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18 September 2015 - NW2305

Profile picture: Davis, Mr GR

Davis, Mr GR to ask the Minister at Communications:

Has the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) paid any money towards the legal fees of a certain person (name furnished) during the period 31 January 20 1 5 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if so, (a) what amount has the SABC paid towards the specified person s legal fees, (b) to which law firms has the money been paid, (c) which cases was the money used for, (d) who authorized the expenditure and (e) which (i) policy, (ii) legislation or (iii) any other relevant documentation was used to justify such expenditures NW2666E

Reply:

King III and the introduction of The Companies Act in 2008 has rendered Directors' and Officers’ Liability Insurance crucial for all companies regardless of size or incorporation. The SABC a s such an insurance cover and all legal fees for Ms Ellen Tshabalala were submitted to the Insurers for payment

(a)SABC has not paid any amounts towards the legal files
(b) Not Applicable
© Not Applicable
(d) Not Applicable
(e) Not Applicable


MR N MUNZHELELE
[ACTING] DIRECTOR GENERAL
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
DATE: 24/07/15


MS AF MUTHAMBI, MP
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS
DATE:

 

18 September 2015 - NW3141

Profile picture: Kopane, Ms SP

Kopane, Ms SP to ask the Minister of Human Settlements

(1)Have representatives of the residents of Masimong 4 Estate in Welkom approached (a) her department and/or (b) her regarding issues of (i) corruption and/or fraud in the allocation of residential units at the specified estate and (ii) the eviction of residents; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what action was taken to address the concerns raised by the residents in each case; (2) (a) how many residential units are in the specified estate, (b) what criteria was used to allocate the units to the various beneficiaries and (c) what was the total cost of developing the specified estate; (3) (a) why are the residents being evicted from the specified estate, (b) how did it come to be that they occupy their respective units and (c) from which date have they occupied the respective units in each case; (4) (a) what criterion was used to identify amounts payable in rent by the specified beneficiaries and (b) to whom?

Reply:

(1) (a) The Department has initiated an investigation into the allegations made by the tenants/residents of Masimong 4 Estate, in Welkom. The Department received the complaint in March 2015 and concluded its preliminary investigation on 28 May 2015. A preliminary investigation and assessment of the complaints was conducted by the Department’s Legal Advisory Services and Rental Housing Development Units. The preliminary investigation included, inter alia, an engagement with the complainants and property Management Company.

(b) (i) It is important to note that the initial complaint focused on allegations of a rental dispute and illegal evictions. The allegation of rental dispute was confirmed and it was found that conflicting/varying monthly rental fee structures were issued by property management Company and the Free State Department of Human Settlement. This resulted in complainants claiming being able to calculate the correct and/ or valid monthly rental fee structure.

(ii) The allegation of illegal eviction could not be substantiated by the complainants. However, the department has found that the complainants were threatened with evictions following their dispute with property Management Company on monthly rental to be paid by the tenants/ residents, due to conflicting/ different rental structure which was presented to them. The allegations of irregularities regarding the management of Masimong 4 Estate were referred to the department in July of 2015. The outcome of the preliminary investigation recommended that the matter be referred for forensic investigation.

The matter, particularly the alleged irregularities in the management of Masimong 4 Estate, is a subject of a forensic investigation that is currently underway and conducted by the department Special Investigations Directorate. A detailed forensic investigation report will be submitted once the investigation is finalized and the recommendations considered and where required actioned.

(2) (a)There are 641 residential units in the specified estate.

The units were built essentially for low income households earning between R800.00 and R3500.00 per month. Those earning above R7500 must pay market related rental amount.

(b) Applicants have to complete an Application Form and must attach:

  1. A copy of the ID;
  2. Copies of the Birth Certificates of all members of the applicant’s household;
  3. Most recent payslip;
  4. Two (2) months’ Bank Statement not older than 2 months

Each applicant is then checked whether:

  1. Their income falls within the permitted brackets; and
  2. The income is enough to afford the applicable rental.

Where the applicant’s income is not sufficient to allow for the set rental payments, the income of the household is considered.

(c) The total cost for the development of the estate was R138 676 288.

(3) (a) The residents are legally evicted through the Courts and this only applies to the following:

(i)  Those who occupied the units illegally, refuse to be regularized and further refuse to pay rentals for accommodation.

(ii)  Legitimate occupants who refuse to pay rentals despite the fact that they have been invited on numerous occasions to make payment arrangements. The Department has further offered rent rebates and part arrear write-offs to incentivize payment.

 

UNIT TYPE

UNIT SIZE PER M2

RU SET MONTHLY RENTALS

RENTALS CHARGED AS PER ECONOMIC COST RECOVERY

RENTALS AGREED TO FOR TENANTS EARNING FROM R800 TO R3500

MARKET RELATED RENTALS FOR RTENANTS EARNING ABOVE R7500

Bachelor

34.22

R 508.92

R 500.00

R   350.00

 

R 750.00

One bedroom

50.64

R 753.13

R 700.00

R   500.00

R 1000.00

Two bedroom

69.69

R 1036.44

R 1000.00

R   700.00

R 1850.00

Three bedroom

70.47

R 1048.04

R 1200.00

R   700.00

 

R 1850.00

(b) The residents have on the average occupied these residences/units for 21/2 years since the opening of the Estate. An advert was placed in local circulating newspapers inviting tenants earing betweenR800 – 00 and R7500 – 00 to apply for rental accommodation at Masimong 4 Estate

(4) (a) Rentals in a Community Residential Units (CRU) Project are computed on an Economic Cost Recovery method where you divide the total expenses with the size of the floor area of the development and multiply the figure obtained with the size of each unit, for example this is how the Masimong 4 Estate Rentals were computed:

Total expenditure = R421 587

The total floor area for Masimong 4 = 29 719 m2

The standard m2 rate = R421 587 divided by 29 719m2

= R14.87 per/m2

Standard m2 rate is R14.87per m2 multiplied by different unit sizes to actual rentals

(b) Rentals are paid into the bank account of the Property Management Company.



END

18 September 2015 - NW3252

Profile picture: Lotriet, Prof  A

Lotriet, Prof A to ask the Minister of Science and Technology

(1)Is the African Institute of South Africa (AISA) effectively collaborating with the SA National Space Agency to advance its agenda to collect, collate and analyse data on Africa’s development through its Geo Information System; if not, why not; if so, how; (2) What tools will be used by AISA to promote an African research agenda?”

Reply:

(1) There is currently no collaboration between the AISA research programme and SANSA.

 

(2) The HSRC is in the process of developing its Africa Research Partnership and Collaboration Strategy. The Strategy for AISA will be nested within this broader HSRC Strategy.



END

 

18 September 2015 - NW3311

Profile picture: Lekota, Mr M

Lekota, Mr M to ask the Minister of Police

Whether, in respect of SA Police Service (SAPS) members serving at border posts, the Government has taken proactive and decisive steps to ensure that (a) adequate accommodation is made available to all SAPS members close to where they work, (b) proper offices with necessary equipment are available to them to work from, (c) shelters are provided for trucks to be inspected in unfavourable weather conditions, (d) the improved garage turnaround plan will result in a faster turnaround time for the servicing of SAPS vehicles and (e) the integrity and honesty of the SAPS is constantly subjected to a variety of checks to weed out corrupt SAPS officers; if not, why not, in respect of each of the above; if so, what are the relevant details in respect of each case during the period 30 June 2010 to 30 June 2015?

Reply:

a)      Residential Accommodation requirements for SAPS members serving at border posts are submitted via the SAPS User Asset Management Plan (UAMP) to the Border Control Operations Co-ordination Committee (BCOCC) at Department of Public Works for the provisioning of the required accommodation.

b)      Office Accommodation requirements for SAPS members serving at border posts are submitted via the SAPS User Asset Management Plan (UAMP) to the Border Control Operations Co-ordination Committee (BCOCC) at Department of Public Works for the provisioning of the required accommodation.

c)      Yes, the approach with regard to provision of shelters is catered in the collective budget that prioritizes the rebuilding of the ports. It must be further mentioned that apart from the rebuilding process, there is also a Repair and Maintenance Programme (RAMP) for all ports in order to deal with day to day challenges and that programme is also financed and budgeted through the collective budget from Treasury.

(d) Yes.

The National Management Forum took a decision that all SAPS garages must fall under Divisional Commissioner: Supply Chain Management in order to improve the availability of vehicles for policing purposes. A turnaround strategy has subsequently been put in place by the SAPS and lengthy procurement processes were shortened and capacity was increased at the garages in terms of infrastructure (e.g. purchasing of diagnostic equipment, hoists and specialized tools).

Spare parts stores were also established in all SAPS garages with fast moving spares.

A contract for spare parts was also awarded nationally in 2014 for the supply and delivery of vehicle spare parts but the SAPS does not solely rely on the spare parts contract to ensure an operable vehicle fleet. It also makes use of the following methods to not affect the downtime of the SAPS vehicles:

• Purchase vehicle body parts on the three (3) quotation basis;

• Repairs to drive line units in terms of contract 19/1/9/1/38TV (11);

• Outsourcing of repairs on a strip and quote basis to single source suppliers;

• Obtaining parts from the vehicle manufacturer’s agents;

• Utilizing of serviceable parts from SAPS vehicles already boarded (“cannibalizing”), and

• Maintaining vehicles in terms of contract RT46.

All SAPS garages are expected to ensure that a minimum of 80% or more of the vehicle fleet is available for policing at all times, and it is continually monitored to ensure this target is met or exceeded. The current national vehicle availability ratio is 83.35% average as on 30 June 2015.

It will be very time consuming to collate all the statistics relating to each border post and post of entry where there are SAPS members and vehicles; however the average time spent for SAPS vehicles in the garages for services was two (2) days during the 2014/15 financial year and we are striving to improve thereon and reduce the average to one (1) day.

(e) Since 2010 all members assigned to Border Policing completed the Z204 vetting forms for vetting process, all documents were received and forwarded to the Division Crime Intelligence for vetting processes. Over and above that process, the government departments, through the BCOCC, have collectively arranged with the National School of Government, previously known as PALAMA, for workshops on corruption that included attendance by various ports members.

Cases of corruption against members at Ports of Entry during the period 30 June 2010 to 30 June 2015 is as follows:

CORRUPTION CASES APRIL 2010 - MARCH 2011

Name of Ports

Case No

Members involved

Outcome of Case

Beitbridge

170/02/2011

1 x SAPS Official

Withdrawn

ORTIA

54/08/2010

1 x SAPS Official

Filed

 

200/06/2010

1 x SAPS Official

Filed

Kopfontein

27/04/2010

1 x SAPS Officials

Remanded 2015-08-05

Durban Harbour

98/11/2010

1 x SAPS Officials

Not guilty

CORRUPTION CASES APRIL 2011 - MARCH 2012

Name of Ports

Case No

Members involved

Outcome of Case

ORTIA

56/06/2011

1 x SAPS Official

Withdrawn

Golela

226/05/2011

1 x SAPS Official

Withdrawn

 

305/06/2011

1 x SAPS Official

Not guilty/Acquitted

Durban Harbour

201/11/2011

2 x SAPS Officials

Fine R2 000.00

OR Tambo

202/11/2011

2 x SAPS Officials

Not guilty

Durban Harbour

89/01/2012

4 x SAPS Officials

Withdrawn

CORRUPTION CASES APRIL 2012 - MARCH 2013

Name of Port

Case No

Members involved

Outcome of Case

ORTIA

36/07/2012

51/11/2012

1 x SAPS Official

3 x SAPS Official

Guilty- imprisonment

Guilty- fine

Beit Bridge

Musina 303/06/2012

1 x SAPS member

Not guilty

Jeppes Reef

Schoemansdal 82/11/2012

1 x SAPS Member

Withdrawn

Durban HBR

Maydon wharf 13/12/2012

2 x SAPS Official

Not guilty

CORRUPTION CASES APRIL 2013 - MARCH 2014

Name of Port

Case No

Members involved

Outcome of Case

Beit bridge

299/12/2013

405/12/2013

406/12/2013

1 x SAPS

1 x SAPS

1 x SAPS

Not guilty

Guilty/ Imprisonment/ Fine

Withdrawn

Jeppes Reef

Schoemansdal 16/07/2013

1 x SAPS

Withdrawn

KSIA

37/07/2013

1 x SAPS

Booked out to Senior State Prosecutor 2015-05-19

Van Rooyens

Wepener 77/02/2014

1 x SAPS

Withdrawn

CORRUPTION CASES APRIL 2014 - MARCH 2015

Name of Port

Case No

Members involved

Outcome of Case

Beit Bridge

Musina 287/05/2014

4 x SAPS Members

Withdrawn 2014-08-29.

Durban Harbour

Maydon Wharf 16/11/2014

2 x SAPS Members

1 member resigned and the other member to appear in court. Docket with IPID.

Vioolsdrift

08/06/2014

1 x SAPS Member

Still under investigation.

ORTIA

160/09/2014

2 x SAPS Members

Withdrawn

Pafuri

Masisi 50/02/2015

3 x SAPS Members

Booked to court 2015-03-27; no further status

18 September 2015 - NW3406

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Alberts, Mr ADW to ask the Minister of Police

Whether, with reference to his reply to question 2794 on 24 August 2015, the investigation by the anticorruption unit of the police in this regard is an interim investigation to establish whether there are merits in this case which warrant a full-blown investigation or whether this is a complete investigation with a view to prosecution?

Reply:

There is an interim investigation to establish whether there are merits in this case which warrant a full blown investigation.



END

18 September 2015 - NW3272

Profile picture: Mkhaliphi, Ms HO

Mkhaliphi, Ms HO to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

(1)What (a) total amount did his department spend on air travel between Gauteng and Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the 2014-15 financial year and (b) is the total number of trips that were undertaken; (2) what is the total amount that his department spent on (a) accommodation and (b) car rental in Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the specified financial year?

Reply:

The Department’s records system on travel does not separate the different categories of business for trips and destinations. The department can however disclose/provide the total travel expenditure for 2014/2015, per category of air travel and car hire.

(1) (a) The department spent a total amount of R27 739 532.51 on various air travel in the 2014/15 financial year.

(1) (b) The total number of trips undertaken for the year 2014/2015 to/from various areas/destinations throughout the country are 9 986.

(2) (a) The total amount spent on accommodation in the 2014/15 financial year is R39 138 312.70.

(2) (b) The total amount spent on car rental is R6 586 431.57 for 2014/2015.

18 September 2015 - NW3323

Profile picture: Mhlongo, Mr P

Mhlongo, Mr P to ask the Minister of Police

(1)(a)(i) What total amount did his department spend on his travel costs between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year and (ii) how many trips did he undertake between Cape Town and Gauteng in the specified financial year and (b) what total amount did his department spend on (i) hotel and (ii) residential or other accommodation for him in (aa) Cape Town and (bb) Pretoria in the 2014-15 financial year; (2) (a)(i) what total amount did his department spend on the Deputy Minister’s travel costs between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year and (ii) how many trips between Gauteng and Cape Town did the Deputy Minister undertake in the specified financial year and (b) what total amount did his department spend on (i) hotel and (ii) residential or other accommodation for the Deputy Minister in (aa) Cape Town and (bb) Pretoria in the 2014-15 financial year?

Reply:

The information is not readily available, therefore a request is hereby made for an extension of time in order for us to provide quality and correct information as soon as it is received, kindly note as well that the information required is depended on other divisions which must still be verified before submitted to you.

18 September 2015 - NW3228

Profile picture: Figlan, Mr AM

Figlan, Mr AM to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

What measures has his department put in place to address significant underspending on (a) building maintenance and (b) computer hardware and software resources in its various offices in the country?

Reply:

(a-b) The department is not significantly underspending on its budget allocations and continues to face serious budget pressures that constrain it from properly maintaining and improving its current office accommodation and expanding its footprint. These budget pressures also limit the department from refreshing its hardware and computer infrastructure on a planned basis. In this regard, it should be noted that the department utilised its full appropriation of R7,223 billion (100%) in the 2014/2015 financial year. This is an improvement on the expenditure outcome in the 2013/2014 financial year when 99,99% of the full appropriation of R6,994 billion was spent. National Treasury is engaged constantly to address the budget pressures the department faces. Treasury has in the past provide budget relief in the form of self-financing.


END

18 September 2015 - NW3339

Profile picture: van der Merwe, Ms LL

van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

Whether his department meets the Government’s employment equity target of 2% for the employment of persons with disabilities that was set in 2005; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

No, the current employment equity ratio for persons with disabilities is at 1.54%. In its recruitment strategy the department advertisement for posts encourages people with disability to apply for positions in the department, however in many cases those who do apply do not meet the minimum requirements for the posts. We are considering partnerships with organisations like Disabled People South Africa (DPSA) to try and mitigate this recruitment challenge.



END

18 September 2015 - NW3155

Profile picture: Hoosen, Mr MH

Hoosen, Mr MH to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

With regard to the IT server at the (a) Edenvale Home Affairs office and (b) Kempton Park Home Affairs office, (i) what amount of down-time or server failure has been experienced by each office’s IT server in (aa) 2014 and (bb) since 1 January 2015, (ii) what was the length of time of each down-time and (iii) what was the reason for each down-time?

Reply:

(i) The information for both offices is hereby provided as follows:

(a) Edenvale:

           (aa) 2014 - none

           (bb) April 2015 – one (1),

                 June 2015 – seven (7),

                 July 2015 - eight (8) and

                 August 2015 two (2).

b) Kempton Park:

         (aa) April 2014 - six (06),

         (bb) May 2015 - four (4),

               June 2015 - three (3),

              July 2015 – six (06) and

             August 2015 – two (2).

(ii-iii) Details in tabular format attached below:

OFFICE

MONTH

FREQUENCY OF DOWNTIMES

Duration of Down Time

Reason for Down Time

EDENVALE

APRIL 2015

01

The whole day

Photo booth and Front Line Officer (FLO) workstation offline/ power off

 

JUNE 2015

07

The whole day

FLO workstation and photo booth offline

 

JULY 2015

08

The whole day

Photo booth offline and Integrated Receipting Engine (IRE) for cash registers faulty

 

AUGUST 2015

02

The whole day

Integrated Receipting Engine (IRE) faulty. Photo booth offline and Xerox was faulty

         

KEMPTON PARK

APRIL 2015

06

2 Hours

Server was down due upgrade and generator kick in

 

MAY 2015

04

3 Hours

Problem with Server and generator failed to kick in

 

JUNE 2015

03

3 Hours

Problem with server generator failed to kick in

 

JULY 2015

06

The whole day

Back Office re-started the server

 

AUGUST 2015

02

3 Hours

Problem with server generator failed to kick in

18 September 2015 - NW3312

Profile picture: Lekota, Mr M

Lekota, Mr M to ask the Minister of Police

Whether the Government intends to (a) create an amnesty period permitting citizens to hand in firearms and rifles with no questions asked to help removing illegal and unwanted guns and rifles; (b) conduct inspections to ascertain whether holders of firearms licences were complying with statutory requirements, (c) offer rewards for information leading to the seizure of illegal firearms, (d) conduct a countrywide blitz that includes roadblocks to seize illegal firearms and (e) undertake an audit to determine whether the police were fulfilling all statutory and regulatory requirements in respect of removing illegal and unwanted firearms from society; if not, why not in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

Reply:

a)      In terms of section 139 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act 60 of 2000) the Minister may by notice in the Government Gazette declare an amnesty in order to allow any person who is in unlawful possession of firearms and /or ammunition the opportunity to surrender such firearms and /or ammunition without fear of being prosecuted for the unlawful possession of such firearms, ammunition and/or firearm parts in contravention of the Act.

b)     In terms of section 106,107,108 and 109 of the Firearm Control Act, 2000 (Act 60 of 2000), a Police Official may conduct such inspection as may be necessary in order to determine whether the requirements and conditions of the Act are being complied with. On a continuous basis inspections are conducted at official and non-official institution to check compliance with legislation.

c)    The South African Police Service has a policy where by citizens (informers) are remunerated for the information given to help combat crime in South Africa.

d)     The South African Police Service is currently embarking on crime combating operations like “Operation Fiela which has a huge success in the seizure of illegal firearms and other crime related issues. This operation is intended to run for 24 months.

e)     The South African Police Service as the custodian of the firearm legislation i.e the Firearm Control Act, 2000 (Act 60 of 2000) and Firearms Control Regulations, 2004 is obliged to ensure the enforcement and compliance of the legislation provisions of the Firearm Control Act and the Firearm Control Regulations. Inspections are conducted on a continuous basis at official and non-official institutions to check compliance with legislation.



END

18 September 2015 - NW3229

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Figlan, Mr AM to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

(1)How many visa processing centres does his department have on the (a) European, (b) Asian and (c) South American continents? (2) What is being done to address the shortage of visa facilitation service centres in terms of the Medium Term Strategic Framework target to import economically important but scarce skills from abroad; (3) (a) What level of training have staff or officials of the (i) visa facilitation service centres and (ii) Home Affairs received on the implementation of the new Immigration Regulations of 2014 and (b) at what frequency has this training taken place since 1 June 2014?

Reply:

 

(1)(a) European continent: 3

(1)(b) Asian continent: 13

(1)(c) South American continent: 0

(2) The Department is in the process of developing an ePermit system with an intention to roll it out in all South African Missions abroad and also extend the visas facilitation services (VFS) centres in countries where we receive mostly skilled persons for our economy.

(3)(a)(i-ii) VFS staff and officials received training in March 2014 before the publishing of the amended Immigration Regulations. Another training session took place in February 2015. Another training workshop has been scheduled for September 2015. At VFS centre level, there is regular refresher training conducted as and when there are new developments or departmental directives on the interpretation and application of the Immigration Act and the Regulations.

(3)(b) Home Affairs Officials receive regular training on operations, interpretation and application of the Immigration Act. Officials were trained by the Department’s Learning Academy on the new changes in the Act and its Regulations. Regular on-the-job training also takes place during staff meetings where officials share good practices and interpretation and application of the Immigration Act and the Regulations.



END

18 September 2015 - NW3230

Profile picture: Figlan, Mr AM

Figlan, Mr AM to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

When will all South Africans, not only pensioners and individuals during their birth months, be able to make applications for the new Smart ID cards?

Reply:

I will make a determination once all offices have sufficient capacity to handle the volumes of applicants for Smart ID cards. Currently office managers were given permission to apply their own discretion and accept other categories of citizens based on the volumes in their offices.

 

 

END

18 September 2015 - NW3227

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Hoosen, Mr MH to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

(1)(a) How many South African citizens lost their citizenship in terms of section 6 of the South African Citizenship Act, Act 88 of 1995, in the (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2014-15 financial years, (b) from which countries did the specified persons acquire citizenship and (c) what attempts are being made to inform citizens who are abroad about the specified provision of the Act; (2) have immigration departments in other countries been briefed in order to inform South African citizens in those countries about the implications of acquiring citizenship of another country?

Reply:

(1)(a)(i) 2010-2011 - 619

(1)(a)(ii) 2011-2012 - 540

(1)(a)(iii) 2012-2013 - 364

(1)(a)(iv) 2014-2014 - 509

(1)(b) A majority of cases relate to citizens taking up citizenship in Australia, Western Europe, Canada, United States of America and other countries.

(1)(c) The website of the department was updated in relation to the Citizenship Act, as it is the responsibility of each citizen to familiarise themselves with the Act, prior to taking up other country’s citizenship.

(2) No, the onus is on the individuals and those receiving countries.



END

17 September 2015 - NW1946

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McGluwa, Mr JJ to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

Whether, with reference to his reply to question 504 on 28 April 2015, he will consider reopening submissions for applications by government employees of the former Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei (TBVC) states who missed the June 2002-deadline for claiming pension payouts in terms of Resolution 7 of 1998 and Resolution 12 of 2002 of the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council; if not, why not?

Reply:

The Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) has been tasked to monitor implementation of both Resolutions 7 of 1998 & 12 of 2002 of the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) regarding past discriminatory practices. Therefore, enquiries in relation to reopening of the submissions of applications should be made to the PSCBC.

17 September 2015 - NW3321

Profile picture: Mhlongo, Mr P

Mhlongo, Mr P to ask the Minister of State Security

(1)What (a) total amount did his department spend on air travel between Gauteng and Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the 2014-15 financial year and (b) is the total number of trips that were undertaken; (2)What is the total amount that his department spent on (a) accommodation and (b) car rental in Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the specified financial year?

Reply:

Government officials are expected to travel between Gauteng and the Western Cape to carry out official duties, including ministerial and department support to the Executive who carry out parliamentary duties according to the Parliamentary programme.

Costs incurred by Government officials are readily made available in Annual Reports which will be tabled in Parliament.

17 September 2015 - NW3206

Profile picture: Kalyan, Ms SV

Kalyan, Ms SV to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

(1) (a) Who are the members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on BRICS and (b) what is their mandate; (2) (a) how many times has the IMC met since its establishment and (b) what were the relevant details of the issues discussed at the specified meetings?

Reply:

1(a) The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation tabled Cabinet Memorandum No 14 of 2012 to Cabinet to submit proposals for the Implementation Plan to prepare for the Fifth BRICS Summit, which South Africa would host on 27 March 2014. Cabinet approved this Implementation Plan that included the establishment of i) a BRICS Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to provide strategic direction to the preparations for the hosting of the Fifth BRICS Summit ii) an Inter-departmental Technical Senior Officials’ Team (IDTSOT) to spearhead preparations for hosting the Fifth BRICS Summit and iii) an Inter-Departmental Logistics Committee (IDLC) to facilitate preparations for hosting the Fifth BRICS Summit. President JG Zuma decided to appoint 15 members of Cabinet as well as the Premier of Kwazulu-Natal as members of the BRICS Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC). The members of the IMC that were appointed included: Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation (Chairperson), Transport, Energy, Police, Communications, Finance, Mineral Resources, Trade and Industry, Public Enterprises, Economic Development, Science and Technology, Home Affairs, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, State Security, Defence and Military Veterans, Minister in the Presidency: Performance Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration and Premier of KwaZulu-Natal. The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation was appointed as Chairperson of the IMC. The IMC also considered and adopted Terms of Reference for its functioning.

 

A recommendation to review its mandate was considered at the 9th BRICS IMC on 4 July 2014. The IMC concluded that the BRICS Forum had become a strategic global engagement, which is central to initiatives to spearhead global governance reforms as well as the transition to a new global order, and it would therefore require continued strategic guidance from the side of the Executive. The Chairperson of the IMC obtained approval from the President for the IMC to continue to convene at a reduced scale, at least bi-annually, of which one meeting will precede the annual Summit to provide strategic guidance to preparations. The members of the reconstituted IMC that were appointed included: Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation (Chairperson), Energy, Finance, Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Science and Technology, State Security, and Higher Education and Training.

1(b) The mandate of the IMC initially was i) to provide strategic direction to South Africa’s tenure as BRICS Chairship for 2013 ii) to host all BRICS agreed sectoral mechanisms and to provide leadership during its Chairship iii) to ensure the implementation of the EThekwini Declaration and Action Plan and iv) to effectively communicate to the South African public, SADC and the African Continent the value of BRICS in advancing the African Agenda.

The mandate of the reconstituted IMC was aligned to the BRICS endorsed Terms of Reference of the BRICS Chairship, which BRICS adopted in 2013.

The additional mandate of the IMC during Chairship and as incoming Chair was highlighted, notably ensuring strategic leadership during SA’s tenure as BRICS Chair in close consultation with other members and to ensure implementation of Summit Declarations and Action Plan. The mandate of the incoming Chairship entails coordination in respect of the next annual Summit in consultation with all South African stakeholders, e.g. to select the Summit theme, propose the Summit programme/agenda and prepare draft Summit Declaration and Action Plan.

2(a) The BRICS IMC has convened on 12 occasions since its establishment in September 2012.

2(b) The most salient issues discussed during these meetings, include, inter alia, a briefing by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation on the most recent substance related developments in BRICS and South Africa’s position on these issues and briefings by partner Departments on the various tracks in which they participate, including amongst others, National Treasury, Trade and Industry, Higher Education and Training, Science and Technology and State Security. Depending on the issues that require attention and guidance, the agenda may vary. It focuses on the implementation of annual Summit Declarations and Action Plans notably input for high level meetings. The minutes of the meetings are classified.

 

Additional items discussed during meetings of the reconstituted IMC, included a concept document of the African Regional Centre (ARC), the draft Terms of Reference of the New Development Bank African Regional Centre (NDB ARC) Local Steering Committee and the Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership (which was adopted by the Leaders of the Seventh BRICS Summit).

UNQUOTE

17 September 2015 - NW1416

Profile picture: Dreyer, Ms AM

Dreyer, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

Does his department have a Regulatory Burden Reduction strategy in place; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the strategy?

Reply:

No. The Department of Public Service and Administration (the DPSA) does not have a Regulatory Burden Reduction Strategy. The Minister for Public Service and Administration, issues Regulations that are required and necessary in terms of the Public Service Act, 1994 and no Regulations have been identified as burdensome to date.

 

17 September 2015 - NW3366

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Terblanche, Ms JF to ask the Minister of Science and Technology

What is the outcome of the Ministerial Review Committee on the enhanced role of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in the policy advisory niche and (b) what is the current status of the election of the 32 members of ASSAf? (2) Have any members been elected? If so, (a) what are the names of each of the elected members and (b) on which date was each of the specified members elected? (3) Has a human resource manager been appointed in ASSAf? If not, why not? If so, (a) what is the name of the appointed manager and (b) when was the specified person appointed? (4) Did ASSAf appoint four additional interns as at 30 April 2015? If not, why not? If so, (a) what are the names of each of the specified interns and (b) on what date was each specified intern appointed? (5) Has the policy and liaison managerial post within ASSAf been filled? If not, why not? If so, (a) what is the name of the appointee and (b) on what date was the specified person appointed?”

Reply:

  1. (a) The roles of ASSAf and the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) have been clarified, with ASSAf being best positioned to provide formal scientific advice through its in-depth, evidence-based long-term studies, and NACI being more suited to provide informal, short-term advice that may be of a confidential and policy nature. ASSAf and NACI have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to this effect.
  2. (b) Thirty-two Members were elected in 2013. They were inaugurated on 23 October 2013. Some details about the members are given below.

ASSAf NEW MEMBERS 2013

 

NAME

GENDER

RACE

INSTITUTION

1

Prof Lee Berger

M

White

Wits

2

Prof William Bishai

M

White

Nelson R Mandela School of Health

3

Prof Claude Carignan

M

White

University of Cape Town

4

Prof Tilman Dedering

M

White

Unisa

5

Prof Tania Douglas

F

Black

University of Cape Town

6

Prof Themba Dube

M

Black

Unisa

7

Prof William Ellery

M

White

Rhodes University

8

Prof Kobus Eloff

M

White

University of Pretoria

9

Prof Andrew Forbes

M

White

CSIR

10

Prof Bao-Zhu Guo

M

Black

Wits

11

Prof Willem Hanekom

M

White

University of Cape Town

12

Prof Branislav Jeremic

M

White

Stellenbosch University

13

Prof Colin Kenyon

M

White

CSIR

14

Prof Anna Kramvis

F

White

Wits

15

Ass. Prof Delia Marshall

F

White

University of the Western Cape

16

Prof Ebrahim Momoniat

M

Black

Wits

17

Prof Kathryn Myburgh

F

White

Stellenbosch University

18

Prof Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni

M

Black

Unisa

19

Prof Marie-Louise Newell

F

White

Africa Centre for Health and Population

20

Prof Stella Nkomo

F

Black

University of Pretoria

21

Prof Ruksana Osman

F

Black

Wits

22

Prof Michael Pepper

M

White

University of Pretoria

23

Prof Francesco Petruccione

M

White

University of KwaZulu-Natal

24

Prof Wolfgang Preiser

M

White

Stellenbosch University

25

Prof Jeremy Seekings

M

White

University of Cape Town

26

Prof Dirk Smit

M

White

Stellenbosch University

27

Prof Mark Solms

M

White

University of Cape Town

28

Prof Gary Stevens

M

White

Stellenbosch University

29

Prof Caroline Tiemessen

F

White

National Institute of Communicable Diseases

30

Prof Louise Viljoen

F

White

Stellenbosch University

31

Prof Maria Watt

F

White

University of KwaZulu-Natal

32

Prof Derek Yach

M

White

The Vitality Group (Discovery Holdings)

2. In 2014, 23 new ASSAf Members were elected and these members were inaugurated at the Annual Awards ceremony on 14 October 2014 (their details are shown below):

ASSAf NEW MEMBERS 2014

 

NAME

GENDER

RACE

INSTITUTION

1

Professor Marion Bamford

F

White

Wits

2

Professor Markus Böttcher

M

White

North West University

3

Professor Jeanet Conradie

F

White

University of the Free State

4

Professor Wim de Villiers

M

White

University of Cape Town

5

Professor Eno Ebenso

M

Black

North West University

6

Professor Liesel Ebersöhn

F

White

University of Pretoria

7

Professor Sabiha Essack

F

Black

University of Kwazulu-Natal

8

Professor Amanda Gouws

F

White

Stellenbosch University

9

Professor Shireen Hassim

F

Black

Wits

10

Professor Salomé Kruger

F

White

North West University

11

Professor Robert Mattes

M

White

University of Cape Town

12

Professor Dhayendre Moodley

M

Black

University of Kwazulu-Natal

13

Professor Linus Opara

M

Black

Stellenbosch University

14

Dr Nesri Padayatchi

M

Black

University of Kwazulu-Natal

15

Professor Laurence Piper

M

White

University of the Western Cape

16

Professor Sekhar Ray

M

Black

Unisa

17

Professor Neerish Revaprasadu

M

Black

University of Zululand

18

Professor Christian Rogerson

M

White

University of Johannesburg

19

Professor Mohamed Seedat

M

Black

Unisa

20

Professor Sheona Shackleton

F

White

Rhodes University

21

Professor Ivan Turok

M

White

HSRC

22

Professor Karel Viljoen

M

White

University of Johannesburg

23

Professor Charles Wiysonge

M

Black

Stellenbosch University

3. Mrs Lynette du Plessis was appointed as Human Resources Manager with effect from 1 January 2015.

4. Interns appointed were:

Ntambudzeni Tshiswaise 4 May 2015

Uve Gcilishe 1 April 2015

Mmaphuthi Mashiachidi 1 April 2015

Agatha Khanyisa 1 June 2015

5. Mr Stanley Maphosa was appointed as the policy and liaison manager with effect from 2 March 2015.

17 September 2015 - NW2881

Profile picture: Mokgalapa, Mr S

Mokgalapa, Mr S to ask the MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION:

1. What are the (a) names and (b) designations of each of the nine South African representatives abroad representing the country in various international organisations, as indicated on her department’s website; 2 are these representatives remunerated by her department; if not, are they remunerated by the international organisations on which they serve; if so, on what salary level are each of these representatives remunerated; 3 what appointment process did each of these representatives undergo; 4 were the (a) academic qualifications, (b) experience within (i) the foreign service, (ii) her department or (iii) the Public Service considered in the appointment process of each of the specified representatives; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of each appointment?

Reply:

Reply:

(1) (a)NAMES

(1) (b)DESIGNATIONS

ORGANISATIONS

AMB M Nkosi

Ambassador

Belgium and Luxembourg; and Mission to the European Union

Amb AK Bramdeo

Ambassador

Seconded by African Union to the European Union

Mr E Beck

Minister Plenipotentiary

Belgium and Luxembourg; and Mission to the European Union

Amb JNK Mamabolo

Ambassador

SA Permanent Mission in United Nations

Mr EL Mminele

Minister Plenipotentiary

SA Permanent Mission in United Nations

Amb TJ Seokolo

Ambassador

Vienna, Austria and Permanent Mission to the UN & International Organisations

Ms L Greyling

Minister Plenipotentiary

Vienna, Austria and Permanent Mission to the UN & International Organisations

Amb AS Minty

Ambassador

Geneva, Switzerland and Permanent Mission to the UN and other International Organisations

Ms NP Notutela

Minister Plenipotentiary

Geneva, Switzerland and Permanent Mission to the UN and other International Organisations

Amb X Carim

Ambassador

World Trade Organisation

(2) Yes.

NAMES

DESIGNATIONS

MISSION LEVEL

AMB M Nkosi

Ambassador

14

Mr E Beck

Minister Plenipotentiary

13

Amb JNK Mamabolo

Ambassador

14

Mr EL Mminele

Minister Plenipotentiary

13

Amb TJ Seokolo

Ambassador

14

Ms L Greyling

Minister Plenipotentiary

13

Amb AS Minty

Ambassador

14

Ms NP Notutela

Minister Plenipotentiary

13

Amb X Carim

Ambassador

14

*Amb AK Bramdeo

Ambassador

13

*Ambassador Bramdeo is remunerated partly by the AU and partly by the Department.

(3) The appointment process undergone by all reprsentatives abroad is done in terms of Section 84 (2) (i) of the Constitution, 1996, which provides: “that the President has the powers entrusted by the Constitution and legislation, appointing ambassadors, plenipotentiaries, and diplomatic and consular representatives”.

Ambassador Bramdeo, an official of the Department, is seconded by the AU to the EU.

(4) No. The appointment process is effected through the Constitution and does not prescribe academic qualifications and experience.

16 September 2015 - NW3268

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Paulsen, Mr N M to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

(1) What (a) total amount did his department spend on air travel between Gauteng and Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the 2014-15 financial year and (b) is the total number of trips that were undertaken; (2) What is the total amount that his department spent on (a) accommodation and (b) car rental in Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the specified financial year?

Reply:

  1. (a) The total amount that DAFF spent on air travel between Gauteng and Cape Town for employees was R15 144 235.14.

(b) Total number of trips that were undertaken was 2561.

2. (a) The total amount spent on accommodation by DAFF during April 2014- March 2015 was R 2 879 035.45;

(b) The total amount spent on car rental for employees during April 2014 – March 2015 was R1 237 539.22.

The purpose of the trip is reflected on the trip authorization form but is not recorded on the invoice system. For the purposes of responding to this question, the actual expenditure as reflected on the invoice system is used. It will be a mammoth task to obtain the relevant information from the multitude of trip authorizations at hand. The trips to Cape Town are not only for Parliamentary business but also include visits to Regional Offices and meetings in the Western Cape.

16 September 2015 - NW3241

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Cassim, Mr Y to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

In respect of each training project currently funded by the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) (a) what total number of students were to be trained in each field of study at the outset of each of these projects and (b) for what specified training periods; (2) (a) how many students were in fact trained in each field of study and (b) for how long was each student trained; (3) (a) how many students have qualified in each field of study at the conclusion of these projects and (b) how long did each student take to qualify; (4) what was the average cost of training for each student?

Reply:

  1. (a) and (b) Please refer to Annexure A which lists the total number of students trained and training periods thereof.
  2. (a) The table below provides details of the duration and number of students trained and

qualified:

Learning Programmes

Learners Trained

Number of employed Learnerships entered (funded)

0

Number of employed Learnerships entered (unfunded)

78

Number of unemployed Learnerships entered (funded)

3 005

Number of unemployed Learnerships entered (unfunded)

350

Number of employed Bursaries entered

0

Number of unemployed Bursaries entered

581

Number of employed Skills Programmes entered (funded)

119

Number of employed Skills Programmes entered (unfunded)

67

Number of unemployed Skills Programmes entered (funded)

1 006

Number of unemployed Skills Programmes entered (unfunded)

97

Number of unemployed Internships entered (workplace experience)

686

TVET College Graduate Placement

58

Candidacy programmes entered

0

University Graduate Placement

342

Number of apprenticeships entered (unemployed)

2 982

Number of apprenticeships entered (employed)

0

Number of RPL programmes entered (employed)

0

Number of RPL programmes entered (unemployed)

1 218

Total

10 589

(b) The table below provides details on the duration of the programmes offered:

Learning Pathways

Duration

Apprenticeships

1 year

Learnerships

3 years

Short Skills Programmes

1 – 4 months

Internships

3 years

Candidacy

1 year

3. (a) and (b) Please refer to the response to questions 2 (a) and (b) above.

4. 50% of the grant amount was allocated towards the learner stipend, and the remaining 50% was for the actual implementation of the training.

Learning Pathways

Unit Cost

Apprenticeships

R46 350.00

Learnerships

R36 000.00

Short Skills Programme

R13 500.00

Recognition of Prior Learning

R3 500.00

Trade Tests

R3 500.00

Internships

R36 000.00

Work Placements

R36 000.00

Candidacy

R60 000.00

Bursaries

R60 000.00

Total

R294 850.00

 

 

 

Compiler/Contact persons:

Ext:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

REPLY TO QUESTION 3241 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

STATUS:

DATE:

16 September 2015 - NW2726

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Van Damme, Ms PT to ask the Minister of Social Development

(1)With reference to her reply to question 1660 on 26 May 2015, if this was not a deviation from the original contract, (a) why was the R317 million paid separately from the money paid to Cash Paymaster Services in terms of the contract, (b) why was the contract price of R16.44 per registration not adhered too if indeed it was part of the original contract and (c) what was the cost for each of the additional registrations; (2) was there a request to the SA Social Security Agency Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC) for a variation; if so, (a) why was this necessary if there was no deviation from the original contract and (b) what was the response from the BAC?

Reply:

The Honourable Member must refer to my previous reply to question 2725 on 04 September 2015 as this matter in which I have outlined all reasons.

16 September 2015 - NW2955

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Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Communications

(1) With reference to her reply to question 232 on 25 February 2015, has her department commissioned the services of an independent service provider; if not, why not; if so, (a) who has been commissioned, (b) what amount is the specified independent service provider charging her department for the services, (c) has the specified independent service provider completed its work and (d) what was the outcome of the specified independent service provider’s work; (2) Have any (a) charges or (b) disciplinary measures been instituted as a result of the services of the specified independent service provider; if not, why not; if so, (i) against whom have the specified measures been instituted and (ii) at what level of employment are the persons against whom the specified measures are being taken? NW3459E

Reply:

As per the response to question 232 on 25 February 2015, the SABC did commission a service provider to determine the accuracy of the above quoted amounts as a consequence of the AGSA qualifying the disclosure. The estimated costs for phase I is R4 million. The service provider is yet to finalise its work and the Department is unable to provide further information at this stage.

 

 

 

MR NN MUNZHELELE

DIRECTOR GENERAL [ACTING]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

DATE:

MS AF MUTHAMBI (MP)

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS

DATE:

16 September 2015 - NW2954

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Davis, Mr GR to ask the Minister of Communications

With reference to her reply to question 453 on 27 November 2014, (a) when is the envisaged start and end date for the Information for Empowerment Dialogues, (b) which (i) stakeholders and (ii) towns and cities will be visited,(c) how many officials will participate and (d) what is the budgeted costs for the specified dialogues?

Reply:

The Department could not source the funding for the Information and Empowerment Dialogues and these have been postponed indefinitely.

 

 

 

MR NN MUNZHELELE

DIRECTOR GENERAL [ACTING]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

DATE:

MS AF MUTHAMBI (MP)

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS

DATE:

16 September 2015 - NW2263

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Van Damme, Ms PT to ask the Minister of Communications

Whether (a) her department and (b) any entities reporting to her has paid out the remainder of any employee's contract before the contractually stipulated date of termination of the contract since the 2008-09 financial year up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if so, (i) what amount has (aa) her department and (bb) entities reporting to her spent on each such payout, (ii) to whom were these payouts made and (iii) what were the reasons for the early termination of the contracts in each specified case?

Reply:

(a) DEPARTMENT

No

(b) ENTITIES

Brand South Africa

2008-09

  1. R2 284 000
  2. Ms Yvonne Johnston
  3. Her contract was terminated by the Presidency.

Film and Publication Board (FPB)

The FPB did not pay out any employee contracts prior to the stipulated date of termination.

Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)

In 2014/15, ICASA had paid out four (4) Councillors for their extended 45 working days, subsequent to their contractually stipulated end of office dates, as stipulated by section 7 (4) of the ICASA Act.

  1. (bb) ICASA has spent a collective once-off payout of R 437, 346.47 to the four Councillors.
  2. These payouts were made to the following Councillors:

Councillor’s Name

Pay-out

Councillor William Currie

R 102, 357.69

Councillor Joseph Lebooa

R 102, 357.69

Councillor Ntombizodwa Ndhlovu

R 116, 315.55

Councillor William Stucke

R 116, 315.55

  1. The contractual term of office for each Councillor had lapsed.

Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA)

The MDDA employees have always been appointed on permanent contracts, except for the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Executive Officer. Both the former Chief Executive Officer (Mr Lumko Mtimde) and the former Chief Financial Officer (Mr Mshiyeni Gungqisa) served their contractual terms accordingly.

South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)

Title

Full Names

Surname

Amount

Comments

Mr

Qabang Michael Solly Moeketsi

Mokoetle

R 3 800 000.00

12 month pay-out - Agreed separation

Adv

Daluxolo Christopher

Mpofu

R 6 700 000.00

Agreed separation, Additional payments - R4.4 m restraint of trade (funded by DoC), R2.1 m legal fees

Mrs

Lulama Patricia

Mokhobo

R 4 200 000.00

12 month pay-out - Agreed separation, Additional payment of R1.4 m restraint of trade

Mrs

Clarah Phumelele

Nzimande

R 2 600 000.00

Pay-out of remainder of contract - separation agreement

Mr

Thabo Phillip

Molefe

R 4 900 000.00

Pay-out of remainder of contract - settlement agreement

Mrs

Thabang Charlotte Christine

Mampane

R 4 300 000.00

Pay-out of remainder of contract - separation agreement

Ms

Mantshebo Thelma

Melk

R 3 000 000.00

Pay-out of remainder of contract - separation agreement

Ms

Zaiboonisha

Jones

R 1 700 000.00

6 month pay-out, including commission - separation agreement

Mr

Christopher Warren

David

R 800 000.00

Pay-out of remainder of contract - separation agreement

Mr

Rapitse Peter

Montsho

R 1 200 000.00

Pay-out of remainder of contract - separation agreement

Ms

Khulekelwe Glynnis

Mbonambi

R 623 000.00

6 month pay-out, CCMA Settlement agreement

Ms

Jacqueline Moepeng

Motsepe

R 882 000.00

Pay-out of remainder of contract - settlement agreement

 

 

MR N MUNZHELELE

[ACTING] DIRECTOR GENERAL

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

DATE:

MS AF MUTHAMBI, MP

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS

DATE:

16 September 2015 - NW2439

Profile picture: Shinn, Ms MR

Shinn, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Communications

What amount did (a) her department and (b) each entity reporting to her spend on advertising in (i) Sowetan and (ii) Daily Sun in the (aa) 2012-13, (bb) 2013-14 and (cc) 2014-15 financial years? NW2805E MINISTRY:COMMUNICATIONS REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA Private Bag X 745, Pretoria, 0001, Tel: +27 12 473 0164 Fax: +27 12 473 0585 URL: http://www.gov.za NATIONAL ASSEMBLY QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY QUESTION NUMBER: 2439 OF 2015 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 JUNE 2015 Ms M R Shinn (DA) to ask Minister of Communications What amount did (a) her department and (b) each entity reporting to her spend on advertising in (i) Sowetan and (ii) Daily Sun in the (aa) 2012-13, (bb) 2013-14 and (cc) 2014-15 financial years? NW2805E REPLY: MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS GCIS advertises on various platfroms based on the objectives of the campaign and the target audience of the message. The department spent the below amounts on the two publications: (i)(aa) No records of the detailed expenditure per publication are available during 2012/13 as media buying procurement was outsourced to a service provider that is now no longer trading. (i)(bb) R181 798.66 (i)(cc) R483 821.86 (ii)(aa) No records of the detailed expenditure per publication are available during 2012/13 as media buying procurement was outsourced to a service provider that is now no longer trading. (ii)(bb) R205 476.79 (ii)(cc) R221 310.20 MR D LIPHOKO [ACTING] DIRECTOR GENERAL GCIS DATE: MS AF MUTHAMBI, MP MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS DATE:

Reply:

(a) GCIS advertises on various platfroms based on the objectives of the campaign and the target audience of the message. The department spent the below amounts on the two publications:

(i)(aa) No records of the detailed expenditure per publication are available during 2012/13 as media buying procurement was outsourced to a service provider that is now no longer trading.

(i)(bb) R181 798.66

(i)(cc) R483 821.86

(ii)(aa) No records of the detailed expenditure per publication are available during 2012/13 as media buying procurement was outsourced to a service provider that is now no longer trading.

(ii)(bb) R205 476.79

(ii)(cc) R221 310.20

 

 

MR D LIPHOKO

[ACTING] DIRECTOR GENERAL

GCIS

DATE:

MS AF MUTHAMBI, MP

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS

DATE:

15 September 2015 - NW3251

Profile picture: Tarabella - Marchesi, Ms NI

Tarabella - Marchesi, Ms NI to ask the Minister of Basic Education

(1)What is the amount of the additional recurrent operational funding paid to full service schools based on screened learners with moderate to high support needs in each (a) province and (b) district; (2) (a) which schools have applied for additional staff in terms of the weighting of learners with disabilities and (b) how many staff have been appointed in each (i) province and (ii) district; (3) what amount has been budgeted for the (a) acquisition of assistive technology and learning and teaching support materials in accessible format such as Braille and (b) employment of itinerant learning support teachers in the implementation of inclusive education in each (i) province and (ii) district?

Reply:

1) The Department of Basic Education have requested responses from the nine Provincial Education Departments. However to date, only the following provinces have responded as stated below:

Gauteng Department of Education: In the 2015/16 financial year, no additional funding was transferred to full service schools. Additional support was provided through a provincially centralised provisioning process, including interventions such as the training of teachers and the provision of specialised Learner and Teacher Support Material and assistive devices.

North West Department of Education: The following budgets have been made available the 2015/16 financial year: Bojanala District: R1 151 462; Dr. Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District: R100 000; Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District: R100 000; Ngaka Modiri Molema: R100 000. An additional R8.4m budget has been made available for providing assistive devices to sixteen (16) newly identified full service schools.

Western Cape Department of Education: The additional funding paid to full service schools, over and above their norms and standards allocations, amounts to R48 000 per full service school for 2015, across all districts.

The responses from other Provincial Education Departments will be provided as soon as they are received.

2(a) Once learners are screened and categorised according to the nature of the disability, such information is entered in the post provisioning model and the appropriate weighting is used. There is, therefore, no need to apply for additional staff if all learners were included in the data supplied for the determination of the post establishment.

(b) The Department is not aware of any schools that that have requested additional staff in any (i) province and (ii) district. The Department has requested provinces to provide this information and once it is received, it will be submitted.

3(a) Provincial Education Departments have been requested to provide a response to this question. To date, the following responses were received:

Gauteng Department of Education: A sum of R6 894 300 was budgeted for in 2015/2016 to ensure schools in need of assistive devices are able to buy needed devices in order to increase support provisioning for learners.

Limpopo Department of Education: Provided Apex readers and tablets to schools for the visually impaired on to which textbooks and workbooks are downloaded. This was purchased to the value of R10 million.

Northern Cape Department of Education: The province has budgeted for the acquisition of assistive technology to the amount of R120 000.00 and learning and teaching support materials (LTSM) in accessible format such as Braille to the amount of R2 365 139.00.

North West Department of Education: The province have allocated a budget of R8 429 400 for assistive devices and R19 000 000 for LTSM.

Western Cape Department of Education (WCED): Braille equipment to the value of R4 200 000 has been given to the two schools for the Blind for the use of learners in the school and learners placed out from the school. The WCED has developed South African Sign Language (SASL) LTSM to the value of R500 000. Assistive technology was acquired to the amount of R960 000.00 and has been placed at 8 loan centres in the province, one in each district. These devices can be accessed by mainstream learners via the recommendation of the District Based Support Team (DBST) specialist staff or Inclusive Education outreach teams.

The Department of Basic Education is awaiting responses from other Provincial Education Departments.

Table 43: Number of remedial, learning support and special needs teachers in 2014

(b) The Department has the following information available for 2014. No new information for 2015 is available as yet.

Province

Number of Schools

Remedial Teachers

Special Needs Teachers

Learning Support Educators

Learning Support Teachers

Teacher Assistants/Aides

       

(School-based)

(Itinerant)

 

EC

35

0

0

0

82

54

FS

251

421

268

 

 

 

GT

325

0

258

372

0

0

KZN

66

106

1 255

344

 43

367

LP

 

 

 

 

 

 

MP

 

 

 

 

 

 

NC

2

0

1

1

13

 

NW

0

0

518

62

0

109

WC

1630

0

0

119

480

131

NATIONAL TOTAL:

2 309

527

2 300

898

254

661

Source: Information received from provinces in September 2014

15 September 2015 - NW3250

Profile picture: Boshoff, Ms SH

Boshoff, Ms SH to ask the Minister of Basic Education

(a) How many officials from (i) districts and (ii) schools have been trained by the National Training Team on the Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support policy in each province and (b) what are the names of the specified districts and schools referred to above?

Reply:

a) There are (i) no districts and (ii) schools that have been trained by the National Training Team on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support policy per province yet. Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) are currently finalising training plans for submission to DBE.

b) The names of districts and schools will be made available as soon as the training has taken place at those levels.

15 September 2015 - NW3405

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Boshoff, Ms SH to ask the Minister of Basic Education

(1)In respect of each province and each district, how many schools (a) have Disaster Management Procedures and Emergency Plans in place and (b) conduct regular evacuation trial runs; (2) in respect of each province and each district, how many schools (a) have access control measures in place for (i) learners, (ii) educators and (iii) visitors and (b) conduct random searches on students in conjunction with the SA Police Service?

Reply:

(1) Disaster Management Procedures and Emergency Plans are basic requirements to ensure the safety of learners and teachers and should be drafted and implemented by all schools. (a and b) The Department does not have specific data as requested on how regular evacuation trials are practiced by schools;

(2) As mentioned above, Access Control Measures is also a basic requirement for school safety and should be implemented:

(a) By all schools for (i) learners (ii) educators and (iii) visitors;

(b) Searches and seizures are conducted on reasonable suspicion by the South African Police Services (SAPS), in conjunction with principals and senior management teams. Specific data regarding the number of schools implementing this requirement is not available to the Department and resides with the provinces.

15 September 2015 - NW3283

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Mashabela, Ms N to ask the Minister of Basic Education

(I) What (a) total amount did her department spend on air travel betv.een Gauteng and Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the 2014-15 financial year and (b) is the total number of trips that were undertaken; (2) what is the total amount that her department spent on (a) accommodation and (b) car rental in Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the specified financial year? NW3886E

Reply:

(1) (a) The Department spend R891 976.80 on air travel between Gauteng and Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the 2014-15 financial year.

(b) the total number of trips that were undertaken between Gauteng and Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the 2014-15 financial year was 170.

(2) (a) The total amount the Department spend on accommodation in Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the 2014-15 financial year was R180 823.50.

(b) The total amount the Department spend on car rental in Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the 2014-15 financial year was R76 940.34.

15 September 2015 - NW3247

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Lovemore, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Basic Education

(1)How many learners were enrolled in Grade 10 in each province in 2013; (2) how many learners in each province are currently registered to write the 2015 National Senior Certificate examinations; (3) how many learners who were progressed from Grade 11 to Grade 12 are registered to write the 2015 National Senior Certificate examinations in each province?

Reply:

Question 1

PROVINCE

ENROLMENT GRADE 10

(2013)

Eastern Cape

154 920

Free State

60 643

Gauteng

201 341

Kwazulu-Natal

268 467

Limpopo

187 804

Mpumalanga

97 117

North West

70 032

Northern Cape

22 727

Western Cape

83 234

National

1 146 285

(Source: 2013 School Realities)

Question 2 and 3

 

QUESTION 3

QUESTION 2

PROVINCE

PROGRESSION NO

TOTAL ENTERED

Eastern Cape

13 927

93 115

Free State

9 945

35 389

Gauteng

18 411

112 128

Kwazulu-Natal

10 614

171 714

Limpopo

18 202

102 633

Mpumalanga

4 082

56 104

North West

3 808

33 841

Northern Cape

2 055

12 732

Western Cape

4 813

56 576

National

85 857

674 232

(Source: IECS – 2015 Preliminary Examination Enrolment Data)

15 September 2015 - NW3290

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Mbatha, Mr MS to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(a)(i) What total amount did his department spend on his travel costs between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year and (ii) how many trips did he undertake between Cape Town and Gauteng in the specified financial year and (b) what total amount did his department spend on (i) hotel and (ii) residential or other accommodation for him in (aa) Cape Town and (bb) Pretoria in the 2014-15 financial year; (2) (a)(i) what total amount did his department spend on the Deputy Minister’s travel costs between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year and (ii) how many trips between Gauteng and Cape Town did the Deputy Minister undertake in the specified financial year and (b) what total amount did his department spend on (i) hotel and (ii) residential or other accommodation for the Deputy Minister in (aa) Cape Town and (bb) Pretoria in the 2014-15 financial year?

Reply:

The table below provides details of travel and accommodation costs between Gauteng and Pretoria during the 2014/15 financial year for the Deputy Minister and myself:

Executive Authority

Total amount spent

  1. (ii) Number of trips undertaken
 
  1. (i) Travel

(i) Hotel

(aa) Residential in Cape Town

(bb) Residential in Pretoria

 
  1. Minister

R128 065.00

R0.00

R0.00

R0.00

16

  1. Deputy Minister

R203 463.00

R0.00

R0.00

R0.00

29

Total

R331 528.00

R0.00

R0.00

R0.00

45

Compiler/Contact persons:

Ext:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

REPLY TO QUESTION 3290 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

STATUS:

DATE:

15 September 2015 - NW3397

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Van Der Walt, Ms D to ask the Minister of Basic Education

(1)With reference to her reply to question 2976 on 24 August 2015, what (a) was the budget amount for materials and stationery for the (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15 financial years and (b) are the estimated costs ofmaterial and stationery for the (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17 financial years in respect of each (aa) province and (bb) district; (2) in respect of each province, how many volunteers for the Kha Ri Gude centres (a) received a stipend from her department for the (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15 financial years and (b) are expected to receive a stipend in the (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17 financial years?

Reply:

1. (a)(b) The following table (columns 2, 3 and 4) indicates the amounts spent on materials and stationery for the 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 financial years. Columns 5 and 6 indicate the estimated costs for the 2015/16 and 216/17 financial years.

The Kha Ri Gude Mass Literacy Campaign is managed nationally by the Department of Basic Education and hence all material and stationery is purchased nationally for the entire campaign. Information is therefore provided per province only as it is not available per district.

2. (a)(b) Columns 2, 3 and 4 in the table below indicate the actual number of volunteers who were employed on short term contracts on the Kha Ri Gude Mass Literacy Campaign and received a stipend in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Column 6 and 7 in the table indicates the target number of volunteers for 2015 and 2016 to be employed on short term contracts on the Kha Ri Gude Mass Literacy Campaign based on the Census 2011 and the available budget.

 

2012 Actual

Volunteers

2013 Actual

Volunteers

2014 Actual

Volunteers

Target volunteers

2015

Target volunteers 2016

Eastern Cape

10140

10055

6985

2608

2608

Free State

3436

3284

2713

348

348

Gauteng

5705

5847

7820

1687

1687

KwaZulu Natal

9294

9120

9040

8957

8957

Mpumalanga

3484

3477

5640

6128

6128

Northern Cape

521

918

1346

1660

1660

Limpopo

6793

7126

7474

7812

7812

North West

2229

2328

3017

5573

5573

Western Cape

1005

1093

1512

2213

2213

Total

42607

43248

45547

36986

36986

15 September 2015 - NW1787

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Maimane, Mr MA to ask the President of the Republic

(1)     On which exact dates did he visit the Russian Federation in May 2015? (2) (a) how many government officials accompanied him on the specified visit, (b) what are the names of all non-government employees and persons who accompanied him on the specified visit and (c) what was the total cost of (i) flights, (ii) accommodation, (iii) travel within the Russian Federation and/or (iv) entertainment of the entire delegation during the specified visit?

Reply:

The visit to the Russian Federation was on 08-09 May 2015. Seventy-nine (79) officials from the Presidency and other departments accompanied me. Air travel costs incurred by the Department of International Relations and cooperation and the Presidency amounted to R179 124.93, while the accommodation of the entire delegation costed R627 630.54. Ground transport costs were R149 893.67.

15 September 2015 - NW3392

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Lovemore, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Whether, with reference to the court order issued by the Grahamstown High Court on 17 December 2014 (details furnished), the open post bulletins ordered by the court to be published have been gazetted: if not, (a) why not and (b) what alternative mechanisms (i) were and (ii) are now being used to ensure the filling of vacant posts, particularly Post Level 1 vacancies; if so, what are the relevant details of the (aa) bulletins and (bb) educators appointed as a result of each bulletin? NW4051E

Reply:

(aa) and (bb) The following table provides details of all open bullet ins issued by the Eastern Cape Department of Education in 2015 for each of the rank categories

Province: Eastern Cape

Vacancies

Nr

Date of Vacancy List

Date for filling

Nr Posts filled End of July 2015

Principal

Vol 2/2015(305 posts) Vol 4/2015( 190 posts)

24 March 2015
17 July 2015

1 July 2015
1 October 2015

66

DP

Vol 1/20 15(292 posts)
Addendum to Vol
1/2015( 137 posts)
Vol 3/2015(502 posts)

3 Feb 2015
16 Feb 2015)
3 June2015

1 May 2015
1 May 2015
1 September 2015

270

HoD

Vol 1/2015(980 posts)
Addendum to Vol 1/2015(426 posts)
Vol 3/2015(502 posts)

3 Feb2015
16 Feb 2015
3 June 2015

1 May 2015
1 May 2015
1 September 2015

967

PL1

Critical PL1 vacancies (338 posts advertised)

28 Aug 2015

1 November
2015

Closing date on
18 September 2015

Source: ECDOE Report, August 2015

15 September 2015 - NW3209

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Cassim, Mr Y to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(a) How many staff members teaching in adult education centres in each province have experienced delays in salary payments during the transition from provincial to national management of the specified centres, (b) what have been the (i) dates, (ii) scale and (iii) average length of these delays, (c) what bridging funds to assist teachers in this sector have been provided, especially in cases where they have been unable to pay for costs such as (i) rent and (ii) other vital expenses and (d) have any teachers been evicted from their homes as a result of the lack of payment of their salaries; (2) are any salary payments still outstanding; if so, what steps has he taken in this regard?

Reply:

  1. (a) In the erstwhile Adult Education and Training (AET) centres, when reference is made to

‘salary payments’ the concept is also used to refer to other forms of payment such as claims and stipends. Claims for instance, are part-time and extra-ordinary payments, usually over and above the normal salary of a person. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) became responsible for the payment of salaries of staff members teaching in AET centres from 1 April 2015, and is unable to respond to delays in salaries, which may have occurred prior to the AET function shift when the function was still with the Provincial Education Departments (PEDs). The response covers the period from 1 April 2015 to 31 August 2015. In view of the above, 2 540 staff members teaching at AET centres experienced delays in salaries during the transition from provincial to national competence.

(b) Table 1 below responds to the delays experienced by AET teachers of the Eastern Cape Province

  1. Dates
  1. Scale
  1. Average length of delays

Month Affected

Date salary paid

Actual calendar days delay

   

April 2015

17 August 2015

119 days

10 AET teachers

17 days

May 2015

17 August 2015

88 days

   

June 2015

17 August 2015

48 days

   

July 2015

17 August 2015

17 days

   

August 2015

31 August 2015

0 days

   

The System Change Control (SCC) was not performed by the Eastern Cape PED which led to the appointment of AET teachers onto the DHET PERSAL on 1 June 2015 instead of 1 April 2015. The salaries of the affected AET teachers were backdated from 1 April 2015 to 31 July 2015 and paid on 17 August 2015, and their salaries for August 2015 were paid on 31 August 2015. Currently, there are no staff members teaching at Eastern Cape AET centres experiencing any delays in salary payments.

Tables 2 to 5 below outline the delays experienced by the Northern Cape, North-West, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape AET teachers with regards to payment of stipends and claims.

Table 2: Delays experienced by AET teachers of the Northern Cape Province

  1. Dates
  1. Scale
  1. Average length of delays

Month Affected

Date salary paid

Actual calendar days delay

   

April 2015

30 June 2015

61 days

248 AET teachers paid stipends

45.5 days

May 2015

30 June 2015

30 days

   

June 2015

30 June 2015

0 days

   

In the Northern Cape and North West provinces, delays were experienced with the payment of stipends in April and May 2015 mainly because the appointment of AET teachers who are paid stipends could not be performed programmatically. AET teachers had to be uploaded manually onto the DHET’s PERSAL system. The stipends for April and May 2015 were paid on 30 June 2015 as supplementary payments together with stipends for June 2015. There have been no delays experienced with the payment of stipends since June 2015.

Table 3: Delays experienced by AET teachers of the North-West Province

  1. Dates
  1. Scale
  1. Average length of delays

Month Affected

Date salary paid

Actual calendar days delay

   

April 2015

30 June 2015

61 days

1 340 AET teachers paid stipends

45.5 days

May 2015

30 June 2015

30 days

   

June 2015

30 June 2015

0 days

   

With regard to the stipends in the Northern Cape and the North-West Provinces the stipends will run automatically every month as fixed amounts per month have been loaded.

Table 4: Delays experienced by AET teachers of the Western Cape Province

  1. Dates
  1. Scale
  1. Average length of delays

Month Affected

Date salary paid

Actual calendar days delay

   

April 2015

22 June 2015

53 days

400 AET teachers paid on a claim system

37.5 days

May 2015

22 June 2015

22 days

   

The reason for delay is the late submission of claim forms to the DHET by the PED. The payment of claims received from the Western Cape is up to date with exception of approximately forty-nine problematic cases which involve officials working in Community Learning Centres (CLCs) that are above the age as prescribed by the Public Service Act, 1994 or have taken severance packages during 1998 and 2001 and were only allowed to work for one (1) continuous year, or were previously dismissed from service. Such cases have been discussed with the Management of the Western Cape and contracts for these officials will end on 31 December 2015.

Table 5: Delays experienced by AET teachers of KwaZulu-Natal Province

  1. Dates
  1. Scale
  1. Average length of delays

Month Affected

Date salary paid

Actual calendar days delay

   

April 2015

22 July 2015

83 days

542 AET teachers paid on a claim system

47.5 days

May 2015

28 July 2015

58 days

   

June 2015

2 September 2015

64 days

   

July 2015

30 September 2015

61 days

   

August 2015

Claims not yet received

   

The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province used the claim system to pay AET teachers. As explained in my response to question 1, a claim is not a salary and in the case of KZN, these are extra-ordinary appointments because most of the AET teachers are already appointed as full-time teachers by the KZN PED. In order for any claim to be processed, the DHET has to verify the claim through the Centre Manager, the Regional Manager and the Vocational and Continuing Education and Training Programme Manager. The claims for April and May 2015 were submitted late in June 2015 by the KZN PED. DHET officials worked overtime to first appoint AET teachers onto the DHET PERSAL system and then verify claims and ultimately process payment of claims.

It should also be noted that for the claims method of payment, AET teachers who were transferred from PEDs had to be first appointed onto the PERSAL system before the claims could be processed. There are still cases whereby relevant documentation for appointment is still outstanding and on-going communication is taking place with the KZN Regional Office to rectify this, hence, payments for these claims are still outstanding. This delay affects approximately 542 AET teachers for the period between April and July 2015. These are mainstream teachers who have not completed and submitted the necessary Human Resources Management and Administration (HRMA) mandate documentation. This is due to the fact that they believed it is unnecessary as they are already employed full-time by the KZN PED. Such officials are being assisted by HRMA and the Acting Community Education and Training College Principal to complete and submit documentation for their appointment, processing and payment of their claims.

Other causes of the delays in the payment of claims in KZN is the non-appointment of AET teachers or non-payment of claims because of instances of negligence and/or irregularities in the forms that are submitted to the DHET for loading appointments and processing of payments. For most of the 542 outstanding cases, the DHET has not effected appointments or processed claims as doing so would be in contravention of the prescripts of both the PSA and the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (PFMA). Such cases include instances where:

  • Documentation submitted to the DHET was incorrectly completed;
  • AET teachers have not submitted original documents required to upload their appointment;
  • An AET teacher signs as both the Claimant and Centre Manager on his/her own claim forms;
  • Discrepancies are found between the hours claimed and the actual hours worked;
  • The hours claimed far exceed the maximum hours the teacher is allowed to work per month;
  • Information provided is not correct and relevant to the applicable officials, i.e. incorrect identity document numbers and PERSAL number were used; and
  • Some documents submitted are not signed by the necessary delegated officials and incorrect calculations are made on the forms.

(c) There are no bridging funds that were provided as the PFMA does not allow for such.

(d) The DHET has not received any reports of teachers having been evicted from their homes.

2) No, there are no outstanding salary payments but there are outstanding payments of claims. The DHET is liaising with the Regional Offices to ensure that correct documentation, which are correctly and accurately completed, is submitted to enable uploading of appointments and processing of payments. The DHET is in the process of paying claims received on an on-going basis. Queries are received through the Rapid Response Team and escalated to the relevant managers for a solution.

 

 

Compiler/contact persons:

Ext:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

REPLY TO QUESTION 3209 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

STATUS:

DATE:

15 September 2015 - NW3326

Profile picture: Paulsen, Mr N M

Paulsen, Mr N M to ask the Minister of Science and Technology

(a) (i)What total amount did her department spend on her travel costs between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year and (ii) how many trips did she undertake between Gauteng and Cape Town in the specified financial year and (b) what total amount did her department spend on (i) hotel and (ii) residential or other accommodation for her in (aa) Cape Town and (bb) Pretoria in the 2014-15 financial year; (2) (a) (i) What total amount did her department spend on the Deputy Minister’s travel costs between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year and (ii) how many trips did the Deputy Minister undertake between Gauteng and Cape Town in the specified financial year and (b) what total amount did her department spend on (i) hotel and (ii) residential or other accommodation for the Deputy Minister in (aa) Cape Town and (bb) and Pretoria in the 2014-15 financial year?.

Reply:

  1. Total amount spent by the department on the Minister’s travel costs between Gauteng and Cape Town in 2014-15 financial year;

a

b

 

aa

 

bb

i

ii

i

ii

R236 919,46

21

-

-

-

-

 

2. Total amount spent by the department on the Deputy Minister’s travel costs  between Gauteng and Cape Town in 2014-15 financial year?.

a

b

 

aa

 

bb

i

ii

i

ii

R236 919,46

21

-

-

-

-

 

15 September 2015 - NW3122

Profile picture: Maimane, Mr MA

Maimane, Mr MA to ask the President of the Republic

1. Is he aware of the report into the Madibeng Local Municipality water crisis that was put together by the Department of Water and Sanitation, which estimates that between 15 to 20 municipalities are faced with severe water shortages and collapsing water infrastructure; 2. What special projects is (a) he or (b) his Cabinet Ministers undertaking to mitigate the water crisis facing the (i) specified municipality and (ii) various municipalities faced with a water supply system collapse as identified by the Department of Water and Sanitation’s report; 3. Has he, in co-operation with the Department of Water and Sanitation, commissioned any academic studies into the economic impact of recent prolonged water shortages in urban municipal areas such as (a) Johannesburg, (b) Ekhuruleni, (c) Madibeng and others; if not, why not; if so, what are the findings of these studies?

Reply:

Departments prepare and commission many investigations in the course of executing their sector responsibilities and mandates and not all of these reports are brought to my attention. The Outcome of these reports and investigations is however used by Departments to develop specific intervention programmes where appropriate.

In the Case of Madibeng, this Municipality has been placed under Administration, with effect from 23 March 2015, by the Provincial Government in terms of Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa with regard to the Water and Sanitation Functions of the Municipality. The key reasons for placing the Municipality under administration with regard to these services is due to:

  • Poor water and sanitation services which often result in water supply disruptions and poor water quality;
  • Poor maintenance and operations of water and sanitation infrastructure;
  • Uneven provision of services to communities; and
  • Project delays due to prolonged processes and possible fraud and corruption.

The Department of Water and Sanitation is working with the Provincial Government of North West to implement a programmatic intervention which is addressing the reasons for the intervention.

The Departments of Water and Sanitation and Co-operative Governance have developed and are implementing support programmes and interventions as part of the Back to Basics programme for prioritized municipalities across the country facing water and sanitation shortages and infrastructure disruptions. These support programmes also take into account the outcomes from the Municipal Strategic Self-assessment System (MuSSA), the Blue and Green Drop Assessments as well as the diagnostic reports conducted by the Provinces.

Reporting on progress and monitoring of the interventions is done through the CoGTA MINMEC, the Implementation Forum for Outcome 9 and the InterMinisterial Committee on Basic Services.

2. SUCCESSES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND INTERVENTIONS

The following progress has been made

  • Makana;
    • Water supply has been stabilized and Grahamstown is now receiving water on a continuous basis. There is currently no disruption to educational institutions. The success has been largely due to the deployment of Amatola Water and support from the Department of Water Affairs in the Province;
    • Key interventions have been made to restore the supply of electrical, which has enhanced the capacity of pump stations; the refurbishment of raw water rising main; the restoration of plant capacity; and reduction and control of water losses.
    • A five year “turnaround plan/road map” was finalized following the Water and Sanitation Summit held in March 2015;
  • Madibeng,
    • We have reinstated the water supply systems in Majakaneng which had not been working for eight years, through a very successful community based leak detection and repair programme under the management of Magalies Water;
    • The programme is now be rolled out to the broader Madibeng Municipality;
    • Twelve Water Forums have been established;
    • Good progress has been made to increase of the capacity and optimization of the Brits Water Treatment works;
    • A business plan has been finalized for the implementation of the five year “turnaround plan/road map”;
  • Ngaka Modiri Molema
    • Sedibeng Water has taken over the operations of the former Botshelo Water Board and will support the retail services in Mahikeng for the next five years;
  • We have seen the reduction of the water tanker services through the repair and reinstatement of infrastructure;
  • A business plan has been finalized for the implementation of the five year “turnaround plan/road map”;

In addition to these specific actions a Programme Management Office (PMO) has been established by the Department of Cooperative Governance, coordinated by the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency to specifically address the ongoing water and sanitation problems in the 27 identified Priority District Municipalities. A pipeline of projects is currently being compiled by the PMO for Amatola (EC) and Umzinyathi (KZN) District Municipalities. Bojanala and Sekhukhune District Municipalities will be addressed next.

3. The Department of Water and Sanitation is not specifically commissioning studies to determine the economic impact of prolonged water shortages) in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Madibeng. It is however closely monitoring the state of non-revenue water (and water losses) in these Water Services Authorities (WSAs), and the economic impact this has, and to see whether the WSAs are meeting their water conservation and demand management targets, which have set by the Department.

The Department also (annually) monitors the vulnerability of all WSA nationally through Municipal Strategic Self Assessments, and is currently developing Municipal Priority Actions with these WSAs, based on the outcomes of the assessments, which feed into the WSA Water Service Development Plans, Integrated Development Plans, and Service Delivery Business Improvement Plans, to ensure that the identified areas of extreme and high vulnerability are addressed.

The above findings are available on the Water Services Knowledge System which is accessible on the website of the Department of Water and Sanitation.

15 September 2015 - NW3313

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Madisha, Mr WM to ask the Minister of Transport:

Whether the Government has effective measures in place to ensure that fatalities and serious injuries on the road as a result of crashes (details furnished) are declining substantially and progressively on a year-on year basis, if, so by what number and percentage were serious injuries and accidents declining on our roads annually during the period 30 June 2010 to 30 June 2015? Year Fatal Crashes Percentage Increase/ Decrease Fatalities Percentage Increase/ Decrease 2010 10 837 13 967 2011 11 228 3,61% 13 954 -0,09% 2012 10 977 -2,24% 13 528 -3,05% 2013 10 170 -7,35% 11 844 -12,45% 2014 10 367 1,94% 12 702 7,24% Figures for 2015 are still being compiled and this will be followed by quality assurance. These figures will be available at the end of the calendar year.

Reply:

The Government is implementing a 365 days road safety plan to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on the roads. Through the implementation of this plan, which includes road safety education, law enforcement, road engineering and evaluation we have seen a progressive year-on-year decline in road fatalities.

Year

Fatal Crashes

Percentage Increase/

Decrease

Fatalities

Percentage Increase/

Decrease

2010

10 837

 

13 967

 

2011

11 228

3,61%

13 954

-0,09%

2012

10 977

-2,24%

13 528

-3,05%

2013

10 170

-7,35%

11 844

-12,45%

2014

10 367

1,94%

12 702

7,24%

Figures for 2015 are still being compiled and this will be followed by quality assurance. These figures will be available at the end of the calendar year.

15 September 2015 - NW3243

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Tarabella - Marchesi, Ms NI to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

Has the Chief Executive Officer and/or the board of the Construction Education Training Authority received any petitions signed by staff members since 1 January 2013; if so, (a) what was the content of each petition and (b) how many staff members signed each petition; (2) did any of these petitions make allegations of corruption against a certain official (name furnished); if not, why not; if so, (a) how many petitions made such allegations, (b) have the allegations been investigated and (c) has the specified official been suspended pending the outcome; (3) have any members of staff of CETA been (a) disciplined, (b) suspended or (c) dismissed for alleged disciplinary offences related to the petitions?

Reply:

  1. The Chief Executive Officer and/or the Board of the Construction Education Training Authority did not receive any petitions signed by staff members since 1 January 2013.
  2. and (3) Not applicable.

 

 

Compiler/Contact persons:

Ext:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

REPLY TO QUESTION 3243 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

STATUS:

DATE:

15 September 2015 - NW3351

Profile picture: Van Dyk, Ms V

Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of State Security

Whether his department received a request to investigate Project Spider Web; if not, why not; if so, (a) who requested the investigation and (b) when was the investigation requested; • Whether the scope of the investigation will include (a) the origins of the document and/or (b) the particulars in the document; • Whether he will make a statement on the matter?

Reply:

  1. The State Security Agency (SSA) received a request to investigate the Project Spider document in July 2015.
  2. The matter is therefore currently under investigation. However, as a matter of policy the SSA do not comment on the details of on-going intelligence operations as comment may compromise the security of the investigation.

15 September 2015 - NW3291

Profile picture: Mashabela, Ms N

Mashabela, Ms N to ask the Minister of Basic Education

(1)(a)(i) What total amount did her department spend on her travel costs between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year and (ii) how many trips did she undertake between Gauteng and Cape Town in the specified financial year and (b) what total amount did her department spend on (i) hotel and (ii) residential or other accommodation for her in (aa) Cape Town and (bb) Pretoria in the 2014-15 financial year; (2) (a)(i) what total amount did her department spend on the Deputy Minister’s travel costs between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year and (ii) how many trips did the Deputy Minister undertake between Gauteng and Cape Town in the specified financial year and (b) what total amount did her department spend on (i) hotel and (ii) residential or other accommodation for the Deputy Minister in (aa) Cape Town and (bb) Pretoria in the 2014-15 financial year?

Reply:

  1. (a) (i) the Department spent R236 858.60 on travel costs for the Minister between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year;

(ii) the Minister undertook 34 trips between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year

(b) (i) (aa) the Department did not spend anything for hotel accommodation for the Minister in Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year;

(b) (i) (bb) the Department did not spend anything for hotel accommodation in for the Minister in Pretoria in the 2014-15 financial year;

(b) (ii) (aa) the Department did not spend anything for residential/ other accommodation for the Minister in Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year;

(b) (ii) (bb) the Department did not spend anything for residential/ other accommodation for the Minister in Pretoria in the 2014-15 financial year.

2. (a) (i) the Department spent R201 523.10 n travel costs for the Deputy Minister between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year;

(ii) the Deputy Minister undertook 29 trips between Gauteng and Cape Town in the 2014-15 financial year;.

(b) (i) (aa) the Department did not spend anything for hotel accommodation in Cape Town for the Deputy Minister in the 2014-15 financial year.

(b) (i) (bb) the Department did not spend anything for hotel accommodation in Pretoria for the Deputy Minister in the 2014-15 financial year.

(b) (ii) (aa) the Department did not spend anything for residential/ other accommodation in Cape Town for the Deputy Minister in the 2014-15 financial year;

(b) (ii) (bb) the Department did not spend anything for residential/ other accommodation in Pretoria for the Deputy Minister in the 2014-15 financial year.

15 September 2015 - NW3237

Profile picture: Mhlongo, Mr TW

Mhlongo, Mr TW to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform

(a) How many empowerment farms in the Northern Cape have been funded by the Government for the past 10 years, (b) in each case, at what cost to his department, (c) what amount was paid to the farm owner, (d) where are the specified empowerment farms located and (e) are the specified farms still profitable?

Reply:

(a) Further clarity is required on what is meant with the term ”empowerment farms”. The question will be answered in full on receipt of such clarity.

(b),(c),(d) and (e) falls away.

15 September 2015 - NW1788

Profile picture: Maimane, Mr MA

Maimane, Mr MA to ask the President of the Republic

What discussions were held between him and the President of the Russian Federation, Mr Vladimir Putin and/or any other Russian Federation government official during his visit to the specified country in May 2015?

Reply:

On 09 May 2015, I undertook a working visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to attend the 70th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 (WWII). The visit was guided by South Africa’s bilateral relations with the Russian Federation, which are informed by political, economic, social, defence and security cooperation and all the relevant legal instruments and mechanisms that affirm the strategic relationship between the two countries.

We held talks on the margins of the event which included an assessment of bilateral cooperation, the status and implementation of SA-Russia ITEC (Joint Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation) Agreements and preparations for the 13th SA-Russia ITEC Session to be hosted by the Russian Federation during the latter part of 2015.

We also discussed preparations for the 7th BRICS Summit which was hosted by Russia from 08 to 09 July 2015. We agreed on the need to intensify cooperation in various areas of cooperation.

15 September 2015 - NW3041

Profile picture: Lovemore, Ms AT

Lovemore, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Basic Education

(1)Whether she intends to introduce mechanisms to link the measurement of the performance of foundation phase teachers directly to learner performance; if not, (a) why not, (b) who will be held accountable for foundation phase learner outcomes and (c) how will accountability mechanisms operate; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether she will utilise the annual national assessment results (a) as a measure of individual learner progress during a grade or a phase and (b) as a tool to measure the efficacy of teachers; if not, in each case, (i) why not and (ii) how will she hold individual teachers accountable for their learners’ outcomes; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

Reply:

1. The performance of educators includes, inter alia, the performance of learners.

a) The performance measurement of educators has always included, amongst others, learners’ performance as one of the important proxies. This is in view of the fact that there are many factors at play determining learners’ performance. Factors which influence learning include the learner’s background, school conditions and context, and the teaching quality and processes. International research overwhelmingly points to the learner’s socio-economic status as being a major determinant of learning achievement. The measurement of the performance of all educators is a condition of service as agreed to in the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC). Currently, all educators, including teachers in the Foundation Phase, are appraised in terms of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS). Performance Standard 4 of the IQMS instrument measures Learner Assessment/Achievement.

b) Accountability for learner outcomes rests primarily with the Head of the school. In instances where there is under-performance of learners in the Foundation Phase, the Head of Department as well as the responsible teachers are co-accountable. According to the section 16 E of the South African Schools Act, the Principal of the school has to put in place a plan that would address any under-performance of learners at the school. The implementation of this plan will be monitored by the District and Provincial Department of Education, who report on the progress to the Head of Department in the province.

c) Not applicable.

2) (a) The purpose of Annual National Assessment (ANA) is to diagnose learning challenges and monitor the “health” of the education system. ANA is currently administered in only two subjects, language and mathematics, and on all learners at a particular period in a year. For that reason, individual teachers can use ANA results to measure progress of individual learners in their classes but that is not the primary purpose of ANA.

Through the introduction of the Annual National Assessments, known as ANA, the Department have focussed all officials, schools, teachers, and parents on learning and teaching performance in our country. The Department have utilised the diagnostic function of ANA in classrooms so that the Department have a means to assess performance of learners within our classrooms in relation to learners in the district and province. The Department have only just introduced the ANAs in the system in 2011, and like other countries, the Department recognise that the Department need to strengthen formative (school-based) assessment in our schools and how it can be used to improve learning and teaching in our classrooms. However, the Department do know that more can be done through improved school performance, and oversight of the curriculum in schools – especially in those schools which cater for children from poor households.

The Department has started work on refining the systemic assessment function of the ANA so as to accurately compare results across years and better monitor progress in the system. This process of strengthening systemic performance monitoring has taken over a decade in many countries and has required a dedicated effort and capacity from specialists, researchers and academics in the country and abroad. The National Development Plan (NDP) identifies this as a key issue to be resolved – and our Basic Education sector plan, Action Plan 2019: Towards the realisation of Schooling 2025 prioritises the ability to track performance, through an objective tool, as a priority. The Department will, of course, learn from provincial and international assessments such as the Systemic Assessments in the Western Cape and the Department’s participation in regional and international assessments.

The Department are also strengthening the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) administration so as to improve the performance management of teachers in schools and more carefully reflect the reality of what is going on at school level.

(b) (i)The efficacy of teachers is not specifically linked to performance of learners in the Annual National Assessment (ANA) results. The efficacy of all educators is measured in terms of the instrument in the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) as agreed to in the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC). Performance Standard 4 of the IQMS instrument measures Learner Assessment/Achievement.

(ii) Accountability for learner outcomes rests primarily with the Principal of the school. In instances where there is under-performance of learners in the ANA results, the Head of Department as well as the responsible teachers are co-accountable. According to the section 16 E of the South African Schools Act, the Principal of the school has to put in place a plan that would address any under-performance of learners based on the ANA diagnostic report of the school. The implementation of this plan will be monitored by the District and Provincial Department of Education, who report on the progress to the Head of Department in the province.

15 September 2015 - NW3169

Profile picture: Singh, Mr N

Singh, Mr N to ask the Minister of Tourism

Whether his department is taking any steps to rid tourist sites of bogus tourist guides who are operating freely and preying on unsuspecting visitors at the specified sites (details furnished); if not, why not; if so, what steps; 2. Whether he intends to set up a dedicated unit where tourists can report these bogus tour operators; if not why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

  1. Tourist guides operating illegally are in contravention of the Tourism Act, 2014, which states that it is a criminal offence to act as a tourist guide without a valid registration. Complaints of this nature must be reported to the relevant Provincial Registrar of Tourist Guides so that charges can be laid with the South African Police Services (SAPS) for further investigation. The Department of Tourism has implemented programmes to raise awareness about the use of registered tourist guides and the consequences of non-compliance. Initiatives have included inspections conducted at identified illegal guiding hotspots in collaboration with various law enforcement authorities and placing advertorials in both print and digital media.
  2. The Department also has a dedicated Unit which facilitates the handling of all tourism-related complaints received. In addition, the Department has a call centre and a website facility where such complaints can be reported. The contact details are: Tourism Complaints Officer, [email protected] / [email protected]

Tel: +27 (0) 12 444 6314/6312

Toll free Line: +27 (0) 0860 121 929 or +27 (0)12 444 6000

 

15 September 2015 - NW3367

Profile picture: Terblanche, Ms JF

Terblanche, Ms JF to ask the Minister of Science and Technology

What is the current status of young scientists participating at different meetings of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa related to science policy? (2) How many young scientists have participated in the meetings related to science policy in the (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15 financial years?”

Reply:

  1. Since 2010, the Academy engages on average at least 100 young scientists in its various activities throughout the year (except in 2013 when ASSAf did not host a Young Scientists’ Conference).

Young scientists are engaged through the following:

    • The South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS) and its various activities;
    • The ASSAf annual Young Scientists’ Conference;
    • Workshops, conferences and lectures that the Academy hosts;
    • Nominations to attend regional and international inter-academy network meetings;
    • Serve on ASSAf standing committees (health, poverty reduction, science education);
    • Serve on study panels - The Academy undertakes to ensure that young scientists are engaged within study panels and/or the convening activities that inform the products of the Academy; and
    • The organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World.

2.  The following is an indication of the number of young scientists who participated in meetings during the specified financial years:

  • 2012/13: 263 (includes young scientists’ conference, nomination to IAMP and IAP meetings, and SAYAS membership);
  • 2013/14: 35 (Lindau Laureate, IAP, IAMP, SAYAS and service on ASSAf activities – there was no YSC in 2013); and
  • 2014/15: 130 (Lindau Laureate, IAP, IAMP, SAYAS, service on ASSAf activities, YSC, OWSD fellowship holders).

The drop in numbers can be explained by the fact that there has been much more focus on quality of work for participation in the Young Scientists’ Conference rather than a focus on increasing the number of participants.

15 September 2015 - NW2777

Profile picture: Mokgalapa, Mr S

Mokgalapa, Mr S to ask the President of the Republic

Whether (a) he and (b) any officials in his Office travelled to China in the 2014-15 financial year; if so, what was the (i) purpose of each specified visit and (ii)(aa) total cost and (bb) breakdown of such costs of each specified visit?

Reply:

(a) Yes, I travelled to China during the 2014/15 financial year

(b) Yes, officials from my office travelled with me to China

(i) The purpose was to embark on a State Visit on 04 and 05 December 2014, where the following issues were deliberated upon:

  • to review the status of South Africa’s bilateral relations with China;
  • to adopt the Five-to-Ten Year Strategic Programme for Cooperation;
  • to commit China to South Africa’s industrialisation agenda development finance and request an increase in training slots;
  • Discussing the high level Forum on Africa and China meeting that will take place in South Africa in December 2015;
  • to encourage China to commit to assist in establishing the African Regional Centre on the New Development Bank; and

(ii) Conclude the 2014 year of South Africa in China.Total costs related to the logistics of the visit including accommodation and transport were R834, 868.64.

15 September 2015 - NW3258

Profile picture: Matiase, Mr NS

Matiase, Mr NS to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform

What (a) total amount did his department spend on air travel between Gauteng and Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the 2014-15 financial year and (b) is the total number of trips that were undertaken; (2) what is the total amount that his department spent on (a) accommodation and (b) car rental in Cape Town for employees attending Parliament business in the specified financial year?

Reply:

(1)(a),(b),(2)(a),(b) The required information is not immediately available in the categories requested. However the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform is collating the information from its database and travel agents and will submit the requested information by 30 September 2015.