in this regard; if not, in each case, why not; if so, in respect of each report produced, (a) what is the title of the report, (b) when was the report produced and (c) what are the (i) main findings and (ii) recommendations?
Reply:
(a) National Treasury has undertaken preliminary assessment of various aspects of the feasibility of the nuclear new build programme, based on the Draft Feasibility Study (2013) submitted by the Department of Energy. The Department of Energy has not yet completed a full feasibility study with a cost-benefit analysis which includes a socio-economic assessment. As a result, a detailed assessment of the feasibility and the affordability of the nuclear new build programme cannot be undertaken at this stage.
(b) During 2015, National Treasury engaged extensively with officials from the Department of Energy on the potential financial, fiscal and economic implications of the nuclear new build programme (which are all involved aspects of affordability). A presentation was produced to guide discussions and shared with officials of the DoE. National Treasury has not yet presented these preliminary findings to Cabinet and therefore cannot currently share the details.
(c) The Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) held a series of engagements with the DoE during 2015 on the nuclear new build programme’s procurement strategy, after which the OCPO wrote to the department expressing National Treasury’s opinion on that strategy. On 13 September 2016, the National Treasury received a set of documents, which included the reviews undertaken by the DoE Transaction Advisors. A preliminary assessment of the documents was undertaken and a letter sent to the DoE on 23 September 2016, outlining Treasury’s assessment on the state of readiness of the procurement strategy. The Treasury intends to engage further with the DoE once documents have reached a more substantive stage of development.
2. (a) (b) The reports that Treasury has produced in this regard are the following:
(1) An internal report containing an assessment of the DoE’s draft feasibility study of November 2013 was prepared and finalised in 2014. The report was titled ‘Assessment of the Nuclear Feasibility Study’.
(2) Internal research conducted by the Treasury on the high level costs and risks associated with a nuclear build programme was first conducted in 2013 and has been updated since, in line with updated global trends.
(3) In September 2015, at Cabinet’s request, the National Treasury prepared a preliminary report on high-level fiscal and financial implications of a new nuclear build programme.
(4) The Chief Procurement Officer sent an assessment of the draft procurement documents to the Department of Energy in February 2016.
(c) Main findings and recommendations:
These reports only contain preliminary observations, which were reached from limited information. Extensive work is still required before substantive conclusions are reached. A full cost-benefit analysis must be conducted which must include a comprehensive social and economic impact assessment before the feasibility, affordability and procurement strategy can be properly assessed by the Treasury.
The Department of Energy is the lead department in government on this matter. They are best place to respond. Recent documents released by the Department of Energy should be of assistance in this regard.
02 December 2016 - NW2585
Hunsinger, Dr CH to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)Whether any income generated by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) was transferred to the National Revenue Fund via her department since 1 April 2007, in line with the National Treasury’s 2007 Practice Note; if not, in each case, why not; if so, what amount of income generated by the RTMC was transferred to the National Revenue Fund during the specified period; (2) whether any income from transaction fees paid by the RTMC to the National Revenue Fund were claimed back by (a) her department and/or (b) the RTMC since1 April 2007; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether any decision was taken at any stage to stop the transfer of income generated by the RTMC to the National Revenue Fund, contrary to the specified Practice Note, in order to assist the Electronic National Traffic Information System to become self-funded; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) why, (b) what are the relevant details and (c) what steps has the RTMC taken to rectify the situation; (4) howwill the budget allocation of the RTMC in the 2016-17 financial year be affected by the payment to Tasima as per the court order and the undertaking in her department’s 2015-16 annual report that the RTMC is to reimburse her department for having made this payment?
Reply:
1. The matter relating to transferring of the income generated by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to the revenue fund was laid to rest by the FFC resolution. We attached the FFC resolution for ease of reference.
2. The RTMC is a creature of statute and any monies generated and or income made by the corporation is regulated by the act that established the Corporation. It is therefore prudent to consider the resolution of the FFC as attached above.
3. The FFC resolution attached offer an explanation in relation to these matters.
4. The payment to Tasima post 2012 was per the various court orders against the department and no court order was ever made against the RTMC for the payment of theeNaTIS to the Tasima. Therefore there could be no legal ground or basis on which RTMC can be made to reimburse the monies paid.
02 December 2016 - NW2296
Van Der Walt, Ms D to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
Whether any (a) internal and/or (b) external forensic reports pertaining to (i) his department and/or (ii) each entity reporting to him were completed from 1 January 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, in each case, why not; if so, what is the (aa) name, (bb) subject matter and (cc) date of conclusion of each of the specified forensic reports?
Reply:
Department/Entity |
(a) Internal Forensic Report |
(b) External Forensic Report |
(aa) Name |
(bb) Subject |
(cc) Date of Completion |
The Department of Higher Education and Training (established on 1 April 2010, hence, no prior reports) |
2 |
|
An investigation instituted by the Director-General on a dossier of allegations of corruption levelled against the management staff of INDLELA, the trade-testing unit of the Department. |
8 February 2011 |
|
|
An investigation instituted by the Director-General on irregular payments made to a service provider that has provided and installed security equipment at the Department. |
7 August 2013 |
|||
Agriculture Sector Education and Training Authority |
17 |
|
Processes followed regarding the approval of and payments to a service provider. |
May 2009 |
|
|
Verification of the accuracy of all costs incurred on the Education and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) overseas trip on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). |
February 2014 |
|||
|
Review of the validity of payments – Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) grants. |
March 2014 |
|||
|
Detailed report on allegations relating to the recruitment of a manager. |
August 2011 |
|||
|
Investigation into payments made to a service provider for AgriSETA funded learnership programmes. |
June 2012 |
|||
|
Investigation into the Numeracy Academy linked ABET grants. |
February 2013 |
|||
|
Investigation into allegations of unethical behaviour of a supplier and a manager within the SETA. |
November 2013 |
|||
|
Investigation into possible conflict of interest. |
January 2014 |
|||
|
Bursary payments to the Project Manager Finance and Supply Chain Management (SCM). |
October 2016 |
|||
|
Recruitment of Senior Manager: Human Resource and Payroll, Senior Manager: Skills Planning and Reporting, Project Manager Finance and SCM. |
October 2016 |
|||
|
Review of the approved fee structure for the 2014/ 2015 financial year. |
May 2016 |
|||
|
Scrutiny of Board meeting attendance supporting documentation to determine whether amounts claimed are valid and accurate. |
May 2016 |
|||
|
Comparison of fees for the 2012/13, 2013/14, and 2014/15 financial years in order to analyse fee escalations. |
May 2016 |
|||
|
Allegations of corruption and abuse of power. |
February 2015 |
|||
|
Reviewing of the Creditors Age Analysis and trends on payment of suppliers / service providers. |
February 2015 |
|||
|
Investigate the allegation that certain individuals require bribes to be paid to them to perform their duties. |
February 2015 |
|||
|
Failure of AgriSETA’s management to act on reported irregularities. |
February 2015 |
|||
Construction Sector Education and Training Authority |
1 |
Funded Discretionary Grant Forensic Investigation |
Funded Discretionary Grant. |
31 January 2014 |
|
Council on Higher Education |
2 |
|
Purchase and maintenance of the CHE Building. |
19 September 2011 |
|
|
Source of a leak to the media |
June 2010 |
|||
Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority |
1 |
Misconduct by the former CEO |
Signing of a bank guarantee by the former CEO to secure an operating lease agreement without following due process. |
February 2011 |
|
Financial and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority |
1 |
Awarding of the Bridging Programme tender |
Awarding of the Bridging Programme tender. |
December 2015 and follow-up investigation in progress |
|
Food and Beverages Sector Education and Training Authority |
2 |
|
Transgression of supply chain processes |
January 2013 |
|
|
Investigation on Executives/Managers/Staff |
January 2013 |
|||
Fibre, Processing and Manufacturing Sector Education and Training Authority |
1 |
Fraud and corruption within the SETA |
Fraud and corruption within the SETA. |
13 May 2014 |
|
Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority |
1 |
The procurement and use of services |
The procurement and use of services. |
7 February 2013 |
|
Insurance Sector Education and Training Authority |
1 |
Corruption between ex-employee and Training Provider |
Corruption between ex-employee and Training Provider. |
30 January 2015 |
|
Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Sector Education and Training Authority |
2 |
|
Embezzlement of Grant Funds and Monies. |
February and July 2011 |
|
|
Leaking of the company's confidential documents. |
April 2011 and February 2014 |
|||
Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority |
2 |
|
Irregular payments from the PSETA Discretionary Grants account and the National Skills Fund account. |
1 July 2010 |
|
|
Irregular payments made from the PSETA National Skills Fund account. |
1 July 2010 |
|||
Transport Education and Training Authority |
2 |
1 |
|
SCM process that was investigated by a private consulting firm |
OMA Chartered Accountants report submitted directly to Board during 2011/12 financial year |
|
An investigation undertaken by the public protector into the SCM process that was investigated by a private consulting firm. |
The completion date on the Public Protector report cannot be confirmed as the report was provided to TETA on the matter. |
|||
|
Bribe from stakeholder. |
28 February 2014 |
|||
Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority |
4 |
|
Irregularities involving a Project Specialist. |
April 2015 |
|
|
Procurement processes. |
The investigation is still in process. |
|||
|
Selection process and contracting of bursaries. |
The investigation is still in process. |
|||
|
Determine progress on projects. |
The investigation is still in process. |
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2296 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
02 December 2016 - NW2584
Hunsinger, Dr CH to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)Whether, since her reply to question 1345 on 5 May 2015, the Electronic National Traffic Information System (eNaTIS) has been transferred to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC); if not, (a) why not and (b) by what date will the eNaTIS be fully transferred to the RTMC; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether the acquisition of equipment for the eNaTIS, as indicated in her department’s 2015-16 annual report, (a) forms part of her department’s asset register and (b) can be linked to aquisitions in this regard in the (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15 financial years; if not, in each case, why not; if so, in each case, what are the relevant details; (3) which entity currently (a) owns the assets linked to and (b) operates the eNaTIS?
Reply:
1. No, in accordance with the Constitutional Court, the Department has started engaging with Tasima on the transfer management plans, which shall be considered within 20 days.
2. No, since the eNATIS systems has not yet been transferred to the Department.
(b) (i) (ii) and (iii) falls away.
The process of transferring of the eNaTIS system would also include the reconciliation of the eNATIS assets register.
3. (a) The assets are under the custodian of TASIMA and would be dealt with once transfer has taken place.
(b) Currently, operated by TASIMA.
02 December 2016 - NW2559
Pilane-Majake, Dr MC to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
In light of the fact that the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster’s efforts to reduce the number of remand detainees in correctional services, estimated to be 40 000, which have not managed to yield the desired results, what additional measures is he, as the Executive responsible for three of the Budget Votes that directly impact on this desired outcome, recommending to deal with overcrowding in correctional centres that is too costly for the country?
Reply:
There has over the years been a significant reduction in the number of remand detainees.
Periods |
Average number of RDs |
Average March 2012 |
47191 |
Average Sept 2012 |
45138 |
Average March 2013 |
46852 |
Average Sept 2013 |
43360 |
Average March 2014 |
43973 |
Average Sept 2014 |
40146 |
Average March 2015 |
42901 |
Average Sept 2015 |
40675 |
Average March 2016 |
44026 |
Average Sept 2016 |
41486 |
Reduction in numbers |
5705 |
Reduction in % |
12.09% |
The table above reflecting the trends from March 2012 to September 2016 revealed that the population of RDs reduced by 12.09% over a period of five years. This reduction should be equated to the team effort of various role players who contribute in the implementation of the strategies. These results could be much better if the factors that play a role in delaying cases could be effectively managed. A further study is required with focus on the remand detainees with co-accused whose cases take longer than three years. Another area that requires attention is the front end of the Criminal Justice System with focus on the RDs that spend up to three months in detention.
Children Remand Detainees:
With the introduction of the Child Justice Act (Act 75 of 2008), the number of RD children reduced from 504 in March 2010 to an annual average of 99 in 2015/16. The lowest average number of children was recorded in August 2016 (72). The overall reduction of children RDs from 2010 to August 2016 was 85.7%.
It is crucial to understand that the key drivers of the population of the remand detainees are beyond the control of the detention institutions. These drivers, according to international literature, are the use of pre-trial detention and the increasing trend in serious crimes. The increase in serious crimes is closely related to an increase in the use of pre-trial detention by courts without the option of bail.
The number of admissions and the length of stay are regarded as other drivers which are beyond the control of institutions responsible for the detention of RDs. Factors found to be linked to the increase in the length of stay of remand detainees are as follows,
- The presence of multiple co-accused in one case or accused linked to other crimes that are under investigation;
- Withdrawal, rehiring of legal representatives and changing of legal representatives by the accused;
- Failure of the co-accused and or their legal representative to appear in court on set dates thus leading to remanding of the cases for several times;
- Request for the separation of trials by the accused in the middle of the cases;
- Brings of bail applications by the accused in the middle of the trail through the bail application was attended to at the beginning of the case;
- Delays in securing a date at the high court for the cases that are escalated by lower courts to high courts;
- Loss of court records;
- Failure of witnesses to appear in court;
- Presence of multiple witnesses in some cases;
- Requests for remand either by defence, lawyers of the accused and/or the state;
- Failure of the co-accused to appear in court especially those that are under non-custodial system;
In addition to the previously mentioned key drivers, there are other factors that are thought to play a role in the failure to reduce the number of RD’s. These factors include failure to pay bail by the remand detainees who have been given bail by courts. The percentage of such RD’s ranges between 15 and 19%.
Despite all the challenges mentioned above there are several strategies implemented to deal with overcrowding at the cluster level and the departmental level.
Additional interventions which specifically focus on the down management of remand detainees by the DCS are:
- The implementation of bail protocol (Section 63A of Criminal Procedure Act, Act 51 of 1977). The protocol makes provision for the Head of a Correctional Centre to approach the relevant court to release an accused on warning in lieu of bail or to amend the bail conditions imposed by that court when the offender population of a particular correctional centre is reaching such proportions that it constitutes a material and imminent threat to human dignity, physical health or safety of the accused. It is worth mentioning that this section is only applicable to those accused with bail who have been charged with Schedule 7 crimes.
- The Marketing of section 63(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act (Act 51 of 1977). Section 63(1) makes provision for the accused or prosecutor to make an application to the court to reduce the amount of bail that was set by the relevant court.
- Referral of RDs to court for consideration of their length of detention. The Correctional Service Act (section 49G) makes provision for the Head of the Centre to submit an application to court for the consideration of the length of detention of the RDs before they complete two years in detention initially (application submitted at 21 months) and annually with regard to subsequent applications. The provision does not suggest that there is custody limit in terms of period of detention in South Africa for RDs. The courts responds by utilizing the provisions applicable to section 63A applications as there is no parallel provision in the Criminal Procedure Act.
The cluster approach in the reduction management of remand detainees appears to be effective. The DCS alone could not be successful in reducing the population of the RDs. The Executive Head of the Department of Justice and Correctional Services in consultation with Director of NPA and the National Commissioner of Correctional Services has appointed a bail task team which has been assigned to determine factors that contribute to the RDs staying in detention while they have an option of paying bail. The task team falling under the Criminal Justice System Reform is finalizing the report on audit conducted in Pollsmoor and the Mthatha centres remand detention facilities. It is hoped that the report will assist in providing guidance on coming up with alternative approaches for managing RDs with bail.
01 December 2016 - NW2670
Boshoff, Ms SH to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(a) What was the average amount of time taken to complete cases of (i) fraudulent qualifications, (ii) sexual misconduct and (iii) physical assault against educators reported to the SA Council of Educators in each province in the (aa) 2011-12, (bb) 2012-13, (cc) 2013-14, (dd) 2014-15 and (ee) 2015-16 financial years and (b) what is the total number of affected teachers who were struck off the roll as a result of completed cases?
Reply:
1. (a) (i) It takes about 30 to 45 days to finalise the deregistration process of an educator found to be in possession of fraudulent qualifications. The final decision to deregister an educator is taken by the SACE Council. (ii) & (iii) It takes on average three (3) months to finalise cases of sexual misconduct and physical assault. Some cases may take longer depending on the prevailing circumstances of each case.
(b) The total number of educators struck off the roll during (aa) 2011-12, (bb) 2012-13, (cc) 2013-14, (dd) 2014-15 and (ee) 2015-16 is as follows:
2011/12
Educators struck off indefinitely: 31
Educators struck off but may re-apply after a certain period: 01
2012/13
Educators struck off indefinitely: 27
Educators struck off but may re-apply after a certain period: 01
2013/14
Educators struck off indefinitely: 03
Educators struck off but may re-apply after a certain period: 06
2014/15
Educators struck off indefinitely: 10
Educators struck off but may re-apply after a certain period: 18
2015/16
Educators struck off indefinitely: 25
Educators struck off but may re-apply after a certain period: 05
01 December 2016 - NW2596
Lorimer, Mr JR to ask the Minister in the Presidency
(1)(a) What were the detailed outcomes of the discussions on Mining Operation Phakisa held in 2015, (b) how long did the specified discussions take, (c) where were the discussions held, (d) who attended the discussions and (e) what amount did the hosting of discussions cost; (2) whether the specified outcomes were published in a report; if not, why not; if so, on what date was the specified report published; (3) will he furnish Mr J R B Lorimer with a copy of the specified report?
Reply:
The intended outcomes of the initiatives include;
- Promoting investment in the mining cluster in the newly established One-Stop-Shop facility that links to the Invest South Africa process, developing a common message across key stakeholders and unlocking impediments to the entry of independent black capital.
- Increasing exploration through the provision of cutting edge geo-scientific information and special funding mechanisms.
- Increasing participation of emerging miners in the mining value chain by creating alternative funding mechanism and creating mechanisms for collaboration with Majors.
- The implementation of an industry wide decent work program with an initial focus on rights at work, the rejuvenation of Future Forums, policy alignment and social protection.
- The implementation of a cluster reskilling and upskilling programme that is collaborative, transparent and enables mobility across the cluster.
- The establishment of a multi-stakeholder crisis intervention task force (modelled on government intervention post the financial crisis) with the objective of saving marginal mines and jobs.
The Mining Phakisa Lab took five weeks, from 26 October 2015 to the 27 November 2015 in Limpopo (3 weeks at the Legends Resort) and at the Capital Hotel in Sandton (2 weeks).
Stakeholders from organised business, organised labour, civil society, some chapter 9 institutions, Congress of traditional Leaders and government departments attended the Mining Phakisa lab. The cost was R26 785 520.81 and the report will be made available after the Presidential Launch in December 2016.
01 December 2016 - NW2592
Davis, Mr GR to ask the Mr G R Davis (DA) to ask Minister of Basic Education
(1) With reference to (a) her reply to question 530 on 24 March 2016, (b) the 2015-16 annual report of her department and (c) the undertaking by her department in the meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on 1 November 2016, why (i) were only 7% of newly appointed principals subjected to competency tests and (ii) was the Western Cape the only province to implement Principal Competency Testing in the 2015-16 financial year; (2) whether any consultation on Principal Competency Testing has taken place with the various teachers’ unions; if not, why not; if so, (a) which teachers’ unions were consulted and (b) what are the unions’ positions on Principal Competency Testing? NW3005E
Reply:
(i) Only 7% of newly appointed principals were subjected to competency tests because the tests were not mandatory yet. Provincial Education Departments had not commenced with the development of such tests. The Western Cape and Gauteng were the only provinces which have developed competency tests but did not apply the tests for the appointment of school principals. The DBE had to first put systems in place to prepare for the implementation of the tests across all provinces. The preparations involved the development and the promulgation of the policy on the South African Standard for Principalship which had to serve as the basis for the developments of the assessment test and consultation processes at the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).
(ii) The Western Cape was the only province that implemented competency tests in the 2015-16 financial year but made it optional for schools to utilise the tests in making appointment recommendations for principals, hence the low 7% average.
RESPONSE TO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY QUESTION 2592
(2) (a) Consultation on Principal Competency Testing has commenced with all unions. The first meeting took place on 23 August 2016 at the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) offices where all unions were present.
(b) SADTU is of the view that Competency Assessment for principals is a matter of mutual interest and must be a subject of collective bargaining in the ELRC rather than consultation, while CTU-ATU is willing to have bi-lateral meetings with the Department before the matter could be finalised. A follow-up meeting was scheduled for 30 November at the ELRC but has to be postponed due to the commitment of the parties to the ELRC and the ELRC to a Portfolio Committee engagement meeting with education stakeholders.
01 December 2016 - NW2364
Steyn, Ms A to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
With reference to her reply to question 1023 on 5 July 2016, (a) how many boreholes did her department (i) drill, (ii) repair and/or (iii) upgrade since 1 October 2015, (b) what is the exact GPS location of each of the specified boreholes, (c) what were the costs of (i) drilling per meter and/or (ii) refurbishment in each case and (d) was water found at each of the boreholes?
Reply:
(a) A total of 626 boreholes were drilled and a total of 519 Repaired/Upgraded/Refurbished (refer to table 1 below for details).
(b) Refer to Annexure A for the GPS location of each specified borehole.
(c)(i) The cost were from R 250 - R 1 455 depending on geological formation and other variables.
(c)(ii) The cost of refurbishment in each case was R 53, 6 million.
(d) No, water was found in all the boreholes excerpt for a few cases in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Table 1. List of boreholes per province including costs:
Province |
|
Costs (Rands) |
(d) Water Found |
||
(i) Drilled |
(ii)Repaired |
(i) Per m drilled |
(ii) Refurbished |
||
Eastern Cape |
14 |
11 |
R 20,4 M |
Yes |
|
Western Cape |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Northern Cape |
23 |
47 |
R750-R 1455 |
R 21,7M |
Yes |
North West |
322 |
105 |
R320 |
Yes |
|
Gauteng |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Limpopo |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Mpumalanga |
8 |
40 |
R 900 |
R 4,0M |
Yes |
KZN |
188 |
281 |
R 250 –R350 |
R 7,5M |
Yes |
Freestate |
71 |
35 |
R 711 |
Yes |
|
TOTALS: |
626 |
513 |
R 53,6 M |
---00O00---
01 December 2016 - NW2450
Kopane, Ms SP to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(a) How many international trips were undertaken by (i) the Chief Executive Officer, (ii) each executive and (iii) each board member of the Construction Education and Training Authority (aa) in the 2015 calendar year and (bb) since 1 January 2016 and (b) what was the (i) cost, (ii) purpose and (iii) detailed itinerary of each specified trip?
Reply:
(a)-(bb) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
(b) (i)-(iii) Not applicable.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2450 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
01 December 2016 - NW2574
Mbatha, Mr MS to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
(a) How many applications for water license’s has her department declined during the period 1 January to 31 December 2015 and (b) what was the reason for the refusal to issue a water license in each case?
Reply:
(a) A total of 69 Water Use License Applications were declined in the period 1 January to 31 December 2015.
(b) Refer to the table below for the various reasons applications were refused.
---00O00---
Number |
Province |
Type of water use(s) - indicate S25(2) & Volumes where applicable |
Sector (e.g. Agric, mining, industrial, Forestry, Municipality/Govt Dept) |
Signed Date |
Reason for Decline |
Water use(s) e.g. S21(a) - Groundwater/ surface water |
|||||
1 |
Eastern Cape |
21(a) |
Agriculture |
2015-03-01 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
2 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
21(e)©(i) |
Industry |
2015-04-08 |
Outstanding information |
3 |
Limpopo |
21(a) |
Agriculture |
2015-03-28 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
4 |
Mpumalanga |
21(a) and (b) |
Agriculture |
2015-04-30 |
Outstanding information |
5 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-04-30 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
6 |
North West |
21 (a,b, c, f, g &i) |
Industry |
2015-04-30 |
Outstanding information |
7 |
Free State |
21(a) |
Agriculture |
2015-04-30 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
8 |
Free State |
21(a) |
Agriculture |
2015-07-17 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
9 |
Limpopo |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-07-17 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
10 |
Limpopo |
21 a & g |
Development |
2015-07-17 |
Outstanding information |
11 |
Mpumalanga |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-08-30 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
12 |
Limpopo |
21 (a,c &i) |
Industry |
2015-08-31 |
Outstanding information |
13 |
Mpumalanga |
21 (b) |
Agriculture |
2015-09-01 |
Outstanding information |
14 |
Limpopo |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-09-02 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
15 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-10-04 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
16 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-10-04 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
17 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-10-04 |
Catchment fully allocated |
18 |
Eastern Cape |
21 (d) |
SFRA |
2015-11-19 |
Proposed plantation will have negative impact on the existing water uses and Reserve |
19 |
Eastern Cape |
21 (d) |
SFRA |
2015-11-19 |
Catchment fully allocated |
20 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-11-19 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
21 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-11-19 |
Catchment fully allocated |
22 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-11-19 |
Catchment fully allocated |
23 |
Free State |
21 (a,b,c&i) |
Agriculture |
2015-11-19 |
Catchment fully allocated |
24 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-11-19 |
Catchment fully allocated |
25 |
Limpopo |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-11-19 |
Catchment fully allocated |
26 |
Limpopo |
21 (a&b) |
Agriculture |
2015-11-19 |
Catchment fully allocated |
27 |
Limpopo |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-11-19 |
Catchment fully allocated |
28 |
North West |
21 (a) |
Development |
2015-10-20 |
Geohydrological report outstanding. Section 21 (g) water use information and design drawing, capacity and final effluent from waste water facility are outstanding. |
29 |
Limpopo |
22 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-10-04 |
Outstanding information |
30 |
Free State |
23 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-06-12 |
Catchment fully allocated |
31 |
Free State |
24 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-06-12 |
Catchment fully allocated |
32 |
Western Cape |
21 (c,i) |
local government |
2015-12-18 |
Outstanding information |
33 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-10-04 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
34 |
Limpopo |
21 (a&b) |
Agriculture |
2015-10-21 |
Outstanding information |
35 |
Limpopo |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-12-18 |
Catchment fully allocated |
36 |
Mpumalanga |
21 (a,b,c,g&i) |
mining |
2015-12-18 |
Outstanding information |
37 |
Limpopo |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-12-18 |
Catchment fully allocated |
38 |
Western Cape |
21 (a&b) |
local government |
2015-12-18 |
The proposed storm water Detention Dam is for reducing the risk of frequently flooding of the village |
39 |
Limpopo |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-12-18 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
40 |
Limpopo |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-12-18 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
41 |
Limpopo |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-12-18 |
Catchment fully allocated |
42 |
Limpopo |
21 (a) |
Industry |
2015-12-24 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
43 |
Limpopo |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-12-18 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
44 |
Western Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-12-19 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
45 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-07-30 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
46 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-08-25 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
47 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-08-25 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
48 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-08-25 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
49 |
Limpopo |
21 (a, g &j) |
Mining |
2015-08-07 |
Outstanding information |
50 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-08-14 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
51 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Mining |
2015-08-27 |
Outstanding information |
52 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Development |
2015-08-14 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
53 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-08-27 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
54 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-07-17 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
55 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-08-14 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
56 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-06-15 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
57 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-05-28 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
58 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Mining |
2015-05-28 |
Outstanding information |
59 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Local government |
2015-06-02 |
Outstanding information |
60 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-05-04 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
61 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-12-10 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
62 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-12-14 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
63 |
Free State |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-02-03 |
Outstanding information |
64 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-04-24 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
65 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-03-03 |
Catchment fully allocated. |
66 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a, g &j) |
Mining |
2015-11-27 |
Outstanding information |
67 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a,c&i) |
Mining |
2015-11-28 |
Outstanding information |
68 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a) |
Agriculture |
2015-11-29 |
Outstanding information |
69 |
Northern Cape |
21 (a,c,I,f&g) |
Mining |
2015-11-30 |
Outstanding information |
01 December 2016 - NW2465
Mazzone, Ms NW to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(a) How many international trips were undertaken by (i) the Chief Executive Officer, (ii) each executive and (iii) each board member of the Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority (aa) in the 2015 calendar year and (bb) since 1 January 2016 and (b) what was the (i) cost, (ii) purpose and (iii) detailed itinerary of each specified trip?
Reply:
(a)-(bb) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
(b) (i)-(iii) Not applicable.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2465 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr B NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
01 December 2016 - NW2460
Majola, Mr TR to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
How many international trips were undertaken by (i) the Chief Executive Officer, (ii) each executive and (iii) each board member of the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (aa) in the 2015 calendar year and (bb) since 1 January 2016 and (b) what was the (i) cost, (ii) purpose and (iii) detailed itinerary of each specified trip?
Reply:
(a)-(bb) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
(b) (i)-(iii) Not applicable.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2460 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
01 December 2016 - NW2457
Mackay, Mr G to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(a) How many international trips were undertaken by (i) the Chief Executive Officer, (ii) each executive and (iii) each board member of the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry Sector Education and Training Authority (aa) in the 2015 calendar year and (bb) since 1 January 2016 and (b) what was the (i) cost, (ii) purpose and (iii) detailed itinerary of each specified trip?
Reply:
(a)-(bb) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
(b) (i)-(iii) Not applicable.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2457 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
01 December 2016 - NW2461
Majola, Mr TR to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
How many international trips were undertaken by (i) the Chief Executive Officer, (ii) each executive and (iii) each board member of the Media, Advertising, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (aa) in the 2015 calendar year and (bb) since 1 January 2016 and (b) what was the (i) cost, (ii) purpose and (iii) detailed itinerary of each specified trip?
Reply:
(a)-(bb) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
(b) (i)-(iii) Not applicable.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2461 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
01 December 2016 - NW2455
Krumbock, Mr GR to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
How many international trips were undertaken by (i) the Chief Executive Officer, (ii) each executive and (iii) each board member of the Financial and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (aa) in the 2015 calendar year and (bb) since 1 January 2016 and (b) what was the (i) cost, (ii) purpose and (iii) detailed itinerary of each specified trip?
Reply:
(a)-(bb) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
(b) (i)-(iii) Not applicable.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2455 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
30 November 2016 - NW2607
Atkinson, Mr P to ask the Minister of Economic Development
With reference to his reply to question 2291 on 8 November 2016, what was the total financial cost incurred by the Industrial Development Corporation for conducting the specified 126 investigations as at the latest specified date?
Reply:
As stated on 8 November 2016 in response to question 2291, all of the investigations were conducted by the in-house forensic audit team who report to the Head of Internal Audit at the IDC. Consequently, no additional financial cost was incurred by the Industrial Development Corporation for conducting the 126 investigations except for the normal remuneration the investigators receive as employees of the Industrial Development Corporation.
-END-
30 November 2016 - NW1725
Maynier, Mr D to ask the Minister of Finance
(1)Whether the National Treasury’s specialised audit services conducted any forensic investigations and/or performance audits in the (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16 financial years; if not, why not; if so, in respect of each specified forensic investigation and/or performance audit completed, (i) what was the purpose of each specified investigation and/or audit and (ii) when was each specified investigation and/or audit completed; (2) whether a report was produced in respect of each completed investigation and/or audit; if so, (a) what is the title of each report and (b) what were the main findings and recommendations in each case?
Reply:
(1) (a) 2013-14 financial year; refer to the previous response of the Minister of Finance for Question number: 1389 NW1602E], dated 17 April 2015.
(b) 2014-15 financial year; refer to the previous response of the Minister of Finance for Question number: 1389 NW1602E], dated 17 April 2015.
(c) 2015-16 financial year Refer to attached Annexure B for (i); (ii) & (iii)
(2) (a) Refer to Annexure A in respect of 2013-14 and 2014-15 financial years, and Annexure B in respect of 2015-16 financial year.
(b) All the cases were conducted on behalf of client departments, municipalities or entities. National Treasury is an agent and not the owner of the reports. Therefore, the respective client departments, as reflected on Annexure A and B should be responsible for responding to the question, as the reports contained detailed findings and recommendations.
30 November 2016 - NW1787
Lees, Mr RA to ask the Minister of Finance
(1)With reference to the request for long-term funding of R16 billion for the SA Airlines (SAA), advertised in the Sunday Times on 28 August 2016, what are the details of the collateral against which the R16 billion funding is to be borrowed; (2) whether the SAA obtained approval from the National Treasury for the specified funding request; if so, what are the details of any conditions placed by National Treasury on the (a) process of obtaining the funding and (b) terms of the funding itself; if not, (3) whether the SAA is required to obtain such approval from the National Treasury; if so, (a) what action has the National Treasury taken to stop the funding process from proceeding and (b) what are the relevant details of the reasons given by the SAA for not obtaining approval from the National Treasury; (4) what are the details of the consequences for the SAA should the funding requested not be available (a) by the end of October 2016 or (b) at any future date?
Reply:
1. SAA currently has in place a R14.4 billion government guarantee facility against which the company can raise funding. Although the facility has currently been almost fully utilised to raise debt, as the debt matures or is repaid, SAA can utilise the guarantees that are freed up as a result, to raise further funding.
2. There is no requirement for SAA to obtain permission from National Treasury to issue a request for proposal (RFP) to raise financing.
Nevertheless, there are existing conditions that have been placed by National Treasury that relate to the process and terms of obtaining funding with which the airline is required to adhere. These are as follows:
(a) The Chief Procurement Officer has required that all tenders above R10 million must be reviewed by the National Treasury before appointment letters are issued.
(b) Among the conditions that have been attached to the government guarantee facility that has been provided to SAA, there is a requirement that National Treasury approve the terms of financing raised against the guarantee before any agreements are concluded.
Once SAA has identified sources of financing and the legal agreements have been negotiated, including the guarantee agreement, the airline will be required to submit all the relevant documents to the Minister of Finance for his consideration, including those relating to the above mentioned conditions.
3. There is no requirement for SAA to obtain permission from National Treasury to issue a request for proposal (RFP) to raise financing. Hence:
(a) National Treasury will not be taking steps to “stop the funding process from proceeding”.
(b) SAA is not required to provide any reasons.
4. (a) and (b) The funds are primarily required to refinance existing debt facilities. Should there be delays in concluding financing, all options will be considered. These are likely to include, SAA seeking to extend or roll-over existing facilities.
30 November 2016 - NW2020
Basson, Mr LJ to ask the Minister of Finance
What formal qualifications does each of the National Treasury’s (a)(i) Chief Financial Officers and/or (ii) acting Chief Financial Officers and (b)(i) Directors-General and/or (ii) acting Directors-General possess?
Reply:
Formal qualifications as requested below:
(a) (i) Chief Financial Officer |
Qualification |
Ms SP Khubeka |
|
(b) (i) Director – General |
Qualification |
Mr L Fuzile |
|
30 November 2016 - NW1967
Maimane, Mr MA to ask the Minister of Finance
(a)When did the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) make the first purchase of shares in the VBS Mutual Bank and (b) what is the current monetary value in Rands of the PIC’s 25,26% stake in the specified bank?
Reply:
The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) have submitted the following information:
(a) VBS Mutual Bank was established in 1982 and traded as the Venda Building Society. The Government Pension Fund of Venda was a shareholder in the Venda Building Society. The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) became a shareholder in VBS Mutual Bank (VBS) with the enactment of the Government Employees Pension Law, 1996 (Act 21 of 1996) (GEPF Law) on the 1st of May 1996. Section 14 of the GEPF Law provided for the discontinuance of inter alia the Government Pension Fund of Venda as well as the Government Superannuation Fund of Venda and for these funds to be amalgamated into the Government Employees Pension Fund.
(b) As at 31 March 2016, the PIC had a 8.5% equity stake in VBS which was valued by external valuators at R4.123 million. The shareholding of 8.5% was due to a rights issue by VBS in which the PIC has not participated as at financial year end. The PIC has since resolved to participate in the rights issue, which will result in the PIC restoring its equity stake to 25.26%. The value of this equity stake will be approximately R12.369 million.
30 November 2016 - NW1998
Waters, Mr M to ask the Minister of Finance
What is the current status of the investigation into an incident of possible fraud reported to the SA Revenue Service (details furnished)?
Reply:
This response has been submitted by the South African Revenue Service and cannot be verified by the Ministry of Finance.
Due to the secrecy provisions contained in Section 69 of the Tax Administration Act No. 28 of 2011, SARS is prohibited from disclosing any taxpayer information (Including whether or not a taxpayer is subject to an audit/ investigation) to any person other than a SARS official. SARS is, therefore, unfortunately not in a position to respond to the above request.
30 November 2016 - NW2527
Mileham, Mr K to ask the Minister of Finance
(1)Whether any municipalities pledged conditional grants as security for loan financing in each of the past three municipal financial years to date; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, in each specified municipal financial year (a) what (i) was the amount of the loan, (ii) were the terms and conditions, (iii) was the duration of the loan and (iv) was the purpose of each specified loan and (b) was each loan aligned with the purpose of conditional grant funding; (2) did National Treasury approve each loan financing request; if not, (a) how many of the specified loan financing requests were not approved in each municipal financial year and (b) what were the reasons in each case; if so, what are the relevant details
Reply:
1. a) The law in terms of Municipal Finance Management Act Section 48 allows municipalities to pledge and the Division of Revenue Act with its amendments provides for the mechanism through which municipalities may provide security for loans.
(i) Over the past three years, National Treasury approved an amount R2.5 billion in pledges for the municipalities to accelerate their infrastructure delivery. The National Treasury does not issue or approve loans, but approves pledging by way of issuing letters of approval to the municipalities. Municipalities may use the letter of approval to secure a loan with the accredited institutions.
(ii) The terms and conditions for pledging conditional grants are outlined in circular No 51 paragraph 4.5, issued in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act.
(iii) According to the Division of Revenue Act; municipalities are allowed to pledge a percentage (75%) of the amounts that are due to them in the outer two years of the medium term period; however implementation happens during the current year. If one considers the year of implementation, the period becomes three years. Over the two year period, the National Treasury makes the money available to the municipality according to the gazetted tranche payments and the municipality is expected to pay the lender within the same period of time.
(iv) Pledges that have been received and approved relates to the electrification of households, mainly in the rural areas and construction of high light masts in higher density informal settlements using the Integrated National Energy Programme grant (R498 million approved). The other group of approvals involves a mix of projects ranging from roads & storm water, sanitation, and water projects (R2 billion approved).
b) Yes, each approved loan is in alignment with the relevant conditional grant objectives and purposes.
2) The National Treasury did not approve all pledging requests
(a) Over the past three years, 8 pledging applications were not approved.
(b) The reasons for non-approval was mainly the following:
- Pledging applications do not meet the requirements as stipulated in circular 51.
- Gaps in the submission owing to the fact that most pledges are submitted too early in the infrastructure planning process - before key project information could be generated by the planning process itself and demonstration project readiness for implementation.
30 November 2016 - NW2648
Hill-Lewis, Mr GG to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry
What was the waiting time for each application for Letters of Authority submitted to his department by a certain company (name furnished) (a) in the (i) 2014 and (ii) 2015 calendar years and (b) since 1 January 2016?
Reply:
(a) (i) 2014 - 5 LoA’s were issued as follows:-
Date applied Date Issued No. of working days
20/10/2013 2014/1/27 74
13/3/2014 2014/6/14 69
12/6/2014 2014/7/30 49
12/6/2014 2014/7/30 49
29/10/2014 2014/10/29 112
(ii) 2015 - 3 LOA’s were issued as follows:-
Date applied Date Issued No. of working days
5/8/2014 2015/6/14 225
5/8/2014 2015/6/14 225
5/8/2014 2015/6/14 225
(b) 2016 - No LOA applications were received in this financial year
30 November 2016 - NW2647
Hill-Lewis, Mr GG to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry
Whether, with reference to his reply to question 2142 on 19 October 2016, the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications eliminated the backlog of applications for Letters of Authority that are older than 120 calendar days by the deadline of 14 November 2016; if not, (a) why was the specified deadline not met, (b) what is the current status of the specified backlog, (c) why did he not inform Mr G G Hill-Lewis that the deadline would be missed as undertaken in the specified reply, (d) what are the full relevant details of all steps he is taking to address the backlog urgently and (e) by what date will the backlog be eliminated; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
No, the backlog of applications for Letters of Authority that are older than 120 calendar days were not eliminated by the deadline of 14 November 2016 that was given to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry;
(a) The complexity of the required skills, human resource and systems interventions to deal with the backlog have taken longer than anticipated.
(b) The backlog on 30 October 2016 was 1615.
(c) The meeting to inform the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on progress is scheduled for 29 November 2016.
(d) The NRCS has taken the following steps to address the backlog as a matter of urgency.
(i) Separation of administrative from technical processes – Progress: The NRCS has developed and implemented administrative and technical evaluation checklists and processes.
(ii) Develop and piloted risk-based approach - Low Risk: Renewals, Local Manufacturers and Low Risk Application in terms of Products, Companies and Countries - Progress: Implemented RBA on Low Risk Applications, Implemented RBA on Renewal Applications; Medium Risk: Products, Companies and Countries, Progress: Piloting RBA on Medium Risk Applications; High Risk: Products, Companies and Countries; Different approval routes used based on risk classification.
(iii) Human Resources – Progress: LOA approvals section resources have increased from 5 to 7 inspectors; Additional 2 candidate inspectors – Short-listing completed, recruitment process underway; 4 more positions are being created to further increase the staff complement to 13 inspectors. Overtime has also been approved to assist with the reduction in the backlog in the short-term.
Progress is reported to the Director-General bi–weekly through the oversight process led by the Group COO and the Deputy Director General.
(e) the backlog will be eliminated by 31 March 2017.
30 November 2016 - NW2139
Maynier, Mr D to ask the Minister of Finance
Whether there are any specialised units within the SA Revenue Service (SARS), like the SARS High Risk Investigation Unit; if not, (a) why not and (b) what is the position in this regard; if so, (i) what are the (aa) names and (bb) functions of each of the specified units, (ii) how many persons are employed by each of the specified units, (iii) what is the 2016-17 budget for each of the specified units and (iv) when was each of the specified units established?
Reply:
This information was provided by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) on the 08th November 2016. The Ministry of Finance cannot verify its accuracy because of lack of accountability and cooperation from the SARS top management.
- There are no specialised units like the SARS High Risk Investigation Unit:
(a) The HRIU was formally dissolved in 2014.
(b) SARS has since implemented a New Operating Model and the current position in dealing with non-compliance in high risk areas (including areas such as the illicit economy) is guided by the focus areas in the publicised 2012/13 – 2016/17 SARS Compliance Programme.
(i – iv) As stated there are no specialised units, thus the questions are not applicable.
Why not – why does SARS have no units similar to HRIU.
SARS has a multifaceted approach to tackle the illicit economy, tax related organised crime and tax evasion. This approach intergrates its resources to deal with such matters.
SARS also builds and maintains strong working relationships with South African law enforcement agencies. The SARS enforcement unit primarily deals with tax, customs and excise related investigations and is supported by other units within SARS such as case selection which identifies the cases; internal investigations which investigates cases perpetrated by / with the assistance of SARS employees and Customs and Excise Investigations, etc.
SARS is also representaed in various clusters such as the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, Governance and Administration Cluster, International Cooperation, Trade and Security Cluster, etc. Through these and various other fora, SARS works with government departments to execute its mandate.
30 November 2016 - NW2530
Figg, Mr MJ to ask the Minister of Finance
What are the full relevant details of the formula that was used to determine the distribution of funds to each province through the Division of Revenue Act, Act 3 of 2016?
Reply:
Funds from the fiscus are allocated to provinces through the provincial equitable share and provincial conditional grants. The provincial equitable share and a number of provincial conditional grants use formulas to determine the allocations to individual provinces.
The provincial equitable share is however the main source of revenue for meeting provincial expenditure responsibilities. To ensure that allocations are fair, the equitable share is allocated through a formula using objective data on the context and demand for services in each of the nine provinces. A full description of the calculation of the provincial equitable share formula for each financial year is contained in the Explanatory Memorandum to the Division of Revenue Bill, which is tabled in Parliament on Budget Day. The details of the provincial equitable share formula used to determine the allocations to individual provinces for the 2016 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), as contained in the Division of Revenue Act, Act 3 of 2016, can be found in the Explanatory Memorandum of the 2016 Division of Revenue Bill, pages 74 – 81, which was released on 2016 Budget Day (24 February 2016) (attached hereto see link).
http://pmg-assets.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/RNW2530Annexure-161130.pdf
30 November 2016 - NW2513
Maynier, Mr D to ask the Minister of Finance
Whether the Commissioner of the SA Revenue Service, Mr Tom Moyane, has any bodyguards; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the purpose of the bodyguards, (b) why are the bodyguards necessary, (c) how many bodyguards are utilised in the security detail of the specified person, (d) what was the (i) total expenditure and (ii) breakdown of such expenditure on the bodyguards (aa) in the (aaa) 2014-15 and (bbb) 2015-16 financial years and (bb) since 1 April 2016?
Reply:
This information is provided by the South African Revenue Service (SARS). The Ministry of Finance cannot verify this information.
The Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service, Mr Tom Moyane does have Protective Service Officers allocated to him.
(a) What is the purpose of the bodyguards?
A bodyguard is a protective agent who is paid to protect an organization's assets (property, people, money, etc.) from a variety of hazards (such as damaged property, unsafe worker behaviour, criminal activity, etc.) by utilizing preventative measures.
(b) Why are the bodyguards necessary?
SARS is a critical institution which is tasked with revenue collection, including from high profile individuals and businesses. Due to the nature of its mandate it is vital that the Commissioner and SARS employees who are threatened or deemed to have been threatened by individuals or syndicates under investigation are provided with personal protectors. The
current Commissioner including previous SARS Commissioners have all been allocated protective service for this reason.
(c) How many bodyguards are utilised in the security detail of the specified person?
The number of Protective Service Officers (PSO) is determined by the threat and risk assessment (TRA) which is compiled in advance by South African Police. By divulging the number protectors assigned to the Commissioner will be a breach of security measures currently in place.
(d) what was the
(i) total expenditure
Total expenditure is dependent on the employee grade see breakdown below
(ii) breakdown of such expenditure
(aa) in the
(aaa) 2014-15
Period |
Minimum of grade 4B pa |
Midpoint of grade 4B pa |
Maximum of grade 4B pa |
1 April 2014 – 31 March 2015 |
215 508 |
295 212 |
374 916 |
Cell phone |
R650 |
||
Uniform Allowance |
6831.58 |
(bbb) 2015-16 financial years and
Period |
Minimum of grade 4B pa |
Midpoint of grade 4B pa |
Maximum of grade 4B pa |
1 April 2015 – 31 March 2016 |
228 504 |
313 008 |
397 524 |
Cell Phone |
R500 |
||
Uniform Allowance |
7226.47 |
(bb) 1 April 2016
Period |
Minimum of grade 4B pa |
Midpoint of grade 4B pa |
Maximum of grade 4B pa |
1 April 2016 – 31 March 2017 |
R237 984 |
R317 316 |
R396 648 |
Cell phone |
R400 |
||
Uniform Allowance |
7226.47 |
30 November 2016 - NW2090
Lorimer, Mr JR to ask the Minister of Finance
What amount did (a) the National Treasury and (b) each entity reporting to him spend on advertising on the (i) Africa News Network 7 channel, (ii) SA Broadcasting Corporation (aa) television channels and (bb) radio stations, (iii) national commercial radio stations and (iv) community (aa) television and (bb) radio stations (aaa) in the 2015-16 financial year and (bbb) since 1 April 2016?
Reply:
NATIONAL TREASURY
The total amounts spent by the National Treasury (RSA Retail Savings Bonds Directorate) for the period in question is presented in table 1 and 2 below
Table 1: Amount Spent On Advertising in 2015-16
2015 - 16 FINANCIAL YEAR |
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
AFRICA NEWS NETWORK 7 CHANNEL |
|
|
R - |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
TV SPEND (VAT Inclusive) |
|
|
R 5,841,989.30 |
|
SABC STATIONS |
|
|
R 3,594,936.00 |
|
E-TV |
|
|
R 1,370,245.81 |
|
DSTV CHANNELS |
|
|
R 876,807.49 |
|
TOTAL |
|
|
R 5,841,989.30 |
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
RADIO SPEND (VAT Inclusive) |
|
|
R 9,800,022.96 |
|
SABC NATIONAL RADIO STATIONS |
|
|
R 3,201,503.40 |
|
REGIONAL RADIO STATIONS |
|
|
R 3,160,363.19 |
|
COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS |
|
|
R 3,438,156.37 |
|
TOTAL |
|
|
R 9,800,022.96 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
GRAND TOTAL SPEND |
|
|
R 15,642,012.26 |
Table 2: Amount Spent On Advertising from 1 April 2016
1ST APRIL 2016 |
|
|||
1 |
AFRICA NEWS NETWORK 7 CHANNEL |
|
|
R - |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
TV SPEND (VAT Inclusive) |
|
|
R 609,500.00 |
|
SABC STATIONS |
|
|
R 459,500.00 |
|
ETV |
|
|
R - |
|
DSTV |
|
|
R 150,000.00 |
|
TOTAL |
|
|
R 609,500.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
RADIO SPEND (VAT Inclusive) |
|
|
R - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SABC NATIONAL RADIO |
|
|
R - |
|
REGIONAL RADIO STATIONS |
|
|
R - |
|
COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS |
|
|
R - |
|
TOTAL |
|
|
R - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
GRAND TOTAL SPEND |
|
|
R 609,500.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
ASB
The Accounting Standards Board has not spent any money on advertising in the 2016-16 financial year and since 1 April 2016.
CBDA
The CBDA have not advertised in terms of point (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) in the 2015-16 financial year and since 1 April 2016.
DBSA
The Communications and Marketing unit of the Development Bank of Southern Africa wishes to report as follows regarding the spending on advertising on the below listed platforms during the 2015/16 financial year:
- Africa News Network 7 channel, Zero (R0.00)
- SA Broadcasting Corporation Zero (R0.00)
(aa) television channels, Zero (R0.00)
(bb) radio stations, Zero (R0.00)
- national commercial radio stations, Zero (R0.00)
- community, Zero (R0.00)
(aa) television Zero, (R0.00)
(bb) radio stations
(aaa), Zero, (R0.00)
And since April 2016, the communications and marketing unit of the development Bank of Southern Africa wishes to report as follows regarding the spending on advertising since April 2016:
(aa) television channels (CNBC – R331 752 for World Economic Forum Africa
in May 2016.
FAIS OMBUD
The FAIS OMBUD has not spent any money on advertising in the 2016-16 financial year and since 1 April 2016
FIC
The FIC has not spent any money on advertising in the 2016-16 financial year and since 1 April 2016
FSB
Financial Service Board (FSB)
2015/16 (aaa) |
April – August 2016 (bbb) |
|
(i) |
Nil |
Nil |
(ii) (aa) |
Nil |
Nil |
(bb) |
Nil |
Nil |
(iii) Power FM |
R 45 486 |
Nil |
(iv) Community (aa) television (bb) radio stations |
Nil Nil |
Nil Nil |
GEPF
The GEPF has not spent any money on advertising in the 2016-16 financial year and since 1 April 2016
GPAA
Africa News Network 7 channel,
None
(ii) SA Broadcasting Corporation
(aa) television channels
None
(bb) radio stations,
2015/16 Financial year R1 235 223
2016/17 Financial year R569 231
(iii) National commercial radio stations and
None
(iv) Community
(aa) television
None
(bb) radio stations
2015/16 financial year R188 096
2016/17 financial year R286 654
(aaa) in the 2015-16 financial year and
R1 423 319
(bbb) since 1 April 2016?
R855 885
IRBA
The IRBA has not spent any money on advertising in the 2016-16 financial year and since 1 April 2016
LAND BANK
- Amounts spent on various media houses, radio and television stations by the Land Bank during the Financial Year 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 respectively.
- During the financial year 2015/2016 the Land Bank spent R711 559.57 specifically on the following items:
- General Advertising;
- Print Advertising; and
- Event sponsorships and promotion related advertising.
- There was no amount paid to ANN7 during the 2015/16 financial year; and
- No amount paid to the SABC either.
(aa) No amount paid to any television channel; and
(bb) No amount paid to any radio station, be it commercial, national or community radio during the 2015/16 Financial Year.
(bbb) The Land Bank spent a total amount of R147 684.80 during the current financial year (2016/17) from April 2016 to date. The breakdown is as follows:
- R14 780.00 for an advert in the Farmer’s Weekly; and
- R132 904.80 for an advert in the Business Day.
All the interviews that the Executive Managers of the Land Bank had with either the SABC, CNBC Africa, Business Day TV or ANN7 were free of charge. Our Executives were invited into the studios at no cost due to the topical nature of what was being discussed. Most of those interviews were carried out during the current financial year (2016/2017).
PFA
Question |
(aaa) |
(bbb) |
(b) (i) |
R Nil |
R Nil |
(b) (ii) (aa) |
R Nil |
R Nil |
(b) (ii) (bb) |
R23 777.55 |
R Nil |
(b) (iii) |
R Nil |
R Nil |
(b) (iv) (aa) |
R Nil |
R Nil |
(b) (iv) (bb) |
R 11 037.36 |
R Nil |
PIC
The PIC has not spent money for advertising on any television channel or radio station, in the 2015-16 financial year as well as from 1 April 2016 to date.
SAA
For: South African Airways
2015 – 2016 Financial year:
- Africa News Network 7 Channels R0.00
- SA Broadcasting Corporation (2015/16)
(aa) Television R712 000.00
(bb) Radio R6 306 966.08
- National commercial radio station ( non SABC) R13 695 561.09
- Community
(aa) Television R0.00
(bb) Radio R0.00
(aaa) Financial year 2015 – 16 R0.00
(bbb) Since 1 April 2016 R0.00
2016 till date:
- Africa News Network 7 Channels R0.00
- SA Broadcasting Corporation (2015/16)
(aa) Television R1 932 000.00
(bb) Radio R4 822 518.60
- National commercial radio station ( non SABC) R8 396 152.42
- Community
(aa) Television R0.00
(bb) Radio R0.00
(aaa) Financial year 2015 – 16 R0.00
(bbb) Since 1 April 2016 R0.00
SARS
Response from the South African Revenue Service (SARS)
(aaa) – 2015-16 financial year |
(bbb) – 1 April 2016 – 27 Sep |
(b)(i) No advertising placed, no funds spent |
(b)(i) No advertising placed, no funds spent |
(b)(ii) (aa) R 6 413 674.51 |
(b)(ii) (aa) R 1 961 340.08 |
(b)(ii) (bb) R 7 076 710.31 |
(b)(ii) (bb) R 4 131 478.43 |
(b)(iii) R 13 308 260.39 |
(b)(iii) R 8 716 784.06 |
(b)(iv)(aa) No advertising placed, no funds spent |
(b)(iv)(aa) No advertising placed, no funds spent |
(b)(iv)(bb) R 80 468.36 |
(b)(iv)(bb) R 33 667.09 |
SASRIA
2015/2016 Financial Year
Channel |
Amount spent |
SABC TV |
R218 500 |
SABC Radio |
R308 896 |
African Business Channel (Business Day TV) |
R400 000 |
African Business News (CNBC) |
R550 000 |
Total |
R 1 477 396 |
April 2016 to date
Channel |
Amount spent |
African Business Channel (Business Day TV) |
R450 000 |
SABC Radio |
R273 824 |
Primedia (702) |
R146 314 |
Radmark Media House (Kaya FM) |
R141 360 |
Total |
R 737 674 |
TAX OMBUD
The Office of the Tax Ombud has spent as follows;
Media Channels |
2015/16 |
Since 1 April 2016 |
|
R0 |
R0 |
|
||
(aa) Television channels |
R0 |
R0 |
(bb) Radio Stations |
R1 457 483.78 |
R0 |
|
R1 359 744.43 |
R0 |
|
||
(aa) Television |
R0 |
R0 |
(bb) Radio stations |
R130 040.84 |
R0 |
30 November 2016 - NW2375
Mulder, Dr CP to ask the Minister of Finance
What is the (a) statutory mandate and (b) legal basis for the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) to invest the funds of pensioners and contributing members; (2) whether, including the mandate, it is also envisaged to make development-type investments; if not, what opportunities does the mandate allow for making investments that do not perform optimally; if so, what is the extent of those; (3) what are the (a) nature, (b) extent and (c) legal basis of the investment mandate that the GEPF has given the Public Investment Corporation (PIC); (4) whether the PIC has been authorised by the GEPF to make any development-type investments; if not, what opportunities does the mandate allow for making investments that do not perform optimally; if so, what are the (5) whether the PIC has since May 1996 made any investments on behalf of the GEPF that do not fall within the mandate the GEPF has given the PIC; if so, what are the relevant details? (a) extent, (b) nature and (c) legal basis of those;
Reply:
The following information was submitted by the Government Employees Pension Fund:
- Section 6 of the GEP Law and Rules makes provision for the establishment of the Board of Trustees and confers certain powers on the Board. Section 6 (7) specifically prescribes that the Board, acting in consultation with the Minister, shall determine the investment policy of the Fund. Further to this, Section 4.2.2 also provides the Board with the powers to invest, loan, advance on interest and place on deposit moneys not needed immediately for the current expenditure of the Fund or to deal therewith in any other way against such securities and in such a way as the Board may determine and to convert into money, adjust such securities, re-invest the proceeds thereof or to deal therewith in any other way as determined by the Board.
- Up to 5% of the Fund’s investments may be allocated to developmental investments. The target rate of return on developmental investments is the Benchmark SA 10-year rate plus an applicable outperformance requirement. The unpredicatability of investment markets may result in investments that do not perform optimally; however this is not a desired outcome.
- Please refer to question 1.
- The PIC has been authorised by the GEPF to make developmental investments, in line with the GEPF’s Developmental Investment policy. The target rate of return on developmental investments is the Benchmark SA 10-year rate plus an applicable outperformance requirement. The GEPF does not believe that developmental investing necesarily leads to lower financial returns, and seeks to earn acceptable returns from these investments.
- It has happened in the past that the PIC breached the Strategic Asset Allocation due to movements in the markets. However, those breaches were reported to the GEPF’s Investment Committee and either condoned or rectified it.
30 November 2016 - NW2328
McLoughlin, Mr AR to ask the Minister of Finance
(1)Whether South Africa has complied with each obligation contained in the agreement entered into with the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India and People’s Republic of China relating to the establishment of the New Development Bank to date; if not, in each case, (a) why not, (b) which obligations were not complied with, (c) when will the specified obligations be complied with and (d) what are the potential consequences of non compliance with the obligations; (2) whether South Africa will be selling non strategic assets to pay the US$250 million payment due in January 2017 to the specified bank; if not, (a) what is the position in this regard and (b) from which source(s) will the specified funds be procured; if so, (i) which non strategic assets will be sold, (ii) when will the specified assets be sold and (ii) how will the assets be sold?
Reply:
- South Africa has complied with every obligation contained in the agreement. The first capital installment (US$150 million) was due and payable on 3 January 2016; it was paid on 30 December 2015. The second capital installment (US$250 million) is due and payable on 3 January 2017; it was paid on 26 August 2016. Five capital installments remain, each payable 12 months after the last; the next three payments are US$300 million and the last two are US$350 million.
- The New Development Bank related obligations have been factored into the Medium Term Expenditure Framework; and will be funded as budgeted.
30 November 2016 - NW2220
Masango, Ms B to ask the Minister of Finance
What is the total approved budget for the takeover of the payment of grants by the SA Social Security Agency from Net1 for the (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18 and (d) 2018-19 financial years?
Reply:
The amount originally planned for spending by SASSA and for payment contractors is shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Original planned spending by SASSA in total and for payment contractors.
R' 000 |
2015/16 |
2016/17 |
2017/18 |
2018/19 |
|
Audited Outcome |
Budget |
Estimates |
Estimates |
Total expenditure/ budgets |
6,686,478 |
7,351,089 |
7,697,571 |
7,911,091 |
Of which: payment Contractors |
2,025,559 |
2,179,364 |
2,202,043 |
2,329,761 |
Source: Data as at ENE 2016
SASSA will spend approximately R2.179 billion on payment contractors in 2016/17. In 2017/18 the Department of Social Development will transfer R7.697 billion to SASSA.
The Ministry of Social Development and SASSA need to respond on the specific spending amounts from SASSA’s budget and accumulated surpluses being used to build up systems in preparation to become the paymaster, and on related issues such as SASSA’s readiness to assume the paymaster role, what functions they intend to take over and which ones they will continue to contract out. The above figures, published in ENE 2016 are indicative since while Departmental Budgets are approved by Parliament, entity budgets are approved by Executive Authorities, in this case the line function Minister, Minister Dlamini.
30 November 2016 - NW2642
Macpherson, Mr DW to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry
With reference to his reply to question 2518 on 15 November 2016, on what date will he make the specified socio-economic study available to the public?
Reply:
The Liquor Amendment Bill will be submitted to Cabinet in the first quarter of 2017. In terms of the cabinet process, the Socio Economic Impact Assessment System (SEIAS) report must accompany all legislation. Once approved by Cabinet, the SEIAS report will be made available.
29 November 2016 - NW2448
Kalyan, Ms SV to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(a) How many international trips were undertaken by (i) the Chief Executive Officer, (ii) each executive and (iii) each board member of the Agricultural Sector Education and Training Authority (aa) in the 2015 calendar year and (bb) since 1 January 2016 and (b) what was the (i) cost, (ii) purpose and (iii) detailed itinerary of each specified trip?
Reply:
(a)-(bb) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
(b) (i)-(iii) Not applicable.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2448 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
29 November 2016 - NW2347
Lorimer, Mr JR to ask the Mr J R B Lorimer (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises
(1) With reference to her reply to question 847 on 11 April 2016, (a) what is the total amount of the fine imposed by Eskom on Optimum Colliery for the delivery of substandard coal, (b) what amount owed for the specified fine has been paid to date, (c) what are the terms of the repayment agreement and (d) by which date will the fine be paid in full; (2) whether any other fines have been imposed on any other coal suppliers for similar reasons; if not, why not; if so, in each case, (a) what are the relevant details, (b) how much did Eskom fine the specified coal suppliers, (c) when were such fines levied and (d) on what date will the fines be paid in full? NW2682E
Reply:
(1) (a) R2, 176 530 611.99 accrued as at August 2015.
(1)(b) This penalty has not been paid by Optimum to date.
(1) (c) No agreement has been reached.
(1) (d) The matter is still the subject of arbitration, no agreement has been reached.
(2) Yes.
(2)(a) Fines normally referred to as penalties have been levied in all instances where coal quality is at the bottom end of the expected range. A coal penalty regime is a standard condition of Eskom contracts.
(2)(b) For Eskom’s long-term coal suppliers, excluding Optimum Colliery which supplies Hendrina Power Station, a total of R90 million in penalties was levied for the period 01 April 2015 to 30 September 2016.
(2)(c) The price adjustments are effected in the month that payment for the respective coal supply was made and are reflected in both the invoice and in Eskom’s payment assessment.
(2)(d) The price adjustments are effected in the month that payment for the respective coal supply was made.
29 November 2016 - NW2578
Mashabela, Ms N to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(a) What (i) are the names and (ii) is the total number of schools that provide sanitary towels for learners, (b) what is the total number of learners that have been provided with the specified towels in the specified schools and (c) how many times in a given school calendar were the towels provided?
Reply:
(a) What (i) are the names and
(ii) is the total number of schools that provide sanitary towels for learners,
After the President declared in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2011 that the Government should make available sanitary dignity packs to deserving young girls and women, three provinces, namely: Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng, formed partnerships with Protector and Gamble to distribute sanitary towels to girl learners in selected schools. Currently, there is no available data on the names and number of schools to respond to question (a)(i) and (a)(ii) above. The information has been requested from the three provinces whose schools have implemented the programme.
(b) what is the total number of learners that have been provided with the specified towels in the specified schools
Currently, there is no available data on the number of learners that have been provided with the specified towels in the implementing schools to respond to question (b) above. The information has been requested from the three provinces whose schools have implemented the programme.
(c) how many times in a given school calendar were the towels provided?
Currently, there is no available data on the number of times in a given school calendar that the towels were given to learners in response to question (c) above. The information has been requested from the three provinces whose schools have implemented the programme.
29 November 2016 - NW2468
Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(1)Whether (a) the Chief Executive Officer, (b) each executive and (c) each board member of the Agricultural Sector Education and Training Authority (AgriSETA) submitted reports for each international trip they undertook (i) in the 2015 calendar year and (ii) since 1 January 2016; if not, in each case, why not; if so, in each case, on what date; (2) whether he will make the specified reports available to Mr M Bagraim; if not, why not; if so, on what date; (3) whether any staff members of the AgriSETA were formally appointed to act in the positions of those who travelled internationally; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the (a) names of each staff member who was appointed in an acting position during the specified period and (b) further relevant details in this regard?
Reply:
1. (a) - (c) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
2. Not applicable.
3. Not Applicable.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2468 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
29 November 2016 - NW2535
Van Damme, Ms PT to ask the Minister of Communications
Whether the (a) chief executive officers, (b) chief operating officers, (c) group executives and/or (d) board members of any of the entities that report to her have (i) met with any representative member and/or close associate of the Gupta family and/or (ii) attended any meetings with the specified persons at the specified family’s estate in Saxonwold, Johannesburg, or anywhere else since she took office; if so, in each specified case, (aa) what are the names of the persons who were present at each meeting, (bb) where did each meeting take place, (cc) what was the purpose of the meeting and (dd) on what date did the meeting take place?
Reply:
The work from all government entities including those reporting to the Ministry of Communications, requires engagement with various stakeholders in the public and private sector. This is in line with the nature of work undertaken.
MR NN MUNZHELELE
DIRECTOR GENERAL [ACTING]
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
DATE:
MS AF MUTHAMBI (MP)
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS
DATE
29 November 2016 - NW2470
Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
Whether (a) the Chief Executive Officer, (b) each executive and (c) each board member of the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) submitted reports for each international trip they undertook (i) in the 2015 calendar year and (ii) since 1 January 2016; if not, in each case, why not; if so, in each case, on what date; (2) whether he will make the specified reports available to Mr M Bagraim; if not, why not; if so, by what date; (3) whether any staff members of the CETA were formally appointed to act in the positions of the persons who travelled internationally; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are (a) the names of each staff member who was appointed in an acting position in the specified period and (b) further relevant details in this regard?
Reply:
1. (a) - (c) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
2. Not applicable.
3. Not Applicable.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2470 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
29 November 2016 - NW2593
Boshoff, Ms SH to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1)Whether she issued any directives to the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit (NEEDU) after a meeting with the specified person in August 2016; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the full details of the directives; (2) whether she raised any concerns with the specified person regarding the manner in which the NEEDU handled certain issues in the past; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the full details of her concerns; (3) whether she suggested that the NEEDU must be brought closer to her department; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, on what statutory grounds did she rely in this regard to safeguard the mandate of NEEDU to remain independent of the civil service responsible for the administration of schools; (4) on what grounds was the decision taken to shelve the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit Bill that was gazetted for public comment on 23 December 2011?
Reply:
1. The meeting between the Minister and the NEEDU management took place in July 2016. There was no meeting with the Minister in August 2016. The meeting was to brief the Minister on the work of the Unit in the first five-year cycle of systemic evaluations (2012-2016), and, second, to present the plan for the Unit in the second five-year cycle (2017-2021).
After the briefing, the Minister asked the NEEDU to conduct deeper investigations on the areas that continue to cause concern in the system. The Minister’s request or ‘directive,’ is in line with section 6 (1) (h) in the NEEDU Bill and section 7(1) in the Regulations for the Establishment of the OSCBE, another NEEDU founding document.
2. The Minister raised concerns on how findings made by NEEDU find their way into the Department quickly enough for remediation to take place.
3. In the July meeting between the Minister and the NEEDU management, the Minister encouraged a “close” working relationship between the Ministry and NEEDU. This relationship is envisaged in all NEEDU founding documents. To safeguard the independence of the OSCBE, the Business Case and Business Plan for the Establishment of the OSCBE provides as follows:
“Two factors must be present in the structure of OSCBE: independence from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the requirements to report to the Minister of Basic Education on the activities and outcomes of its work. These two factors are not in contention with each other, as the need for independence is related more to location, internal processes and a perceived separateness from the DBE whereas the need to report to the Minister is quite clear in terms of hierarchical accountability.”
4. The NEEDU Bill was shelved following advice by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) to establish NEEDU, not as a statutory body, but as an independent government component called the Office of Standards and Compliance.
29 November 2016 - NW1960
Bergman, Mr D to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1)How many (a)(i) public schools, (ii) full-service schools and (iii) schools for children with special educational needs have sports facilities in each district and in each province and (b) of the specified schools twinned with previously disadvantaged schools in their respective areas to give them access to the specified sporting amenities; (2) how many of the specified schools (a) have the necessary sporting equipment to practice the different school sporting codes, (b) have qualified physical education educators, (c) make use of external qualified trainers for the different school sporting codes and (d) receive a budget from their respective provincial departments of education for sport?
Reply:
(1) (a) (i) (ii) (iii)
The Department of Basic Education is in no position to give the exact disaggregated numbers on these statistics. However, as part of the review of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa, provinces are undertaking a sports facilities audit in all public schools, including schools for children with special educational needs.
(b)
The Department of Basic Education has no programme of twinning advantaged and disadvantaged schools. However, provinces such as Gauteng have taken the initiative to twin schools in order to share the facilities. The Gauteng Department of Education has three pairs of schools which have been gazetted Section 17GB (Twinning Programme). The three pairs are:
-
-
- Bovet Primary and Lyndhurst Primary;
- Cultura High and Zithobeni Secondary; and
- Alexandra Secondary and Sandown High.
-
During the respective strategic planning sessions, per pair of schools, each pair identified transport and transport cost as a major risk pertaining to learners accessing the resources at the urban school.
In the case of Bovet and Lyndhurst, both schools have procured a Combi which transports learners / educators in order to access the facilities at Lyndhurst.
Cultura and Zithobeni have conducted inter-school athletics, soccer, netball and hockey. This however, is limited due to transport costs.
Alexandra and Sandown are in a similar position to that of Cultura and Zithobeni. Initially, Alexandra Secondary secured a sponsorship, but this unfortunately has ended.
(2) (a) The Department of Basic Education is in no position to provide statistics on the number of schools with sporting equipment. Every school receives a Norms and Standards budget allocation, which covers a variety of needs, including equipment. Over and above the Norms and Standards allocation, sporting equipment is provided to schools by the Department of Sports and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) as part of the Memorandum of Understanding. A summary of sporting equipment distributed to schools as indicated by SRSA is as follows:
2013/14 |
2014/15 |
2015/16 |
Target 2016/17 |
6 520 |
1 693 |
3 000 |
2 500 |
(b) A recent situational analysis of the state of Physical Education in South Africa revealed that Physical Education is taught by Life Orientation (LO) Educators who do not necessarily have formal training in Physical Education. As a short-term plan, the Department undertook educator training on Physical Education nationally. The Department is now finalizing a Physical Education qualification framework, developed with the Physical Education Institute of South Africa (PEISA).
(c) The Department provides training to educators through the national federations and school sport codes so that schools are self-reliant for training. There are some instances where schools are supported by local clubs and private entities. The Department has further engaged with the South African Universities on the implementation of Physical Education in schools including support for the educators. This has led to the establishment of the South African University Physical Education Association (SAUPEA). The Association will undertake a national on-site research project within the selected public schools in South Africa in all nine provinces. The Universities that will be part of this research are:
- University of Johannesburg;
- University of Witwatersrand;
- University of Zululand;
- University of KwaZulu-Natal;
- University of Free State;
- Stellenbosch University;
- University of Western Cape;
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University;
- University of Pretoria; and
- North-West University.
The rationale is for each participating University to select a sample from the primary and secondary school representative of:
- Ex-Model C schools;
- Township schools;
- Rural schools; and
- Schools for children with physical disabilities.
In addition to the on-site research visits, an in-depth research based on a multi-method approach will ensure the capturing of qualitative and quantitative data from decision-makers, HODs, educators and learners (Grades 7 and 11 respectively), parents (represented on the School Governing Body) and service providers offering Physical Education or physical activities in the Life Orientation or Life Skills Curriculum.
(d) Every school receives a Norms and Standards budget allocation, which covers a variety of needs, including school sport equipment/amenities.
29 November 2016 - NW2475
Bergman, Mr D to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(1)Whether (a) the Chief Executive Officer, (b) each executive and (c) each board member of the Financial and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (FASSETA) submitted reports for each international trip they undertook (i) in the 2015 calendar year and (ii) since 1 January 2016; if not, in each case, why not; if so, in each case, on what date; (2) whether he will make the specified reports available to Mr D Bergman; if not, why not; if so, by what date; (3) whether any staff members of the FASSETA were formally appointed to act in the positions of the persons who travelled internationally; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are (a) the names of each staff member who was appointed in an acting position in the specified period and (b) further relevant details in this regard?
Reply:
1. (a) - (c) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
2. Not applicable.
3. Not Applicable.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2475 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
29 November 2016 - NW2481
Steenkamp, Ms J to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(1)Whether (a) the Chief Executive Officer, (b) each executive and (c) each board member of the Media Advertising Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA) submitted reports for each international trip they undertook (i) in the 2015 calendar year and (ii) since 1 January 2016; if not, in each case, why not; if so, in each case, on what date; (2) whether he will make the specified reports available to Ms J Edwards; if not, why not; if so, by what date; (3) whether any staff members of the MICT SETA were formally appointed to act in the positions of the persons who travelled internationally; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are (a) the names of each staff member who was appointed in an acting position in the specified period and (b) further relevant details in this regard?
Reply:
1. (a) - (c) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
2. Not applicable.
3. Not Applicable.
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2481 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
29 November 2016 - NW2466
Mazzone, Ms NW to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
How many international trips were undertaken by (i) the Chief Executive Officer, (ii) each executive and (iii) each board member of the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (aa) in the 2015 calendar year and (bb) since 1 January 2016 and (b) what was the (i) cost, (ii) purpose and (iii) detailed itinerary of each specified trip?
Reply:
(a)-(bb) There were no international trips undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer, executive or board members in the 2015 calendar year and to date.
(b) (i)-(iii) Not applicable
COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:
EXT:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 2466 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
29 November 2016 - NW2541
America, Mr D to ask the Minister of Communications
(1) Whether she has been informed, that despite the numerous written demands by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), there has been a lack of response by the SABC to submit proof that it has complied with the Constitutional Court judgment regarding the ban of airing violent protest, as submitted in a briefing by ICASA at a meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Communications on 1 November 2016; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, why has the SABC not submitted the proof to ICASA as requested; (2) Is she monitoring the SABC to ensure that it complies with the specified Constitutional Court judgment; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
- The SABC has fully complied with the ICASA ruling. The SABC is now broadcasting news bulletins that covers all violent protests.
- Yes, the Minister watches news and no complaints were received.
MR NN MUNZHELELE
DIRECTOR GENERAL [ACTING]
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
DATE:
MS AF MUTHAMBI (MP)
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS
DATE