Questions and Replies

Reply:

Patients with Tuberculosis are diagnosed and started on treatment in all public sector hospitals and clinics as well as 154 facilities in the private sctor and 243 owned by the South African Military Health Services and NGOs. Patients with MDR and XDR TB are treated in 9 specialised central hospitals and 298 decentralised sites and 272 satellite sites. There are also 150 injection teams that manage some of the patients at home (on an ambulatory basis).

END.

Reply:

A total of 11 224 applications were received between September 2013 and June 2015. Of these,

• 10 571 were approved
• 374 are pending or have been withdrawn (in part because a local buyer has been found or the application does not meet the requirements for an export licence) and
• 279 have been declined.

These figures exclude any successful voluntary negotiations between sellers and local industry, made in anticipation of the conditions applicable through the Price Preference System.

-END-

Reply:

 

 

(1) & (2) The information requested by the Honourable member is provided in the 2014/15 annual report of the Department which has already been tabled in Parliament on 28 August 2015.

 

 

END

Reply:

The information on travel and accommodation costs requested is contained in the respective 2014-15 Annual Report of the Department of Defence that was tabled in Parliament.


END

Reply:

The Minister of Energy and the Deputy Minister travel to Gauteng and Cape Town as per official government responsibilities.



END

Reply:

 

The Annual Report of the Department that I tabled during September 2015 provides information on the expenses incurred by the Department including travelling and accommodation both locally and abroad by all our officials. The Auditor General audited all this information. The Annual Financial Statements format did not however allow us to provide a breakdown of this information in the manner that the Honourable member requires.

Reply:

I wish to refer the Honourable Member to the unqualified Annual Report (2014/2015) and audited clean Financial Statements of my department that were tabled in Parliament on 28 August 2015 and published in the ATC dated 28 August 2015, wherein travel costs are reflected under the item ‘Travel and Subsistence’.

In regard to accommodation, I wish to remind the Honourable Member that accommodation of Ministers and Deputy Ministers in Cape Town and Gauteng is provided through the Department of Public Works.

 

END

Reply:

(1) Yes the batches were tested by the NICD prior to distribution. Pre distribution reports attached. At the time of initial testing, the batches met the requirements.

Advanced Quality Titima Medical 2015011616_PMS FEB 2015

Advanced Quality Titima Medical 2015010602_PMS JAN 2015

Advanced Quality Titima Medical 201501 615_PMS FEB 2015


(2)

	SUPPLIER	NO. OF BATCHES RECEIVED AND TESTED
	ABON	26
	TITIMA MEDICAL	13
	ADVANCED QUALITY ARMADA	9

(3) (a)-(c) Reports attached with batch numbers. All reports met the required specifications.

Herewith the batches distributed by Armada / Advanced Quality as from the start of the new tender in 2014:

2014071401

2014071701

2014080101

2014090221

2014091821

2014092308

2014112702

2014121510

2014122409

Total of 9 batches distributed to date.

 

END.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works

(1)(a)(i) There are 507 housing units at the three Parliamentary villages.

(ii) There are 155 apartment units at the three parliamentary villages.

(b)(i) 621 units are in a condition for habitation.

(ii) 41 units are not available for use currently.

(2)(a)(i) 347 housing units have been allocated to Members of Parliament.

(ii) 160 housing units have been allocated to other persons or entities.

(b)(i) 2 of the 155 apartment units have been allocated to Members of Parliament.

(ii) 127 apartment units have been allocated to other persons or entities.

(3) There are currently no Members of Parliament (MPs) who have requested accommodation and who have not been allocated units within the Parliamentary villages.

(4)(a) Persons allocated accommodation in the Parliamentary villages include Sessional Officials, Public Works Officials who are servicing the Parliamentary Villages, Party Support Staff, Aides to disabled Members of Parliament, domestic workers and a former Member of Parliament’s dependents residing in the parliamentary villages.

(b) Sessional Officials employed by the following Government departments are accommodated at the parliamentary villages:

1. Ministry of Public Enterprises

2. Ministry of Social Development

3. Ministry of Health

4. Ministry of National Treasury

5. Ministry of Water Affairs

6. Ministry of Communications

7. Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans

8. Ministry of Arts and Culture

9. Ministry of Rural Development

10. Ministry of Trade and Industry

11. Department of Energy

12. Ministry of the Presidency

13. Ministry of Human Settlements

14. Ministry of Public Works

15. Ministry of Police

16. Ministry of State Security

17. Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities

18. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries

19. Ministry of Labour

20. Ministry of Tourism

21. Ministry of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs

22. National Youth and Development Agency

23. International Relations and Co-operation

24. Ministry of Sports and recreation

25. Ministry of Science and Technology

26. Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services

27. Ministry of Higher Education

28. Ministry of Economic Development

29. Ministry of Home Affairs

30. Ministry of Small Business Development

31. Ministry of Basic Education

32. Ministry of Environmental Affairs

33. Ministry of Mineral Resources

34. Ministry of Telecommunications and Postal Services

35. Ministry of Water and Sanitation

(c) The rationale for accommodating the categories mentioned above, is as follows:

• Sessional Officials designated by the Heads of their Departments for a Parliamentary session are accommodated at the Parliamentary villages.
• Officials employed by the Department of Public Works who perform standby duties at the parliamentary villages are accommodated at the parliamentary villages.
• Party Support Staff / Aides to disabled Members of Parliament: Special ministerial approval was granted for aides to disabled Members of Parliament to be accommodated at the Parliamentary villages.
• Domestic workers who are registered by a legal tenant at the Parliamentary villages and approved by the Department of Public Works.
• Former MP’s dependents: Extension of stay was granted after the commencement of the Fifth Parliament, as the dependents were still attending school. Subsequent notices to vacate were ignored. A final notice to vacate is being processed, where after the case is to be handed over to the office of the State Attorney for eviction, should the subjects ignore the final notice to vacate.

(5) No members of the newly established Chamber Support Unit within the Parliamentary Protection Services have been allocated units within the Parliamentary villages.

___________________________________________________________________

Reply:

The Workload Indicators for Staffing Norms (WISN) method is an evidence-based Human Resource planning and management tool developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This tool was applied in sampled facilities located within the NHI pilot sites to determine the number of health workers of a particular category required to cope with the workload of the given health facility. The findings from this work were subsequently used to develop health workforce normative guides and standards for Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities.

Implementation guidelines of health workforce normative guides and standards for fixed PHC facilities are available. This guideline will be used in the process of determining staffing requirements in all fixed PHC facilities by benchmarking facility staffing against normative guides using facility headcount as a proxy of workload.

END.

Reply:

REPLY: MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS

The Department has no knowledge of support received by Tshwane TV from the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.


END

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works

(1) (a), (b) and (c) (i) The Department of Public Works has taken the following remedial action:

• Improved systems and training of staff members

• Appropriate delegation of authority to Regional Offices was implemented to ensure operational effectiveness in service delivery. As a form of control to ensure that Supply Chain Management (SCM) processes are adhered to, all successful tenders awarded by Regional Offices are now reviewed at the Head Office by the Compliance Inspectorate to check for compliance with the SCM framework prior to being confirmed.

• A change management programme is being implemented in the Department that seeks to build on three fundamentals underlying infrastructure delivery. These include business process re-engineering through the implementation of the Infrastructure Delivery Management System (IDMS), human resource capacity development, as well as governance and accountability improvements.

          The IDMS, which was developed in partnership between the Public Works sector (national and provincial), along with             National Treasury, is a best practice methodology for the delivery of infrastructure. Its implementation will result in                 improved achievement of infrastructure delivery targets with respect to time, quality and budget.

• The Department of Public Works, with the assistance of the State Security Agency (SSA), has embarked on a vetting project of all its SCM officials. The vetting of SCM officials at the Head Office has been prioritized, as well as at the Regional Offices that have a significant portfolio of Prestige projects (Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria Regional Office).

• As part of the overall DPW Turnaround Strategy, the Department has concluded a detailed review of its business processes, which resulted in extensive business process re-engineering to vastly improve the SCM system. The 7-year reform path for SCM business processes began with a phase of the correction of inefficiencies to stabilisation (2014 – 2017) and will move ultimately to standardization, integration and optimization of the SCM business process (to take place during the period 2017 – 2020). This will ensure that DPW supply chain management is fully compliant with the regulatory framework and will also be able to meet its business requirements effectively. The SCM reform initiatives are pursued in collaboration with National Treasury’s Chief Procurement Office. The Department of Public Works was selected by the Minister of Finance as a pilot site for the implementation of general procurement reforms in the public sector.

• The DPW has reviewed its SCM Policy, which now promotes stricter governance and compliance. The SCM policy is to be reviewed annually. For every SCM activity that is performed, there is a mapped out process flow with activity checklists, templates and reports. Utilisation of the mentioned documentation now enhances compliance, thereby contributing to reducing irregular expenditure.

• The organizational structure of SCM has also been reviewed and a new structure was developed to meet business requirements. The structure is geared to focus on the support of the various functional streams of the Department through the correct mix of skills sets and competencies. The new structure provides for adequate segregation of duties and thus conflicts of interest will be avoided.

• The Department’s Inspectorate and Compliance Unit is now a key role player in SCM processes prior to the award of every bid or quotation. This unit verifies that every SCM activity leading up to the recommendation of the bid has been complied with. Only upon receipt of the approved compliance checklist, will the bid be forwarded to the relevant committee for approval.

• The Department is examining the guidelines, policies, norms and standards for the implementation of security measures at the private and official residences of the Executive and the Legislature in general, as well as certain administrative buildings, for consultation with the security cluster departments. It is envisaged that these consultations as well as those planned with the Department of Public Service and Administration will result in a refined procedural framework with respect to the implementation of physical security measures for tabling before Cabinet.

(ii) The following disciplinary action has been taken against the staff in DPW:

• The investigation by Special Investigating Unit (SIU) indicated that 12 employees or former employees of the Department were probably guilty of misconduct due to acts and omissions in 30 separate matters related to the appointment of contractors for the security upgrades at President’s residence in Nkandla.

• The Department has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the 12 officials. One official has since pleaded guilty with a sanction of two months suspension without pay and a final written warning and barred from participating in procurement processes for three years until he has undergone training. Disciplinary cases with respect to the remaining 11 employees are still on hold pending the high court application for media access to the disciplinary hearings by various media houses.

(iii) (aa) and (bb) No other action has been taken against officials or staff of the Department of Public Works.

(2) (a) (i), (ii) and (iii) The SIU investigation into the conduct of contractors/service providers has provided a basis for civil action against the architect, Mr M Makhanya for the recovery of R155 million. As the Principal Agent, Mr Makhanya bore the overall responsibility for the project.

The civil claim against the Principal Agent was instituted by the SIU on 11 August 2014 for the recovery of R155 324 516.49, being the amount of losses suffered by the Department for over-billing. The matter is before court and the hearing is pending.

(3) See the paragraph (2) (a) (i), (ii) and (iii) above. There is currently no basis in terms of a finding to warrant recovery of money from any staff member of DPW.

______________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Reply:

Since October 2010, Cabinet has supported a more competitive and stable exchange rate. This does not involve a “devaluation of the rand by the SA Reserve Bank”.

-END-

Reply:

(1) (a) The Department spent R2 424 728 on air travel for a total of 62 employees attending Parliament business on different occasions during that financial year.

     (b) Undertook 31 trips.

(2) (a) Spent R339 663 on accommodation

     (b) Spent R41 200 on car rental

 

END.

Reply:

The Management Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT) standard on prevention of Fraud and Corruption assesses whether department have measures and requisite capacity in place to prevent and combat corruption. Elements that are assessed in the standard are on:

• whether departments have fraud prevention plans and whistle blowing policies minimum anti-corruption capacity to prevent fraud and corruption;
• whether departments are providing feedback on anti-corruption hotline cases to the Office of the Public Service Commission (OPSC); and
• whether disciplinary and criminal procedures are being instituted where fraud and corruption occurs.
  
  a) Whereas the 2014 MPAT assessments results are in the process of being finalised, the 2013 results showed a total number of 55 departments (25 national and 30 provincial) are compliant with this standard.
  
  b) The 2013 results also shows that twenty five (25) departments (11 national and 14 provincial) met the level 3 compliance requirements, whilst 30 exceeded the requirements (14 national and 16 provincial).
  
  
  END

Reply:

No, the Department has not yet met this target. However, the Department has disabled people who refuse to be classified as such. Hence the Department dropped below 1% on this target.

END.

Reply:

The information on international visits undertaken by both the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans and the Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans are contained in the Annual Report that was tabled in Parliament.


END

Reply:

Yes, the Department of Health is aware of the water problem in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District in the Northern Cape, but it is not in most facilities as claimed by the question. The problem is in 10 out of 42 Primary Health Care facilities (PHCs). Most of these facilities are located in the deep rural areas of the District where there is no connection to the municipality’s water supply source. In areas where there is a connection it has been difficult for the municipality to meet the demand.

The District engaged the municipality to supply water tanks and fill them regularly with water. Interruptions have been very minimal.

The following were done as remedial action:

1. Skilled technical officials have been appointed by the Department;
2. An action plan has been developed;
3. The District and the Department are in the process of procuring service providers to erect boreholes to supplement water supply;
4. Approval has been granted to procure 5 000 litre water tanks for all 10 facilities; and
5. The procurement process was anticipated to commence in the week of 24 August 2015.

END.

Reply:

a)     The Commercial Crimes Investigation Units are currently investigating Common law and Statutory Crimes relating to Fraud, Electronic Banking Crimes , Municipal Fraud, Theft ,Corruption ,Money Laundering ;Counterfeit Goods Act , Prevention Of Organised Crime Act; Exchange Control Regulations Act ;Companies Act; National Credit Act; Forgery and Uttering; Advanced Fee Fraud ;Copyright Act; Customs & Excise Act, Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, Income Tax Act, Tobacco Control Amendment Act, Tobacco Products Control Act, Value Added Tax Act ;Social Assistance Act.

b)      A total of 4726 cases are currently in court.

Reply:

(1)(a) An amount of R642 886-72 was spent on air travel in the financial year 2014/2015 for employees attending Parliamentary business during 2014-2015; and (b) 120 trips were undertaken;

(2)(a) An amount of R128 994-48 was spent on accommodation; and

(b) an amount of R55 007-56 was spent on car rentals, for employees attending Parliamentary business in Cape Town for the 2014/15 financial year.


END

Reply:

 

1.  (a) The total amount spent on air travel between Gauteng and Cape Town on officials of the Department of Public Works attending official Parliamentary business during the 2014/15 financial year is R238 670.94

     (b) The total number of trips undertaken is 48.

2.  (a) The total amount spent on accommodation is R79 666.50

     (b) The total cost of car rental was R25 844.61

 

Reply:

 

1.     Yes, The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) is aware of international trade in tiger and tiger products from South Africa. The following table, obtained from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Trade Database (http://trade.cites.org) reflects the exports from South Africa from 2004 till 2014:

Taxon	Term	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
Panthera tigris	bodies					1			1	1
Panthera tigris	claws								1
Panthera tigris	live	8	18	5	4	11	25	32	29	33	21	4
Panthera tigris	skins		1	1	1			2	2	2
Panthera tigris	skulls		1							1
Panthera tigris	trophies	4		2			6	3	4	3	1
Panthera tigris altaica	live						4			2
Panthera tigris altaica	trophies						1

It is clear from the above that the majority of trade is in live specimens. Trade in tiger specimens is regulated in terms of the CITES Regulations, promulgated in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No 10 of 2004). It should be noted that due to the fact that tiger is listed in CITES Appendix I, import permits are issued by importing countries before an export permit can be issued by South Africa. The import permit must specify the purpose of the transaction and because commercial trade is not allowed in Appendix I specimens, the international trade authorised in terms CITES will be for non-commercial purposes only and this will be reflected on both the import and export permits. Compliance with the CITES Regulations and requirements are monitored by the Environmental Management Inspectors, who are responsible for the inspection of consignments and the endorsement of permits prior to export.

2.      The CITES Regulations, 2010 are implemented by all provinces as well as the Department of Environmental Affairs and provides a uniform regulatory framework to implement and enforce the provisions of the Convention. In terms of these regulations a captive breeding facility or a person who trades internationally in CITES Appendix I species (tiger) must be registered with the relevant provincial CITES Management Authority.

The Department identified the need to strengthen regulatory provisions relating to the activities involving CITES Appendix I listed specimens that are imported to South Africa and in this regard the following provisions have been included in the draft Threatened or Protected Species Regulations that was published for public participation in terms of Section 100 of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No 10 of 2004) on 31 March 2015:

Specific circumstances relating to the prohibition to possess and trade in listed protected species that are also included in Appendix I of CITES

74. (1) A person may not possess—

     (a) an imported specimen of a listed protected species that is also included in Appendix 1 of CITES; or

     (b) The off-spring of a specimen contemplated in paragraph (a);

     unless such person is authorized by a permit issued in accordance with these Regulations to possess such imported            specimen or the off-spring of such imported specimen.

(2) A person may not sell or donate an imported specimen contemplated in subregulation (1)(a), unless—

(a) such imported specimen originates from a commercial captive breeding facility that has been registered with the CITES Secretariat; and

(b) the selling or donation of such specimen is authorized by a permit issued in accordance with these Regulations.

(3)   (a) The regulatory provisions referred to above address the possession of tiger specimens as well as the captive breeding of tiger.

(b)    Illegal activities should be reported to the Department through the Hotline number: 0800 205 005. Concerns relating to the Transvaal Nature Conservation Ordinance No 12 of 1983 should be addressed to the relevant provincial legislature.

 

 

 

 

END

Reply:

The information on travel costs in both the Departments of Defence and Military Veterans is contained in their respective Annual Reports for the Financial Year 2014-15 that were tabled in Parliament.



END

Reply:

The Minister visited China to attend the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of New Champions 2014, in Tianjin, People’s Republic of China from 10 to 12 September 2014. Minister used this opportunity to honour a long standing invitation to pay an official visit to China from Minister Li Bin, the Minister of Health and Family Planning of the People’s Republic of China. This official visit took place on the 9th of September 2014.

He was accompanied by Dr Anban Pillay: Deputy Director General: Health Regulation and Compliance Management and PA, Ms M Sethosa.

Return Air Tickets: R 316 576.00

Accommodation: R 78 000.00

Daily allowances: R 35 249.34

Vehicles: R 75 000.00

VIP Lounges: R 20 000.00

The total cost for the visit was R 524 825.34.

 

Another delegation of Senior Officials visited China from 18 to 22 August 2014 to attend the Global Health Diplomacy Executive Training Course in Beijing, China. The delegation consisted of Deputy Director-General: International Health Development and Support, Ms MK Matsau, Mr M Modisenyane, Director: Africa Relations and the Deputy-Director: South-South Relations, Ms T Khosa.

Return Air Tickets: R 135 108.00

Accommodation: R 24 717.00

Daily allowances: R 16 756.20

The total cost for the visit was R 176 581.20

Please note that the trip was sponsored, tickets, accommodation and local transport were paid for by the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of the People’s Republic of China.

END.

Reply:

The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has not received an invitation to participate in the said Forum from responsible authorities.

a.   Not applicable
b.   Not applicable

 

 

END

Reply:

Honourable Members refer to previous question 727 on 30 April 2015 and questions 952, 1011 and 1596 on 26 May 2015.




END

 

Reply:

(1)(a) The Department has had a number of interactions in the form of bilateral meetings with State-Owned Entities and the private sector with the purpose of understanding the current broadband infrastructure gap, understanding the different technology options as well as understanding the different approaches undertaken by the private sector in implementing various broadband initiatives.

(b) Several meetings were held to provide the Department with better insight into the possible solutions to the broadband infrastructure problem and to assist with the costing of the broadband business case.

(c) The specified meetings were mainly held at the offices of the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services.

(d) Meetings were held with the private Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. The purpose of the interaction with the private ICT sector on South Africa Connect was with the view to understand the technology trends, roadmap and infrastructure capabilities to achieve the SA Connect target and the broadband gaps. The purpose was also to understand the economic and social impact of the broadband initiatives to assist with setting up the parameters for monitoring the impact over the long term. Further to understand the different approaches to national Broadband Implementation Strategies implemented in other countries and the challenges and success thereof.

(e)(i)(ii) Meetings will be held with the private sector and are aimed at (i) Establishing key indicators to measure the impact of broadband infrastructure on the economy and (ii) Understanding how to further improve the current coverage.

(2)(a) (i) The Department has had interactions with the following companies to discuss technology options for broadband:

• Isizwe projects;
• Huawei Technologies;
• Alcatel-Lucent;
• Altec;
• Nokia,
• Seacom,
• the Living Labs project
• Viasat
• Avanti Communication Group

The following companies have been consulted to determine the extent of their infrastructure investment:

• • MTN
  • Vodacom
  • Neotel
  • Cell C
  • Altron
  • Telkom
  • Sentech
  • Dark Fibre Africa
  • Eskom
  • SACF
  • SANRAL

(ii) The following organisations were included in the interactions:

• Universal Service and Access and Agency of South Africa (USAASA);
• Council for Scientific Research (CSIR),
• BMI-T; and,
• Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).

(iii) The National Broadband Advisory Council (NBAC) Working Group is the

Council has facilitated presentation from the Department and industry. The National ICT Forum has now been established to drive some of the industry interactions in a coordinated manner.

(b) The interactions were mainly in a form of bilateral meetings.

(c) The specified meetings were mainly held at the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services offices and CSIR convention centre

(3)(a) The engagement with the private ICT sector assisted the Department to understand the infrastructure gaps and various technology options and approaches to close the gaps.

(b) The outcome of the interactions with the private ICT sector assisted with the development of the broadband business case and implementation plan, and ensured that the duplication of infrastructure is avoided as much as possible during the planning process.



END

Reply:

No, we do not think that it is the job of Provincial Legislatures to undertake extensive audits of –

a) maintenance;

b) management;

c) functioning hospitals

The Provincial Departments of Health are doing so already, through various projects in partnership with the National Department of Health.

The National Department of Health has implemented a multi-disciplinary technical assessment of health facilities starting in the NHI Pilot Districts, to establish the status of the relevant services and installation, recommend appropriate remedial interventions, where required, prioritise these in terms of criticality and determine the associated cost estimates.

On the issue of management of hospitals, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) conducted a comprehensive assessment on management of hospitals. This led to a policy change whereby only people with a health background may be CEOs of hospitals.

On the issue of functioning of hospitals, the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) conducts inspections on quality of health services.

END.

Reply:

(1)(a)(b)

(a)(i)(ii)

(a)(i) – Cost Price

• YZF721GP - R678 248.85
• BF66SVGP - R995 512.00
• BJ01DPGP - R948 612.00
• 2RD85CA4574599 - R319 228.41

(ii) – Acquisition Date

• YZF721GP – 17 February 2010
• BF66SVGP – 17 March 2011
• BJ01DPGP – 14 June 2011
• 2RD85CA4574599 – 9 March 2012

(b)(i)(ii)(iii)

(b)(i) – Odometer Reading

• YZF721GP – 98937 km’s
• BF66SVGP – 84664 km’s
• BJ01DPGP – 79172 km’s
• 2RD85CA4574599 - 7045 km’s

(ii) – Model Number

• YZF721GP – E350 CDI
• BF66SVGP – S350
• BJ01DPGP – S350
• 2RD85CA4574599 - KB300 LX

(iii) – Vehicle Description

• YZF721GP – Mercedes Benz four door sedan
• BF66SVGP – Mercedes Benz four door sedan
• BJ01DPGP – Mercedes Benz four door sedan
• 2RD85CA4574599 - Isuzu double cab LDV

(2) Yes

(a)(i) – Optional Equipment Fitted are:

• YZF721GP – Center Console Rear View Entertainment
• BF66SVGP – None
• BJ01DPGP – None
• 2RD85CA4574599 - None

(ii) – Optional Equipment Fitted

• YZF721GP – R11 398.86

(3) Yes. The cities are Pretoria and Cape Town:

• YZF721GP – Pretoria
• BF66SVGP – Pretoria
• BJ01DPGP – Cape Town
• 2RD85CA4574599 - Pretoria. Vehicle has been disposed.
  
  
  
  
  
  END

Reply:

(a)(b) The National School of Government (NSG) is taking the following steps to address the backlog:

1.  Entering into Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with Provincial Academies and other State Colleges to include the CIP in their course offerings so that they could help to eliminate the backlog within the two years as projected.
 
2.  Discussion with the Department of Public Service and Administration around the utilisation of public servants for public service training and a proposed approach is at an advance stage for submission for approval.

​3.  Continues support to fully equipped trainers, for example, the number of departmental trainers that were trained for the delivery of the compulsory induction programme (CIP) has increased from 775 in 2014/15 to 868, of which 848 trainers have been screened to date. Of this number, 483 are “ready to train” and will be supported to be fully equipped as trainers; and 172 departmental trainers have been actively delivering on the CIP.

The backlog remains a challenge. There is a turnaround strategy in place to build dedicated capacity within the National School of Government for compulsory induction programme (CIP) training and administration. This capacity, together with department-based trainers, will assist in providing the institutional support for the delivery of high volume training in the public service.



END 

Reply:

(1) (a) The total amount spent on air travel between Gauteng and Cape Town for employees attending Parliamentary businesses in the 2014-15 financial year is R983 417.69.

(b) Total number of trips on air travel between Gauteng and Cape Town for employees attending Parliamentary businesses in the 2014-15 financial year is one hundred and fifty (150)

(2) (a) The total amount spent on accommodation for employees attending Parliamentary businesses for the 2014-15 financial year is R362 555.05

(b) The total amount spent on car rental for employees attending Parliamentary businesses for the 2014-15 financial year is R111 693.96



END

Reply:

This question is too broad and it is about the work of other departments. The member must ask the question to the departments concerned as well as provinces concerned.



END

Reply:

(1)(a) R1243610.64

    (b) 225

(2)(a) R330081.57

    (b) R208225.73

 

Reply:

The Honorable Member must refer to previous replies to question 727 on 30 April 2015 and questions 952, 1011 and 1596 on 26 May 2015, and question 3171.




END 

 

 

Reply:

1. (a)-(e) No, the Department of Tourism does not keep statistics of visitors to specific sites. Such information may be obtained from the relevant management authorities on request. Some of these entities publish such information on their annual reports. The Department uses such information in planning for tourism development.
(i)  Not Applicable
(ii) Not Applicable

 

2. Part of the department’s strategy is enhancement of important tourist destinations. This will ensure that there is enhanced quality experience and increased activities for our tourists. However, this is dependent on availability of financial resources. Other organs of state also have responsibilities and contribute to the upkeep and successful running of some of our iconic attractions.

 

 

END 

Reply:

1.           (a) Total Amount Air travel:                  R503 358.12

              (b) Number of trips:                              81 trips

 

2.             (a) Total Amount on accommodation:  R139 064.16

                (b) Total amount on car rental:             R40 639.25



END

Reply:

Please refer to my previous reply to question 115 on 17 March 2015 in which I explained the reasons for the provision of close protection services for SASSA employees and other affected officials.



END

Reply:

 

(a)(i) The RTMC budget for the 2015/16 year is R30 000 000

(a)(ii) The budget incorporates digital, print, television and radio mediums.

(a)(iii) The advertising budget is informed by the mandate of the RTMC as expressed in both the National Road Traffic Management Act (NRTA) and the Road Traffic Management Act (RTMCA) and the strategic documents as approved.

Section 52 of the NRTA prescribes as follows:

“The Chief Executive Officer may:

Give guidance regarding road safety in the Republic by means of national congresses, symposia, summer schools, study weeks and mass communication media and in any other manner deemed fit by the Chief Executive Officer”

Section 18(1) of the RTMCA prescribes as follows:

The RTMCA prescribes one of the ten (10) functional areas of the RTMC is communication and education that should be in line with the business and financial plan.

2015 – 2020 Strategy and 2015/16 Annual Performance Plan

The 2015-2020 Strategy of the RTMC as approved by the Shareholders Committee provides for Goal 1: To promote and create a safer road environment, this is where the marketing and communication efforts of the corporation find strategic expression in terms of its deliverables. The Annual Performance Plan (APP) Key Performance Indicator (KPI) 5 is number of national road safety marketing campaigns implemented in line with the 365-day programme.

(b)(i)(aa) The cost of advertising is R 1 820 000 excluding vat and production of static perimeter boards for international and domestic rights to advertise during the 2015/16 cricket season for a year. This is cost effective when compared with a newspapers advertisement on a Sunday newspaper which can cost R800 000 for a single placing..

(b)(i)(bb) The type of advertising is the branding of the RTMC and broadcasting of road safety related messages using LED platform at South African National Cricket Team matches and static perimeter boards at all cricket stadiums for the domestic league.

(b)(ii) The rationale behind the adertising is informed by the mandate of the RTMC as expressed in (a)(iii) above.






END

Reply:

PRASA has no differential salaries for any employee grade on the basis of their geographic location either in the Cape Town, Johannesburg or any other Metropolitan area that provides commuter rail services. PRASA has a centralised salary grading system applicable to all its regions.

a)  Any differences that may exist would be based on the banding within each salary grade, consisting of three to four notches. An employee progresses within these notches based on the length of service and performance review outcomes.

b)  Not applicable

c)  Not applicable

Reply:

(a)  (i) The Department of Social Development through the Social Assistance Act, 2004 (Act No.13 of 2004) has entrusted the responsibility to administer social assistance and pay social grants to the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). In an effort to fulfill its oversight responsibility the Department has further established formalized engagement structures where matters relating to the administration of social assistance including payment of social grants and compliance with norms and standards are discussed.

(ii) The department is busy looking at the options of protecting older persons’ accounts from unscrupulous loan sharks and other schemes.

(b) The bank accounts of social grant beneficiaries operate within the confines of the national payment system rules. Therefore, although Regulation 26A in terms of the Social Assistance Act, allows deductions for a funeral policy or scheme to take place directly from a social grant before the grant money is paid into a beneficiary’s bank account, however once the grant money is transferred into the bank account of a beneficiary this Regulation ceases to operate.



END

Reply:

RESPONSE:

The data for each of the questions requested is available in the specified annexures as follows:

a)   (i) The districts in each province that have boarding facilities attached to special schools, special school resource centres and full-service schools (Annexure A);

      (ii) The names of the specified special schools and special school resource centres that have boarding facilities (Annexure A); and

      (iii) The names of full-services schools that have boarding facilities (Annexure B).

b)   The information about the extent to which boarding schools are equipped to meet the needs of learners with (i) physical disability, (ii) visual impairment, (iii) deafness, (iv) intellectual disability and (v) autism that has been made available by the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, North West and Western Cape Provincial Education Departments (Annexure A). Data on compliance with principles of universal design, is collected by School Infrastructure Planning through the monitoring process of the implementation of the Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure (2013);

c)    Statistics on personnel provisioning in boarding facilities are provided for the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, North West and Western Cape Provinces in respect of the number of:

1. house mothers and fathers (Annexure A);
2. household aids (Annexure A);
3. kitchen staff(Annexure A);
4. general assistants (Annexure A);
5. nurses or sisters (Annexure A);

Information has been requested from all provinces and will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

ANNEXURE A

Data in response to questions (a)(i), (a)(ii), (b)(i), (b)(ii), (b)(iii), (b)(iv), (c)(i), (c)(ii), (c)(iii), (c)(iv), (c)(v)

Sources: Data provided by provinces in August 2015

Province	District	(a)(i) Names of Special Schools with Hostels	(a)(ii) Names of Resource Centres with Hostels	(b)(i) How many Hostels are equipped for learners with physical disability	(b)(ii) How many Hostels are equipped for learners who are blind	(b)(iii) How many Hostels are equipped for learners with intellectual disability	(b)(iv) How many Hostels are equipped for learners with autism	(c)(i) Number of housemothers/fathers	(c)(ii) Number of household aids	(c)(iii) Number of kitchen staff	(c)(iv) Number of general assistants	(c)(v) Number of nurses
EC	Port Elizabeth	Cape Recife	Cape Recife	yes	-	-	-	13	13	0	24	1
	Port Elizabeth	Northern Lights	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0	3	0
	Port Elizabeth	Merryvale	Merryvale	-	-	yes	-	20	6	2	7	1
	Port Elizabeth	Quest	Quest	-	-	-	yes	16	6	1	0	0
	Port Elizabeth	Reubin Birin	Reubin Birin	-	-	-	-	7	8	2	3	0
	Port Elizabeth	Khanyisa PE	Khanyisa PE	-	yes	-	-	15	2	4	10	2
	Qumbu	Tsolo	Tsolo	-	-	yes	-	19	8	2	3	0
	Mbizana	Zamokuhle	Zamokuhle	-	yes	-	-	27	2	3	2	0
	East London	Arcadia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	18	0
	East London	Parkland	-	-	-	-	-	1	4	1	15	0
	East London	Vukuhambe	Vukuhambe	yes	-	-	-	25	6	9	13	1
	Mthatha	Ikhwezi Lokusa	Ikhwezi Lokusa	yes	-	-	-	25	22	6	3	1
	Mbizana	Vukuzenzele	Vukuzenzele	yes	-	-	-	28	15	8	9	0
	Mbizana	Nompulanga	Nompulanga	-	-	yes	-	22	5	6	9	0
	Graaff-Reinet
				4	2	3	1	218	97	44	119	6
FS	Fezile Dabi	Fakkel		Information is available from School Infrastructure Planning	Information is available from School Infrastructure Planning	Information is available from School Infrastructure Planning	Information is available from School Infrastructure Planning	Information is available from Human Resource Planning	Information is available from Human Resource Planning	Information is available from Human Resource Planning	Information is available from Human Resource Planning	Information is available from Human Resource Planning
	Fezile Dabi	Johan Slabbert
	Fezile Dabi	Mphatlalatsane
	Lejweleputswa	Orion
	Lejweleputswa	Nobilis
	Lejweleputswa	Amari
	Motheo	Pholoho	Martie du Plessis
	Motheo	Bartimea	Tswellang
	Motheo	Böhmer
	Motheo	Ladybrand
	Motheo	Jimmie Roos
	Motheo	Rosenhof
	Motheo	Tatello
	Motheo	Lettie Fouche
	Thabo Mofutsanyana		Tiboloha
	Thabo Mofutsanyana		Maluti
	Xhariep
	Xhariep
	Xhariep
GT	Tshwane South	Nuwe Hoopskool	Unicaskool	1	0	1	1					4
	Gauteng West		Wesrandse Skool - West Rand School	1	0	1	1					1
	Gauteng East	Sonitusskool	Muriel Brandskool	1	0	1	1					4
	Ekurhuleni South		Ezibeleni School For Physically Disabled Children	1	0	1	1					2
	Johannesburg South	Transvaliaskool-School	Jiswa Training Centre	2	0	2	2					4
	Sedibeng East	Muriel Brandskool	Krugerlaanskool	1	0	2	2					3
	Johannesburg South	Frances Vorwergskool	Sizwile School For The Deaf	1	0	1	0					4
	Johannesburg West	Rotaraskool	Randburgskool (Kliniekskool- Gestremde Leerlinge)	1		1	1					2
	Johannesburg North	Bethesda Special School	Gresswold Senior School	0	0	2	0					4
		Felicitasskool - School	Via Nova School For The Mentally Disabled	1	0	2	0					4
	Tshwane West	Ezibeleni School For Physically Disabled Children	Pretoriaskool Vir Serebraal Gestremdes	2	0	2	0					3
	Johannesburg East	Dr. W.K. Du Plessis-Skool	Dominican School For The Deaf	1	0	1	0					3
	Tswhane South	Rant-En-Dal Kliniekskool		0	0	1	1					1
	Tswhane West	Transoranje-Skool Vir Dowes		0	0	1	0					1
	Tshwane West	Takalani		0	0	1	0					2
	Ekhuruleni South	Adelaide Tambo School		1	0	1	0					2
	Gauteng East	Hope School-Skool		1		1	0					1
	Tswhane North	Eurekaskool		0	0	1						2
	Ekurhuleni	Ekurhuleni School For The Deaf		1	0		0					2
	Tshwane West	Prinshofskool			1							2
	Sedibeng East	Sibonile School For The Blind			1							2
		Ithembalihle School										2
	Tshwane North	Dominican School For The Deaf										2
	Tshwane West	Filadelfia			1							2
KZN	Uthukela	Kwazamokuhle		27	27	Information is available from Human Resource Planning	Information is available from Human Resource Planning	Information is available from Human Resource Planning	Information is available from Human Resource Planning	Information is available from Human Resource Planning	Information is available from Human Resource Planning	Information is available from Human Resource Planning
	Ugu	Harding
		St Martins
		Suid-Natal
	Zululand	Inkanyiso
		Zamimpilo
		Musa
		Bawelisile
	Umlazi	Golden Hours
		Open Air
		Reunion
		Mason Lincoln
	Uthungulu	Vuleka
		Masisizane
		Sthandiwe
		Thembimfundo
	Umgungundlovu	Peter Pan Training Centre
		Ekukhanyeni
		H.S. Ebrahim
		Open Gate
		St Christopher’s
		Arthur Blaxall
		Indaleni
		Newton
	Amajuba	Bumbisizwe (Madadeni)
		Newcastle School of Industries
		Tugela Prevocational School
		Bergsig Special School
	Pinetown	Sunfield Home
		AM Moola
		KwaThintwa
		Ethembeni
		Fulton
		The Browns
		Tongaat
		VN Naik
	Sisonke	Vulekani
		Daniel Mzamo
	Umkhanyakude	Sisizakele
		Intuthuko
		Khulani
	Umzinyathi	Pro Nobis
LP
NW	Bojanala	Meerhof	Meerhof	1	0	0	10	9	3	3	10	1
	Rustenburg	Kutlwanong	Kutwanong	0	0	1	0	10	1	42	0	0
	Bojanala	Oom Paul	0	0	0	1	0	11	1	6	0	0
	Dr Ruth S Mompati	MM Sebitloane	M M Sebitloane (New hostel, awaiting handover)	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
		Christiana School (Blind)	0	1	1	1	1	6	13	7	0	0
	Ngaka Modiri Molema	Tlamelang	0	1	0	1	0	17	1	Service Provider	31	1
		Coligny	0	1	0	1	0	2	2	2	2	0
		Bophelong	Bophelong (New hostel, awaiting handover)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Dr Kenneth Kaunda	Daeraad	0	0	0	2	0	3	6	0	0	1
		Janie Schneider	Janie Schneider	1	0	1	0	2	2	1	1	1
		Keurhof	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	6	5	0
		North West Secondary	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	7	1	0
		Die Wilge	0	0	0	1	0	1	9	3	5	0
		ES Le Grange	0	0	0	5	0	11	16	8	2	2
		Ikalafeng	Ikalafeng	4	0	4	4	2	16	14	9	1
WC	Overberg	Agulhas	Agulhas			2			13			0
	CENTRAL	ASTRA	ASTRA	CP and Physical Disabled	6				18			2
	North	Athlone School for the Blind	Athlone School for the Blind		2				19			1
	East	Alta du Toit				3			44			1
	North	Atlantis				2			11			1
	North	Bet el				2			21
	Eden	Carpe Diem	Carpe Diem			2 (Spectrum)			12			1
	North	De Grendel				2			14			0
	Cape W	De la Bat	De la Bat		DEAF =11				20			1
	South	Dominican Wittebome			DEAF = 6				18			1
	Central	Dominican Grimley			DEAF = 6				8			0
	Eden	Eljada Kairos	Eljada Kairos			4			31			1
	Central	Eros		2					24			1
	East	Jan Kriel	Jan Kriel			SLD =4			38			1
	Cape W	Langerug				SLD = 2			6			1 X Itinerant
	Central	Mary Harding	Mary Harding			2			13			1
	Overberg	Mispah				5			19			0
	Cape W	Nuwe Hoop			DEAF = 8				43			1
	Eden	Olympia				MMID = 2			13			0
	Eden	Oudtshoorn				MMID = 2			11			0
	East	Paarl	Paarl	2					13			1
	Cape W	Pioneer			6				31			1
	West Coast	Riebeeck Valley	Riebeeck Valley			MMID = 2			20			0
	Cape W	Steinthal				MMID = 2			9			0
	Central	Tembaletu		2					8			1
	Eden	Van kervel				MMID=2			12			0
	Central	Vera	Vera				2		16			0
	West Coast	Weskus	Weskus			MMID-3	3		19			0
	North	Westcliff				MMID=2	1		9			0

ANNEXURE B

Names of Full-Services Schools with Boarding Facilities, per District

Source: EMIS data collated from the Annual School Survey, 2014

Province	District	Name of School
EC	Graaff-Reinet	Aberdeen P Public School
FS	Motheo	Brebner P/S
FS	Lejweleputswa	Bultfontein C/S
FS	Thabo Mofutsanyana	Graanveld P/S
FS	Xhariep	Jacobsdal P/S
FS	Xhariep	Jagersfontein I/S
FS	Lejweleputswa	Kegomoditswe P/S
FS	Xhariep	Koffiefontein C/S
FS	Thabo Mofutsanyana	Letlotlo P/S
FS	Xhariep	Luckhoff P/S
FS	Thabo Mofutsanyana	Paul Roux I/S
FS	Motheo	Polokehong P/S
FS	Thabo Mofutsanyana	Pulamadiboho P/S
FS	Thabo Mofutsanyana	Reitz C/S
FS	Thabo Mofutsanyana	Senekal P/S
FS	Motheo	Sentraal P/S
FS	Motheo	Unicom P/S
FS	Lejweleputswa	Winburg C/S
FS	Xhariep	Zastron P/S
LP	Capricorn	Harry Oppenheimer Secondary
LP	Greater Sekhukhune	Laerskool Roossenekal
LP	Capricorn	St. Brendan's Catholic Secondary
MP	Not Applicable	Lothair Primary School
MP	Not Applicable	Qhubekani Primary School
MP	Not Applicable	Relane Lower Primary
NC	Pixley Ka Seme	Alpha Primêre Skool
NW	Lichtenburg	Hoërskool Coligny
NW	Madibeng	Hoërskool Wagpos
NW	Zeerust	Lencoe Primary School
NW	Greater Delareyville	Manamolela Primary School
NW	Mafikeng	Phera Primary School
NW	Mafikeng	Sol Plaatjie Secondary School
WC	West Coast	Dirkie Uys Laerskool
WC	West Coast	Elizabethfontein Mor Prim.
WC	West Coast	Steynville Prim.
WC	West Coast	Swartland Laerskool.

Reply:

1. (a)Yes, all proclaimed conservation and heritage areas are so identified

          (b) Section 48(2)(c) of the MPRDA prohibits the issuing of rights, permits or permissions on areas reserved in terms of any law.

(2) (a)

REGIONS	OFFICIALS
Head Office	04
KwaZulu Natal	03
Eastern Cape	03
Western Cape	03
Limpopo	05
Mpumalanga	05
North West	04
Gauteng	02
Free State	03
Northern Cape	03
TOTAL	35

(b) 30 officials are currently attending training and a further 30 officials will start training in October 2015.

 

 

 

END

Reply:

The Public Service Commission (PSC) is an independent constitutional body established in terms of Section 196 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. It comprises 14 Commissioners appointed by the President of which five (5) are approved by the National Assembly and nine (9) are nominated by each of the Premiers of the respective province.

Section 4(1) and (2) of the Public Service Commission Act, 1997 states that:

“(1) Whenever the President is required to appoint a commissioner who has been approved by the National Assembly, the President shall address a request in writing to the Speaker of the National Assembly that a fit and proper person contemplated in section 196(10) of the Constitution be approved of as soon as may be practicable by the National Assembly in accordance with section 196(8)(a) of the said Act”, and

“(2) Whenever the President is required to appoint a commissioner who has been nominated by the Premier of a province, the President shall address a request in writing to the premier of that province that a fit and proper person contemplated in section 196(10) of the Constitution be nominated as soon as may be practicable by that Premier in accordance with section 196(8)(b)”,

In terms of Section 5(1) of the Public Service Commission Act, 1997, “the President shall designate one commissioner as chairperson and another as deputy chairperson of the Commission”.

Therefore, the chairperson of the Public Service Commission is not a direct appointment as the vacancy does not get advertised but the chairperson is drawn from amongst Commissioners within the employ of the Public Service Commission. It is the prerogative of the President to designate one Commissioner as the chairperson and another as a deputy chairperson of the Public Service Commission.

The President is waiting for the filling of the vacant post at national level of which the National Assembly of Parliament is in a process of identifying the candidate for nomination and recommendation to fill this vacant post.


END

Reply:

Provincial Youth Camps are conducted by the provinces themselves. Since the Honourable Member is interested in province-specific issues, the details of which I do not readily have, I advise that the Honourable Member liaise directly with the relevant Provincial MEC

END

Reply:

Honourable Member, as a Member of the Legislature and an Honourable Member of this House, I am sure you are well aware that the matter you are raising is clearly a Constitutional matter and not for the National Minister of Health and any Minister from the National Sphere of Government for that matter, to participate in.

If I can just assist the Honourable Member, please refer to Section 91(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South, 1996 (Act No. 108 of 1996), on the appointment of Ministers by the President of the Republic. Similarly, the Honourable Member may refer to Section 132(2) of the Constitution, on the appointment of MECs by the Premier of a Province.

Therefore from these provisions of the Constitution, the Honourable Member will see that the matter of the appointment and/or dismissal of MECs is clearly articulated. Nowhere in the Constitution, as Supreme Law, or in any law of this Country is it provided for that a Minister should be involved in the appointment or dismissal of MECs in anyway whatsoever.

END.

Reply:

Honourable Member, let me mention upfront that the establishment of initiation schools is under the control of the Department of Coorperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta).

As Health, we play a supportive role in terms of the health needs of initiates. Together with Cogta, we have negotiated with CONTRALESA (the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa) whereby the Department will make available a sum of R20 million per Province. With this money, the traditional leader should look for medical doctors who are also practitioners and affiliates of that particular culture and have themselves gone through cultural initiation schools, to take care of the health needs of the initiates and to perform the actual circumcision, including post-operative care.

Some traditional leaders have accepted this option and where it is implemented, there is absolutely no death or no amputations.

However, some are still very resistant to this proposal and that is where death commonly occurs. A large number of deaths happen in illegal schools which are unknown even to the traditional leaders.

END.

Reply:

Honourable Member, I have repeatedly mentioned that our methods of determining the number of posts for health workers cannot be deemed reliable as it is derived from organograms which were drawn up long ago and not based on any scientific tool. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has come up with a new scientific tool called WISN (Work Indicators for Staffing Norms). We have just finished calculating WISN norms for Primary Health Care facilities only. We have just started working out the numbers in hospitals.

WISN will be the only reliable indicator of staffing in the healthcare system.

END.

Reply:

1. The Minister for Public Service and Administration formally consulted with the Minister of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs, in a letter dated 23 June 2015, in respect of the local government remuneration framework as published in April 2015.

​2. (a) Minister communicated the following:

• agreement with the proposed extension of the number of categories for the classification of municipalities from 8 to 10 for purposes of the remuneration of Senior Managers;
• noted that the proposed annual (2015) increase of the minimum and maximum remuneration for the revised municipal categories ranges between 12% and 18.7% for Municipal Managers and 12.7% and 60.9% for Managers directly accountable to Municipal Managers; and

• recommended that the 2015 increases should be based on National Treasury’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) forecast of 4.8% for the 2015/16 financial year.

(b) and (c) There was no further official communication received from the Minister of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs after the afore-mentioned letter dated 23 June 2015.

3.  (a)(b) That the 2015 salary increases for Municipal Managers and Managers directly accountable to Municipal Managers should be based on National Treasury’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) forecast of 4.8% for the 2015/16 financial year.



END

 

 

Reply:

1(a). The Department has not stopped paying a subsidy to the Voortrekker Monument. The Voortrekker Monument is not a Declared Cultural Institution in terms of the Cultural Institutions Act and therefore does not receive a subsidy from the Department. However, the Department does provide funding to the Monument on an adhoc basis subject to the availability of funds. The Department has committed to transfer R1.3 Million to the Monument for the 2015/2016 financial year. To date, the DAC has transferred R1, 170 000 to the Voortrekker Monument in August 2015, and will transfer R130 000 on submission of a satisfactory expenditure report before the end of the current financial year.

(b). No discussion or prior notice was necessary since the MOU for the funding stipulates the terms and the funding period.

2(a). Non notification is not DAC standard practice.

(b). Standard practice was not deviated from as no discussion or prior notice was necessary since the MOU for the funding stipulates the terms and the funding period. No notification was required as the Voortrekker Monument receives ad hoc funding from the DAC and not annual funding as it is not a Declared Cultural Institution. My department has had several engagements with the Monument to see how best it can accommodate the Monument depending on the availability of funds.

3. As the Minister of Arts and Culture, I cannot reinstate a subsidy that did not exist. The Voortrekker Monument does not receive an annual subsidy as it is not a Declared Cultural Institution in terms of the Cultural Institutions Act.





END

Reply:

An employee’s applications for long periods of incapacity leave must in terms of the Policy and Procedure on Incapacity Leave be dealt with in keeping with defined time frames. The Head of Department has the authority to consider such an application taking into account all available information such as the employee’s application, additional medical information, including the advice of the Health Risk Manager. Managers are in terms of their core management responsibilities as defined in their core management criteria (CMC’s), responsible for the management of their staff. Therefore, if a manager fails to properly manage long periods of incapacity leave, the relevant Executive Authority and/or Head of Department can discipline that particular manager for not executing his/her responsibilities. Therefore relevant Heads Department (HODs) are in a better position to indicate the measures taken in this regard.


END