Questions and Replies

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08 December 2015 - NW3906

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Lekota, Mr M to ask the President

(1)Whether he was regularly holding discussions with the Minister of Finance to ascertain whether the notice from National Treasury, dated 19 December 2013, which was signed by Schalk Human, Acting Accountant-General, prescribing cost containment measures and urging fully compliance with sections 38(1)(b), 38(1)(c)(iii) and 51(b)(iii) of the Public Finance Management Act of 1999 was being taken very seriously by all accounting officers across all government departments and also by all accounting authorities in public entities, if so, (a) which departments were complying 100% with the notice and which were not, and (b) what action has he or the Government in general taken against those departments and officials that were in contempt of the National Treasury prescription, if not, why not ?

Reply:

1. (a) There is evidence that National Treasury Instruction 01 of 2013/2014

related to the cost containment measures is being taken seriously by accounting officers of departments. When comparing actual expenditure of departments for the financial periods 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, it is clear that a saving of R5 billion, which represents a saving of 20% was realised. Savings in respect of constitutional institutions and public entities are not available since these institutions use financial systems that are different to that of departments and which the National Treasury does not have direct access to.

(b) Non-compliance with the Treasury Instruction on Cost Containment shall result in irregular expenditure. Section 38(1)(h)(iii) and section 51(1)(e)(iii) of the PFMA requires accounting officers of departments and constitutional institutions and accounting authorities of public entities to take effective and appropriate disciplinary steps against any official(s) in the service of the department, constitutional institution or public entity who makes or permits irregular expenditure. Transgressions of the Treasury Instruction shall only be known at institutional level and it is the responsibility of the respective accounting officer or accounting authority to take the necessary action for non-compliance with the Treasury Instruction.

08 December 2015 - NW4095

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America, Mr D to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Whether any municipal official or councillor of the Tlokwe City Local Municipality in the North West undertook any international travel (a) in the 2014-15 financial year and (b) since 1 July 2015; if so, (i) what was the purpose of each trip, (ii) who undertook each trip and (iii) what was the total cost of each trip including, but not limited to, (aa) flights and (bb) accommodation?

Reply:

This information has been requested from Tlokwe Local Municipality and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4057

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Baker, Ms TE to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

With reference to her department’s 2014-15 Annual Report, (a) what are the names of the 1 343 military veterans who accessed counselling services and (b) to which former (i) non-statutory forces (names furnished) or (ii) statutory forces (names furnished) did each veteran belong?

Reply:

Due to the voluminous nature of the information requested, I would recommend that the member approaches the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and request to have this information tabled in a meeting of the Portfolio Committee in one of their sessions in 2016.

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW3832

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Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Communications

(a) What percentage of the Media Development and Diversity Agency funding is allocated to (i) print media and (ii) electronic media per annum and (b) what is the reason for giving any of the specified categories more funding as compared to others?

Reply:

(a) Subject to sub-regulation (2), of Section 22 of the MDDA Act 14 of 2002, funds contemplated in section 15(2)(a) of the Act must be allocated by the Board in accordance with the following percentages:

  • Community media projects: at least 60%
  • Small Commercial media projects: at least 25%
  • Research projects: 5%

(b) The reason for giving community media projects more funding is informed by Regulations in terms of Section 22 of the Media Development and Diversity Agency Act of 2002, as enacted in the Government Gazette No. 22570 of 10 October 2003.

MR NN MUNZHELELE

DIRECTOR GENERAL [ACTING]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

DATE:

MS AF MUTHAMBI (MP)

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS

DATE

08 December 2015 - NW3766

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Sithole, Mr KP to ask the Minister of Public Works

(a) How many contractors from the previously disadvantaged communities have upgraded from grade one to grade two and (b) how many such contractors have upgraded to grade 9?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works

a) In terms of the question “How many contractors from the previously disadvantaged communities have upgraded from grade 1 to grade 2”, the response is as follows:

A total of 928 registration upgrades from grade one to grade two have been recorded in the General Building (GB) Class of Works over the past 10-year period from 1 October 2005 to 31 September 2015.

A total of 620 registration upgrades from grade 1 to grade 2 have been recorded in the Civil Engineering (CE) Class of Works over the same period.

Note that many contractors are registered in more than one Class of Works. The number of upgrades is not disaggregated by ownership, but Grade 1 is almost entirely black-owned.

b) In response to the question “How many such [Grade 1] contractors have upgraded to Grade 9”, the response is as follows:

No contractor has upgraded from Grade 1 to Grade 9 over the past 10 years.

However, it is worth pointing out that 38 General Building and Civil Engineering registration upgrades have occurred from Grades 4 to 8 to Grade 9 within the 10 year period.

__________________________________________________________________

08 December 2015 - NW4157

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Robertson, Mr K to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

(1)Whether any councillors and/or municipal officials that owe any rates and/or taxes to the Mbombela Local Municipality may benefit from any incentive schemes that are designed to incentivise poor rate payers to pay 50% less of the outstanding amounts they owe; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether he has found that it is ethical to benefit from such a scheme when a person (a) is currently employed in the finance department and/or (b) is a councillor that could have known that such a scheme was to be presented to the specified municipality’s Council and that it would ultimately be adopted by the majority; if not, (i) why not and (ii) what steps will he take against the Members of the Mayoral Committee for allegedly indicating to the specified Council that resolutions were passed indicating that councillors and municipal officials were able to benefit from such a scheme despite the resolutions making no mention of said officials; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether he will instigate an investigation into the alleged breaching of the specified legislation in the specified municipality; if not, why not; if so, (a) when and (b) what are the further relevant details in this regard?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the Mbombela Local Municipality and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

The Honorable Member should provide CoGTA with any concrete information in his possession that could assist in any investigation – which will be initiated if there is a prima facie basis in existence.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4051

Profile picture: Esau, Mr S

Esau, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

With reference to her department’s 2014-15 Annual Report, (a) what are the names of the 1 803 military veterans who were provided with healthcare cards and (b) to which former (i) non-statutory forces (names furnished) or (ii) statutory forces (names furnished) did each veteran belong?

Reply:

Due to the voluminous nature of the information requested, I would recommend that the member approaches the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and request to have this information tabled in a meeting of the Portfolio Committee in one of their sessions in 2016

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW4220

Profile picture: Jooste, Ms K

Jooste, Ms K to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(1)With regard to the contract between her department and Zeal Health Innovations to provide medical care to military veterans, what (a) are the details of the processes that were followed by her department to award the specified contract to the specified company, (b) were the terms and conditions of the specified contract and (c) medical services were rendered by (i) the specified company and (ii) any other sub-contractor to the specified military veterans; (2) whether all military veterans who received medical treatment through the specified contract with the specified company were bona fide military veterans registered in the National Military Veterans Database; if not, why not; if so, (a) who are the military veterans who received medical care from the specified company and (b) to which former statutory and non-statutory forces did each military veteran belong?

Reply:

This matter is currently the subject of litigation between the Department and the company concerned and as such any comments at this stage are likely to prejudice the Department’s case.

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW3381

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James, Dr WG to ask the Minister of Health

(1)With reference to his reply to question 443 on 26 May 2015, what amount was (a) claimed for medical negligence from and (b) eventually paid out by (i) his department and (ii) each provincial department of health (aa) in the (aaa) 2011-12, (bbb) 2012-13, (ccc) 2013-14 and (ddd) 2014-15 financial years and (bb) since 1 April 2015; (2) what amount was budgeted for litigation by (a) his department and (b) each provincial department of health for the 2015-16 financial year; (3) in respect of each province, what are the five most common complaints for which compensation was claimed in the (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 financial years; (4) (a) which 10 hospitals had the highest number of claims against them and (b) for each hospital (i) how many claims were made against each one and (ii) what total amount was paid out for each specified claim in the 2014-15 financial year; (5) whether he has a plan to address the high number of medical negligence claims in the country; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

National Department of Health

  1. (a) and (b) (i) - Nil

(2) R7 299 000.00

Western Cape Department of Health

  1. (a) and (b) (ii)
 

CLAIMED

PAID OUT

2011-12

R38 065 710.00

R15 900 800.00

2012-13

R16 577 812.00

R6 197 147.05

2013-14

R156 742 059.90

R22 587 000.00

2014-15

R66 537 807.64

R17 311 080.30

(2) R71 401 million

(3)

Year

Top 5 most common

  1. 2013-14

Neonatal encephalopathy

Delayed diagnosis of illnesses

Maternal / labour complications

Failure to diagnose and treat

  1. 2014-15

Neonatal encephalopathy

Maternal /labour complications

Failure to diagnose and treat

(4)

Hospital

Number of claims

How much paid in 2014-15

Groote Schuur

3

R775 000.00

Tygerberg

3

R790 000.00

Mowbray Maternity

2

R836 600.00

Worcester

2

R4 867 615.00

Karl Bremer

1

R200 000.00

Hanna Coetzee clinic

1

R1 227 660.00

Retreat MOU

1

R220 000.00

Clanwilliam

1

R100 000.00

Delft CHC/Tygerberg

1

R7 829 205.30

IdasValley clinic

1

R45 000.00

False Bay

1

R200 000.00

Paarl

1

R220 000.00

Eastern Cape Department of Health

  1. (a) and (b) (ii)

Financial Year

Amount Claimed

Amount paid

2011/2012

R331 728 678.64

R25 336 038.35

2012/2013

R393 108 094.28

R44 743 495.84

2013/2014

R198 207 500.00

R49 513 I08.93

2014/2015

Information not furnished

Information not furnished

Since 1 April 2015

R2 304 490 306.10

R147 861 438.84

(2) The Eastern Cape Department of Health does not allocate a budget for legal claims settlements, however when a settlement obligation arises from a medico legal claim, funds are reprioritized from within the departmental allocation to pay for such obligation.

(3) In the Eastern Cape, for both years, the 5 most common complaints for which compensation was claimed were:

• Obstetrics and gynaecology;

• Paediatrics;

• Orthopaedics;

• Trauma; and

• Family medicine.

(4) The top 10 litigated hospitals in the Eastern Cape and corresponding claims paid in 20 14/ 15 is presented in the table below as follows:

NO

NAME OF INSTITUTION

NUMBER

OF CLAIMS

2014/15

AMOUNTS

CLAIMED

(not finalised) these matters are still active and pending, as they are not settled)

AMOUNTS PAID

1

Butterworth Hospital

86

R278 042 265.00

RO.OO

2

Frere Hospital

56

Rl87 245 594.10

RO.OO

3

Cecilia Makiwane Hospital

41

R88 572 625.00

RO.OO

4

Dora Nginza Hospital

39

R193 951 117.00

RO.OO

5

Mthatha General Hospital

48

R217 625 555.44

RO.OO

6

All Saints Hospital

19

R171 363 625.00

RO.OO

7

Nelson Mandela Academic

Hospital

32

R123 279 284.00

R8 000 000.00

8

Bedford Orthopaedic

Hospital

14

R5 425 000.00

RO.OO

9

St Barnabas Hospital

13

R45 050 000.00

RO.OO

10

Livingstone Hospital

12

R20 30I 325.52

RO.OO

  1. The following interventions are being implemented in the Eastern Cape to address the high number of medico legal claims in the province:

• The department held a medico legal summit and invited all affected role players to look at ways of managing medical litigations in the province;

• The department is finalizing the appointment of the Medical Ombudsman for the Province;

• The department is also appointing a panel of medical legal experts to assist with preparation for the cases before they appear in court, and in same terms strengthening its legal representation; and

• The department is continuously strengthening the quality of health care services and ensuring adequate retention of patient records; including direct interventions focused specifically in management of medico legal trends.

KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health

  1. (a) and (b) (ii)

Financial Year

No of new matters received

Amount Claimed

No of matters settled

Amount paid

2011/2012

81

R326 342 322.68

30

R41 357 533.80

2012/2013

165

R992 272 280.20

28

R49 400 941.94

2013/2014

309

R1 596 517 823.74

49

R123 885 303.21

2014/2015

404

R3 046 136 920.80

61

R212 851 030.87

2015/2016 (as at 11

September 2015)

194

R1 456 528 457.00

17

R68 852 267.54

(2) The Department has not budgeted for litigation matters, as it is difficult to predict possible liabilities.

(3)

Year

Top 5 most common

  1. 2013-14

Obstetrics and gynaecology

Paediatrics

Surgery

Orthopaedics

Misdiagnosis

  1. 2014-15

Obstetrics and gynaecology

Paediatrics

Surgery

Orthopaedics

General (refers to claims to cover non medical errors resulting in litigation against the Department ranging from maintenance, security & operational issues)

(4)

District

Hospital

No.

of claims

2014/15

Amounts paid

eThekwini District

Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital

121

 
 

Addington Hospital

77

 
 

King Edward VIII Hospital

69

 

Amajuba District

Mahatma Ghandi Memorial Hospital

69

 
 

Charles Johnson Memorial Hospital

68

 
 

Inkosi Luthuli Central Hospital

34

 
 

Total amount paid for eThekwini District

 

R85 704 607.21

uMgungundlovu District

Edendale Hospital

44

 
 

Northdale Hospital

44

 
 

Total amount paid for uMgungundlovu District

 

R10 796 165.80

Ugu District

Port Shepstone Hospital

34

 
 

Total amount paid for Ugu District

 

R1 375 000.00

Amajuba District

Madadeni Hospital

34

RO.OO

 

Total amount paid for Amajuba District

 

R67 714.83

The Department is planning a Medico-Legal Summit to discuss and address the Medical negligence claims in the Province.

Mpumalanga Department of Health

(1) (a) and (b) (ii)

The following table represents the amounts claimed for medical negligence:

Financial Year

Amount Claimed for medical negligence

2011/2012

R131 538 785.00

2012/2013

R93 194 265.00

2013/2014

R95 375 306.00

2014/2015

R 562 210 541.00

April 2015 to June 2015

R130 536 500

TOTAL

R1 012 855 397.00

(b) The amounts paid out for claimed medical negligence, in Mpumalanga is listed as follows:

(aaa) During the 2011/12 financial year, a total number of eight (8) medical negligence claims were paid at a cost of R5 056 370.00.

(bbb) During the 2012/13 financial year, a total number of three (3) medical negligence claims were paid at a cost of R220 000.00.

(ccc) During the 2013/14 financial year, a total number of nine (9) medical negligence claims were paid at a cost of R44 193 741.66.

(ddd) During the 2014/15 financial year, a total number of five (5) medical negligence claims were paid at a cost of R2 773 768.00

(bb) For the period April 2015 to August 2015, the department has paid three (3) medical negligence claims at a cost of R10 099 248.63.

(2) The Mpumalanga Department of Health has been allocated with a budget of R22 212 000.00 for claims against the state and R34 737 000 for legal fees, that are paid to state attorneys and private attorneys.

(3) The most common complaints in Mpumalanga for which compensation was claimed in 2013/14 and 2014/15 financial years, were obstetric cases due to birth injuries where period of labour has been prolonged and resulted in the child suffering from cerebral palsy and orthopaedic cases as a result of motor vehicle accidents.

(4) (a) The Top Ten hospitals in Mpumalanga with highest claims in 2014/15, are:

• Tinswalo Hospital

• Matikwana Hospi

• Themba Hospital

• Mapulaneng

• KwaMhlanga Hospital

• Witbank Hospital

• Rob Ferreira Hospital

• Shongwe Hospital

• Sabie Hospital

• Evander Hospital

(i) Number of claims made against them

• Tinswalo Hospital

13

• Matikwane Hospital

13

• Themba Hospital

12

• Mapulaneng Hospital

07

• KwaMhlanga Hospital

04

• Witbank Hospital

04

• Rob Ferreira Hospital

04

• Shongwe Hospitals

03

•-- Sabie Hospital -­

03

• Evander Hospital

02

(ii) Total amount paid out of each specified claim in 2014/15

• Tinswalo Hospital None

• Matikwane Hospital None

• Themba Hospital None

• Mapulaneng Hospital None

• Kwa Mhlanga Hospital R430 000.00

• Witbank Hospital R2 411 432.00

• Rob Ferreira Hospital None

• Shongwe Hospitals None

• Sabie Hospital None

• Evander Hospital None

Free State Department of Health

  1. (a) and (b) (ii)
 

CLAIMED

PAID OUT

2011-12

R39 201 030.30

R5 473 097.00

2012-13

R145 406 892.00

R2 935 534.00

2013-14

R177 408 892.65

R673 373.00

2014-15

R322 449 863.07

R15 090 000.00

2015-

R259 771 498.92

R12 725 427.59

(2) R10 000 000.00 was budgeted for the 2015/2016 financial year.

(3)

Year

Top 5 most common

  1. 2013-14

Cerebral Palsy

Botched Operations

Misdiagnosis leading to complications

Perforation of uterus during delivery

  1. 2014-15

Cerebral Palsy

Botched Operations

Misdiagnosis leading to complications

Perforation of uterus during delivery

(4)

Hospital

Number of claims

Pelonomi Hospital

9

Bongani Hospital

8

Thebe

5

Universitas

4

Fezi Ngubentombi

3

Boitumelo

3

Manapo

2

Elizabeth Ross

2

Botshabelo

1

No payments have been made yet, all matters still pending.

(5) A medico legal expert panel, consisting of medical doctors from various medical disciplines has been appointed. One of their responsibilities is to draft a Litigation Prevention Strategy, the strategy is still a in a draft format.

Limpopo Department of Health

  1. (a) and (b) (ii)
 

CLAIMED

PAID OUT

2011-12

R161 228 792.79

R11 394 831.08

2012-13

R130 155 032.44

R4 114 165.00

2013-14

R299 181 456.14

R22 033 040.50

2014-15

R656 940 666.77

R31 364 817.07

  1. The budget and revenue unit make availability of the funds for payments on claims against the State and litigation matters.
  1. The most common complaints that the department receives:
  • Loss of a child during labour/delivery
  • Foreign objects left inside the patients after the operation
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Maternal death
  • Amputations
  1. (a) The Limpopo province is divided is divide into 5(five) districts namely; Mopani, Capricorn, Waterberg, Sekhukhune & Vhembe District. The hospitals that have a large number of cases are as follows:
  • Philadelphia
  • Polokwane
  • Maphutha Malatji
  • Mankweng
  • Nkhensani
  • Sekororo
  • Seshego
  • Malamulele
  • Tshilidzini
  • Letaba

 

(b) (i) This are the claims that have been made against each hospital for the financial year 2014/15 are:

  • Philadelphia = 12
  • Polokwane = 12
  • Mapjutha Malatji= 09
  • Mankweng = 08
  • Nkhensani = 07
  • Sekororo = 06
  • Seshego = 04
  • Malamulele = 04
  • Tshilidzini = 03
  • Letaba = 03

 

(ii) For the financial year 2014/2015 the Department has paid R23 805 262.72

  1. In respect of Limpopo Province the Department of Health has established a specialized unit which is the Medico Legal unit separate from the Legal Services unit which functions includes:
  • Identification of overt claims, potential claims and monitoring of medical negligence cases,
  • Consultation with state attorney,
  • Rebuttal of claims,
  • Settlement of claims and
  • Closure of cases.

North West Department of Health

  1. (a) and (b) (ii)
 

CLAIMED

PAID OUT

2011-12

R733 602.57

R753 602.57

2012-13

R144 470 255.72

R7 899 232.50

2013-14

R207 601 325.00

R12 959 528.18

2014-15

R499 577 250.00

R19 978 582.00

Since April 2015

R142 886 250.00

Nil

(2) R5 409 525.00

(3) Most common complaint that the Department receives:

Obstetric complications

END.

08 December 2015 - NW4113

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Hill-Lewis, Mr GG to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

(1)What transitional arrangements were put in place in the (a) Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and (b) Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality respectively to facilitate the transfer of assets from their former district municipalities to the new Metros; (2) whether such arrangements are still in place; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether any backlog of assets still remains to be transferred; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, for each of the specified Metros, what (a) is the nature, (b) is the value of the assets to be transferred and (c) are the relevant reasons why the specified transfers have not yet taken place?

Reply:

This information has been requested from these two metropolitan municipalities and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW3907

Profile picture: Lekota, Mr M

Lekota, Mr M to ask the Minister of Public Works

(1) Whether, during the period 1 March 2012 to 31 October 2015, his department (a) sidestepped or circumvented the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999, to make procurements, sign or extend leases or enter into any contract of any kind, (b) continued to undertake any purchases or improvements in respect of any prestige projects in spite of constrained national finances, (c) spent any money on the extension, maintenance or upkeep of the President’s private residence in Nkandla, (d) failed to fully update the Asset Register and (e) neglected or abandoned any state property anywhere in the country; if not, what is his position with regard to each of the specified issues; if so, in each case, (i) why, (ii) when and (iii) for what reason; (2) whether he will make a statement on (a) how and (b) to what extent the Government’s neoliberal policies impact on the functioning of his department; if so, how does he intend to remedy the situation?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works

(1)(a) The Department of Public Works (DPW) confirms that it did not sidestep or circumvent the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, (Act No. 1 of 1999), (PFMA) when awarding tenders. However, there are situations where deviations are permitted in terms of the applicable legislation, regulations and policy prescripts. All tenders awarded were done in accordance with prescribed and legislated procurement methods and within the duly approved procurement systems of the DPW.

Numerous projects have been launched to ensure that procurement systems are intact and leasing processes are clear, transparent and well-articulated. This includes, amongst others, the introduction of a standardised lease agreement that ensures that all salient matters of the lease are captured clearly. The signing of leases has been centralised at the Head Office to the Head of the Property Management Trading Entity (PMTE) and other delegated officials at Deputy Director-General level. Due to the unique nature of the property and construction environments, the Supply Chain Management (SCM) processes for leasing and construction procurement are also in the process of being revised, where unique SCM processes for each of these fields will apply.

(1)(b) Yes, purchases were made and services were procured as part of the DPW’s obligation to render services to clients. However, in light of Government’s drive to reduce expenditure, the DPW focused on areas where spending could be reduced. On furniture, costs were reduced by 80% compared to the previous year: from R8 400 504.62 in 2014/15 to R1 679 383.33 as at end October 2015.

On renovation/upgrades costs were reduced by 30% compared to the previous year: from R176 017 074.00 in 2014/15 to R123 108 435.00 as at end of October 2015.

(1)(c) No money has been spent on the extension, maintenance or upkeep of the President’s private residence in Nkandla during the period 1 March 2012 to 31 October 2015.

(1)(d) The DPW embarked on an Immovable Asset Register (IAR) Enhancement Programme to provide certainty on the extent of immovable assets, and validate completeness and accuracy of immovable assets under its custodianship. As a continuous exercise to ensure that the Department’s IAR is complete and accurate, the Department’s IAR was reconciled against the Deeds records and other National and Provincial IAR’s for both the interim and annual financial statements during the past three financial years (2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15).

(1)(e) The Department’s programme to rebuild its Immovable Asset Register (IAR) that complies with the Generally Recognised Accounting Practice (GRAP) by 31 March 2016 is making good progress, as indicated below:

  • The physical verification of specifically identified land parcels by DPW has been concluded. To date the Department has verified 36 852 of the identified land parcels in the 2013/14 financial year.
  • The remaining 6900 land parcels are being verified and assessed during the 2015/16 financial year.
  • The Department’s State Domestic Facilities not on State land have been identified and accounted for.
  • Approximately 60% of DPW’s properties have had municipal values applied to them in the 2014/15 financial year with the remainder to be completed by 31 March 2016 in line with the GRAP phase-in process as permitted by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) Directive 2. This has resulted in the disclosure of DPW’s properties at R78.1 billion for the year ending 31 March 2015, compared to the R10.3 billion in the 2013/14 financial year.
  • There was no audit qualification pertaining to the Department’s IAR in 2013/14 and 2014/15 financial years.

The above key indicators highlight the significant advances made to enhance the Department’s IAR.

 

(2) (a) and (b) Government’s policies are not neo-liberal. In the current global and national context, necessary measures to ensure fiscal consolidation have been collectively agreed upon by Cabinet and I fully support these measures. Naturally, these measures have impacted upon the line budgets of all Government departments and, as indicated above, the DPW has accordingly implemented a range of cost-cutting interventions.

_______________________________________________________________

08 December 2015 - NW4049

Profile picture: Esau, Mr S

Esau, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

With reference to her department’s 2014-15 Annual Report, (a) what are the names of the 693 military veterans who received Social Relief Distress through the SA Social Security Agency and (b) to which former (i) non-statutory forces (names furnished) or (ii) statutory forces (names furnished) did each veteran belong?

Reply:

The information can be processed through the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans in the new year, as the beneficiaries names are considered confidential.

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW4268

Profile picture: Hoosen, Mr MH

Hoosen, Mr MH to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(1)Whether, with regard to the contract between her department and Zeal Health Innovations to provide medical care to military veterans, all medical fees due to the specified company have been paid within the prescribed 30 days payment arrangement; if not, (a) why not and (b) what amount is still outstanding since the awarding of the specified contract; if so, (i) how were the medical fees for the provision of the specified medical services structured, (ii) what were the terms and conditions of payment for the specified fees and (iii) what amount of the specified fees have been paid as at the latest specified date for which information is available; (2) why does the specified company claim to serve 14 000 military veterans when her department only registered 6 795 deserving military veterans with access to healthcare services in the 2014-15 financial year; (3) whether the contract for the provisioning of medical care services to military veterans was previously awarded irregularly to another company which resulted in the contract being cancelled; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what are the relevant details of the irregular awarding of the specified contract, (b) what were the financial implications for her department and (c) who was held responsible for the irregular awarding of the specified contract?

Reply:

This matter is currently the subject of litigation between the Department and the company concerned and as such any comments at this stage are likely to prejudice the Department’s case.

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW4139

Profile picture: Cardo, Dr MJ

Cardo, Dr MJ to ask the Minister of Economic Development

(1)With regard to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Industrial Development Corporation and China’s Hebei Iron & Steel Group in September 2015, (a) what were the terms of reference of the feasibility study for a greenfield steel plant, (b) what is the total estimated cost of the plant, (c) how many metric tons of steel is the plant expected to produce annually and (d) how many jobs is the plant expected to create; 2) whether the specified feasibility study has been completed; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

1. The Memorandum of Understanding was executed in September 2014.

a) The terms of reference include undertaking and completing a pre-feasibility study (“PFS”) for a new low cost steel production facility in South Africa (the “Project”) that will meet international environmental compliant standards using raw materials that are locally and regionally available. The envisage Project had to be a profitable low cost producer of a broad spectrum of steel products required by the South African and Sub-Saharan markets

Furthermore, it envisages the establishment of a down-stream industrial park to process some of the steel products to finished goods for domestic and export markets.

b) The estimated total capital outlay of the envisage plant is USD 5 billion which is R70 billion at R14/$. The Project will be funded partly with debt (up to 60%) and partly with equity (40%). The objective of the IDC is to play a catalytical role in the establishment of the facility and not to have a controlling interest in the project.

c) The plant will be designed to have a capacity of 5 million tons of steel per annum. During the detailed feasibility study, consideration will be given to the option to build the Project in two phases of approximately 2.5 million tons each.

d) The labour force to construct the Project is estimated to peak at around 11000 and construction will span over a period of at least 42 months. The operational labour requirement for the Project is estimated at 3 500.

An earlier pre-feasibility study was completed, based on the use of a Rotary Hearth Furnace (“RHF”) technology. Since Hebei seeks to use a different technology, further pre-feasibility studies will be conducted. For details of the earlier pre-feasibility study outcomes, the attention of the Honourable Member is drawn to the reply submitted to Parliamentary Question 4138.

-END-

08 December 2015 - NW4005

Profile picture: Marais, Mr S

Marais, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

With reference to the diplomatic visit to the Republic of Cuba in October 2015 by the Deputy President, Mr M C Ramaphosa, South African Ambassador to Cuba Ms Naphtalie Manana‚ Deputy Ministers Mr L T Landers‚ Mr M E Surty‚ Dr M J Phaahla‚ Mr G G Oliphant‚ Ms P Tshwete and Mr K B Manamela, what was the (a) traveling cost for (i) each member of the specified delegation and (ii) their support staff and (b) breakdown of these costs in each case?

Reply:

The Department of Defence was not involved in the travel arrangements for the diplomatic visit to the Republic of Cuba by the Deputy President, Mr C Ramaphosa, and his entourage during the month of October 2015.

Please refer your question to the Presidency.

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW4052

Profile picture: Marais, Mr S

Marais, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

With reference to her department’s 2014-15 Annual Report, (a) what are the names of (i) the 645 military veterans and (ii) their dependents who received bursaries and (b) to which of the former (i) non-statutory forces (names furnished) or (ii) statutory forces (names furnished) did each veteran belong?

Reply:

The information can be processed through the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans in the new year, as the beneficiaries names are considered confidential.

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW4050

Profile picture: Esau, Mr S

Esau, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

With reference to her department’s 2014-15 Annual Report, (a) what are the names of the 6 795 military veterans who were provided access to healthcare and (b) to which former (i) non-statutory forces (names furnished) or (ii) statutory forces (names furnished) did each veteran belong?

Reply:

Due to the voluminous nature of the information requested, I would recommend that the member approaches the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and request to have this information tabled in a meeting of the Portfolio Committee in one of their sessions in 2016

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW4132

Profile picture: Redelinghuys, Mr MH

Redelinghuys, Mr MH to ask the Minister of Police

(1)Whether the SA Police Service have received any claims for post-traumatic stress for incidents on duty since the Casualty Commissioner has classified it as a health condition; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) how many such claims have been received and (b) were successfully processed; (2) whether a certain person (name and details furnished) recently received a promotion due to the specified person’s health condition; if not, (a) why not and (b) why was the promotion withdrawn; if so, (i) on what date and (ii) what is the specified person’s current rank; (3) whether there is an ongoing investigation into the promotion of the specified person; if not, why not; if so, (a) what is the status of the investigation and (b) when is it expected to be finalised?

Reply:

Due to the nature of the information that is required, SAPS is not able to provide the full details within the given time frame as some information is still being processed. A request is hereby made for an extension of time in order to SAPS to provide quality and correct information as soon as it is ready.

08 December 2015 - NW4140

Profile picture: Waters, Mr M

Waters, Mr M to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

(1)What amount did the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng spend on paying employees for overtime (a) in the (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15 financial years and (b) from 1 July 2015 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; (2) what instruction has the Auditor-General given to the specified Metro in this regard?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4138

Profile picture: Cardo, Dr MJ

Cardo, Dr MJ to ask the Minister of Economic Development

What were the key findings of the Industrial Development Corporation’s pre-feasibility study for a new low-cost iron and steel facility based on available low-cost resources in the country?

Reply:

A pre-feasibility study (“PFS”) was conducted by the IDC in August 2012.

The key findings of the PFS include:

  • A new low cost iron and steel plant with annual capacity of 2.5 million tons based on low cost iron ore and coal resources in South Africa, is viable.
  • The preferred process route would be the Rotary Hearth Furnace (“RHF”) technology. The primary advantage of this technology is that it does not require coking coal and subsequently has the lowest operating cost. The downside is the high capital cost of an RHF project and relative high electricity consumption.
  • The second best option is Blast Furnace (“BF”) technology. Although it is the most proven route worldwide for iron making, it requires coking coal which is not currently available in South Africa and was therefore considered second best to RHF.
  • Beneficiation of the magnetite could be done at a facility at Phalaborwa.
  • Middelburg would be a suitable location (and significantly better than Phalaborwa) based on availability of coal, raw material transport logistics, infrastructure including water, rail and electricity as well as proximity to inland domestic market.

After the PFS was concluded, IDC embarked on a process to find a strategic equity partner which led to the Memorandum of Understanding executed with China’s Hebei Iron & Steel Group (HBIS) in September 2014.

HBIS’s participation is conditional upon using their core competence which is based on BF technology as well as to increase the target size of the project to 5mtpa of which a substantial portion will be exported, to other Sub-Saharan African markets. The BF process necessitates the use of coking coal that would need to be imported (possibly from Mozambique). The capacity change, new markets identified and raw material import requirements may put an inland site such as Middelburg at a competitive disadvantage. Therefore, they are considering a coastal site as an alternative.

HBIS and IDC are currently conducting additional prefeasibility studies to assess the economic viability of BF technology, increased size and the project location. Depending on the outcome of these additional prefeasibility studies, a detailed feasibility study will be conducted before a final investment decision is made.

-END-

08 December 2015 - NW4135

Profile picture: Cassim, Mr Y

Cassim, Mr Y to ask the Minister of Police

(1)What are the current stock levels of the SA Police Service (SAPS) in terms of non-lethal ammunition like (a) rubber bullets, (b) stun grenades and (c) teargas; (2) (a) how many water cannons are currently owned by the SAPS and (b) how many of the specified water cannons are operational; (3) (a) what are the current stock levels of the SAPS’s anti-riot gear like (i) goggles, (ii) protective gear, (iii) boots and (iv) bullet-proof vests and (b) who is the current supplier of each of the specified items; (4) what is the (a) name, (b) specifications and (c) current supplier of the boots currently being used by the SAPS Special Forces; (5) what is the (a) name, (b) specifications and (c) the current supplier of the gun holsters currently being used by the SAPS?

Reply:

Due to the nature of the information that is required, SAPS is not able to provide the full details within the given time frame as the information is not readily available. A request is hereby made for an extension of time in order for SAPS to provide quality and correct information as soon as it is received.

08 December 2015 - NW4155

Profile picture: Groenewald, Dr PJ

Groenewald, Dr PJ to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(1)Whether any acquisition process for the purchasing of aircraft for (a) the President or (b) the VIP Unit of the SA Air Force has commenced; if so, (2) (a) when the acquisition process in each specified case (i) commenced and (ii) should be completed, (b)(i) what amount has been budgeted for each aircraft and (ii) from which budget item each separate aircraft will be funded and (c) when will the specified process be completed up until the acceptance of the specified tender is completed; (3) if the acquisition process has not yet commenced, when she envisages the process will commence; (4) whether she will make a statement regarding the matter? NW5028E

Reply:

  1. Yes
  2. (a)(i) The process underway has been initiated by Armscor to test the market for information through the issuance of RFI (Request for Information).

At this stage Armscor has only done the RFI (Request for Information), depending on the findings from the RFI, the process can stop or be moved to the next step which will be a request for Offer (RFO).

(ii) Same as previous answer.

(b)(i) There is no specific amount allocated to the project, the request for information will assist in terms of the budget.

(ii) As above.

(c) This will dependent on whether we go ahead with the project in the first place. So far no such decision has been made.

3. The outcome of the findings will provide guidance on the way forward.

4. No statement will be made

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 07 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW4054

Profile picture: Mbhele, Mr ZN

Mbhele, Mr ZN to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

With reference to her department’s 2014-15 Annual Report, (a) what are the names of the 2 450 military veterans who accessed training and skills development and (b) to which of the former (i) non-statutory forces (names furnished) or (ii) statutory forces (names furnished) did each veteran belong?

Reply:

Due to the voluminous nature of the information requested, I would recommend that the member approaches the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and request to have this information tabled in a meeting of the Portfolio Committee in one of their sessions in 2016

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW4064

Profile picture: Carter, Ms D

Carter, Ms D to ask the Minister of Police

Whether the medium-term strategic framework that was adopted for the period 2009 to 2014 has been fully evaluated to determine whether (a) the capacity of the detective and forensic services has been enhanced, (b) the population has been mobilised against crime, (c) the number of serious and violent crimes has been reduced by 4% to 7% each year, (d) women and children are protected from those who perpetrated crimes against them and (e) corruption in the public and private sectors was eliminated; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

Due to the nature of the information that is required, SAPS is not able to provide the full details within the given time frame as the information is not readily available. A request is hereby made for an extension of time in order for SAPS to provide quality and correct information as soon as it is received.

08 December 2015 - NW3861

Profile picture: Groenewald, Dr PJ

Groenewald, Dr PJ to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(1)What is the reason why several medals have been handed over to the Military Shop in Pretoria to be sold to the public; (2) (a) which types of medal and (b) how many of each type of medal have been handed over to the specified shop; (3) who gave the authority for the specified medals to be sold; (4) whether any steps are being considered against the relevant person; if not, why not; if so, what steps; (5) whether she will make a statement on the matter?

Reply:

The SANDF is not aware of any Military Shop in Pretoria that sells military medals. The SANDF remains the custodian of all the South African military medals.

 

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW4115

Profile picture: Bozzoli, Prof B

Bozzoli, Prof B to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Whether any budget has been (a) prepared, (b) tabled and (c) adopted by the Ethekwini Municipal Council for the 2022 Commonwealth Games; if not, how was it possible for the City of Durban to bid for the specified project; if so, (i) what are the funding implications for the specified municipality and (ii) how will the specified municipality raise the necessary funds?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4094

Profile picture: Matsepe, Mr CD

Matsepe, Mr CD to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

For each metropolitan municipality, (a) what is the current threshold limit for indigent grants, (b) what services form part of the indigent grant package, (c) how many households are registered as indigent, (d) what is the total value of indigent grants budgeted for the 2015-16 financial year and (e) is the eligibility for indigent grants determined (i) via application and/or registration or (ii) automatically via property valuation?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the metropolitan municipalities and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4213

Profile picture: Figg, Mr MJ

Figg, Mr MJ to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises

What has been the demand for electricity in each month since March 2015 up to the latest specified date for which information is available?

Reply:

In responding to the question the assumption is made that the Honourable Member is referring to daily maximum demand. The table below indicates the customer daily energy demand from 1 March 2015 to 29 November 2015.

Date

Customer Demand

MWh

2015/03/01

615 989

2015/03/02

669 051

2015/03/03

674 638

2015/03/04

675 675

2015/03/05

678 546

2015/03/06

678 138

2015/03/07

644 353

2015/03/08

622 464

2015/03/09

677 087

2015/03/10

685 801

2015/03/11

687 776

2015/03/12

688 292

2015/03/13

689 000

2015/03/14

650 059

2015/03/15

625 750

2015/03/16

677 776

2015/03/17

684 592

2015/03/18

686 001

2015/03/19

687 755

2015/03/20

682 914

2015/03/21

644 010

2015/03/22

630 664

2015/03/23

683 404

2015/03/24

687 956

2015/03/25

685 945

2015/03/26

690 873

2015/03/27

669 502

2015/03/28

632 650

2015/03/29

608 103

2015/03/30

661 626

2015/03/31

669 967

2015/04/01

668 627

2015/04/02

651 398

2015/04/03

594 235

2015/04/04

590 128

2015/04/05

579 514

2015/04/06

589 727

2015/04/07

655 740

2015/04/08

666 176

2015/04/09

672 502

2015/04/10

672 108

2015/04/11

637 678

2015/04/12

619 241

2015/04/13

663 577

2015/04/14

677 597

2015/04/15

677 271

2015/04/16

679 907

2015/04/17

671 634

2015/04/18

645 426

2015/04/19

630 322

2015/04/20

669 247

2015/04/21

679 860

2015/04/22

683 606

2015/04/23

679 504

2015/04/24

680 109

2015/04/25

635 071

2015/04/26

611 130

2015/04/27

624 250

2015/04/28

666 329

2015/04/29

668 547

2015/04/30

663 547

2015/05/01

617 955

2015/05/02

612 217

2015/05/03

617 004

2015/05/04

662 729

2015/05/05

679 554

2015/05/06

675 633

2015/05/07

686 368

2015/05/08

683 972

2015/05/09

653 427

2015/05/10

630 569

2015/05/11

680 763

2015/05/12

684 688

2015/05/13

683 584

2015/05/14

683 452

2015/05/15

680 843

2015/05/16

652 459

2015/05/17

627 987

2015/05/18

672 777

2015/05/19

682 316

2015/05/20

680 819

2015/05/21

684 597

2015/05/22

678 270

2015/05/23

649 686

2015/05/24

636 941

2015/05/25

680 562

2015/05/26

691 093

2015/05/27

689 785

2015/05/28

687 883

2015/05/29

678 297

2015/05/30

636 299

2015/05/31

624 217

2015/06/01

663 832

2015/06/02

678 966

2015/06/03

687 834

2015/06/04

699 092

2015/06/05

702 533

2015/06/06

677 867

2015/06/07

653 802

2015/06/08

694 948

2015/06/09

703 928

2015/06/10

716 499

2015/06/11

716 836

2015/06/12

714 953

2015/06/13

661 765

2015/06/14

640 077

2015/06/15

673 059

2015/06/16

650 032

2015/06/17

706 515

2015/06/18

711 768

2015/06/19

705 245

2015/06/20

669 921

2015/06/21

650 940

2015/06/22

697 149

2015/06/23

706 460

2015/06/24

706 658

2015/06/25

706 221

2015/06/26

697 005

2015/06/27

672 992

2015/06/28

651 838

2015/06/29

688 460

2015/06/30

698 407

2015/07/01

692 949

2015/07/02

693 312

2015/07/03

690 260

2015/07/04

653 354

2015/07/05

637 854

2015/07/06

679 880

2015/07/07

698 275

2015/07/08

692 722

2015/07/09

686 403

2015/07/10

682 469

2015/07/11

655 458

2015/07/12

635 239

2015/07/13

685 843

2015/07/14

698 754

2015/07/15

695 409

2015/07/16

691 166

2015/07/17

696 565

2015/07/18

660 855

2015/07/19

646 471

2015/07/20

683 527

2015/07/21

690 396

2015/07/22

699 851

2015/07/23

708 383

2015/07/24

701 131

2015/07/25

670 257

2015/07/26

651 721

2015/07/27

694 919

2015/07/28

700 715

2015/07/29

704 311

2015/07/30

698 663

2015/07/31

703 594

2015/08/01

661 007

2015/08/02

636 444

2015/08/03

682 407

2015/08/04

689 477

2015/08/05

692 994

2015/08/06

690 907

2015/08/07

678 144

2015/08/08

638 883

2015/08/09

614 219

2015/08/10

628 776

2015/08/11

681 094

2015/08/12

685 460

2015/08/13

679 649

2015/08/14

677 149

2015/08/15

634 823

2015/08/16

607 120

2015/08/17

652 403

2015/08/18

660 354

2015/08/19

657 677

2015/08/20

657 116

2015/08/21

647 200

2015/08/22

617 489

2015/08/23

604 102

2015/08/24

644 647

2015/08/25

645 891

2015/08/26

646 045

2015/08/27

644 655

2015/08/28

634 684

2015/08/29

601 424

2015/08/30

591 426

2015/08/31

632 223

2015/09/01

669 042

2015/09/02

676 263

2015/09/03

682 373

2015/09/04

700 260

2015/09/05

661 441

2015/09/06

636 233

2015/09/07

675 372

2015/09/08

687 079

2015/09/09

677 477

2015/09/10

678 821

2015/09/11

678 059

2015/09/12

653 847

2015/09/13

629 895

2015/09/14

670 489

2015/09/15

679 680

2015/09/16

675 104

2015/09/17

676 985

2015/09/18

682 142

2015/09/19

653 659

2015/09/20

637 410

2015/09/21

688 762

2015/09/22

683 341

2015/09/23

673 321

2015/09/24

633 573

2015/09/25

650 464

2015/09/26

629 960

2015/09/27

617 185

2015/09/28

661 945

2015/09/29

675 770

2015/09/30

675 378

2015/10/01

662 080

2015/10/02

665 036

2015/10/03

630 343

2015/10/04

611 024

2015/10/05

658 813

2015/10/06

669 966

2015/10/07

670 396

2015/10/08

668 657

2015/10/09

670 214

2015/10/10

633 378

2015/10/11

615 977

2015/10/12

662 540

2015/10/13

671 910

2015/10/14

673 013

2015/10/15

667 974

2015/10/16

666 560

2015/10/17

633 974

2015/10/18

608 772

2015/10/19

660 891

2015/10/20

666 228

2015/10/21

668 833

2015/10/22

673 724

2015/10/23

665 720

2015/10/24

629 230

2015/10/25

608 906

2015/10/26

660 869

2015/10/27

664 197

2015/10/28

669 483

2015/10/29

674 863

2015/10/30

668 504

2015/10/31

627 524

2015/11/01

604 362

2015/11/02

645 209

2015/11/03

656 034

2015/11/04

653 911

2015/11/05

659 857

2015/11/06

659 962

2015/11/07

628 519

2015/11/08

609 244

2015/11/09

664 576

2015/11/10

666 367

2015/11/11

671 344

2015/11/12

676 683

2015/11/13

673 616

2015/11/14

632 639

2015/11/15

603 480

2015/11/16

652 420

2015/11/17

654 575

2015/11/18

655 851

2015/11/19

642 153

2015/11/20

645 569

2015/11/21

610 940

2015/11/22

588 569

2015/11/23

641 785

2015/11/24

660 352

2015/11/25

665 091

2015/11/26

663 060

2015/11/27

657 316

2015/11/28

615 845

2015/11/29

607 541

08 December 2015 - NW4145

Profile picture: Bhanga, Mr BM

Bhanga, Mr BM to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

What amount has each metropolitan municipality spent on (a) catering and (b) entertainment in the (i) 2014-15 financial year and (ii) since 1 July 2015?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the metropolitan municipalities and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4111

Profile picture: Mileham, Mr K

Mileham, Mr K to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

(1)Whether any forensic (a) audits and/or (b) reports have been generated for the Thabazimbi Local Municipality in Limpopo since 2004; if not, (i) why not and (ii) what action will he take in this regard; if so, in each case, what were the findings of the specified (aa) audits and/or (bb) reports; (2) whether the specified (a) audits and/or (b) reports were tabled before the council of the specified municipality; if not, why not; if so, in each case, (i) when were the (aa) audits and/or (bb) reports tabled and (ii) what actions were taken in this regard; (3) whether any disciplinary action was taken against any persons, parties and/or organisations implicated in the specified audits and/or reports; if not, (a) why not and (b) what action will he take in this regard; if so, what were the outcomes of the disciplinary action taken in each case?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the Thabazimbi Local Municipality and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW3969

Profile picture: Lekota, Mr M

Lekota, Mr M to ask the President of the Republic

(1)     Whether his statement on 8 November 2015, that his political organisation comes first, represents his policy position as the President of the Republic of South Africa; if not, (2) whether he will unreservedly retract the specified statement and apologise to the nation for devaluing the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, which he is sworn to uphold through the specified statement; if not, why not; if so, (a) when and (b) how is he going to apologise; (3) Whether he will make a statement on the responsibility of the President of South Africa to place the interest of South Africa above every other endeavour; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

  1. I made the statement that the ANC comes first at an ANC Provincial Conference in my capacity as the President of the ANC. Since its founding in 1912 the ANC has been at the forefront of the struggles to defeat apartheid colonialism, and since its election into power in 1994, to liberate South Africans from the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

Like many South Africans, I joined the ANC to contribute to the achievement of its historic mission of building a non-racial, non-sexist, prosperous and democratic society. Given this important role that the ANC has played and still plays in leading this society towards the achievement of these goals, and considering that a large number of citizens have put their faith and hopes on the ANC to lead them to a better life for all, it is important that the work of building the ANC into a stronger organization that can continue to lead society is vigorously pursued.

There is therefore nothing wrong or untoward in saying the ANC comes first. It does not mean I love my country any less. It is in fact because of the love of my country and my commitment to its success that I believe that the ANC should be stronger so that it can lead us to a united and prosperous society.

2. The statement I made does not devalue the Constitution of the Republic in any way, nor does it contradict the Oath of Office which I took when I was sworn in as the President of the Republic of South Africa. There is therefore no reason to retract the statement I made.

08 December 2015 - NW4097

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America, Mr D to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

(1)What amount was spent on advertising by the Tlokwe City Local Municipality in the North West (a) in print media, (b) on radio, (c) on television, (d) online, (e) outdoors and (f) any other medium (i) in the 2014-15 financial year and (ii) since 1 July 2015; (2) in respect of each specified advertisement, (a) in which media was it flighted and (b) what was the (i) purpose of the advertisement and (c) cost?

Reply:

This information has been requested from Tlokwe Local Municipality and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4130

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Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

(1)What are the details of the process followed to appoint a lead agency for the rollout of broadband services to the eight district municipalities that are the first phase of SA Connect; (2) (a) what are the criteria used to determine the (i) role and (ii) capabilities of the lead agency and (b) when will the appointment of the specified agency be announced?

Reply:

  1. The Lead Entity has not been appointed yet because the Department is following due process.

(2)(a)(i) Current infrastructure roll-out is fragmented, it leads to duplication of efforts and resources, and also focuses on urban areas. Additionally, the roll-out of parallel and competing networks especially in rural areas is considered not feasible or viable because of the socio-economic profile of the rural areas and demand for services. The criteria for designating a Lead Entity took into consideration the extent of fibre infrastructure in the country and the national network scope and scale that can be leveraged to reduce the cost and distances to connect facilities to existing infrastructure. Furthermore, the entity should have the capacity to coordinate other State-Owned Entities (SOEs) in order to leverage and efficiently use State assets and investments to expedite broadband roll-out, particularly in rural areas, in a cost effective manner.

(ii) Refer to (i) above

(b) The appointment of the Lead Agency will be announced once the appointment process has been finalised.

08 December 2015 - NW4053

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Marais, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

With reference to her department’s 2014-15 Annual Report, (a) what are the names of the nine military veterans whose houses were rescued from repossession by the banks and (b) to which of the former (i) non-statutory forces (names furnished) or (ii) statutory forces (names furnished) did each veteran belong?

Reply:

The information can be processed through the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans in the new year, as the beneficiaries names are considered confidential.

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW4108

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Robertson, Mr K to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

What amount was spent on (a) catering and (b) entertainment by the Tlokwe City Local Municipality in the North West (i) in the 2014-2015 financial year and (ii) since 1 July 2015?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the Tlokwe Local Municipality and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4092

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Matsepe, Mr CD to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Whether, for each metropolitan municipality, any municipal official or councillor undertook any international travel (a) in the 2014-15 financial year and (b) since 1 July 2015; if so, (i) what was the purpose of each trip, (ii) who undertook each trip and (iii) what was the total cost of each trip including (aa) flights and (bb) accommodation?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the metropolitan municipalities and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4112

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Davis, Mr GR to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

(1)Whether any water tankers were purchased by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (a) in the (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15 financial years and (b) since 1 June 2015; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, in each case, (aa) how many water tankers were purchased in each specified financial year, (bb) what was the total cost of the specified tankers purchased and (cc) who supplied the specified vehicles; (2) whether he has found that the specified purchases represents a fair market price for the specified vehicles; if not, why not; if so, what are the further relevant details in each case?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the Province and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4104

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Ollis, Mr IM to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

What is the proposed (a) operational expenditure and (b) capital expenditure of the Tlokwe City Local Municipality in the North West on services to informal settlements in the 2015-16 financial year?

Reply:

This information has been requested from Tlokwe Local Municipality and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4206

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Marais, Mr S to ask the Minister in the Presidency

(1)Whether the National Conventional Arms Control Committee approved any export of arms to foreign states under section 14 of the National Conventional Arms Control Act, Act 41 of 2002 (a) in the (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2014-15 financial years and (b) since 1 April 2015; if not, why not; if so, (aa) to which states, (bb) and what are the further relevant details;

Reply:

There have been exports in terms of Section 14 which were authorised by the NCACC to foreign countries in the years 2010; 2011; 2012; 2013; 2014.The reporting cycle is on a calendar year basis and not on financial year basis, in line with section 23 of the NCAC Act. Therefore the reports are from January to December of each year. This means that the 2015 export report will only be available in 2016.

The NCACC considers all applications against set criteria in terms of section 15 as provided for in the NCAC Act and this occurs after a deliberate process by various Government Departments.

The Reports on Transfers of controlled items are compiled quarterly (4 quarters), as well as annually and are tabled in Parliament through the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces. These reports are subsequently referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Defence.

These exports are further reported on to the United Nations in line with International obligations of South Africa in terms of Treaties and Conventions, in accordance with International Law.

From the ensuing, it is the intention of South Africa to ensure that arms transferred do not end up with rogue elements elsewhere in the world. South Africa is committed to contributing to Peace and Security in the world.

Lastly, the NCACC activities are subject to the Auditor-General (AG) of South Africa, who perform annual evaluations and assessments on qualitative aspects of the work undertaken, per given period. The past period performance of the NCACC by the AG in this regard was found to be without qualification.

 

Approved / Not Approved

Mr J T Radebe, MP

Minister in The Presidency

Date:

08 December 2015 - NW4061

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Madisha, Mr WM to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

Whether his department is now ready to (a) produce the draft White Paper on National Integrated Information Communication Technology Policy, (b) gazette the National e-Strategy and (c) make a statement on the continued financial viability of the SA Post Office without assistance from the Government; if not, why not in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

Reply:

a) The National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper will be tabled in Cabinet for approval by the end of the financial year.

b) The Department intends to gazette the draft National e-Strategy before the end of the financial year.

c) SAPO currently needs financial assistance from Government.

SAPO has been given a guarantee of R1.67 billion in the past financial year and R2.5 billion in the current financial year. The Post Office uses these guarantees to raise cash from the financial markets.

Moving forward SAPO's Strategic Turnaround Plan (STP) has been developed and approved by Cabinet. Its effective implementation requires effective leadership and funding. As part of supporting SAPO's turnaround, the Department has recognised the need to stabilise SAPO's leadership. The board and the Group CEO have been appointed. To date, there has been more focus on the implementation of cost cutting initiatives. There is currently a need to implement revenue generation initiatives and these require funding. Effective implementation of the STP will enable the entity to be economically viable.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4148

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Horn, Mr W to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

What was the (a) value of the capital expenditure budget and (b) amount unspent in respect of the specified budget of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in the Free State in the (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15 financial years?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4058

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Baker, Ms TE to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

With reference to her department’s 2014-15 Annual Report, (a) what are the names of the 160 military veterans who received burial support and (b) to which former (i) non-statutory forces (names furnished) or (ii) statutory forces (names furnished) did each veteran belong?

Reply:

The information can be processed through the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans in the new year, as the beneficiaries names are considered confidential.

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015

08 December 2015 - NW4103

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Ollis, Mr IM to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

(1)What amount of the capital budget of the Tlokwe City Local Municipality in the North West was spent on refurbishing infrastructure in the (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 financial years; (2) what (a) are the details of each project and (b) amount was spent on each project; (3) whether any capital funds were used to pay salaries; if so, (a) why and (b) what amount?

Reply:

This information has been requested from Tlokwe Local Municipality and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4106

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Robertson, Mr K to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

(1)Whether the Mbombela Local Municipality has been given authorisation to veto the Code of Conduct for councillors and municipal officials as contained in Schedule 1 of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, Act 32 of 2000; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether there are any councillors and/or municipal officials who are in contravention of their payment arrangements of rates and/or taxes that exceed the prescribed 30 days payback period in the specified municipality; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) who are the (i) councillors and/or (ii) municipal officials and (b) in each case, (i) what amount is outstanding and (ii) for how long?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the Mbombela Local Municipality and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW4151

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Groenewald, Dr PJ to ask the Minister of Police

(1)How many police reservists are currently in the SA Police Service (SAPS) (a) nationally and (b) in the Eastern Cape; (2) how many reservists were there in the Eastern Cape (a) 5 years ago, (b) 10 years ago and (c) 20 years ago; (3) have any reservists been recruited in the Eastern Cape since the moratorium was lifted at the beginning of 2015; if not, why not; if so, (a) how many and (b) where; (4) (a) how many of the current police reservists in the Eastern Cape are being paid for their services and (b) what is the average salary for a paid reservist?

Reply:

(1) (a) There are currently a total of 16 358 active reservists in the SA Police Service.

(b) There are currently a total of 2 031 active reservists in the SA Police Service in the Eastern Cape as on 13 November 2015.

(2) (a-c) The following number of reservists were in the SA Police Service in the Eastern Cape, as indicated per year in the table below:

YEAR

TOTAL NUMBER OF ACTIVE AUDITED RESERVISTS

2010/2011

2874

2005/2006

4093

1995/1996

Audited figures not available

Since 2006 a total of approximately 13 000 reservists were permanently employed in the South African Police Service, either as permanent members, security guards or Public Service Act members.

In addition, following the adoption of the voluntary nature of the new reservists system without any remuneration several reservists no longer reported for duty due to the fact that the primary reason for joining was to secure permanent employment in the South African Police Service and not to voluntarily serve their communities.

(3) No reservists have been recruited in the Eastern Cape since the beginning of 2015. The primary aim of the revised reservist system is to recruit quality reservists to establish a professional reservist system with integrity.

The posts for reservists in the Eastern Cape Province were advertised during March 2015, with the closing date of 13 March 2015. A total of 45 applications were received, all of which were not conforming to the set requirements to be enlisted as reservists in the South African Police Service.

(4) None of the current reservists in the Eastern Cape are being paid for services. The new reservist National Instruction provides for volunteers from the community to take responsibility for the safety of their communities as part of the Community Policing philosophy without any remuneration for services rendered.

However, the South African Reserve Police Service Amendment Regulations: No 36922 dated 15 October 2015, paragraph 5(1) to 5(3), determines that the National Commissioner may approve the call up of reservists to perform duties to achieve the objectives as referred to in Section 205(3) of the Constitution of South Africa, for which they may receive remuneration in accordance with the following predetermined scales:

RANK

PAYMENT PER HOUR

Constable

R 16.090

Sergeant

R 20.360

Warrant Officer

R 25.090

Captain

R 32.596

Lt Colonel

R 41.245

Colonel

R 56.452

Brigadier

R 56.452

08 December 2015 - NW3983

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Bozzoli, Prof B to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

Is he aware of any universities which are at risk of being unable to pay their debts between now and the end of the 2016-17 financial year; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, in respect of each specified university, (a) why is this the case, (b) what is the projected budget deficit in the (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17 financial years and (c) what steps will he take to prevent any possible liquidations from happening; 2) has (a) he or (b) his predecessors ever provided bailouts to universities; if so, (i) when, (ii) to which institutions and (iii) what amounts were paid in each case; 3) does he expect that it will be necessary to provide bailouts to any universities in the (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17 financial years; if so, (i) why, (ii) to which institutions, (iii) when and (iv) what amount will each bailout be?

Reply:

1.Yes.

(a) In November 2015, the University of Fort Hare (UFH) informed the Department that it has continued to experience financial strain and requested approval to utilise R35 million of its earmarked infrastructure grant to enable short-term relief. Approval was granted and the University must reimburse this amount from its subsidy in April 2016. This will not negatively impact on the progress of projects.

(b) Operating deficits are projected for UFH in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 financial years.

(c) The University was requested to provide a turnaround strategy to manage the cash flow constraints and bring it onto a sound financial footing.

2. The Department does not provide bailouts to universities. The Annual Ministerial Statement on University Funding deals with the funding instruments to steer the university sector, and is issued in accordance with the requirements of the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act 101 of 1997 as amended) and the funding framework for universities (Government Gazette, No 25824 of 9 December 2003). All universities are funded as explained in this statement.

3. No. As indicated, the allocation of the total funding available to universities is articulated in the approved Annual Ministerial Statement on University Funding. The 2014 statement for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 financial years is available on the Departmental website.

 

 

Compiler/contact persons:

Ext:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

REPLY TO QUESTION 3983 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

STATUS:

DATE:

08 December 2015 - NW4131

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Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services

What (a) has been achieved to date with the rollout of the SA Connect’s first phase, (b) has been the cost of the specified project to date and (c) is the breakdown of the total cost of the specified project to date; (2) What stipulations have been made by the National Treasury for the release of budgeted funds for the specified project

Reply:

(1)(a) The rollout will commence after all preparations for implementation have been finalised.

(b) Refer to (a) above

(c) Refer to (b) above

(2) The National Treasury requested an implementation plan from the Department in order to release the funds.

08 December 2015 - NW4088

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Topham , Mr B to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

With reference to each metropolitan municipality’s 2015-16 budget, what is the proposed (a) operational and (b) capital expenditure on services to informal settlements?

Reply:

This information has been requested from the metropolitan municipalities and will be communicated to the Honorable Member when it is available.

 

08 December 2015 - NW3953

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Van Damme, Ms PT to ask the Minister of Communications

(1) With reference to the Auditor-General’s note in the SA Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) 2014-15 Annual Report that a specific vendor was overpaid by R 2 million, what is the (a) name of this vendor, (b) nature of the service that the vendor rendered and (c) reason for overpayment; (2) Whether the overpaid moneys have been recovered since the findings were made by the Auditor-General in the SABC’s 2014-15 Annual Report; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

(1) (a) King James Advertising

(b) Advertising

(c) Quoted amounts for retainer fees and invoiced amounts did not correspond, invoiced amounts were much higher than quoted amounts

(2) The matter is being investigated

 

 

MR NN MUNZHELELE

DIRECTOR GENERAL [ACTING]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

DATE:

MS AF MUTHAMBI (MP)

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS

DATE:

08 December 2015 - NW4055

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Mbhele, Mr ZN to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

With reference to her department’s 2014-15 Annual Report, (a) what are the names of the 97 military veterans’ co-operatives that were registered and (b) to which former (i) non-statutory forces (names furnished) or (ii) statutory forces (names furnished) did each veteran belong?

Reply:

The information can be processed through the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans in the new year, as the beneficiaries names are considered confidential.

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 08 DECEMBER 2015