Questions and Replies
07 April 2016 - NW562
Maynier, Mr D to ask the Minister of Finance
(1)Whether the SA Revenue Service (SARS) conducts (a) enforcement investigations and/or (b) criminal investigations; if not, why not; if so, (i) what is the (aa) name and (bb) designation of the person(s) responsible for (aaa) enforcement investigation and (bbb) criminal investigations, (ii) what is the (aa) name and (bb) number of personnel employed in each (aaa) division(s) and (bbb) department(s) responsible for (aaaa) enforcement investigations and (bbbb) criminal investigations; (2) what legal authority does the SARS have to conduct (a) enforcement investigations and (b) criminal investigations?
Reply:
The following information is provided by South African Revenue Service (SARS):
- (a)(b)
Yes, the South African Revenue Service is mandated and as such do perform Enforcement and Criminal Investigations.
(i)(aa)(bb)(aaa)(bbb)
Within the current SARS structure there are Group Executives responsible for the investigative capacity. These Group Executives report directly to respective Chief Officers.
(ii)(aa)(bb)(aaa)(bbb)(aaaa)(bbbb)
There are currently 1599 Enforcement Auditors who conduct enforcement investigations, and 381 Criminal investigators. They range from junior investigators to Senior Specialist investigators. Unfortunately we cannot provide names of these officials for their safety due to the nature of their work.
(2)(a)(b)
In terms of the SARS Act no. 34 of 1997 the South African Revenue Service is legally mandated and authorised to conduct Enforcement Investigations (investigative audits) and Criminal Investigations in pursuit of its mandate to collect all moneys due to the fiscus and to combat non-compliance and tax evasion. Moreover, the SARS Act makes the Commissioner, as chief executive officer, responsible in particular for the formation and development of an efficient administration and the effective deployment and utilisation of staff to achieve maximum operational results.
Furthermore in terms of the Tax Administration Act no. 28 of 2011 under Chapter 5, Part A and B, SARS is mandated to perform such investigations.
07 April 2016 - NW286
Matlhoko, Mr AM to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
(a) What is he doing about the struggling Vhembe District Municipality which appointed a Municipal Manager who was dismissed from the previous employment for gross incompetence and (b) what is his department doing to assist the municipality's deteriorating situation?
Reply:
(a) Vhembe District Municipality has been identified as one of the municipalities that is supported in terms of Back to Basics programme. Support that is currently provided by the department includes filling of vacant senior management positions, namely: (1) Municipal Manager; (2) Director: Community Services; and (3) Director: Technical services.
(b) According to the information received from the Limpopo Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs, the Vhembe District municipal council resolved that the employment of the municipal manager should not continue as she refused to sign an employment contract. The Council indicated that the terms of the employment contract which the municipal manager refused to agree with are reasonable and in the best interest of the municipality. The department is in the process of seconding an acting municipal manager as requested by the municipal council.
07 April 2016 - NW468
Vos, Mr J to ask the Mr J Vos (DA) to ask the Minister of Tourism
(1) How many (a) direct and (b) indirect jobs respectively have been created in the tourism industry in (i) 2013, (ii) 2014 and (iii) 2015 respectively; (2) how much did tourism contribute to the country’s gross domestic product during (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 respectively; (3) what is the detailed breakdown of international arrivals at the (a) Cape Town International, (b) O R Tambo International and (c) King Shaka International airports in (i) 2013, (ii) 2014 and (iii) 2015 respectively?
Reply:
(1) How many (a) direct and (b) indirect jobs respectively have been created in the tourism industry in (i) 2013, (ii) 2014 and (iii) 2015 respectively;
(a) Direct contribution to jobs
The latest figures available from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) are provisional figures for 2014. Estimates from the World Travel and Tourism Council were used to report on 2015.
Job Creation |
|
|
|
Direct Jobs |
655 587 |
680 817 |
705,600 |
Source: 2013 and 2014: Tourism Satellite Account, StatsSA. 2015: WTTC 2015 estimates.
(b) Total contribution to employment (direct and indirect)
It should be noted that StatsSA does not measure the total contribution of tourism to employment (direct and indirect contribution). Figures and estimates from WTTC were used to report on this indicator. However, WTTC does not release figures on the indirect contribution alone, therefore figures reported below is for total contribution which includes both direct and indirect contribution.
Job Creation |
|
|
|
Total contribution to employment (Direct and indirect) |
1 437 500 |
1 497 600 |
1 551 400 |
Source: WTTC
(2) how much did tourism contribute to the country’s gross domestic product during (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 respectively
It should be noted that the contribution of tourism to GDP is reported for direct as well as for total contribution (direct and indirect). StatsSA only measures the direct contribution to GDP and the latest figures available are 2014 provisional figures. Therefore figures reported below for direct contribution in 2013 and 2014 were sourced from StatsSA. WTTC estimates were used to report on the direct contribution to GDP for 2015 as well as the direct and indirect contribution from 2013 to 2015.
Contribution to GDP |
|
|
|
Direct |
R101,7 billion |
R111,6 billion |
R117,8 billion |
Direct and indirect |
R345,7 billion |
R357,0 billion |
R369.3 billion |
Source: Source: 2013 and 2014: Tourism Satellite Account, StatsSA. 2015: WTTC 2015 estimates.
(3) International tourist arrivals
Airport |
|
|
|
International Airport |
461,186 |
524,131 |
557,050 |
International Airport |
2,656,222 |
2,001,365 |
1,932,096 |
International Airport |
35,920 |
38,449 |
37,162 |
Source: Statistics SA
07 April 2016 - NW292
Mokgalapa, Mr S to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
(1) Whether councillors of each metropolitan municipality are required to declare their financial interests; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) Whether the financial interests of councillors are made available to the public; if not, why not; if so, where are these details made available?Reply:Thus far, responses have been received from three Metropolitan Municipalities, namely; Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay and City of Cape Town. We are still awaiting responses from the other 5 Metropolitan Municipalities.The responses below are from the 3 Metropolitan Municipalities mentioned above:( 1 ) The three Metropolitan Municipalities stated that all Councillors of their municipalities are required to declare their financial interest.
Reply:
Thus far, responses have been received from three Metropolitan Municipalities, namely; Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay and City of Cape Town. We are still awaiting responses from the other 5 Metropolitan Municipalities.
The responses below are from the 3 Metropolitan Municipalities mentioned above:
( 1 ) The three Metropolitan Municipalities stated that all Councillors of their municipalities are required to declare their financial interest.
( 2 ) The three Metropolitan Municipalities stated that the financial interest of the Councillors are made available to the public.
The table below illustrates the response per municipality:
Metropolitan Municipality |
Method of publication of Financial interest of the Councillors |
Buffalo City |
The Annual Report of the municipality |
City of Cape Town |
The website of the municipality. |
Nelson Mandela Bay |
The Declaration of Interest form consists of two categories, of which only category B is made available for public scrutiny, in line with Council resolution. The financial interest of the Councillors' are published in Council agendas, public libraries throughout the Metropolitan area and hard copies are made available at Council meetings. |
City of Johannesburg |
Awaiting response from the municipality. |
City of Tshwane |
Same as above. |
Ekurhuleni |
Same as above. |
eThekwini |
Same as above |
Mangaung |
Same as above |
07 April 2016 - NW271
Groenewald, Mr HB to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
(1)What is the sum total accrued in respect of arrears service fees that are owing by (a) individuals, (b) businesses and (c) state institutions to municipalities across the country for (i) electricity and (ii) any other services as at the latest specified date for which information is available; (2) Whether he will make a statement on the matter?
Reply:
According to the report compiled by the National Treasury in terms of section 71 of the MFMA, as at September 2015, the categories of debtors set out below have arrears on electricity and other services including sewerage, refuse removal and water. The debtor amounts reflected below are exclusive of interest.
- (a) Individuals
Service |
Arrears on service fees excluding interest (R ‘000) |
|
R3,772,823 billion |
|
R20,110,377 billion |
(1) (b) Businesses
Service |
Arrears on service fees excluding interest (R ‘000) |
|
R5,102,455 billion |
|
R2,983,647 billion |
(1) (c) Sate Institutions
Service |
Arrears service fees excluding interest (R ‘000) |
|
602,587 million |
|
989,179 million |
2. My department, in consultation with other stakeholders, has taken various initiatives to curtail the non-payment of municipal arrear debt. These initiatives include auditing and verification of the outstanding government debt, the verification entails confirming whether invoices that are contested by government departments are correct. The team is also ensuring that municipalities have enforceable credit control policies and by-laws.
I will consider whether or not to make a statement in due course.
07 April 2016 - NW312
Stander, Ms T to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
(1) Whether each metropolitan municipality has a Mayoral Discretionary/Benevolent Fund; if so, (a) what is the value of each specified fund and (b) does council have a policy related to this fund ; (2) Does the Mayor of each specified municipality report monthly to the council on expenditure of the specified fund; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant financial details of each specified fund ; (3) Whether he will provide a list of the projects and/or initiatives that benefited from each specified fund in the (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 financial years?
Reply:
Please find here: Reply
07 April 2016 - NW145
Mileham, Mr K to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
(1)Whether any municipalities have been furnished with notifications by (a) Eskom and/or (b) any water board to notify them that the supply of electricity or water as the case may could be cut off due to non-payment; if so, (i) which municipalities are affected, (ii) what amount is owed to the relevant utilities by each specified municipality as at 31 December 2015 and (iii) what detailed steps are being taken to avert the crisis? (2) whether he will consider provincial and/or national intervention in the defaulting municipalities in terms of section 139(5) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, for a failure to meet their financial obligations; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1) (a) Eskom has issued nine public notifications of partial disconnection of electricity supply by 31 December 2015. (b) There are no municipalities that have received notices from the Waterboards due to non-payment.
(ii)The following municipalities are affected have been issued with disconnection notices by Eskom. The detailed breakdown of debt owed by each is illustrated in the table below:
PROVINCE |
MUNICIPALITY |
TOTAL DEBT OWED R’000 (Million) |
Eastern Cape |
Gariep |
R56.8 |
Maletswai |
R59.2 |
|
Nxuba |
R43 |
|
Ikwezi |
R13.9 |
|
Northern Cape |
Kha-ima |
R5.7 |
Dikgatlong |
R23.1 |
|
Ubuntu |
R16.8 |
|
Thembelihle |
R22.7 |
|
Magareng |
R17.5 |
(iii) Aligned to the approach taken by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, (COGTA) Public Enterprises (DPE) and SALGA, Eskom in conjunction with the national task team is visiting affected municipalities, as well as those that were disconnected in December 2015 and January 2016. The objective is to assess the challenges faced by the municipalities and provide Eskom with the opportunity to enter into sustainable payment arrangements.
(2) I have not yet considered an intervention in the defaulting municipalities, in terms of section 139(5) of the Constitution, the power to intervene in municipalities rests with the relevant provincial executives. It is only when a provincial executive cannot or does not adequately exercise the powers or perform the functions referred to in subsection (5) that the national executive is permitted to intervene in a municipality.
07 April 2016 - NW466
Maynier, Mr D to ask the Minister of Finance
Whether any applications for the interception of communication in terms of the (a) Interception and Monitoring Prohibition Act, Act 127 of 1992 and/or (b) Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act, Act 70 of 2002, were made (i) directly by the SA Revenue Service (SARS) and/or (ii) indirectly by another organ of state on behalf of SARS in each specified calendar year between 1997 and 2016; if not, in each specified case, why not; if so, in each specified case, how many applications were (aa) submitted, (bb) authorised and/or (cc) refused?
Reply:
The following information is provided by South African Revenue Service (SARS) and cannot be verified by the Minister:
It is not within the SARS mandate to administer such activities directly.
(a)(b)(i)(ii)(aa)(bb)(cc) With the information at SARS disposal no such requests were made or approved either directly by SARS or indirectly through a third party.
07 April 2016 - NW302
Rabotapi, Mr MW to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Whether each metropolitan municipality offers rate rebates to (a) the elderly, (b) disabled persons, (c) low income property owners and (d) other persons and/or organisations; if not, why not; if so, what is the (i) criteria and (ii) rebate in each specified case?
Reply:
Yes, the response with respect to each metropolitan municipality is as reflected in the tables below.
Given that the granting of rate rebates is one of the three instruments municipalities utilise in granting relief to property owners, for completeness we have included information pertaining to the granting of reductions on the market values of properties and exemptions where applicable. This is because municipalities use any combination of these three relief measures (according to their individual preference). Thus, by merely looking at only one of these three relief measures in isolation of the other two, one cannot get a full picture as to how each metropolitan municipality approaches the issue of granting relief to property owners.
The information below is sourced from municipal rates policies and other relevant municipal budget related documents which contain detailed information (such indigent policies and resolutions levying rates), and therefore this response does not provide all detailed information (e.g. with respect to criteria) as reflected in those documents because to do so would amount to duplicating information in those municipal documents which are ordinarily published in municipal websites for any interested person to obtain detailed information without the risk of these being summarised by someone else (as is the case now by the Department) in a manner which can fail to do justice to those detailed public documents.
Buffalo City
Rebates |
(a) The elderly: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(b) People with disability: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(c) Low income property owners: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(d) Other persons and/or organisations: 1. Newly developed commercial/industrial properties (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
2. Differential rebate (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
3. Public Benefit Organisations (PBOs) (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each case
|
Exemptions |
The following properties are exempted from rating:
|
Ekurhuleni
Rebates |
(a) The elderly: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(b) People with disability: 1. Disability grantees and/or medically boarded persons (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(c) Low income property owners Refer to reductions and exemptions below. (d) Other persons and/or organisations: 1. Natural disasters (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
2. Sporting bodies (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
3. Public and private schools, universities and colleges (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
4. Vacant unimproved land (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reductions |
(a) The elderly, (b) people with disability, (c) low income property owners, (d) other persons and/or organisations (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exemptions |
(c) Low income property owners: 1. Indigent households (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
2. Child headed households (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(d) Other persons and/or organisations
1. Public benefit organisation / non-governmental organization and cultural organisations (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
eThekwini
Rebates |
(a) The elderly: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(b) People with disability: 1. Disability grantees or medically boarded persons (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(c) Low income property owners: 1. Child headed households (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(d) other persons and/or organisations: 1. Life rights schemes and retirement villages/complexes (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
2. Commercial accommodation (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
3. Schools not for gain (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
4. Natural and other disasters (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
5. Economic development (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
||||||||||
Reductions |
(a) the elderly, (b) people with disability, (c) low income property owners, (d) other persons and/or organisations (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(d) other persons and/or organisations 1. Vacant land (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
||||||||||
Exemptions |
(d) other persons and/or organisations 1. Residential property with a value of up to R185,000 is exempted. 2. Public benefit organisations (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
3. sporting bodies (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
City of Cape Town
Rebates |
(a) The elderly: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(b) People with disability: (i) Criteria Same as (a) above. (ii) Relief in each specified case Same as (a) above. (c) Low income property owners: (i) Criteria Same as (a) above. (ii) Relief in each specified case
(d) Other persons and/or organisations: 1. Agricultural properties (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
2. Nature reserves, special nature reserves and national parks (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
3. Religious organisations (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
4. Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs)/ Public Benefit Organisations (PBOs) (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
Reductions |
|
Exemptions |
|
City of Johannesburg
Rebates |
(a) The elderly: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(b) People with disability: 1. Emanating from injury (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(c) Low income property owners: 1. Extended social package (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
2. State’s Social Security Grant (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
3. Child headed households (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(d) other persons and/or organisations: 1. Heritage properties (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
2. Residential sectional title (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
3. Protection of animals (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
4. Disaster areas (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
5. Vacant land (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
6. Housing development schemes for retired persons (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
7. Registered social landlords (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
8. New building incentive (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
9. Private sports club (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
10. Provision and/or promotion of youth development (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
Reductions |
(a) The elderly, (b) people with disability, (c) low income property owners, (d) other persons and/or organisations (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
Mangaung
Rebates |
(a) The elderly: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(b) People with disability: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(c) Low income property owners: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(d) Other persons and/or organisations: 1. Child headed families (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
Reductions |
|
Exemptions |
|
Nelson Mandela Bay
Rebates |
(a) The elderly: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(b) People with disability: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(c) Low income property owners (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(d) Other persons and/or organisations: 1. Sporting bodies (Professional) (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
2. Social Housing (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
Reductions |
None, and for properties affected by disasters, such properties are re-valued to get the revised their market values for rating purposes. |
Exemptions |
|
Tshwane
Rebates |
(a) The elderly: (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(b) People with disability: 1. Physically or mentally disabled (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(c) Low income property owners: 1. Indigent households (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
2. Owner temporarily without income: indigent criteria may be applied in terms of Indigent Policy of City of Tshwane (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
(d) Other persons and/or organisations: 1. Grants-in-aid (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
2. Owners of land alienated by the municipality after January 2015 (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
3. Owners of catalytic investment properties (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
4. Independent school (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
Reductions |
(a) the elderly, (b) people with disability, (c) low income property owners, (d) other persons and/or organisations (i) Criteria
(ii) Relief in each specified case
|
Exemptions |
(d) Other persons and/or organisations 1. Public Service infrastructure 2. Places of public worship 3. Protected areas 4. State trust land |
06 April 2016 - NW754
Van der Westhuizen, Mr AP to ask the Minister in the Presidency
(1)What are the full descriptions or definitions of the Strategic Objectives of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) used for measuring the performance of the NYDA against its set targets;
Reply:
- IMPROVED SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN SOUTH AFRICA
|
|
Strategic Objective 1.1.1 |
To enhance the participation of young people in the economy. |
Objective statement |
Assist and facilitate youth participation leading to improvement of livelihoods through NYDA grants as financial support and non-financial support interventions. |
Justification |
Youth Economic participation is a key challenge in the South African economy. The programme addresses this by enabling youth to acquire entrepreneurial skills, leading to sustainable self-employment, and creation of youth owned businesses. |
|
|
Strategic Objective 1.2.1 |
To facilitate and implement education opportunities in order to improve the quality education attainment for the youth |
Objective Statement |
The NYDA will place approximately 18,517 learners in education opportunities, these will be young people who want to re-write their matric. |
Justification |
An estimated 70% of matriculants fail or pass with marks that exclude them from enrolling with higher education institutions in the country; these young people require a second chance to improve their subject grades NYDA offers that opportunity to these young people. Some young people require financial assistance to enroll in higher education institutions; NYDA is also contributing to these young people so that they can pursue their educational careers in higher education institutions locally and abroad. |
Strategic Objective 1.2.2 |
To facilitate and implement skills programmes |
Objective Statement |
To mobilise young people to :
|
Justification |
Youth skills development programmes provide an opportunity for young people to learn skills at the same time provide them with practical experience of applying their acquired skills whilst they are still on training. The programmes focuses on lower end skills required by local development economies such as artisans, community workers and auxiliary workers in various fields. In addition young people will be provided with job preparedness and life skills training and job placement support with the aim of sourcing job opportunities for these young people. |
2. ENHANCED PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH IN SOCIAL COHESION TOWARDS NATION BUILDING
This outcome area is implemented though the following programme area:
a) Health and Wellbeing
|
|
Strategic Objective 2.1.1 |
To provide health and well- being interventions to young people. |
Objective Statement |
To increase awareness on the healthy lifestyles that promote good health practices amongst the youth of South Africa, including dangers of substance abuse, unprotected sex, nutrition, sexual transmitted diseases and the impact of HIV Infection and Aids among young people in South Africa. |
Justification |
South Africa has a high substance (drugs, alcohol, smoking) abuse problem amongst the youth, have a very high HIV infection rate amongst the youth, have a high death rate due to injury and trauma amongst the youth, therefore the NYDA needs to contribute in national efforts to improve the health conditions of young people in the country. |
3. ENHANCED ENABLING ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN ALL SECTORS OF SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY
|
|
Strategic Objective 3.1.1 |
To create and produce information and knowledge for better youth development planning and decision making |
Objective statement |
Generate information and knowledge that inform innovation of project and programme implementation to all stakeholders |
Justification |
This objective will contribute in generating new evidence and information on how to better plan, review programme models and set relevant and realistic indicators for youth development in South Africa. |
Strategic Objective 3.1.2 |
To Lobby Key Stakeholders to support and implement youth development programmes |
Objective Statement |
To lobby External stakeholders to provide support to and collaborate with the NYDA in delivering Youth Development Work. |
Justification |
To mainstream and integrate youth development across all sectors of society. |
Strategic Objective 3.1.3 |
To create a platform for youth to participate and benefit from democratic processes |
Objective Statement |
To create a platform for young people to promote social cohesion. |
Justification |
To mainstream and integrate youth development across all sectors of society. The National Youth Service Programme will play a coordination role into ensuring that stakeholders and government institutions implementation National Youth Service Programme (including the private sector and CSOs) |
Strategic Objective 3.1.4 |
To mobilise and leverage financial resources from key stakeholders |
Objective Statement |
To mobilise and leverage financial contributions from key stakeholders to implement programmes outlined in the NYDA ACT so as to increase the numbers of young people benefiting from youth development programmes in the country |
Justification |
To mobilise and leverage financial contributions from key stakeholders to implement programmes outlined in the NYDA ACT so as to increase the numbers of young people benefiting from youth development programmes in the country |
4. DEVELOP AND ENHANCE A CREDIBLE AND CAPABLE AGENCY FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
|
|
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4.1.1 |
To establish a credible, efficient and effective organisation in terms of the identified NYDA Governance identified areas |
Objective statement |
To ensure that all NYDA systems and process support NYDA products and services for effective service delivery |
Justification |
To ensure that all NYDA systems and process support NYDA products and services for effective service delivery. The following KPI’s will be not be measures after 2017/18 Financial
|
Strategic Objective 4.1.2 |
To provide access to information and create awareness on youth development programmes. |
Objective statement |
Provide information and knowledge to all stakeholders and including the youth to inform youth development processes for policy, planning, implementation and review. |
Justification |
This objective will improve the access to critical up-to-date information and lessons that can be used in improving youth development programmes and interventions. |
(2)
The jobs that are created through the grant programme fall under two categories, the first category is the beneficiary him/herself that is able to create self-employment through the receipt of the grant. The second category is where they create an additional job within the business. Verification of these jobs is through NYDA jobs verification template where the employee completes the template and signs it. Furthermore the NYDA performs aftercare visits to these business which enables the organisation to track performance of the business over time.
06 April 2016 - NW99
Horn, Mr W to ask the Minister of Social Development
Whether she has entered into a performance agreement with the President, Mr Jacob G Zuma, with regard to the implementation of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) 2014-2019; if not, why not; if so, (a) which key indicators and targets from the MTSF are reflected in the agreement, (b) how many performance assessments has she undertaken in consultation with the President since the agreement was signed, (c) what progress has been made in meeting the key indicators and targets from the MTSF, (d) what are the key obstacles to implementation and (e) what is the plan to address such obstacles?
Reply:
Yes, all Ministers are subject to Performance Agreements with the President.
a) The Performance Management Framework for Ministers is the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) for 2014-2019, which is the first 5-year implementation plan of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030. The performance targets and indicators are derived from the 14 Outcomes which Government seeks to achieve.
These outcomes and targets constitute government’s Programme of Action (POA), against which performance is tracked and reported at least on a quarterly basis. POA reports are publicly available on government’s website.
b) To (e) Cabinet closely monitors the implementation of the NDP 2030/MTSF 2014-2019 through POA reports. These reports are tabled before an Implementation Forum of a Cluster of Ministers collectively responsible for MTSF outcomes, and then submitted to Cabinet, where progress is noted, and recommendation to address bottlenecks to implementation are considered and discussed, and recommendations to address bottlenecks are considered and approved.
05 April 2016 - NW518
Cassim, Mr Y to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
With reference to the Elands Bay Infrastructure Improvement and Project Operational Phase of the Cederberg Fishing Infrastructure Development and Management Project on the West Coast, Western Cape, (a) what were the findings of the Working for Fisheries Programme which was accompanied by an internal team of officials on 30 September 2015 at the Elands Bay site, (b) what were their recommendations and (c) where can a copy of such a report be obtained?
Reply:
(a) The site visit by DAFF officials on 30 September 2015 revealed that the Cederberg project was operational and that beneficiaries were on site.
(b) Back to office reports were compiled by each official. There is no consolidated report containing recommendations.
(c) As mentioned above, there is no consolidated report.
05 April 2016 - NW528
Davis, Mr GR to ask the Minister of Basic Education
What is the current status of the plan to license teachers?
Reply:
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is working with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) to professionalise teaching through standard setting and the strengthening of the induction of new teachers. The proposal is to provide newly qualified teachers with provisional registration and to require them to meet teacher professional standards upon completion of an induction programme of three years in order to obtain full registration. This registration will be the licensing.
05 April 2016 - NW776
Bergman, Mr D to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(1)(a) What is the current status of the plan to reduce red tape in the Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality in Free State, (b) what is the total number unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations that were rescinded during the process to reduce red tape in the specified municipality and (c) what total amount of administration costs will the specified intervention save businesses in the specified municipality; (2) can she list three or more examples of the red tape that was cut because of the specified intervention in the specified municipality?
Reply:
(1)(a) The current plan of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) regarding the Red Tape Reduction Programme is to revisit the piloted municipalities to assess progress made in relation to the following: complaints notification system, 30 payment system, building plan approval processes, business registration permits, by-laws and communication of small business information to SMMEs and Cooperatives. Specifically for Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality in the Free State, access to information by the municipality to small enterprises will be improved.
(b) There is no record of unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations rescinded in the specific municipality. The total number of policies, by-laws and regulations that impede the development and promotion of small businesses will only be outlined upon the conclusion of the proposed study on regulatory protocols affecting small businesses to be conducted by DSBD during the 2016/17 financial year. However, informal business by-laws are currently being reviewed including the enforcement.
(c) The current assessment did not consider the administration costs. However, the improvement on turnaround times as well as communication on compliance will reduce Red Tape in each of the identified municipalities ultimately reducing costs experienced by SMMEs.
2. Some of the examples that can be referred to regarding how the red tape has been reduced include: The improvement on by-laws related to tourism business promotion in the area as one of the sectors identified for local economic development.
05 April 2016 - NW13
Nkomo, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Health
(1)What is the total number of the national backlog of (a) post-mortem, (b) toxicology and (c) drunken driving samples waiting to be processed at the Forensic Chemistry Laboratories (FCLs) in (i) Pretoria, (ii) Cape Town and (iii) Johannesburg in the period 1 January 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; (2) whether he has identified any measures to deal with the (a) recurring space shortages, (b) incompetence of staff and managers and (c) severe lack of manpower in these Laboratories, if not in each case; why not, if so, what are those measures?
Reply:
- (a) Post Mortem
(i) Pretoria
The post mortem blood alcohol blacklog –
- 31 January 2014: 2 422
- 31 January 2015: 3 890
- January 2016 to date: 1 564
(Decrease from 2 422 in 2014 to 1 564 to date = reduction of 35%)
(ii) Cape Town
- 31 January 2014: 3 527
- 31 January 2015: 869
- January 2016 to date: 1 222
(Decrease from 3 527 in 2014 to 1 222 to date – reduction of 65%)
(iii) Johannesburg
- 31 January 2014: 989
- 31 January 2015: 2 837
- January 2016 to date: 369
(Decrease from 989 in 2014 to 369 to date = reduction of 63%)
(b) Toxicology
(i) Pretoria:
The Toxicology backlog was 6023 on 31st January 2014, 6 537 on 31st January 2015, and 5 013 on January 2016. (Decrease from 6023 in 2014 to 5 013 to date = reduction of 17%)
(ii) Cape Town:
The Toxicology backlog was 3 658 on 31st January 2014, 3 406 on 31st January 2015, and 2 878 on January 2016. (Decrease from 3 658 in 2014 to 2 878 to date = reduction of 21%)
(iii) Johannesburg:
The Toxicology backlog was 7 658 on 31st January 2014, 8 007 on 31st January 2015, and 7 843 to date.( Decrease from 7 658 in 2014 to 7 843 to date = increase of 2%).
(c) Drunken driving
(i) Pretoria:
The drunken driving backlog was 11 890 on 31st January 2014, 19 841 on 31st January 2015, and 6 074 on January 2016. (Decrease from 11890 in 2014 6 074 to date = reduction of 49%)
(ii) Cape Town:
The drunken driving backlog was 25 933 on 31st January 2014, 12 856 on 31st January 2015, and 2 360 on January 2016. (Decrease from 25 933 in 2014 to 2 360 to date = reduction of 90%)
(iii) Johannesburg:
The drunken driving backlog was 29 589 on 31st January 2014, 26 117 on 31st January 2015, and 30 376 to date. (Decrease from 29 589 in 2014 to 30 376 to date = increase of 3%)
2. (a) The process of relocating the Pretoria FCL to the SABS premises in Groenkloof is currently receiving priority.
(b) Staff members in all the FCL’s are competent and they are trained on a regular basis in order to keep up with developing technology.
(c) Since the permanent appointment in April 2013 of seventy unemployed individuals who underwent a 12-month full-time internship, the FCL’s are not experiencing a shortage of manpower. These analysts are currently fully competent and working independently.
END.
05 April 2016 - NW824
Chance, Mr R to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(a) What engagements has (i) she and/or (ii) her department had and/or is having with the conveners of the entrepreneur fund work stream, (names furnished), emanating from the meeting in February between President, Mr Jacob G Zuma, and business leaders, (b) when did each such engagement take place, (c) what outcomes is she expecting from the work stream and (d) how will the specified outcomes affect her department’s (i) strategies and (ii) programmes?
Reply:
(a) The Minister and the Department has not as yet engaged with conveners of the entrepreneur fund work stream emanating from the meeting in February between the President and business leaders. (c) The outcome of the work stream will only be known and considered once all relevant documents and information on the work stream is furnished to the department through the reporting channels.
05 April 2016 - NW07
Chewane, Dr H to ask the Minister of Health
What steps has he taken to ensure that the machine to test breast cancer at the R K Khan Hospital in Chatsworth in KwaZulu-Natal is in working order?
Reply:
According to the KwaZulu Natal Provincial Department of Health, RK Khan has a Mammography Unit however the image processor is non-functioning and cannot be repaired as the technology is obsolete.
The Department of Health is in the process of replacing all Image Processors province-wide with CR Readers.
Two CR Readers have been earmarked for RK Khan Hospital as per the plan in place.
Due to this being a new technology, it necessitates infrastructural requirements to accommodate the CR Readers, which process is currently being finalised. This will facilitate the smooth installation of the CR Readers.
Currently patients are referred to the surrounding Hospitals such as Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, King Edward VIII Hospital, Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital and Addington Hospital.
END.
05 April 2016 - NW367
Chance, Mr R to ask the Minister of Finance
With reference to President Jacob G Zuma’s undertaking in his State of the Nation Address delivered on 12 February 2015, that the Government will set aside 30% of appropriate categories of state procurement for purchasing from Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs), co-operatives, as well as township and rural enterprises, what percentage of the total procurement of (a) the National Treasury and (b) every entity reporting to him went to (i) SMMEs and (ii) co-operatives from 1 April 2015 up to the latest specified date for which information is available?
Reply:
NATIONAL TREASURY
(a) (i) 17%
(a) (ii) N/A.
ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD
(b) (i) 85%
(b) (ii) 0%
CO-OPERATIVE BANKS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
The Co-operative Banks Development Agency has utilised the National Treasury (NT) supply chain management unit (SCM) in relation to all its procurement matters due to not having sufficient resources to carry out this function independently.
DEVELOPMENT BANK OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
(i) The Development Bank of South Africa tracks data in line with the BEE scorecard and certificates. Hence, data is available pertaining to Black Owned, Black Women Owned; EME and QSE.
This analysis is based on spend data from 1 April 2015 to 24 February 2016.
Classification |
Value |
% |
Total Spend |
R 169,962,314 |
100% |
|
||
EME Spend |
R 16,828,529 |
10% |
QSE Spend |
R 17,331,976 |
10% |
(ii) The Bank does not record details pertaining to co-operatives.
FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE CENTRE
(b) (i) 9.72%
(b) (ii) 0%
FINANCIAL SERVICES BOARD
During the period 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2015 the Financial Services Board has disbursed approximately 20% to SMMEs for goods / services procured.
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES PENSION FUND
(b) (i) 36%
(b) (ii) 0%
GOVERNMENT PENSIONS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY
(b) (i) 10.63%
(b) (ii) 0%
INDIPENDENT REGULATORY BOARD FOR AUDITORS
(b) (i) 6.7%
(b) (ii) 0%
PENSION FUNDS ADJUDICATOR
(b) (i) 17.3%
(b) (ii) 0%
LAND BANK
(b) (i) 100%
(b) (ii) 0%
OFFICE OF THE OMBUD FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES PROVIDERS
(b) (i) 35%
(b) (ii) 0%
PUBLIC INVESTMENT CORPORATION
(b) (i) 21%
(b) (ii) 0%
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS
(b) (i) 2.29%
(b) (ii) 0%
SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICES
(b) (i) 12%
(b) (ii) 0%
SASRIA
(b) (i) 6.93%
(b) (ii) 0%
TAX OMBUD
The Office of the Tax Ombud was established in terms of the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011 and reports to the Minister of Finance. In terms of the section 15(4) of this Act the expenditure connected with the functions of the Tax Ombud is paid out of the funds of SARS. For this reason all procurement for this office follows SARS’ procurement procedure through SARS’s procurement structures.
The amount spent in the designated categories will vary among entities depending on the services and goods procured. However, I will direct each entity to more actively promote the role of SMMEs and Co-operatives in the procurement process.
05 April 2016 - NW273
Madisha, Mr WM to ask the Minister of Health
(1)Whether the Government has any policy in place to encourage junior doctors as well as medical specialists from countries where training is comparable or even superior to our own to be able to do stints in our country because they wanted to (a) contribute to medicine in our country, (b) learn from our medical practitioners, (c) volunteer their services for a good cause and (d) participate in a doctor exchange scheme; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the steps the Government has taken to encourage doctors to come to South Africa for stints of service; (2) whether he will make a statement on creating softer borders for doctors who obtained their qualifications in a country where medical education is of international standard?
Reply:
- Yes. The recruitment of foreign nationals as medical doctors to work in South Africa is regulated by the foreign recruitment policy adopted by the National Health Council in 2010. The policy does provide for recruitment of health professionals and exchange programmes through government-to-government agreements for experienced medical doctors and lecturers to come to South Africa to impart their skills to our local doctors and undergraduate students in medicine. An example of this is the Cuba/South Africa agreement. In recent years, a number of lecturers from highly renowned universities abroad also came to South Africa to contribute to the training of our young doctors and the Department is still processing applications on an ongoing basis from countries all across the globe to perform volunteer services for shorter periods of time in South Africa.
- There is adequate provision in the Health Professions Act for the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) to recognise qualifications in medicine from countries where the education is of international standard. All foreign nationals who wish to reside in South Africa are also subject to the country’s immigration law where there are provisions to ease up the recruitment of critical skills for the public health sector.
END.
05 April 2016 - NW728
Kwankwa, Mr NL to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
Whether, with reference to CIDA City Campus, a tertiary institution that provides virtually free education to students from financially disadvantaged and academically deprived communities, his department has taken steps to assist the approximately 500 students who have been left without a place to study, after the closure of the institution due to the liquidation thereof; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
CIDA City Campus NPC was registered as a private higher education institution until its liquidation in 2015. Students enter into a private contractual agreement with institutions and full knowledge that in the event of closure, they would have to seek alternate means to complete their studies. Whereas public universities are funded by the state, private higher education institutions are privately funded and the responsibility for attending to pipeline students in the face of closure resides with the Directors of the company as per the Regulations for the Registration of Private Higher Education Institutions, 2002.
Since CIDA City Campus NPC was liquidated, the liquidators that is Tshwane Trust Company, was responsible for assisting pipeline students. In this regard, every student was provided with their academic transcript and where students did not collect their transcripts, it was sent to the Department for safekeeping and future collection.
The Department assists / has assisted in the following ways:
a) Referred students to other private institutions such as Milpark Education (Pty) Ltd, Boston City Campus (Pty) Ltd and University of Johannesburg, through the CIDA Empowerment Trust. These are the institutions that offer similar qualifications to those that were offered by Cida City Campus;
b) Administers the remaining certificates and academic transcripts still to be collected by students; and
c) Refers students to appropriate institutions of higher learning. In the case of public universities, the students are advised to apply for financial assistance from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
The responsibility lies with the student to apply to an alternative institution and present their academic transcript for consideration and recognition of credits already earned. The Department assists in providing support and details on equivalence of qualifications.
Compiler/Contact Persons:
Ext:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
QUESTION 728 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
05 April 2016 - NW775
America, Mr D to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(1)(a) What is the current status of the plan to reduce red tape in the Matjhabeng Local Municipality in Free State, (b) what is the total number unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations that were rescinded during the process to reduce red tape in the specified municipality and (c) what total amount of administration costs will the specified intervention save businesses in the specified municipality; (2) can she list three or more examples of the red tape that was cut because of the specified intervention in the specified municipality?
Reply:
(1)(a) The current plan of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) regarding the Red Tape Reduction Programme is to revisit the piloted municipalities to assess progress made in relation to the following: complaints notification system, 30 payment system, building plan approval processes, business registration permits, by-laws and communication of small business information to SMMEs and Cooperatives. Specifically for Matjhabeng Local Municipality in the Free State, access to information by the municipality to small enterprises will be improved.
(b) There is no record of unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations rescinded in the specific municipality. The total number of policies, by-laws and regulations that impede the development and promotion of small businesses will only be outlined upon the conclusion of the proposed study on regulatory protocols affecting small businesses to be conducted by DSBD during the 2016/17 financial year. Informal business by-laws are currently being reviewed including the enforcement.
(c) The current assessment did not consider the administration costs. However, the improvement on turnaround times as well as communication on compliance will reduce Red Tape in each of the identified municipalities ultimately reducing costs experienced by SMMEs.
2. Some of the examples that can be referred to regarding how the red tape has been reduced include: improvement on building plan application processes and approvals turnaround times due to committee established to consider these.
05 April 2016 - NW505
Cassim, Mr Y to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
(1) With reference to the Elands Bay Infrastructure Improvement and Project Operational Phase of the Cederberg Fishing Infrastructure Development and Management Project on the West Coast, Western Cape, (a) what process was followed in appointing the small-scale fisheries co-operative identified as the owning agent by his department, (b) what does the capacity building for the specified co-operative entail, (c) what does it cost and (d) who are the service providers involved in providing the capacity building; (2) (a) how many (i) operational, (ii) technical and (iii) administrative staff will be employed for the different pre-operational and operational phases of the specified project and (b) what are the associated costs in each case; (3) whether the specified military veterans whose employment contracts were extended will be paid retrospectively dating back to 1 September 2015; if not, why not; if so, (a) how will his department provide such funding, (b) what are the costs implications of such a decision and (c) did the specified military veterans actually work from 1 September 2015 to 23 September 2015 when the decision to provide back-pay was taken; (4) whether the minutes of the meeting held between his department and the Department of Defence and Military Veterans on 23 September 2015 is available for scrutiny; if not, why not; if so, where can a copy of such minutes be obtained?
Reply:
(1)(a) The Elands Bay Infrastructure Improvement Project has not been handed over to an owning agent.
(1)(b) As the project has not been handed over to an owing agent, a capacity building component for a small-scale cooperative has not been developed.
(1)(c) As stated above, there is no owning agent or capacity building component and therefore there are no cost implications.
(1)(d) As stated above, the project has not been handed over to an owning agent and no service providers have been appointed.
(2)(a) (i) , (ii) and (iii) The number of operational and administrative staff to be employed
can only be determined once owning agent has been appointed.
(2)(b) The associated costs can only be determined once owning agent has been appointed.
(3)(a) Yes. The extension of the employment contracts of the military veterans will be paid retrospectively. The funds will be provided from the EPWP/Working for Fisheries Programme.
(3)(b) Eight Hundred Thousand Rand (R800 000) has been allocated for the extension of the contracts.
(3)(c) Yes. The military veterans worked from 1 September – 23 September 2015.
(4) No.
05 April 2016 - NW281
Shaik Emam, Mr AM to ask the Minister of Health
How his department intends to deal with thousands of (a) food and (b) health products manufactured and/or imported into South Africa which place millions of people’s lives at risk because they are not tested and do not conform to our health standards, including correct labelling?
Reply:
The Department of Health administers the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54, 1972), as amended in 2007. There are a number of Regulations published in terms of this Act to ensure that all foods are safe for human consumption in South Africa. All foodstuffs imported into the country are subject to inspections by Port Health Officers (PHOs) who are deployed by the Department of Health at the designated commercial ports of entries throughout the country and responsible for import control of foodstuffs. This includes inspection of these products, and where necessary at their professional discretion they may take samples randomly. If the samples are taken they are submitted for analysis at the Forensic Chemical Laboratories of the Department of Health in Pretoria and Cape Town to conduct tests as requested to ensure compliance. The food products should also be correctly labelled in compliance with the Regulations relating to Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs, No. R. 146 March 2010.
All the foodstuffs manufactured in South Africa are inspected and monitored by the Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs), employed by the Municipal Health Services of the metro and district municipalities. In the event of non-compliance to any of the Regulations under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972), municipalities will serve notices on the manufacturers and/or sellers concerned, allowing them an opportunity to comply with the relevant requirements. In the event of non-compliance persisting, further steps could be considered, including prosecuting the person(s) concerned in the area of "jurisdiction", where a Magistrate's Court shall have jurisdiction to impose any "penalty". The Laboratories mainly test only what the EHPs have requested and are mostly guided by the Labelling Regulations for enforcement of regulations published under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972).
Furthermore, all complementary medicines, which include health supplements, were called up for registration under the call-up notice R. 870, Government Gazette 37032 of 15 November 2013, which details the amendment to the Regulations in terms of section 35 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act, 1965 (Act 101 of 1965) (Medicines Act). Health supplements are further described in Government Notice R. 716, Government Gazette 37995, 15 September 2014.
These products have to be submitted in accordance with the published road map and are being evaluated for compliance with prescribed requirements for safety, quality and efficacy. The labelling has to comply with the requirements of Regulation 8 to the Medicines Act.
The Law Enforcement unit in the department investigates complaints regarding medicines including health supplements and also check compliance with labelling requirements. These inspectors may also take samples and send them for analysis to Forensic Chemical Laboratory of the Department of Health in Pretoria or the WHO certified laboratory (CENQAM) at the North-West University, Potchefstroom.
END.
05 April 2016 - NW195
McLoughlin, Mr AR to ask the Minister of Health
(1)With reference to his reply to question 567 on 4 November 2015, what (a) is the current maternal mortality ratio for each province and (b) what percentage of maternal mortality is caused by haemorrhage; (2) whether his department has identified the reasons for the large difference between the lowest and highest provincial maternal mortality ratio; if not, why not; if so, what (a) are they and (b) is his department doing to address them?
Reply:
- The latest population wide data for maternal mortality ratio was published in 2015, by the Medical Research Council. The report contained data up to 2011
The National Committee on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Mortality (NCCEMD) investigates all maternal deaths in health facilities annually and publishes triennial and annual reports. The table below reflects the data for 2014 by province.
(a) Institutional maternal mortality ratio per province, 2014 (NCCEMD)
Province |
2014 |
Eastern Cape |
174.15 |
Free State |
203.26 |
Gauteng |
149.75 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
127.82 |
Limpopo |
149.32 |
Mpumalanga |
119.54 |
North West |
180.08 |
Northern Cape |
120.68 |
Western Cape |
66.50 |
NATIONAL AVERAGE |
140.81 |
(b) Slightly over sixteen percent (16.4%) percentage of maternal mortality was attributed to haemorrhage in 2014.
(2) (a) To understand these huge differences, we need to understand the causes of maternal mortality in our country. The NCCEMD noted that the causes of maternal mortality can be classified into 5 H’s, i.e –
(i) HIV/AIDS;
(ii) Haemorrhage;
(iii) Hypertension in pregnancy;
(iv) Health Worker; and
(v) Health System.
50% Of Maternal mortality is attributable to HIV/AIDS. The Free State Province is number three (3) in the country in terms of prevalence of HIV and AIDS and the Western Cape Province has the least prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the country.
(b) The Free State began to address its high maternal mortality ratio:
(i) I will be travelling to the Free State to meet the Premier and the Executive Council to ask for strengthening of their HIV and AIDS Programmes;
(ii) Free State province has trained 63 professional nurses in advanced antenatal care who will support clinics to improve the quality of antenatal care;
(iii) Active rollout of training in on the management of obstetric emergencies;
(iv) Since 2013 significant efforts have been made to saturate the province with training; and
(v) District clinical specialist teams established at all districts as a measure to improve clinical governance, including appointment of a provincial obstretrician/gynaecologist.
END.
05 April 2016 - NW682
Shinn, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Finance
(1)(a) What is the status of the investigation that is being conducted by the National Treasury into the procurement process of set-top boxes by the Universal Service and Access Agency of SA and (b) when will it be completed; (2) whether the report arising from the investigation will be made public; if not, why not; if so, by when?
Reply:
- (a) The investigation is still in progress.
(b) The plan is to complete the forensic report by the end of May 2016 but subject to cooperation and required information received to conclude the investigation.
2. The National Treasury will not make the report public since the investigation is conducted on behalf of the Department of Communication. In addition, all reports that are the subject of criminal investigations by the South African Police Service are not made public since it may have a negative impact on the success of the criminal investigation. Once the report is part of the court record and its evidence has been led, it will become a public document.
05 April 2016 - NW768
Kruger, Mr HC to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(1)(a) What is the current status of the plan to reduce red tape in the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality in Limpopo, (b) what is the total number unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations that were rescinded during the process to reduce red tape in the specified municipality and (c) what total amount of administration costs will the specified intervention save businesses in the specified municipality; (2) can she list three or more examples of the red tape that was cut because of the specified intervention in the specified municipality?
Reply:
(a) The current plan of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) regarding the Red Tape Reduction Programme is to revisit the piloted municipalities to assess progress made in relation to the following: complaints notification system, 30 payment system, building plan approval processes, business registration permits, by-laws and communication of small business information to SMMEs and Cooperatives. Specifically for Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality in Limpopo, additional staff is allocated for the processing of invoices.
(b) There is no record of unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations rescinded in the specific municipality. The total number of policies, by-laws and regulations that impede the development and promotion of small businesses will only be outlined upon the conclusion of the proposed study on regulatory protocols affecting small businesses to be conducted by DSBD during the 2016/17 financial year.
(c) The current assessment did not consider the administration costs. But the reduction of Red Tape in each of the identified areas will lead to the reduction of costs of turnaround times, improvement on communication on compliance will also reduce costs experienced by SMMEs.
(2) Some of the examples that can be referred to regarding how the red tape has been reduced include: improvement of building plans applications processes. This also has a positive impact on reducing the costs experienced by small businesses.
05 April 2016 - NW675
De Freitas, Mr MS to ask the Minister of Transport
In line with the Budget Speech of the Minister of Finance, Mr Pravin Gordhan, delivered on 24 February 2016, (a) what steps is she taking to audit overlapping and duplicate functions of (i) her department and (ii) each entity reporting to her, (b) what are the (i) time frames and (ii) time lines in this regard, (c) how is the specified process being coordinated and (d) who are the champions for (i) her department and (ii) each entity reporting to her respectively?
Reply:
Department
(a) what steps is she taking to audit overlapping and duplicate functions of (i) her department
She will apply the provisions of Chapter 3 of the Public Service Regulations which include: reviewing the organisational structure of the Department; engaging in human resource planning; establishing and maintaining an operations management framework; assessing human resource components and conducting the organisational functionality and productivity assessment.
(b) What are the (i) time frames and (ii) time lines in this regard?
All the stated activities will be done during the 2016/2017 financial year
(c) how is the specified process being coordinated
The activities will be coordinated by applying the tools, techniques and templates that were developed by the Department of Public Service and Administration. Various Committees and Task Teams will also be established to assist in driving he various activities.
(d) Who are the champions for (i) her department
Officials from the Chief Directorate: Human Resource Management and Development as well as other identified Departmental Officials
Airports Company South Africa SOC Limited (ACSA)
ACSA does not have overlapping or duplicate functions.
Air Traffic and Navigation Services SOC Limited (ATNS)
There are no duplications or overlapping functions at ATNS.
South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA)
The steps taken by the (i) N/A (ii) South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) to reduce overlaps and address duplicate functions started in 2014, with the implementation of an Organisational Structure Review (OSR) project. The aim of this project was to improve organisational efficiencies and effectiveness by aligning the structure to the legislative mandate of the Regulator and to ensure that the Regulator meets the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). (b) (i) The project started in October 2014 (ii) and will be concluded on 31 March 2016. (c) The project was approved by the Board and featured in the Annual Performance Plan for two consecutive financial years. (d) The project is being led by the Executive Management Committee of the SACAA and quarterly progress reports are being tabled during Board meetings.
Railway Safety Regulator (RSR)
- ii) The RSR audits the overlapping and duplication of functions by conducting periodic reviews of its policies, core and support business processes as well as organisational structure. The implementation of its ISO 9004 concordant QRAIL Management Quality System (MQS) is also a management tool that has been implemented to ensure process efficiency and quality.
- i) Operational, tactical and governance business processes are reviewed annually (by means of the MQS requirements) and policies are reviewed at least every two years.
- Reviews are coordinated and overseen by the Office of the CEO.
- Office of the CEO, Legal Services Department and the HR Department
Ports Regulator of SA( PRSA)
The Minister of Finance in his Budget Speech 2016, said: “…where entities have overlapping mandates, rationalization options will be pursued. The merger of our housing DFIs is already in progress. There are entities with regulatory responsibilities where capacity should be combined.”
In this regard, (even though there is no direct overlap between entities) the DOT is engaging with its various Regulatory entities with a view to establishment of a Single Transport Economic Regulator (STER), which has been previously been announced by the Minister of Transport
South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA)
- The minister has directed SAMSA to take steps to curtail activities in the maritime sector development which she deems covered by the Maritime Branch in the department of transport
- The time frame for the curtailment is 1 April 2016
- The specific process has been coordinated through the sign off process of the APP 2016/17
- The champion for SAMSA in this process sis the CEO Commander Tsietsi Mokhele.
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA)
ii) PRASA does not believe there is overlapping areas or duplication between the PRASA mandate and the RSR or any other entity reporting to the Department of Transport. PRASA is an operator of rail services whereas the RSR is a regulator of rail transport covering all rail operators including Transnet and Gautrain.
i) Reporting by PRASA is based on the requirements of the PFMA on a quarterly and annual basis to the shareholder.
Reviews are coordinated and overseen by the Office of the Group CEO.
Office of the Group CEO
Cross-Border Road Transport Agency and Road Traffic Management Agency
(a)(ii) The establishment of a single police service is in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and affects the Department in relation to the traffic policing/law enforcement function of Agencies within the department. The Minister set up the Road Traffic Management Coordinating Committee (RTMCC), which is chaired by the CEO of RTMC to co-ordinate overlapping and or duplicate functions in the Road Transport/Traffic space.
The C-BRTA has a law enforcement function which is mandated by the Act but could be carried out by the RTMC in line with the realisation of a single police service. The process of migrating the C-BRTA Law Enforcement function (Road Transport Inspectorate) to RTMC has been initiated and is on the 2016/17 APP of the two entities.
(b)(i),(ii) The migration of the C-BRTA Law Enforcement function is planned for finalisation in financial year 2016/17 and the specific timelines will be established once the two Agencies have developed an implemention plan.
Road Accident Fund
In line with the Budget Speech of the Minister of Finance, Mr Pravin Gordhan, delivered on 24 February, (a)(ii) the Road Accident Fund (RAF) is not auditing overlapping and duplicate functions under its constituting Principal Act, as it is not its role, nor is it authorized to do so. The functions of the RAF were the subject of consideration by Cabinet who in 2011 approved the Policy Paper for the Road Accident Benefit Scheme (RABS). Based on the aforementioned Cabinet approved policy, the draft Road Accident Benefit Scheme Bill was developed by the Department of Transport and will see the functions of the RAF change when the RAF transitions to the new Road Accident Benefit Scheme Administrator, (b) (i) the time frames and (ii) timelines to legislate RABS is informed by the usual legislative processes, (c)(i) the process to legislate RABS is being coordinated by the Department of Transport’s Roads Branch, with the support of the Department of Transport’s Legal Directorate, and (d)(ii) the champion for the RAF is its Chief Strategy Officer
The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd
The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) is the sole entity mandated to maintain, develop and fund the national road network of South Africa. As such there are no overlapping or duplicated functions in any other public entity or department.
05 April 2016 - NW747
Singh, Mr N to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
With regard to the institutions of medical and dental tertiary education, (a) how many (i) medical students enrolled to study medicine in South Africa in the past three years. (ii) would-be medical students do not find places at our tertiary institutions each year and (iii) medical students leave to pursue medical and dental studies overseas because of shortage of teaching capacity at local universities and (b) what (i) are the current demographic details in respect of students studying medicine at our universities and (ii) criteria were used to determine the specified demographic classification?
Reply:
(a)(i) and (b)(i) Information on the number and demographic details of medical students enrolled to study medicine at public higher education institutions are tabulated below:
Table 1: Number of Bachelor of Medicine (MBChB) students enrolled in public higher education institutions, by race and gender, from 2011 to 2014.
Race |
Gender |
Year |
||
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
||
African |
Female Male |
2 435 1 795 |
2 588 1 800 |
2 789 1 815 |
Coloured |
Female Male |
597 304 |
636 325 |
679 341 |
Indian |
Female Male |
644 449 |
643 476 |
665 528 |
White |
Female Male |
1 765 1 084 |
1 800 1 118 |
1 838 1 113 |
Unknown |
Female Male |
13 13 |
19 21 |
21 29 |
Table 2: Number of Bachelor in Dental Surgery (BChD) students enrolled in public higher education institutions, by race and gender, from 2012 to 2014.
Race |
Gender |
Year |
||
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
||
African |
Female Male |
97 61 |
95 56 |
113 61 |
Coloured |
Female Male |
70 41 |
78 40 |
76 44 |
Indian |
Female Male |
114 62 |
109 54 |
107 46 |
White |
Female Male |
159 95 |
159 95 |
177 89 |
Unknown |
Female Male |
2 2 |
3 1 |
3 1 |
(ii) Currently this information is not available on a national level and will only be available once the Central Application Service (CAS) is fully implemented and operational. The CAS will enable the Department to track the number of applications and admissions for specific programmes at all institutions across the country.
(iii) The Department does not collect statistics on students who applied and were accepted to institutions of higher learning outside the country. Students are not obligated to inform the Department if they intend to study outside the country. However, information is available with respect to the enrolment of South African students in Cuba as part of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) Cuba programme managed by the national Department of Health. These statistics are shown in the table below:
Table 3: National Enrolment Statistics of the RSA-Cuba Medical Programme as at March 2016 provided by the National Department of Health. |
|
||||||
Province |
Prep 2015 |
1st 2014 |
2nd 2013 |
3rd 2012 |
4th 2011 |
5th 2010 |
Total in Cuba |
Eastern Cape |
9 |
90 |
101 |
90 |
10 |
5 |
305 |
Free State |
2 |
11 |
33 |
153 |
0 |
0 |
199 |
Gauteng |
112 |
136 |
112 |
94 |
8 |
0 |
462 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
22 |
93 |
292 |
336 |
10 |
13 |
766 |
Limpopo |
110 |
110 |
106 |
40 |
11 |
18 |
395 |
Mpumalanga |
99 |
10 |
14 |
80 |
11 |
13 |
227 |
Northern Cape |
30 |
28 |
47 |
27 |
11 |
7 |
150 |
North West |
35 |
126 |
171 |
90 |
12 |
15 |
449 |
Total |
419 |
604 |
876 |
910 |
73 |
71 |
2 953 |
(b) (ii) The information provided in Tables 1 and 2 are audited data extracted from the Higher Education Information Management System (HEMIS) and it is assumed that the standard South African demographic definitions have been utilised.
Compiler/Contact Persons:
Ext:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
REPLY TO QUESTION 747 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
05 April 2016 - NW836
Davis, Mr GR to ask the Minister of Basic Education
Has a joint task team comprising her department and Umalusi been established to investigate the possible causes of poor learner performance in the 2015 National Senior Certificate examination; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the terms of reference for the task team, (b) who is chairperson of the task team, (c) who are the members of the task team and (d) what deadline has the Task Team been given to complete its work?
Reply:
An independent inquiry is not necessary, since the causes for poor performance of learners in the KwaZulu Natal, Limpopo and Eastern Cape provinces are fully understood, and an inquiry will not reveal any new findings. However, if the notion of the joint task team, referred to by the Honourable Mr Davis, emanates from the article in the Sunday Times, dated 6 March 2016, which stated that “The Department of Basic Education has called for a probe into the process used to standardise matric exam marks after last year's upward adjustment of scores in 30 subjects”, it needs to be stated that this is part of the mischievous reporting on the part of the Sunday Times, which may have created this idea that a joint task team was being established between the DBE and Umalusi. This information emanates from a leaked document that was prepared for a meeting of the Council of Education Ministers (CEM), where the reasons for the decline in the performance of the learners in the 2015 NSC examination was being discussed. On an annual basis the DBE together with the PEDs reviews the performance of learners in the previous examination, with a view to establishing improvement plans for the current year. However, for 2016, it was considered necessary to also engage Umalusi in a bilateral discussion to discuss the reasons for the drop in the performance in the 2015 NSC examination, given their quality assurance role. Hence, there is no task team established between the DBE and Umalusi, but as part of the DBE`s ongoing initiatives to improve learner performance, it will meet with the Quality Assurance Council, Umalusi, on this matter.
05 April 2016 - NW773
Atkinson, Mr P to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(1)(a) What is the current status of the plan to reduce red tape in the Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality in Northern Cape, (b) what is the total number unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations that were rescinded during the process to reduce red tape in the specified municipality and (c) what total amount of administration costs will the specified intervention save businesses in the specified municipality; (2) can she list three or more examples of the red tape that was cut because of the specified intervention in the specified municipality
Reply:
(1)(a) The current plan of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) regarding the Red Tape Reduction Programme is to revisit the piloted municipalities to assess progress made in relation to the following: complaints notification system, 30 payment system, building plan approval processes, business registration permits, by-laws and communication of small business information to SMMEs and Cooperatives. Specifically for Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality in Northern Cape, the intergovernmental relations will be improved regarding communication to small businesses.
(b) There is no record of unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations rescinded in the specific municipality. The total number of policies, by-laws and regulations that impede the development and promotion of small businesses will only be outlined upon the conclusion of the proposed study on regulatory protocols affecting small businesses to be conducted by DSBD during the 2016/17 financial year.
(c) The current assessment did not consider the administration costs. However, the improvement on turnaround times as well as communication on compliance will reduce Red Tape in each of the identified municipalities ultimately reducing costs experienced by SMMEs.
2. Some of the examples that can be referred to regarding how the red tape has been reduced include: revisiting the mining sector to consider the legislative framework for small scale mining.
05 April 2016 - NW644
Paulsen, Mr N M to ask the MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES
With reference to the WWF-SA 2015 report on Agricultural Facts and Figures, which indicates that 5 million hectares of South African crop land have already been acidified as a result of indiscriminate use of synthetic fertilizers resulting in the rapid decrease of arable land in South Africa, what is his department doing to (a) strictly regulate the use of synthetic chemicals and (b) promote sustainable and ecologically sound agricultural practices? WRITTEN REPLY QUESTION 644/ NW759E MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES: MR N PAULSEN (EFF) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES QUESTION With reference to the WWF-SA 2015 report on Agricultural Facts and Figures, which indicates that 5 million hectares of South African crop land have already been acidified as a result of indiscriminate use of synthetic fertilizers resulting in the rapid decrease of arable land in South Africa, what is his department doing to (a) strictly regulate the use of synthetic chemicals and (b) promote sustainable and ecologically sound agricultural practices? NW759E REPLY Fertilizers are registered in terms of Fertilizers, Farm feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act No. 36 of 1947. Section 3:2(a) requires that any fertilizer in respect of which registration is applied for is suitable, and sufficiently effective for the purposes for which is intended, and complies with such requirements as may be prescribed and that it is not contrary to the public interest that it be registered. Any registration shall be subject to the prescribed and additional conditions as may be determined by the Registrar through fertilizer regulations and various guidelines. The Department is promoting the land care programme, organic farming and conservation agriculture. These interventions are aimed at contributing towards sustainable utilisation of agricultural resources.
Reply:
(a) Fertilizers are registered in terms of Fertilizers, Farm feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act No. 36 of 1947. Section 3:2(a) requires that any fertilizer in respect of which registration is applied for is suitable, and sufficiently effective for the purposes for which is intended, and complies with such requirements as may be prescribed and that it is not contrary to the public interest that it be registered. Any registration shall be subject to the prescribed and additional conditions as may be determined by the Registrar through fertilizer regulations and various guidelines.
(b) The Department is promoting the land care programme, organic farming and conservation agriculture. These interventions are aimed at contributing towards sustainable utilisation of agricultural resources.
05 April 2016 - NW770
Kruger, Mr HC to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(1)(a) What is the current status of the plan to reduce red tape in the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality in Kwa Zulu Natal, (b) what is the total number unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations that were rescinded during the process to reduce red tape in the specified municipality and (c) what total amount of administration costs will the specified intervention save businesses in the specified municipality; (2) can she list three or more examples of the red tape that was cut because of the specified intervention in the specified municipality?
Reply:
(1)(a) The current plan of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) regarding the Red Tape Reduction Programme is to revisit the piloted municipalities to assess progress made in relation to the following: complaints notification system, 30 payment system, building plan approval processes, business registration permits, by-laws and communication of small business information to SMMEs and Cooperatives. Specifically for Umzimkhulu Local Municipality in Kwa Zulu Natal, the turnaround times for payment of small businesses have been reduced to 20 days.
(b) There is no record of unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations rescinded in the specific municipality. The total number of policies, by-laws and regulations that impede the development and promotion of small businesses will only be outlined upon the conclusion of the proposed study on regulatory protocols affecting small businesses to be conducted by DSBD during the 2016/17 financial year. In terms of Umzimkhulu the by-laws for informal traders are currently being reviewed.
(c) The current assessment did not consider the administration costs. However, the reduction of Red Tape in each of the identified areas will lead to the reduction of costs of the turnaround times, improvement of communication on compliance will also reduce costs experienced by SMMEs.
2. Some of the examples that can be referred to regarding how the red tape has been reduced include: improvement on turnaround times regarding land use management on land availability and accessibility.
05 April 2016 - NW769
Kruger, Mr HC to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(1)(a) What is the current status of the plan to reduce red tape in the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality in Kwa Zulu Natal, (b) what is the total number unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations that were rescinded during the process to reduce red tape in the specified municipality and (c) what total amount of administration costs will the specified intervention save businesses in the specified municipality; (2) can she list three or more examples of the red tape that was cut because of the specified intervention in the specified municipality?
Reply:
1. (a) The current plan of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) regarding the Red Tape Reduction Programme is to revisit the piloted municipalities to assess progress made in relation to the following: complaints notification system, 30 payment system, building plan approval processes, business registration permits, by-laws and communication of small business information to SMMEs and Cooperatives. Specifically for Greater Kokstad Local Municipality in Kaw- Zulu Natal, a committee has been established to handle all complaints within municipality.
(b) There is no record of unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations rescinded in the specific municipality. The total number of policies, by-laws and regulations that impede the development and promotion of small businesses will only be outlined upon the conclusion of the proposed study on regulatory protocols affecting small businesses to be conducted by DSBD during the 2016/17 financial year.
(c) The current assessment did not consider the administration costs. However, the reduction of Red Tape in each of the identified areas will lead to the reduction of costs on turnaround times, improvement of communication on compliance will also reduce costs experienced by SMMEs.
2. Some of the examples that can be referred to regarding how the red tape has been reduced include: improved communication on business registration and permit issued on the same day if all documents are submitted.
05 April 2016 - NW778
Bergman, Mr D to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(1)(a) What is the current status of the plan to reduce red tape in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality in Eastern Cape, (b) what is the total number unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations that were rescinded during the process to reduce red tape in the specified municipality and (c) what total amount of administration costs will the specified intervention save businesses in the specified municipality; (2) can she list three or more examples of the red tape that was cut because of the specified intervention in the specified municipality?
Reply:
(1)(a) The current plan of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) regarding the Red Tape Reduction Programme is to revisit the piloted municipalities to assess progress made in relation to the following: complaints notification system, 30 payment system, building plan approval processes, business registration permits, by-laws and communication of small business information to SMMEs and Cooperatives. Specifically for Buffalo City Metropolitan Council in the Eastern Cape, upgrading of traffic congestion measures of the Metro to help decrease traffic volumes as well as high accidents is the priority.
(b) There is no record of unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations rescinded in the specific municipality. The total number of policies, by-laws and regulations that impede the development and promotion of small businesses will only be outlined upon the conclusion of the proposed study on regulatory protocols affecting small businesses to be conducted by DSBD during the 2016/17 financial year. However, the informal business by-laws are currently being reviewed including the enforcement.
(c) The current assessment did not consider the administration costs. However, the improvement on turnaround times as well as communication on compliance will reduce Red Tape in each of the identified municipalities ultimately reducing costs experienced by SMMEs.
2. Some of the examples that can be referred to regarding how the red tape has been reduced include: improvement on 30 day payment and customer notification systems.
05 April 2016 - NW777
Bergman, Mr D to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(1)(a) What is the current status of the plan to reduce red tape in the Lukhanji Local Municipality in Free State, (b) what is the total number unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations that were rescinded during the process to reduce red tape in the specified municipality and (c) what total amount of administration costs will the specified intervention save businesses in the specified municipality; (2) can she list three or more examples of the red tape that was cut because of the specified intervention in the specified municipality?
Reply:
(1)(a) The current plan of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) regarding the Red Tape Reduction Programme is to revisit the piloted municipalities to assess progress made in relation to the following: complaints notification system, 30 payment system, building plan approval processes, business registration permits, by-laws and communication of small business information to SMMEs and Cooperatives. Specifically for Lukhanji Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, access to information by municipality to small businesses will be improved.
(b) There is no record of unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations rescinded in the specific municipality. The total number of policies, by-laws and regulations that impede the development and promotion of small businesses will only be outlined upon the conclusion of the proposed study on regulatory protocols affecting small businesses to be conducted by DSBD during the 2016/17 financial year. Informal business by-laws are currently being reviewed including the enforcement and conducting of information session workshops.
(c) The current assessment did not consider the administration costs. However, the improvement on turnaround times as well as communication on compliance will reduce Red Tape in each of the identified municipalities ultimately reducing costs experienced by SMMEs.
(2) Some of the examples that can be referred to regarding how the red tape has been reduced include: improvement on 30 days payment processes and approvals turnaround times due to establishment of the internal financial committee.
05 April 2016 - NW622
Chewane, Dr H to ask the Minister of Health
In light of the fact that the people of Mbhashe Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape have to wait for ambulances from Butterworth, where they have only three ambulances serving five towns, what plans does he have in place to ensure that the health centre in the specified municipality has its own ambulance?
Reply:
According to the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Health, an ambulance GGX 952 EC has been stationed at the Dutywa Community Health Centre (CHC) since April 2015. Prior to that, a vehicle from Butterworth used a satellite at Dutywa CHC on an ad hoc basis due to the shortage of personnel. In April 2015, eight (8) staff members were appointed for the Mbashe area as a result the ambulance is permanently based at Dutywa CHC.
END.
05 April 2016 - NW786
De Freitas, Mr MS to ask the Minister of Transport
(a) How much will (i) the Passenger Rail Agency of SA and (ii) any other entity reporting to her spend on (aa) ticket purchases, (bb) sponsorships and (cc) any other expenses related to the Cape Town Jazz Festival to be held from 29 March to 2 April 2016 and (b) what are the reasons for such expenditure in each case?
Reply:
(a) (i) Passenger Rail Agency of SA
(ii) any other entity reporting to her spend on
(aa) ticket purchases, R352 000.
(bb) sponsorships R4 180 000.
(cc) R290 000 for travel and accommodation for PRASA stakeholders.
(b) The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa is the Official Transport Partner of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival as per the contract which was entered into during the 2014/15 Financial Year.
The Cross-Border Road Transport Agency
(a)(ii)The Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (aa) will not purchase any tickets (bb) nor will there be any sponsorships paid for by the Agency and (cc) no expenditure related to the Cape Town Jazz Festival will be incurred by the Agency during the said period.
The Road Accident Fund
(a)(ii)The Road Accident Fund (aa) will not purchase any tickets (bb) nor will there be any sponsorships paid for by the Agency and (cc) no expenditure related to the Cape Town Jazz Festival will be incurred by the Agency during the said period.
The Road Traffic Infringement Agency
(a)(ii)The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (aa) will not purchase any tickets (bb) nor will there be any sponsorships paid for by the Agency and (cc) no expenditure related to the Cape Town Jazz Festival will be incurred by the Agency during the said period.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation
(a)(ii)The Road Traffic Management Corporation (aa) will not purchase any tickets (bb) nor will there be any sponsorships paid for by the Agency and (cc) no expenditure related to the Cape Town Jazz Festival will be incurred by the Agency during the said period.
The South African National Roads Agency Limited
(a)(ii)The South African National Roads Agency Limited (aa) will not purchase any tickets (bb) nor will there be any sponsorships paid for by the Agency and (cc) no expenditure related to the Cape Town Jazz Festival will be incurred by the Agency during the said period.
Airports Company South Africa SOC Limited (ACSA)
The Airports Company South Africa SOC Limited will not be spending any funds towards the Cape Town Jazz Festival to be held from 29 March to 2 April 2016.
Air Traffic and Navigation Services SOC Limited (ATNS)
ATNS is not involved in / sponsoring any activities related to the Cape Town Jazz Festival. (i) N/A, (ii) Nil, (aa) None, (bb) None, (cc) None, N/A.
South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA)
In relation to question (a) (i) (ii) (aa) (bb) (cc) (b) The South African Civil Aviation Authority did not purchase any tickets, or provide any form of sponsorship, or incur any expenses related to the Cape Town Jazz Festival.
South African Maritime Safety Authority ( SAMSA)
Has not made any expenditure related to the Cape Town Jazz Festival.
Ports Regulator of South Africa (PRSA)
The Ports Regulator will not sponsor directly or indirectly, financial or non-financial, any activities associated with the Cape Town Jazz Festival that will take place from March 2016 to April 2016.
Railway Safety Regulator (RSR)
The RSR will not be spending any money on the Cape Town Jazz Festival.
05 April 2016 - NW774
Atkinson, Mr P to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(1)(a) What is the current status of the plan to reduce red tape in the Khara Hais Local Municipality in Northern Cape, (b) what is the total number unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations that were rescinded during the process to reduce red tape in the specified municipality and (c) what total amount of administration costs will the specified intervention save businesses in the specified municipality; (2) can she list three or more examples of the red tape that was cut because of the specified intervention in the specified municipality?
Reply:
(1)(a) The current plan of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) regarding the Red Tape Reduction Programme is to revisit the piloted municipalities to assess progress made in relation to the following: complaints notification system, 30 payment system, building plan approval processes, business registration permits, by-laws and communication of small business information to SMMEs and Cooperatives. Specifically for Khara Hais Local Municipality in Northern Cape, there is an improvement of infrastructure regarding the building plan approval processes.
(b) There is no record of unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations rescinded in the specific municipality. The total number of policies, by-laws and regulations that impede the development and promotion of small businesses will only be outlined upon the conclusion of the proposed study on regulatory protocols affecting small businesses to be conducted by DSBD during the 2016/17 financial year.
(c) The current assessment did not consider the administration costs. However, the improvement on turnaround times as well as communication on compliance will reduce Red Tape in each of the identified municipalities ultimately reducing costs experienced by SMMEs.
2. Some of the examples that can be referred to regarding how the red tape has been reduced include: revisiting the mining sector to consider the legislative framework for small scale mining.
05 April 2016 - NW767
Kruger, Mr HC to ask the Minister of Small Business Development
(1)(a) What is the current status of the plan to reduce red tape in the Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality in Limpopo, (b) what is the total number unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations that were rescinded during the process to reduce red tape in the specified municipality and (c) what total amount of administration costs will the specified intervention save businesses in the specified municipality; (2) can she list three or more examples of the red tape that was cut because of the specified intervention in the specified municipality?
Reply:
(1) (a) The current plan of the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) regarding the Red Tape Reduction Programme is to revisit the piloted municipalities to assess progress made in relation to the following: complaints notification system, 30 payment system, building plan approval processes, business registration permits, by-laws and communication of small business information to SMMEs and Cooperatives. Specifically for Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality in Limpopo, the Department is to consider the procedures and systems in terms of payment of SMMEs within 30 days as the prioritised red tape issue.
(b) There is no record of unnecessary (i) policies, (ii) by-laws and (iii) regulations rescinded in the specific municipality. The total number of policies, by-laws and regulations that impede the development and promotion of small businesses will only be outlined upon the conclusion of the proposed study on regulatory protocols affecting small businesses to be conducted by DSBD during the 2016/17 financial year. However, specific to Ephraim Mogale, by-laws related to small business promotion are currently being reviewed.
(c) The current assessment did not consider the administration costs. However, the reduction of Red Tape in each of the identified areas will lead to the reduction of costs of the turnaround times, improvement on communication on compliance and also reduce costs experienced by SMMEs.
(2) Some of the examples that can be referred to regarding how the red tape has been reduced include: improvement on the building plan approval processes. This also has a positive impact on reducing the costs experienced by small businesses related to building plans applications.
05 April 2016 - NW26
Nkomo, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Health
Whether his Ministry has any frozen vacant positions; if so, (a) how many of the specified positions are vacant, (b) what are the designations of the specified positions and (c) for how long have the specified positions been vacant?
Reply:
No, there are no frozen vacant posts in the National Department of Health.
(a) Not applicable;
(b) Not applicable;
(c) Not applicable.
END.
05 April 2016 - NW243
Chewane, Dr H to ask the Minister of Health
Whether he and/or his department has bought advertising space in The New Age in the (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15 financial years; if so, (i) what number of times and (ii) for what amount in each specified financial year?
Reply:
No.
END.
04 April 2016 - NW852
Mulaudzi, Adv TE to ask the Minister of Transport
What is the total debt, including interest, of the SA National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) for the Gauteng Freeway Improvements Project to date; (2) (a) what total amount has SANRAL paid towards servicing the specified project to date and (b) what is the breakdown of payment towards capital debt and interest?
Reply:
- SANRAL’s toll portfolio had a debt, as at 31 March 2015, of R 46.4 billion (audited). This represents the total toll portfolio of over 3100km. GFIP, comprising a mere 201km of this portfolio, had an Initial Construction Cost (ICC) of R20billion when construction was completed in early 2011. Interest was capitalised until toll commencement in December 2013. The normal repayment period of road infrastructure projects are between 15 and 30 years, depending on the set tariff, traffic, maintenance and upgrades during that period. This is called the J-curve effect, where borrowing continues for a period of time until the projects’ net cash inflow exceeds debt servicing, after which it turns towards being positive. GFIP was forecasted to take approximately 22 years to turn positive, or when the full debt is repaid, given continuous maintenance of the road. This extended payback period is as a result of the low tariff and extensive discounts provided to commuters and public transport operators.
- See (1) above.
.
04 April 2016 - NW711
Selfe, Mr J to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
(1)Whether, with reference to his reply to question 4197 on 10 December 2015, he has received the National Council of Correctional Services` (NCCS) recommendation regarding a certaiin offender`s application for parole (details furnished), if not, why not, if so, what was the NCCS` recommendation; (2) whether the specified offender was afforded the opportunity to participate in Victim Offender Dialogues as a prerequisite for the granting of parole, if not why not; if so, on what dates didi teh dialogues occur; (3) what progress has been made siince his reply to question 4197 on 10 December 2015 with regard to (a) the process to tracing teh specified offender`s victims and (b) positively confirming teh specified offender`s support sysytem should he be granted parole?
Reply:
- Yes, the mentioned Offender`s profile report was presented before the National Council for Correctional Services (NCCS). After having considered the profile of the offender, the NCCS resolved not to recommend the offender`s placement on parole, and to reconsider the matter within twelve (12) months. It was recommended that the offender should be subjected to individual psychotherapy to further address his anger and aggressive behaviour.
(2) No, the offender did not participate in Victim Offender Dialogue as the means to locate his victims were unsuccessful..
(3)(a) in an effort to trace the victims it was discovered that victims relocated and cold not be traced.
(3)(b) His address was confirmed to be positive.
04 April 2016 - NW389
Grootboom, Mr GA to ask the Minister of Transport
With reference to President Jacob G Zuma’s undertaking in his State of the Nation Address delivered on 12 February 2015, that the Government will set aside 30% of appropriate categories of state procurement for purchasing from Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs), co-operatives, as well as township and rural enterprises, what percentage of the total procurement of (a) her department and (b) every entity reporting to her went to (i) SMMEs and (ii) co-operatives from 1 April 2015 up to the latest specified date for which information is available
Reply:
a) The percentage of total procurement of (a) the Department that went to (i) SMME's was 3.21% and that went to (ii) Co-operatives was 0% for the period 1 April 2015 to 31 January 2016.
The percentage of appropriate categories of procurement of (a) the Department that went to
(i) SMME's was 44.58% and that went to (ii) Co-operatives was 0% for the period 1 April 2015 to
31 January 2016.
Notes for Minister:
- Department of Transport:
Percentage |
Rands |
|||
Total procurement for the Department (1 April 2015 to 31 January 2016) |
100.0% |
361,768,433 |
||
Total procurement is made up as follows: |
||||
Large contracts (excluded from appropriate categories of procurement): |
81.2% |
293,910,526 |
||
- Tasima (Pty) Ltd |
eNaTIS |
33.5% |
121,429,317 |
|
- Taxi Scrapping Agency (Pty) Ltd |
Taxi Scrapping Administrator |
22.3% |
80,892,621 |
|
- Smit Amandla Marine (Pty) Ltd |
Oil pollution prevention |
9.0% |
32,636,412 |
|
- Telkom SA Ltd |
Watchkeeping services |
8.9% |
32,077,190 |
|
- Royal Haskoning Joint Venture (Pty) Ltd |
S'Hamba Sonke |
3.9% |
13,975,443 |
|
- Aurecon South Africa (Pty) Ltd |
National Transport Planning Databank and NATMAP 2050 Review |
1.9% |
6,890,551 |
|
- Full core Facilities Management |
S'Hamba Sonke |
1.7% |
6,008,992 |
|
Exclusions from appropriate categories of procurement: |
11.6% |
41,775,203 |
||
- Bids invited via the State Tender Bulletin |
7.8% |
28,287,552 |
||
- Procurement of Government Forms from Government Printer |
0.5% |
1,643,052 |
||
- Advertisements via the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) |
0.6% |
2,302,668 |
||
- Procurements via the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) |
2.4% |
8,516,731 |
||
- Procurements via Transversal Contracts |
0.2% |
785,781 |
||
- Training done by School of Government |
0.1% |
239,419 |
||
Appropriate categories of procurement for SMME's |
100.00% |
7.2% |
26,082,704 |
|
Procured from enterprises that are: |
|
|||
SMME's: |
44.58% |
3.2% |
11,628,255 |
|
Large |
0.2% |
614,803 |
||
Not classified (most may be SMME's) |
3.8% |
13,839,646 |
||
Total procurement |
361,768,433 |
|||
Notes: |
||||
Procurement from SMME's totaled R11,628,255 from 1 April 2015 to 31 January 2016. This amount represents 3.2% of the total amount of procurement over the period. Procurement from appropriate categories of procurement totaled R26,082,704. Procurement from SMME's of R11,628,255 represents 44.58% of procurement from appropriate categories of procurement. |
Airports Company South Africa SOC Limited (ACSA)
Response for the period 1 April – 31 January 2016.
- Airports Company South Africa
- (i) Percentage of Total Procurement awarded to SMMEs
Total Procurement Spend is R1 503 708 312
Total SMME Spend is R260 858 309 of total procurement spend to SMMEs is 17%
(ii) There was no spend for co-operatives for the period under review.
Air Traffic & Navigation Services SOC Limited (ATNS)
The total procurement spend for SMME’s is:
Exempted Micro Enterprise (EMEs) – 13, 88%
Qualifying Small Enterprise (QSEs) – 15, 55%
Total: - 29, 21%
South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA)
- N/A
(b) The South African Civil Aviation Authority spent
(i) (ii) 67% of the budget on SMME’s and Cooperatives from 1 April 2015 to date. The SACAA procurement system does not provide the split between SMMEs and Cooperatives hence the combined response.
Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA)
(b)The C-BRTA percentage of procurement for purchasing from Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs), cooperatives, as well as township and rural enterprises from 1 April 2015 up to the latest specified date for which information is available for:
(i) SMMEs: The C-BRTA procured 48% out of the total procurement from SMMEs from 1 April 2015 to date; and
(ii) Co-operatives: The C-BRTA did not procure any goods or services from Co-operatives from 1 April 2015 to date.
Road Accident Fund (RAF)
(b) From 1 April 2015 up to 31 December 2015, which is the latest date for which information is available, twenty five percent (25%) of the total procurement spend by the RAF) went to Exempted Micro Enterprises (EMEs), which enterprises include (i) SMMEs and (ii) co-operatives. The RAF’s BBBEE Scorecard as it relates to procurement spend is directed at EMEs, a category of entity whose annual turnover is less than R 10 million. Consequently, the RAF does not have information available relating specifically to the procurement spend directed to SMME’s and co-operatives.
Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC)
(b) The RTMC percentage of procurement for purchasing from Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs), cooperatives, as well as township and rural enterprises from 1 April 2015 up to the latest specified date for which information is available for:
(i) SMMEs: The RTMC spent 53.41% of the total procurement expenditure of R122 262 984 .53
procured 48% out of the total procurement from SMMEs from 1 April 2015 to date; and
(ii) Co-operatives: The RTMC has not spent any money on co-operatives
Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA)
(a) The RTIA percentage of procurement for purchasing from Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs), cooperatives, as well as township and rural enterprises from 1 April 2015 up to the latest specified date for which information is available for:
(i) SMME’s – 29.2% of the total procurement
(ii) Co-operatives: The RTIA has not spent any money on co-operatives
South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL)
- The SANRAL percentage of procurement for purchasing from Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs), cooperatives, as well as township and rural enterprises from 1 April 2015 up to the latest specified date for which information is available for SANRAL has been promoting SMMEs and involving them in their projects since inception in 1998.
- As reported in the Annual Report for the financial year 2014/15, over 1600 SMMEs were involved in the various categories of works and suppliers. The value of their earnings was R 3.9 billion.
- In the current financial year to 31 December 2015, SANRAL has managed to maintain the number of SMMEs on its projects – over 1600. Their earnings to date are about R2.5 billion
Ports Regulator of South Africa (PRSA)
The Ports Regulator has spent a total of 34.38% of its total procurement on SMME’s and co-operatives as follows:
(b) (i) SMME’s expenditure is 34.38%
(ii) No expenditure on co-operatives.
South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA)
- Total Procurement spent is R89 983 653.68, spent on SMME is 28%
- No spent on Co-operatives
Passenger Rail of Agency of South Africa (PRASA)
(b) (i) The spending figures for the period 01 April to 29 February 2016 are as follows:
Exempted Micro Enterprises: – R1 537 190 086 which is 23.5% of total procurement spending
Qualifying Small Enterprises: – R1 018 108 987 which is 17.6% of total procurement spending.
(The legislated minimum target in terms of the above is 15% of total procurement spending).
Black Suppliers: R2 719 641 138 which is 31% of total procurement spending
Black Women Owned Suppliers: R1 305 927 222 which is 18.2% of total procurement spending
(The legislated targets for the above are 40% and 12% respectively)
- (ii) PRASA is establishing capacity to work with the Co-operative sector. For the period April 2015 to 29 February 2016, PRASA has spent R15. 8 Million on Co-operatives.
Railway Safety Regulator (PRSA)
- The Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) has spent a total of 35.68% of its total procurement spend from 01st April 2015, to date which went to SMMEs.
- RSR has not spent anything towards co-operatives.
04 April 2016 - NW851
Mulaudzi, Adv TE to ask the Minister of Transport
Whether she has received any verbal or written communication from certain persons (name and details furnished) to scrap the e-tolling system in the past five months?
Reply:
The South African National Roads Agency Limited as an entity has not received any verbal or written communication from any persons to scrap the e-tolling system in the past five months.
.
.
04 April 2016 - NW733
Alberts, Mr ADW to ask the Minister of Transport
When does she intend to enact the legislation pertaining to the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act, (AARTO) Act 46 of 1998, nationwide; (2) Whether there are any courts that can already adjudicate AARTO transgressions; if not; if so, which courts in the provinces can adjudicate the AARTO transgressions; (3) whether any AARTO notices were sent to transgressors by mail since 1 January 2016: if not, what is the reason for the lack in delivery: if so, whether the notices were delivered by registered mail, ordinary mail or sent via secured mail?
Reply:
- Once the AARTO Amendment Bill which is currently in the Parliamentary process has been approved and promulgated, a date for the national roll-out will be determined.
- At this stage it is only the courts in the current AARTO jurisdictional area, which include the City of Tshwane and the City of Johannesburg, that can adjudicate AARTO transgressions. The reason being that these transgressions must be adjudicated at a court within the magisterial district in which the transgression was committed. Once AARTO is rolled out nationally, all courts in the various provinces must adjudicate on transgressions committed within their respective jurisdictional areas.
- No AARTO notices were sent to trangressors by mail, be it registered mail, ordinary mail or secure mail since 01 January 2016. The reason being that the procedures and processes within the South African Postal Services (SAPO) did not comply with the requirements according to which AARTO notices must be served and mail was not delivered within the required time frames. SAPO is in the process to modify their system and procedures in order to comply with the requirements, which should be completed and implemented in due course.
.
.
04 April 2016 - NW487
Hunsinger, Dr CH to ask the Minister of Transport
When will the Rural Transport Strategy be (a) finalised and (b) tabled in Parliament?
Reply:
a) The Department has a Rural Transport Strategy which was approved by Cabinet in 2007.
b) The Strategy is currently being reviewed and will be submitted to Cabinet in the next financial year (2016/2017
04 April 2016 - NW743
Groenewald, Mr HB to ask the Minister of Transport
Whether the Airports Company of South Africa still allows passengers to hand in their firearms when they are flying and to claim them again at their destination; if not, (a) when was the practice discontinued and (b) what is the reason for this; (2) Whether she will make a statement about the matter;
Reply:
- (a) & (b) The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) still allows passengers to hand in their firearms when they are flying and to claim them again at their destinations. Within the precepts of the Airports Company Act (Act No. 44 of 1983) as amended, the National Key Point Act (Act No. 102 of 1980) and the Civil Aviation Act (Act No. 13 of 2009), ACSA as the responsible Airport Authority, shall authorise commercial licensed security companies and security companies contracted to the airline to handle, safe keep and transport the firearms onto ACSA’s premises in terms of the Firearms Control Act of 2000.
Passengers in possession of firearms are referred to the firearms desk controlled by commercial security company(s) contracted to the airlines at the respective destinations. Carrying of passengers firearms on board of an aircraft is the airline’s security responsibility, therefore it is legally required that airlines must have a Firearms Transportation License in terms of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000.
South African Airways (SAA) transports firearms to all destinations as per their flight schedule.
South African Express (SAX) and Airlink do not transport hand guns. This practice was stopped in March 2012. SAX and Airlink do transport hunting rifles for the purpose of tourism to East London, Port Elizabeth, George, Kimberley and Upington.
British Airways/Comair discontinued the service of handling of hand guns in August 2014. It was an airline decision to discontinue the services.
(2) No.
.
.
04 April 2016 - NW789
Hunsinger, Dr CH to ask the Minister of Transport
(a) How many summons have been issued each month for monies owed by motorists for e-tolls since the inception of the e-tolls system in Gauteng in December 2013, (b) what is the value of the specified monies outstanding, (c) how many cases have gone to court for each of the specified months and (d) how many motorists have paid monies owed after summons were issued without going to court?
Reply:
a) To date (21st March 2016) no summonses have been served;
b) Since no summonses were served at the time of the Honourable member’s question, the value is zero.
c) To date once case has gone to court. The person was found guilty on all charges related to the non-payment of toll and one charge of fraud. The judgement was that the guilty party had to pay all outstanding toll fees, in addition a fine of R20 000 was imposed, suspended for five years; and on the fraud charge; pay a fine of R20 000 or six months imprisonment. In addittion the guilty person had to do 200 hours community service.
d) Not applicable see (a) above. .
04 April 2016 - NW715
Lekota, Mr M to ask the Minister of Finance
Whether, in view of the fact that the National Treasury in its section 71 report for the period 1 July to 31 December 2015 had calculated that municipalities were owed R64,4 billion in outstanding debt, the Government was (a) giving all necessary support to municipalities to help them collect the money that was owing to them and (b) using all legal measures available to it to help correct inefficiencies and failures within municipal government to prevent such debts from arising in the first place and then piling up; if not, why not in each case; if so, what are the details in each case?
Reply:
In terms of the National Treasury’s Section 71 report for the period 1 July to 31 December 2015, it was reported that the metros are owed R64.4 billion. This information, pertaining to the metros debt was provided by each of the metros; consolidated and reported by the National Treasury.
In response to both questions (a) and (b) the legal framework provides for municipal and ultimately council accountability to charge for services, issue correct bills and collect all monies due. This is provided for in the Local Government Municipal Systems Act, Act 32 of 2000 (MSA), Chapter 9: Credit Control and Debt Collection, which provides for the following municipal debt collection mechanisms:
S96 (a) a municipality must collect all money due and payable …
S96 (b) for this purpose, must adopt, maintain and implement a credit control and debt collection policy which is consistent with its rates and tariffs policies and complies with the provisions of this Act.
S98 (1) A municipal council must adopt by-laws to give effect to the municipality’s credit control and debt collection policy, its implementation and enforcement.
S95 (e) ensure that persons liable for payments, receive regular and accurate accounts that indicate the basis for calculating the amounts due.
S95 (l) provide accessible pay points and mechanisms for settling accounts or for making pre-payments for services.
In addition, the MSA, s118: Restraint of Transfer of Property, makes provision for municipalities to collect arrears from the property owners at the time of sale. s118 relates to the clearance certificate whereby a municipality confirms that all monies due and payable on a property, at the time of sale, have been settled, as this is legally required to facilitate the transfer of property ownership at the Registrar of Deeds. In recent years the municipality would insist on recovering a minimum of two years arrears when issuing clearance and then obtain commitment from the transferring attorney to recover the balance when the proceeds of the property sale are paid.
The most recent court ruling is that the municipality can recover from the buyer should the seller not honour the arrears on the property where it extends beyond two years. Municipalities have not utilised this legal instrument to collect arrears.
While the National Treasury strives to support municipalities to improve their operational management capability in municipal expenditure and revenue management it is evident that even among the metros which are owed R64.4 billion as at 31 December 2015, the institutions are not fully utilising the provisions of the law to maximise on revenue collection.
Furthermore, the local government governance structures afford only advisory and guidance contributions from the National Treasury as the Council is legally responsible to enforce the provisions of Chapter 9 of the MSA.