Questions and Replies

Reply:

(a) No audits is being undertaken by PRASA.

Reply:

1. SAA has been in a codeshare relationship with Etihad since 2013, providing network reach, connecting traffic as well as other commercial benefits to SAA on a profitable basis.  The 3rd phase of this relationship, which is contained within SAA’s Corporate Plan, entails SAA commencing operations to Abu Dhabi.

The Business Case indicates that the route would realise route losses in its first two years of operation, which is not unusual for a new long haul route, but would also provide (a) multiple connectivity options for SAA passengers into the Middle East, mainland China as well as into India and (b) enable the closure of the heavily loss-making Beijing and Mumbai operations. 

Strategic and socio-economic factors also formed part of the Business Case, as is invariably the case for international routes.

The financial performance for the route is subject to the following considerations:       

 

• The extent to which the SAA Management team continues to effect various interventions, including price promotions and marketing aimed at growing this newly established route;
• The success of efforts underway by SAA at improving the codeshare cooperation with Etihad to ensure optimal access to connecting capacity at minimum cost; and
• A more challenging revenue environment for SAA, and for all international carriers, than previously. All airlines are heavily exposed, as SAA is, to strong competition from mid-hemisphere carriers.

2. There are currently no negotiations with Air China on equity stake-related matters.

3. There are currently no engagements with any party on equity-stake related matters.

 

Reply:

During the last financial year the Department’s Counsellors provided employment counselling as follows:

Prov.	Target	Actual	Variance
Eastern Cape	29796	40210	10414
Free State	18336	25552	7216
Gauteng	43548	41682	-1866
Kwa Zulu Natal	25212	31527	6315
Limpopo	22920	22793	-127
Mpumalanga	25212	30146	4934
Northern Cape	16012	17564	1552
North West	20628	21714	1086
Western Cape	18336	15556	-2780
TOTAL	220000	246744	26744

Given the available resources the Department set the target for counselling at 220,000 for the 2014/2015 year but achieved 246,744, exceeding the target by 26744.

Reply:

Due to the taxpayer confidentiality provisions contained in Section 69 of the Tax Administration Act No. 28 of 2011, SARS is prohibited from disclosing any taxpayer information (Including whether or not a taxpayer is subject to an audit/ investigation) to any person other than a SARS official. SARS is, therefore, unfortunately not in a position to respond to the above request.

Reply:

 

1. The Department conducts regular advocacy campaigns with employers to discuss the services we offer and to assist them to comply with our Labour Laws and we will continue to conduct such meetings.

• During the 2014/15 financial year, the 128 Labour Centers conducted more than 500 advocacy campaigns across the country with employers and work seekers on opportunity work seekers and employment opportunity registration, counselling, recruitment and selection and placement sessions.

• In instances where a registered work seeker is matched to an employment opportunity, a referral letter is sent to the employer wherein they are requested to advise the Department on the placement status of the candidates. And we are aware that some of them are very busy to respond to such letters.

The Department intends to reduce administrative burden on employers through integration of our Employment Services and Unemployment Insurance Fund systems and developing new placement tracking tools to verify the placement status of the referred candidates.

2.    The Department is involved in various Employment initiatives.

• The Unemployment Insurance Fund through its Labour Activation Programmes has partnered with the various SETAs to successfully train and place unemployed work seekers as both artisans and skilled employees in various job opportunities.

• The UIF also provides funding to the Industrial Development Co-operation (IDC) for the purposes of stimulating employment opportunities.

• Productivity South Africa assist various businesses with turnaround solutions that contribute to prevention of job losses and or improving efficiencies that can stimulate further job opportunities.

• We also provide funding to assist companies to embark on Training Lay-Off schemes to avoid retrenchments in those instances wherein companies are restructuring.

• We provide employment to people with disabilities through the 12 (Sheltered Employment Factories) Supported Employment Enterprises and also provide subsidies to workshops for the blind and deaf, and disability organisations that assist us in placement of such people in formal employment.

Reply:

 

1. (a) 9 in 2009; 11 in 2010; 12 in 2011; 2 in 2012; 38 in 2013 and 134 in 2014.

(b) As per Annexure A

2. Annexure B

3. Some were deregistered, some were called upon to remedy the non-compliance and others were placed on Final letters of warning.

ANNEXURE A

Number	File No	Year(s) that Employer’s Organisation did not submit audited statements	Name of the Employer’s Organisation
	5	2012, 2013	East Cape Master Builders and Allied Industries Association
	97	2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013	National Textile Manufacturers Association
	82	2011	South African Diamond Manufacturers' Association
	95	2012	Meesterbouers Assosiasie Groter Boland (MBA Groter Boland)
	325	2010, 2011, 2012, 2013	Benefit Group Employers organisation*
	385	2010, 2011, 2012, 2013	Regional Employers Organisation of SA*
	428	2009, 2010, 2012,	Employers' Association For The Pulp And Paper Industry Of South Africa
	815	2009, 2010	Labour Affairs Association Of The Pharmaceutical Industry
	34	2010, 2011, 2012 2013	Kwazulu Natal Laundry, Dry Cleaners' And Dyers' Employers' Association
	42	2013	South African Clothing Manufacturers' Association
	48	2013	Automobile Manufacturers’ Employers’ Organisation
	59	2013	Eastern Province Clothing Manufacturers' Association
	126	2012, 2013	Association Of Electric Cable Manufacturers Of South Africa
	140	2012, 2013	Transvaal Clothing Manufacturers' Association
	170	2011, 2012, 2013	Bou Industrieë Assosiasie Wes-Boland
	181	2012, 2013	Locksmiths Association Of South Africa
	224	2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013	Werkgewersorganisasie Vir Die Graanbedryf
	226	2010, 2011, 2012, 2013	Association Of South African Manufacturers Of Luggage, Handbags And General Goods
	247	2011, 2012, 2013	Garment Manufacturers Association Of The Western Cape
	279	2012, 2013	South African Bus Employers' Association
	296	2013	Fertilizer Industry Employers' Association
	304	2013	Narrow Fabric Manufacturers Association
	305	2009, 2012, 2013	CTL Management Forum*
	306	2013	South African Employers' Guild
	350	2011, 2012, 2013	South African Local Government Association
	367	2013	National Organisation For Employers South Africa (NOESA)
	430	2009, 2010, 2011, 2013	Employers' Association For The Sawmilling Industry Of South Africa
	480	2013	South African Rugby Employers' Organisation (SAREO)
	544	2013	Frontiers Employers' Association
	587	2011, 2012, 2013	The Employers' Association For The Fibre And Particle Board Industry
	599	2013	Employers' Organisation For The Cephalopod And Associated Fisheries
	774	2009, 2012, 2013	United Security Service Providers Association
	793	2009, 2013	Employers Association Of Afro Hairdressing And Cosmetology Of South Africa
	825	2012, 2013	Small Employer's Association For The Squid Industry (SEASI)
	828	2013	United Clothing And Textile Association
	836	2013	South African Association Of Water Utilities (SAAWU)
	878	2012, 2013	Employers' Organisation For Retailers And Allied Trades
	887	2012, 2013	Collision Repairers Association
	893	2013	Border Industrial Employers' Association
	908	2013	Road Freight Association (RFA)

ANNEXURE B

No	Registration number	Name of Employer’s Organisation	Date de-registered
1	LR2/6/3/318	Small, Medium, Micro Employers Organization (S.M.M.E.O)	09/01/2009
2	LR2/6/3/415	Babelegi Metal Industries Association	15/01/2009
3	LR2/6/3/580	Cut, Make and Trim Employers’ Organization	16/01/2009
4	LR2/6/3/445	National Organization for Small and Medium Employers of South Africa (NOSMESA)	28/01/2009
5	LR2/6/3/61	South African Wire and Wire Rope Manufacturers’ Association	17/02/2009
6	LR2/6/3/474	Construction, Producers and Allied Employers’ Organisation (CONPAEO)	21/04/2009
7	LR2/6/3/57	Vereeniging van Meubelfabrikante en Stoffeerders O.V.S	04/05/2009
8	LR2/6/3/406	Labour Relations Forum	04/05/2009
9	LR2/6/3/387	Free State General and Domestic Workers Employers’ Association	20/05/2009
10	LR2/6/2/16	Kimberley Commercial Employers’ Association	27/05/2009
11	LR2/6/3/312	The Human Rights Council for Employers	06/07/2009
12	LR2/6/3/144	The Jewellery Manufacturers’ Association of South Africa	06/07/2009
13	LR2/6/3/491	South African Sub-Contractors Association	06/08/2009
14	LR2/6/3/443	Eastern Province Small and Medium Business Employers Organization (EPSMEO)	17/08/2009
15	LR2/6/3/354	Association of Employers (AOE)	18/08/2009
16	LR2/6/3/505	Emalahleni Employers Organization of Southern Africa	25/08/2009
17	LR2/6/3/477	Security Services Employers’ Organization	07/10/2009
18	LR2/6/3/391	Lowveld, Allied and General Employers’ Organization	28/10/2009
19	LR2/6/3/313	Consolidated Association of Employers of Southern Africa Region (CAESAR)	13/11/2009
20	LR2/6/3/538	South African Waste Management Employers’ Association (SAWMEA)	08/12/2009

 

No	Registration number	Name of Employer’s Organisation	Date de-registered
1	LR2/6/3/323	General Sectors Employers’ Organization	12/04/2010
2	LR2/6/3/320	Employers’ Representatives Organization (E.R.O.)	01/06/2010

No	Registration number	Name of Employer’s Organisation	Date de-registered
1	LR2/6/3/198	South African Wine and Spirit Industry Employers' Association	12/01/2011
2	LR2/6/3/447	Kaapse Agri Werkgewersorganisasie	16/03/2011
3	LR2/6/3/623	Free State Social Welfare Services Employers Organisation	06/04/2011
4	LR2/6/3/497	Agrilabor Employers’ Organization	11/05/2011
5	LR2/6/3/410	Asambo Employers’ Organisation	27/06/2011
6	LR2/6/3/233	Furniture and Wood Products Manufacturer’s Association	16/08/2011
7	LR2/6/3/317	Small Business Employers’ Organisation (SBEO)	09/08/2011

 

No	Registration number	Name of Employer’s Organisation	Date de-registered
1	LR2/6/3/329	Curtain Makers and Allied Products Association	14/02/2012
2	LR2/6/3/280	Northern Decentralized Clothing Manufacturers’ Association	13/03/2012
3	LR2/6/3/125	Cape Jewellery Manufacturers’ Association	18/05/2012
4	LR2/6/3/196	Covered Conductor Manufacturers’ Association	25/07/2012
5	LR2/6/3/54	Radio, Appliance and Television Association of South Africa (RATA)	07/09/2012
6	LR2/6/3/104	Sheet Metal Industries Association of South Africa	12/10/2012
7	LR2/6/3/153	Electronics and Telecommunications Industries Association	23/10/2012
8	LR2/6/3/156	Machine Engravers’ Association	23/10/2012

No	Registration number	Name of Employer’s Organisation	Date de-registered
1	LR2/6/3/142	Natal South Coast Accommodation Association	19/03/2013
2	LR2/6/3/159	Bright Bar Association	17/05/2013
3	LR2/6/3/37	Bus Owners’ Association	28/8/2013
4	LR2/6/3/186	Electrical Contracting and Allied Industries Association (Eastern Cape)	03/12/2013

 

No	Registration number	Name of Employer’s Organisation	Date de-registered
1	LR2/6/3/169	High Speed Steel Cutting Tool Manufacturers’ Association	06/01/2014
2	LR2/6/3/586	National Tissue and Allied Products Employers’ Association	11/03/2014
3	LR2/6/3/742	Further Education and Training Colleges Employers' Organisation (FETC)	08/04/2014
4	LR2/6/3/716	Tabok Werkgewer Organisasie ( T.W.O)	12/05/2014
5	LR2/6/3/719	Beauty, Health and Skincare Employers Association (BHSEA)	12/06/2014
6	LR2/6/3/146	Free State and Northern Cape Clothing Manufacturers’ Association	27/06/2014
7	LR2/6/3/766	Cape Small Jewellery Manufacturers Association	10/07/2014
8	LR2/6/3/730	National Recyclers’ Organisation	21/08/2014

Reply:

The table below provides the number of Visually Impaired learners in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools per province.

Province	Primary	Secondary	Total
EC	322	182	504
FS	45	11	56
GP	638	549	1187
KZN	141	17	158
LP	818	126	944
MP	64	2	66
NC	24	17	41
NW	75	61	136
WC	216	171	387
Total	2343	1136	3479

Reply:

1. The National Treasury will not be conducting any investigations at the municipality, as the information at hand indicates that the Office of the Public Protector is still in the process of pursuing this investigation at the municipality. The Public Protector intends to seek cooperation of the municipality through application of its legislation, i.e. to issue a subpoena against the Executive Mayor to cooperate with the request.
2. National Treasury will allow the processes planned to be implemented by the Office of the Public Protector to unfold. National Treasury will decide thereafter on appropriate action upon the matter being referred by the Office of the Public Protector.

Reply:

(1)(a) In total 371 422 learners are transported by provinces through the learner transport scheme.

PROVINCE NAME	(a) number of learners commuting to schools using scholar transport provided by the Department of Basic Education
Eastern Cape	61000
Free State	6611
Gauteng	82917
KwaZulu-Natal	34814
Limpopo	20751
Mpumalanga	59121
Northern Cape	22874
North West	33334
Western Cape	50000
TOTAL	371422

Source: Provincial report on learner transport.

(b) The Department does not have information on learners transported using private transport, as these are administered by parents of learners to their school of choice.

(2)(a) The sector has responded by ensuring that funding is provided to cater for the increasing number of learners requiring transport. In addition, provinces verify beneficiaries identified to ensure that qualifying learners are transported. Finally, the recently approved learner transport policy, developed in collaboration with the Department of Transport, aims to ensure that all learners qualifying to receive learner transport are transported.

(b) Officials responsible for learner transport in both the Provincial Departments of Education and Transport Departments monitor the transportation of learners. Part of monitoring by the Provincial Department of Transport is regular checks on the safety of vehicles transporting learners. Further, law enforcement agencies at local, provincial and national level are, as per the applicable acts and legislation, responsible for ensuring that regulations relating to safety and vehicle roadworthiness are adhered to.

Reply:

(a)	(a)(i)	(a)(ii)(aa)	(a)(ii)(bb)
Yes	State visit to China in December 2014	R178 823.21	Air transport Medical Insurance Food and beverages Accommodation Car rental	R106 426.46 R 219.45 R 8 157.00 R 61 609.75 R 2 410.55

(b)	(b)(i)	(b)(ii)(aa)	(b)(ii)(bb)
No

(c)	(c)(i)	(c)(ii)(aa)	(c)(ii)(bb)
Yes	State visit to China in December 2014 Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Workshop in March 2015	R437 732.77	Air transport Medical Insurance Food and beverages Accommodation Road transport	R342 280.19 R 1 316.70 R 3 958.54 R 87 927.34 R 2 250.00

Reply:

No.

Reply:

Not applicable

 

Approved by the Minister on
Date: 18/08/2015

Reply:

There were interventions put in place in the Compensation Fund to address the shortcomings; therefore it was premature to take drastic steps before assessing the full impact of the interventions.

Reply:

The department has met and exceeded the 2% target, in that as at end of 2014/15 financial year the department was al 3.8% with regards to people with disabilities.

Approved by the Minister
Date: 18 /08/2015

Reply:

My reply to Question No 2089, reflected that Umehluko Project was launched in August 2014 and there disciplinary measures being taken.

Reply:

(a) Yes

(b) The Department makes provision for the procurement of the necessary or required equipment.

Reply:

No current service provider or supplier has conducted fraudulently and/or illegal activities that PRASA is aware of.

Reply:

1.  The inquiry has not been finalized.

      (a) See response in (1).

      (b) R19.3 million

2.  See response in (1)

 

Reply:

(a) The Department of Labour does not have a planning model for the inspection of valid work permits as this is a legislative responsibility of the Department of the Home Affairs and South African Police.

(b) In its normal work aligned with granting of work permits the Department of Labour mere conducts inspections at work places to determine compliance with prescribed conditions of employment. Furthermore the Department notifies the Department of Home Affairs should it discover employees without valid work permits.

(c) (i) N/A and (ii) N/A

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works

(a), (b) and (c) No. The aforementioned have not travelled to China during the financial year 2014-15 on the official business of the Department of Public Works.

(i) and (ii) (aa) and (bb) Fall away.

____________________________________________________________________

Reply:

It must be noted first of all that the information requested resides with the nine provincial departments of Transport. In order to make it easier for the provinces to provide the information in a uniform manner, a template was designed for them to complete. Table 1 deals with the information requested in i) aa), bb) and cc), d) and f)

Table 2 and 3 deals with part c) and e). Table 4 deals with part b). Information is tabled per financial year, rather than per month.

EASTERN CAPE

EC Table 1

Nature of investigations	Financial year	Number of Investigations per year	Number of investigations pending for year	Number of persons charged as result of investigations per year
Vehicles passed without being present at testing station	2012-13	None	None	N/A
	2013-14	None	None	N/A
	2014-15	None	None	N/A
Testing stations that passed a vehicle that was failed by another testing station	2012-13	None	None	N/A
	2013-14	None	None	N/A
	2014-15	None	None	N/A
Examiners of vehicles that pass a vehicle that is not roadworthy	2012-13	None	None	N/A
	2013-14	None	None	N/A
	2014-15	None	None	N/A
Other investigations	2012-13	None	None	N/A
	2013-14	None	None	N/A
	2014-15	None	None	N/A

EC Table 2

Conclusion of Investigations	Number of instances per Financial year
	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Testing station registration suspended	None	None	None
Testing station registration cancelled	None	None	None
Examiner registration suspended	None	None	None
Examiner registration cancelled	None	None	None
Examiner resigned before completion of investigation	None	None	None
Other testing station staff - fired	None	None	None
Vehicles retested	N/A	N/A	N/A
Other:	-	-	-

EC Table 3

No	Nature of Charges (Short summary)
1	N/A

EC Table 4

Persons/Organisations that conducted investigations	Involved in Investigation Yes / No	Number of Instances
Special Investigations Unit (SIU)	N/A	-
South African Police Service	N/A	-
HAWKS	N/A	-
Inspectorate of Testing stations	N/A	-
Provincial Monitoring Units	N/A
Other (specify):	-	-

GAUTENG

GP Table 1

Nature of investigations	Financial year	Number of Investigations per year	Number of investigations pending for year	Number of persons charged as result of investigations per year
Vehicles passed without being present at testing station	2012-13	10	0	26
	2013-14	0	0	0
	2014-15	0	0	0
Testing stations that passed a vehicle that was failed by another testing station	2012-13	0	0	0
	2013-14	0	0	0
	2014-15	0	0	0
Examiners of vehicles that pass a vehicle that is not roadworthy	2012-13	10	0	26
	2013-14	0	0	0
	2014-15	2	0	0
Other investigations	2012-13	0	0	0
	2013-14	0	0	0
	2014-15	0	0	0

GP Table 2

Conclusion of Investigations	Number of instances per Financial year
	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Testing station registration suspended	4	0	0
Testing station registration cancelled	0	0	0
Examiner registration suspended	0	0	0
Examiner registration cancelled	0	0	7
Examiner resigned before completion of investigation	0	0	0
Other testing station staff - fired	0	0	0
Vehicles retested	0	0	0
Other:	0	0	0

GP Table 3

No	Nature of Charges (Short summary)
1	Fraud – certified vehicles road worthy while the vehicles were not at the testing station

GP Table 4

Persons/Organisations that conducted investigations	Involved in Investigation Yes / No	Number of Instances
Special Investigations Unit (SIU)
South African Police Service	Yes	26
HAWKS
Inspectorate of Testing stations
Provincial Monitoring Units	Yes	2
Other (specify):National Task Team	Yes	26

KWAZULU-NATAL

KZN Table 1

Nature of investigations	Financial year	Number of Investigations per year	Number of investigations pending for year	Number of persons charged as result of investigations per year
Vehicles passed without being present at testing station	2012-13
	2013-14
	2014-15
Testing stations that passed a vehicle that was failed by another testing station	2012-13	1	1
	2013-14
	2014-15
Examiners of vehicles that pass a vehicle that is not roadworthy	2012-13	5	1
	2013-14	7	3
	2014-15	1	3
Vehicle Testing Stations that pass a vehicle that is not roadworthy	2012-13	2
	2013-14	5
	2014-15	1	1
Other investigations	2012-13
	2013-14	1	1
	2014-15		1

KZN Table 2

Conclusion of Investigations	Number of instances per Financial year
	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Testing station registration suspended			1
Testing station registration cancelled
Examiner registration suspended
Examiner registration cancelled		2	1
Examiner resigned before completion of investigation
Other testing station staff - fired
Vehicles retested
Other:

KZN Table 3

No	Nature of Charges (Short summary)
1	Examiner of vehicles not present at VTS when vehicles were being passed – CAS886/9/2013
2	Entrapment operation – CAS 504/12/2013 & CAS 506/12/2013

KZN Table 4

Persons/Organisations that conducted investigations	Involved in Investigation Yes / No	Number of Instances
Special Investigations Unit (SIU)
South African Police Service
HAWKS
Inspectorate of Testing stations	YES	9
Provincial Monitoring Units	YES	5
Other (specify):RTMC	YES	1

MPUMALANGA

MPL Table 1

Nature of investigations	Financial year	Number of Investigations per year	Number of investigations pending for year	Number of persons charged as result of investigations per year
Vehicles passed without being present at testing station	2012-13	0	0	0
	2013-14	1	0	1
	2014-15	1	1	1
Testing stations that passed a vehicle that was failed by another testing station	2012-13	0	0	0
	2013-14	0	0	0
	2014-15	0	0	0
Examiners of vehicles that pass a vehicle that is not roadworthy	2012-13	0	0	0
	2013-14	2	0	2
	2014-15	1	1	1
Other investigations	2012-13
	2013-14
	2014-15

MPL Table 2

Conclusion of Investigations	Number of instances per Financial year
	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Testing station registration suspended	0	1	0
Testing station registration cancelled	0	0	0
Examiner registration suspended	0	0	0
Examiner registration cancelled	0	0	0
Examiner resigned before completion of investigation	0	0	0
Other testing station staff - fired	0	0	0
Vehicles retested	0	0	0
Other: Two eNaTis end users resigned before investigation was completed	0	1	0

MPL Table 3

No	Nature of Charges (Short summary)
1	Piet Retief Cas: 33/09/2013 (Fraud) Withdrawn by the court as a results of insufficient evidence..
2	Contravening Regulation 140(1) of the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996

MPL Table 4

Persons/Organisations that conducted investigations	Involved in Investigation Yes / No	Number of Instances
Special Investigations Unit (SIU)	No
South African Police Service	Yes	2
HAWKS	No
Inspectorate of Testing stations	No
Provincial Monitoring Units	Yes	3
Other (specify):	None

NOTE:

Information is still being coordinated with Free State, Limpopo, North West, Northern Cape, Western Cape Provinces.

.

Reply:

 

1. When Labour inspectors find that an employee does not have a valid work permit, the matter will be reported to Home Affairs who has jurisdiction over such matters.
2. The Department of Labour does not have a legal mandate or powers to remove such employees from the workplace but will refer the matter to Home Affairs to take further action.

Reply:

(a) The Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project is not treated differently from other plazas. However, in order to avoid disruption of toll collection, independent back-up power supply is installed at the locations where money is collected. The back-up power supply automatically switches on when the main supply is interrupted. Similarly, such precautions are in place at the Hugeunot tunnel.

(b) Load shedding does not affect the toll system due to the above measures.

(c) See (a) above.

(d) The system was implemented to accommodate power failures. The Contractor, in terms of the obligations under the contract must ensure that the above systems are maintained and operational in order to overcome any potential loss in transactions at a gantry. This is part of the contractual obligations and not a priced item for which compensation is paid for on a monthly basis. To date, no additional payments in this regard were made to the contractor.

Reply:

I suggest the Honourable member to direct this questions to Minister of Home Affairs or Minister of Tourism.

 

Reply:

(a) Yes. We have put together a plan that aims to address the basic bottlenecks in service delivery and sound financial management. It entails focusing on improving the financial administration, improving the levels of customer service in the Fund, addressing human resource constraints in the Fund.

(b) This is to be achieved by addressing the system deficiencies that prevent performance of basic financial management functions, improving access to benefits for clients though a number of initiatives which include easing the process of access to chronic medication, filling the critical vacancies required in the adjudication of claims and addressing all systems problems that contribute to slow rate of processing claims.

NW3173E

Reply:

This target is being revised to align with the Cabinet-approved government plan of action on ehm1nat1on of violence against women and children "Integrated Programme of Action: Violence Against Women and Children'', led by the Department of Social Development, and no further work on the part of DoW on this target will be done. The Department's APP is being amended accordingly to focus on the actions that the Department of Women is responsible for.

Reply:

(1) For the financial years 2015, 2016 and 2017, a total of 2000 learners are targeted to participate in the STEM programme in all nine provinces.

(2) Students apply to all universities and when accepted they are in the faculties of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

(3) (a) & (b) Yes.

(i) & (ii) Applied to various universities.


 

Approved by the Minister
Date: 18/08/2015

Reply:

(1)(a) The process of establishing the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Commission is underway. The department has submitted to National Treasury the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) budget request for both financial and human resource capital.

(1)(b) The Minister of Trade and Industry, in terms of section 13C of the B-BBEE Act, 2003 (Act No. 53 of 2003), as amended by the B-BBEE Amendment Act 46 of 2013, has consulted with the relevant Portfolio Committee of the National Assembly and the relevant Select Committee of the National Council of Provinces regarding the appointment of the BEE Commissioner.

The Minister is pleased to announce that Ms Zodwa Ntuli has been appointed as the acting BEE Commissioner.

Reply:

South Africa has an industrial sector characterised by pockets of sophisticated manufacturing capabilities which have developed over several decades to service the mining sector and a relatively small domestic consumer market.

However, in the early 1990s the Apartheid-state agreed to a far-reaching overhaul of South Africa’s trade policy regime with deep tariff cuts over a relatively short period, impacting a broad swathe of manufacturing subsectors. It is noteworthy that the Apartheid-state declared South Africa a Developed Country for the purposes of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) thereby subjecting South Africa to a far deeper tariff liberalisation episode compared to other developing countries.

These deep tariff cuts have led to a significant increase in imports of especially value-added goods while the commodity ‘super-cycle’ of the mid-2000s encouraged the rapid expansion of mineral commodity exports.

By the time the global financial crisis struck in late 2007, the limits of the above growth trajectory were becoming apparent. South Africa was fortunate that Government had already identified the risks associated with this growth trajectory and a National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF) and the first Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) had already been developed.

The NIPF and IPAP’s are focused on fundamentally changing the structure of our economy towards a more value-adding and inclusive growth trajectory. In the process, several levers have been deployed to facilitate industrial development.

These include industrial financing in the form of incentives from the dti and industrial loans mainly from IDC; localisation through public procurement; and a wide range of sectoral interventions which have sought to deepen and widen our industrial capabilities.

It is important to note at the outset that industrialisation cannot be achieved through the implementation of isolated interventions in a single year. Rather, industrialisation requires the implementation of a range of interventions over the medium-term to change the structure of the economy. The global economic context can constrain or encourage these developments.

Progress made on the re-industrialisation programme:

Examples of progress will be drawn from Automotives; Clothing, Textiles, Leather and Footwear; Green industries; Agro-processing; industrial financing, and procurement.

Automotive industries:

All the major automotive OEM’s are operating in SA - Mercedes Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, and Ford and the new players include Iveco (Italy), Tata (India), BAW (China), FAW (China) and Hyundai (South Korea). With the policy certainty which Government has provided, the private-sector has invested over R25,7bn over the last 5 years, sustaining about 300,000 jobs. Auto exports exceeded R100bn for the first time in SA’s history in 2014.

Clothing, Textiles, Leather & Footwear:

In order to stabilise the sector, the Clothing and Textiles Competitiveness Programme (CTCP) was introduced in 2010. The Manufacturing Value-addition increase attributable to the CTCP between the base of 2009 and 2014 is R3.9 billion. About 68,000 jobs have been retained in the sector and 6,900 jobs created.

Metal Products, Engineering & Capital Equipment:

Preferential procurement and sector designations have been critical to the development of this value chain. For example, the designation of valves has led to foreign investment by Denmark AVK which has acquired South Africa’s Premier Valves Group (PVG) for R100 million. US technology multinational General Electric (GE) announced a R700 million commitment designed to support innovation, enterprise- and skills-development in South Africa. Grindrod unveiled its cost-effective shunting and short haul locomotive in October 2014.The locomotive boasts 80% local content, and is already being exported to a number of African countries.

Green Economy:

The dti has strengthened the local content requirements for renewable energy. It progressed from a threshold of 25% in bid window 1 to a threshold of 40% in bid window 4. These local content requirements have resulted in a number of new investments in local manufacturing:

SMA Solar Technology South Africa, officially launching its multi-million Rand manufacturing facility in Cape Town and Jinko Solar opening its R80 million plant.

Agro-processing:

Since 2009 we have supported Agro-processing industries to the value of R1.2 billion through various schemes such as the Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme (MCEP) and the Enterprise Investment Programme (EIP). Coega Development Corporation and the dti have partnered to create an R86 million Agro-processing facility within the Coega IDZ. the dti and JSE-listed Astral Foods partnered in a R200 million feed mill in Standerton to boost South Africa’s agriculture sector.

Industrial Finance:

The Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme in Financial Year (FY) 2014/15 approved 236 enterprises for funding with a total grant value of R1,1bn. This has leveraged private-sector investment of R3,7 billion in support of 28,093 jobs.

Under the 12i Tax Allowance, 17 enterprises were approved for funding with a total tax allowance of R2,7bn in FY 2014/15. This has leveraged private-sector investment of R6,7bn in support of the creation of approximately 4,500 jobs.

The Enterprise Investment Programme – for FY 2014/15, 39 enterprises were approved for funding with a total grant value of R147m. This has leveraged private-sector investment of R1,3bn in support of the creation of approximately 1,500 jobs.

The National Empowerment Fund (NEF) approved 549 transactions worth more than R5.4 billion for black-empowered businesses across the country, supporting over 47,000 jobs.

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) approved projects to the value of R7,7 billion with 6,899 jobs created and 4,668 jobs saved between April 2014 and December 2014

Procurement localisation (designations):

Given the R3,6 trillion infrastructure build programme, failure to designate would lead to substantial import leakages and a missed industrialisation opportunity. In total 16 products or sectors have now been ‘designated’ for localisation in government procurement.

PRASA has awarded a tender to Alstom for the manufacturing of 7,224 coaches at a projected cost of R123bn to be built between 2015 and 2025, the initial phase is estimated to create over 8,000 direct jobs.

As part of this deal, PRASA and Gibela Rail Transportation signed a contract to supply the state agency with 600 commuter trains (3,600 coaches) valued at R51 Billion.

Transnet has awarded a total of R50bn in contracts to CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive, CNR Rolling Stock SA, Bombardier Transportation SA and General Electric SA to build 1,064 electric and diesel locomotives in SA. All but 70 locomotives, will be built in Transnet Engineering’s plants in Pretoria & Durban.

Pharmaceuticals:

Four pharmaceutical companies were jointly awarded a R10 billion tender to supply the Department of Health with antiretroviral (ARV) medication from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2018. The tender had a conditional provision for designation of up to 70% of the tender volume for domestic manufacturers. DoH announced the tender valued at R14 billion of which 61.6% was won by companies that have manufacturing plants in SA.

Reply:

(1)(a) The date of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team is currently being processed by the Deputy Presidency which is facilitating the meeting.

(1)(b) The mandate of the team, as prescribed by Cabinet, is to propose measures to mitigate potential unintended consequences that occur as a result of administrative challenges.

(1)(c)(i)-(ii) The team is constituted by Ministers as announced by the President drawn from the Social, Economic and Security Clusters.

(1)(d) The team is empowered to deliver on its mandate as per (b) above.

(2) Refer to 1(d) above.

Reply:

The Bilateral Investment Treaty between South Africa and Zimbabwe is a negotiated Agreement. Furthermore, it is unusual for Agreements of this nature to have retrospective application as the guiding principle is that parties enter into such agreements with a view to addressing future events.

 

(2)Whether he intends to take steps to promote the rights, and claim compensation for the losses, of South African citizens who have been prejudiced by the Zimbabwean government and/or illegal occupiers before the commencement of the agreement; if not, why not, seen against the background of the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, and relevant international law; if so, what are the relevant details;

Reply:

The Republic of South Africa is responsible for enforcing rights and obligations within its own territory. Any events that take place outside the borders of the Republic are extra-territorial and remedies or redress would have to be sought in the jurisdiction where prejudice occurred. The Bill of Rights contained the Constitution of the Republic is applicable only in South Africa and has no application in Zimbabwe. The South African Government is addressing concerns of South African investors as and when they arise through the diplomatic and multilateral channels available bilaterally and regionally.

(3)Whether he is considering legislation to bring about compensation for such disadvantaged people by way of making the confiscation of assets of the Zimbabwean government and/or responsible ministers and/or officials in South Africa possible; if not, why not, seen against the background of the Bill of Rights, as contained in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, and relevant international law; if so, what are the relevant details;

Reply:

The dti respects the independence and competence of the judiciary to make determinations in that regard.

(4)What steps is he taking regarding the current unlawful dispossession of South African citizens’ property rights in Zimbabwe by the Zimbabwean government and/or illegal occupiers?

Under the Bilateral Investment Treaty concluded with Zimbabwe in 2009 and ratified in 2010, investors affected by measures taken by the Zimbabwean State can, after challenging such a matter in domestic courts, resort to international arbitration in order to settle any dispute. No further steps can be taken by the Government of the Republic of South Africa in that respect as the international arbitration process is independent and the rulings thereof are binding.

Reply:

 

The Department of Basic Education has not undertaken research to measure and compare the education under the apartheid system and democratic government. However, the achievements of the democratic government surpass the apartheid education system by far. Below are some the detailed achievements of the education system under the new democratic government.

• Since 1994, government has implemented major policy reforms to redress past inequalities in education, transforming the education system and increasing the skills and life chances of all South Africans. Nineteen different departments of education have been unified into a single education system, removing race as the basis for attending school.

• While a range of changes and initiatives introduced since 1994 are starting to result in improvements in the education system, it will take more time for the terrible legacy of apartheid education to be fully addressed and for apartheid patterns of school performance to be removed.

• Enrolment in Grade R (a pre-school year at primary school) has more than doubled, increasing from 300 000 to 813 044 between 2003 and 2014, nearly reaching the level of universal access.

• Gross secondary school enrolment improved from 51 percent in 1994 to almost 90 percent in 2014, while gross primary enrolment in 2014 was high at approximately 99 percent.

• The learner-to-teacher ratio improved from 33 to 1 in 2000 to 31 to 1 in 2014.

• As a result of improved infrastructure, a higher proportion of younger children are accessing classroom facilities.

• Overall, South Africa is achieving gender parity in school enrolment with a Gender Parity Index of 1 in 2014, and has met the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of achieving universal primary education.

• Children with disabilities: Progress has also been made in increasing access to schools for children with disabilities, with more public special schools being built. Other public ordinary schools are being converted to full service schools.

• The improvements in access have resulted from a number of interventions. The burden of school fees for poor households has been reduced by introducing no-fee schools. By 2014, 78 percent of learners (more than 8 million) in 80 percent of public schools (close to 20 000 schools) benefited from the no-fee policy.

• By providing children with meals at school, the National School Nutrition Programme has contributed to regular and punctual attendance by learners and enabled them to attend school without being hungry. By 2014, over 9 million learners in over 20 000 primary and secondary schools – virtually all the learners from poor households – were receiving a government-funded school lunch.

• Learners are using the same curriculum: the curriculum has been revised to improve the quality of learning and teaching. The National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) has been implemented from Grade R to 12 by 2014.

• To strengthen teaching and learning, CAPS was accompanied by the following measures:
  • Over 170 million workbooks and textbooks were distributed to schools between 2011 and 2014 to increase access to quality written material and help learners and teachers to understand the expected assessment standards and cover the curriculum.

• • The Annual National Assessments (ANA) system was introduced to enable the objective assessment of the education system below Grade 12. Almost 7 million learners across more than 24 000 schools participated in the third cycle of ANA in 2014.

• To strengthen the quality of education, the Funza Lushaka bursary scheme was introduced to tackle teacher shortages by encouraging more learners to study to become teachers. From 2007 to 2013 a total of 62 804 bursaries were awarded to student teachers at a cost of over R1.9 billion.

• The numbers of learners obtaining university entry qualifications each year (bachelor passes) has also increased. On average, between 2013 and 2014, 161 253 learners obtained bachelor passes, compared with 70 000 per year for the period 2000 to 2002.

• To support the improvements that are emerging in basic education, better school management and administration, with a focus on school performance, are critical. Therefore, School Management Teams have been trained on management courses.

• The percentage of the population aged 20 years and older that has had no education decreased from 19 percent in 1996 to 9 percent in 2011. The Kha Ri Gude Literacy Programme has been a success, with almost 3 million illiterate adult learners having been enrolled between 2008 and 2013. The majority of learners are female.

• A new funding model was introduced to replace the race-based, inequitable funding model of the apartheid era. Overall, the education budget increased to more than 5 percent of GDP, and changed from a race-based education budget to a pro-poor education budget. Public spending per learner increased to overt R11 000 per year by 2012. While there has been an improvement in the equity of education funding, inequalities in terms of resources available at public schools remain due to the disparity in households’ ability to supplement the funding of public schools and due to inherited school infrastructure backlogs.

• The Department of Basic Education has published detailed research, monitoring and sector reports on the achievements and challenges facing the sector on www.education.gov.za

Reply:

1. (a) False Bay Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College commenced renting and sharing the facilities of Portlands Primary School from 1 April 2004 until the end of 2006. The operations were then relocated to Spine Road High School from 1 January 2007 to date. The demand has outgrown the facilities and the college has secured 17 classrooms at Khanya School for usage from January 2016. The headcount enrolment at the Mitchell’s Plain site in 2014 was 1 149, with the additional facilities secured at Khanya School, the college will be able to accommodate approximately 1 500 students in 2016. The education activities at the Mitchell’s Plain campus will be delivered from two sites in 2016.

(b) The Department had identified the need for expansion of infrastructure for both the Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha campuses in 2011. The requirement has been included in the Department’s infrastructure planning and funding bids to National Treasury each year. The process that the Department follows is that all funding secured is mapped against the identified demands and basis of prioritisation. This process is informed by factors such as current available facilities and level of such, pool of potential students and finally the Provincial Indices of Multiple Poverty. In this regard, priority had to be given to sites in other provinces that are listed on a higher level of priority. The funding requirement of False Bay TVET College is still active on the Department’s infrastructure funding list.

(2) False Bay TVET College presented its proposal for the establishment of a campus at the Swartklip Denel site at a meeting, which was chaired by my Deputy Minister on 14 January 2014. I, together with the Department, have since been playing an active role in assisting the college to secure the site. The site is ideally placed to provide access to both the Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha areas.

(3) False Bay TVET College, supported by the Department, has been in active dialogue with Denel and the Department of Public Enterprises. Recently, the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has shown an interest in purchasing the Swartklip site. To date the college has had two meetings on 29 July 2015 and 5 August 2015 with ACSA in order to ensure that our interests are taken into consideration in the process of acquiring the site from Denel. The Department will be approaching the Minister of Transport in order to secure support for the college, as ACSA resides under the Department of Transport.

(4) The Department works on the basis of prioritised infrastructure support and available funding. In light of the current fiscal climate and the Department’s steadfastness to complete its infrastructure commitments in areas that have high poverty rankings, it is not possible to make a budgetary provision in the current Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The Department will however explore innovative means to assist with the refurbishment of the Swartklip site once funding has been secured.

 

 

Compiler/Contact persons:

Ext:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

REPLY TO QUESTION 2786 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

STATUS:

DATE:

Reply:

In the 2013/2014 year 1084 companies received financial assistance to participate in 25 National Pavilions and 40 Trade Missions. Export sales of R3,54 billion were facilitated. The sectoral spread of the companies supported comprises 42% to Multiple sectors; 25% to agro-processing; 8% to the Aerospace, Rail, Marine and Defence Sector; 6% to Electro technical; 6% to the Built Environment Sectors; 4% to the creative Industries; 3% to the Auto sector; 6% to Mining and Capital Equipment.

During the 2013/2014 period, the provincial spread comprises as a percentage the following: 45% from Gauteng; 27% from Western Cape; 10% from KZN; 5 % from International participants 4% from Limpopo; 3% from Mpumalanga; 3% from Eastern Cape; 3% from Mpumalanga and the remaining portion being attributable to the rest of the provinces at 1% each.

In the 2014/2015 year 923 companies received financial assistance to participate in 27 National Pavilions and 24 Trade Missions. Exports sales of R2,77 billion were facilitated. The sectoral spread of the companies supported comprises 30% to agro-processing; 40% to Multiple sectors; 7% to the Aerospace, Rail, Marine and Defence Sector; 7% to Capital Equipment; 7% to the Electro technical sector; 5% to the Auto sector; 4% to the creative Industries.

The provincial spread comprises a percentage spread as follows: 40.4% from Gauteng, 30.77% from Western Cape, 10.51% from KZN, 8,13% from International participants and the remaining portion being attributable to the rest of the provinces at less than 2% each.

The detailed breakdown for each financial year is attached in Annexures A and B.

Question

(2) whether the trip resulted in new contracts for those companies;

Response

In various instances the trips do yield sales contracts, joint venture partnerships or sub-contracting projects for South African companies. The value thereof is included in the total export sales facilitated which are detailed in part 3 of this response. A few examples of sales that have been facilitated through the trade shows in the 2014/2015 financial year include but are not limited to the following:

At SIAL China, export orders of R1.3 billion were generated as a result of the participation of South African companies. For example the company Dynamic Commodities from the Eastern Cape, reported that it generated R53 million worth of export business.

At the WAPIC Trade Fair in Nigeria, 18 South African companies exhibited their products and services. The Gauteng based exhibitors which include Powertech, Landis + GYR Pty Ltd, General Cables, ADC Energy, Poynting Antennas and Doble Engineering Africa reported expected product and service sales of R112 million as a result of their participation.

At the Ghana International Trade Fair (GITF) Aveng Africa from the Gauteng province, reported that it has signed a joint venture investment that is worth in excess of R12 billion.

During an Outward Selling Mission to The Netherlands, Redsun Raisins from the Northern Cape, reported export sales totalling R16,6 million.

After a special mission to Russia, Sea Harvest based in the Western Cape received an order of $10 million for hake and hake related products from a Russian company.

Question

(3) does his department monitor the effectiveness of this support programme to ensure that (a) his department is getting value for money and (b) recipients do not waste the financial support they receive? NW3313E

Response

The division monitors the effectiveness of the support programme through questionnaires that are completed by business participants at the end of each mission and National Pavilion. This questionnaire focuses on the sales that have been made at the event as well as the projected sales that are anticipated in the next six months. After a period of six months the same participants provide information that confirms the projected sales and / or additional export sales that may have accrued to the company during the period. In addition, the dti also utilises the services of an independent auditor who verifies the reported export sales as well as the local content of the manufactured products.

In addition the Department of Public Monitoring and Evaluation has recently assessed the effectiveness of the EMIA scheme and has recommended that this instrument be continued to facilitate Trade and Investment Missions and National Pavilions.

In the 2013/2014 period the cost of EMIA assistance of R113 million yielded R3,54 billion of export sales facilitated. In this regard, for each R1.00 spent, there was a R30.54 return. For the period of 2014/2015, the cost of EMIA assistance of R147 million yielded R2,779 billion of export sales. In this regard, for each R1.00 spent, there was a R18.90 return.

The financial support is in the form of full or partial payments to service providers for hotels, accommodation, transport, freight logistics, venue hire and space allocation at exhibition. To avoid potential wastage, the only direct payments that occur between the dti and the participants are in the event where a business participant has been pre-approved to claim for expenses which they had paid directly to service providers. The claims thresholds are governed by the EMIA rules which are signed off by the Minister and implemented through an adjudication committee.

Furthermore the financial support to companies is qualified according to the following categories: Emerging Exporters receive 100% funding towards an air ticket, subsistence and ground transport; SMMEs air ticket limited to R17,000.00 and subsistence limited to R2 300.00 per day; Other sized companies qualify for freight and stand in the case of a National Pavilion. For the same other-sized companies, the air ticket finance cannot exceed R8 500.00 and the subsistence of R2 300.00 per day. In addition for the Trade and Investment missions, all companies qualify for an R2000.00 allowance for excess baggage on exhibition material.

Reply:

(a) (i) In terms of the current information that the Department has received the number of cloned motor vehicles that have been captured by our law enforcement systems in and around the Province of Gauteng is ten (10).

(ii) There are no erroneous number plates that have been issued as the system automatically allocates number plates and does not have margin for errors.

(b) I am informed that currently, there has not been an increase in relation to the use of cloned number plates after the roll-out of the Gauteng e-Toll.

Additional information for the Minister:

The Department will be engaging with the SAPS to ensure that there is an interface between the SANRAL and the SAPS systems with regards to the transferring and sharing of information on the cases reported and captured by the various systems.

Reply:

(a)(i)

Due to capacity constraints the Kha Ri Gude officials at the DBE were unable to conduct unannounced site visits during the 2012/13 and 2013/14 campaigns.

However all Kha Ri Gude monitors, coordinators and supervisors in each province are required to visit 10 sites per month during the six (6) months of classes. The table below indicates the number of monitors, coordinators and supervisors contracted for the 2012/13 and 2013/14 campaigns.

Year	2012/13	2013/14
Province	Monitors	Coordinators	Supervisors	Monitors	Coordinators	Supervisors
Eastern Cape	10	45	852	10	46	875
Free State	4	16	296	4	16	299
Gauteng	7	27	495	8	28	529
KwaZulu Natal	10	41	792	9	41	800
Mpumalanga	2	17	308	2	17	315
Northern Cape	0	3	46	0	5	84
Limpopo	7	33	610	7	35	642
North West	2	11	186	2	12	196
Western Cape	2	7	100	2	6	101
Total	44	200	3685	44	206	3841

In addition, part of the monitoring of the Kha Ri Gude Campaign includes the verification of learning through site visits to the centres. This function is performed by SAQA. The SAQA reports show positive views of the reality and authenticity of classes. The sites visited during the period 2012/13 and 2013/14 are as follows:

(b)(ii)

PROVINCE	2012/13	2013/14
Eastern Cape	20	38
Free State	3	19
Gauteng	10	42
Kwazulu-Natal	32	64
Limpopo	26	55
Mpumalanga	12	42
Northern Cape	0	13
North West	0	18
Western Cape	0	10

Unfortunately information regarding districts was not available.

The 2013/14 Performance Report of the Auditor General recommended that the monitoring of the Kha Ri Gude Campaign should be strengthened in order to deal with the challenges experienced in the programme relating to fraud and deceased learners amongst others.

The 2014/15 campaign was then strengthened by increasing the capacity of the DBE officials, focusing on unannounced site visits which have assisted the programme to eradicate fraud.

Reply:

1. Yes. The Executive Authority has instructed the Board of PRASA and all other Department of Transport agencies / entities to verify the academic qualifications of all senior officials and to report to the Department by 31st October 2015.
2. See above response in (1).
3. (a) One

          (b) One

         (c) none

Reply:

 

(a) The De Wildt station to Wolmerton Depot line is identified for testing the new train and is ready. Procurement for the Wolmerton Depot testing facilities processes is underway.

(b) Permanent Way projects:

• Steffanutti Stocks – Cleveland Station (Platform rectification);
• Mpfumelelo Business Enterprises – Toronga Station & Denver Station (Platform Rectification)
• Lenong Civil engineering – Hercules Station  - Drainage Project; and
• Lettam Building and DKPB (JV) – Denneboom Station – Drainage Project

(c) Other than the pending appointment of contractors for the Wolmerton Depot and the non-performance of the perway contractor, current contractors are in compliance with their contracted timeline schedule.

Ministerial Note:

Due to deficiencies in the supply chain management process, the Wolmerton Depot tenders was withdrawn. Subsequent to re-advertising the tenders, it is being evaluated.

Reply:

(a-b) Neither the Minister nor Deputy Minister travelled to China during the 2014-15 financial year.

(c) The table below indicates the officials who travelled to China in the 2014-2015 financial year:

OFFICIAL	PURPOSE	(ii)(aa-bb) COSTS
DDG: Immigration Services, JW McKay	Study Tour on Integrated Border Management	Total: R 115 845.02 Flight: R 90 626.50 S&T: R 4 048.52 Accommodation: R 7 806 Ground transport: R 13 364
Director: Core Business and Change Audits, LT Kgopane Assistant Director: Audits, NS Somdyala	Audit of DHA services in SA mission in Shanghai	Total: R 129 959.68 Flight: R 28 409.39 S&T: R 9 055.45 Accommodation: R 22 944 Ground transport: R 4 571 Flight: R 28 409.39 S&T: R 9055.45 Accommodation: R 22 944 Ground transport: R 4 571
OFFICIAL	PURPOSE	(ii)(aa-bb) COSTS
DDG: Immigration Services, JW McKay Director: Corporate Accounts, IP Mbhele	Bilateral discussions on immigration and official visit to SA missions in Beijing and Shanghai, respectively	Total: R 161 444.82 Flight R 61 547.39 S&T: R 4 541.52 Accommodation: R 19 441 Ground transport: R 9 285 Flight: R 38 597.39 S&T: R 4 541.52 Accommodation: R 14 206 Ground transport: R 9 285
Senior Accounting Clerk: Foreign Revenue, V Andrews	Accompanied Auditor – General officials to conduct regulatory audit of SA mission in Shanghai	Total: R 89 766.64 Flight: R 54 165.22 S&T: R 8 520.42 Accommodation: R 17 106 Ground transport: R 9 975

Reply:

(1) (a) How many Grade R teachers and/or practitioners are employed in public ordinary schools and (b) what percentage of them are qualified at (i) National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 4, (ii) NQF Level 5 and (iii) NQF Level 6 in each (aa) province and (bb) district;

Province	aa(b) i	aa(b) ii	aa(b) iii	(a)
	Level 4	Level 5	NQF 6 & above	Total (Employed)
EC	82%	4%	9%	4 765
FS	22%	19%	53%	1 270
GP	4%	52%	43%	2 710
KZN	74%	6%	17%	6 486
LP	0%	0%	100%	1 080
MP	38%	34%	18%	2 065
NC	42%	41%	15%	736
NW	Not Submitted
WC	30%	37%	30%	1 767
Total	52%	19%	26%	20 879

(bb) Provinces were only able to submit information aggregated at province

level.

(2) Whether qualified Grade R teachers are employed and paid as educators and not practitioners; if not, (a) why not and (b) when this will be the case?

(a) Grade R is currently not fully-funded as part of the mainstream education system. This refers to all funding including compensation of Grade R teachers.

(b) The Department is working towards the universalisation of Grade R by 2019. It is planned that by 2019, Grade R will be fully integrated into the mainstream education system and will accordingly be funded at the same level or fully-funded as part of the mainstream education system.

Reply:

(a) and (b) the dti has conducted extensive consultations with key stakeholders as part of the Black Industrialist Policy development process. Such Stakeholders include Cabinet Committee, MinMec, Business, Development Finance Institutions, State Owned Enterprises and NEDLAC. The inputs from these Stakeholders have been considered in the development of the Black Industrialist Policy (BIP) which is en route to Cabinet for consideration and approval. No applications have been approved as the application process for the BIP has not as yet been finalized.

(2) What are the names of all those (a) who have applied for support under the specified programme and (b) whose applications have been approved to date?

Response:

(a) None, the Black Industrialist Programme has not yet approved by Cabinet.

Reply:

 

	Purpose of visit	(ii)(a) Total Cost (Rand)	(ii)(b) Breakdown of cost (Rand)
Minister	Did not travel to China during the 2014-15 financial year.
Deputy Minister	To attend the China International Business Tourism Mart (CIBTM); one of the biggest business tourism events in the Asia region.	341 820.08	Deputy Minister Flight ticket: Accommodation: Insurance: Service Fee: Allowance: Total:	83 430.00 22 026.00 585.00 625.00 11 317.92 117 983.90
Officials Ms L Mathopa Ms N Sifanele			Ms L Mathopa Flight ticket: Accommodation: Insurance: Service Fee: Shuttle: Allowance : Total: Ms N Sifanele Flight ticket: Accommodation: Insurance: Service Fees: Allowance: Total:	78 859.00 28 630.00 630.00 665.00 870.00 3 797.14 113 451.14 83 430.00 15 456.00 585.00 625.00 10 289.02 110 385.02
Ambassador LM Makhubela, Director General (DG). Mr V Tharage, Deputy Director General (DDG): Policy and Knowledge Services. Ms L Mfecane, Deputy Director (DD): Office of the DG.	To attend the 2014 World Travel &Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit. To attend the 2014 World Travel &Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit.	368 216.83	DG: Flight ticket: Accommodation: Insurance: Service Fee: Allowance: Total: DDG: Flight ticket: Accommodation: Insurance: Service Fee: Allowance: Total: DD: Flight ticket: Accommodation: Insurance: Service Fee: Allowance: Total:	129 683.00 17 259.52 534.90 350.48 6 642.77 154 470.67 105 423.00 17 600.00 534.90 775.00 5 971.00 130 303.90 66 448.00 11 079.52 534.90 350.48 5 009.36 83 442.26

Reply:

 

1. The Skills and Vocational Curriculum currently being developed will address the needs of learners at primary school level, as it is the curriculum which would lead to an exit level qualification at NQF Level 1. The Skills and Vocational Curriculum is being developed at two levels:

(a) A Skills and Vocational Curriculum aligned to the National Curriculum Statement, Grades R to 12, to meet the needs of learners who experience barriers to learning (including learners with moderate intellectual disability) at Grade 6 to 9 level;

(b) A Skills and Vocational Curriculum (also CAPS aligned) to meet the needs of learners with severe intellectual disability at Grade R to 5 level.

2) Both curricula will provide clarity to schools for learners with special needs on how to adapt the National Curriculum Statement for learners with intellectual disability who struggle to meet the academic requirements of the National Curriculum Statement. Apart from the General Subjects (Language, Mathematics and Life Skills) which are adapted to be more functional and practical and less abstract, the Skills and Vocational Subjects are introduced to prepare learners more effectively for the world of work. For learners who do not have cognitive impairments, the Guidelines for Responding to Diversity in the Classroom and the Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support will be used to adapt the curriculum to meet their individual needs.

Reply:

(a); (i), (ii), (b), (c), (d). According to information received from Gauteng Department of Education, no educational sites have been provided during the town planning of the area mentioned. Rietfontein falls within the border of the City of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipalities and is surrounded by areas such as Greenstone, Linksfield, Modderfontein and Edenvale. At this point there are no sites earmarked for public schooling within the area and no schools are presently planned to be built on the specified sites.

Reply:

 

1. (a) It is not acceptable for schools to combine the Grade R class with Grades 1, 2, and 3. The recommendation that the Department of Basic Education is making to all schools that are delivering the curriculum through the multi-grade teaching model, is that the Grade R class should always be a stand-alone class.

(b) The Grade R prepares children to be ready for the primary school by developing their pre-reading, pre-writing and pre-numeracy skills. Children learn these skills through play. The real work of children in the Grade R class is predominantly characterised by play. Therefore, multi-grade primary schools should offer the Grade R class as a stand-alone class that will accord the children the opportunity to be introduced to formal schooling with ease and in a friendly and conducive environment.

2)  There is no need to make a determination on Grade R as the Department does not encourage multi-grade schools to combine Grade R with other grades. The post provisioning norms provide for the posts in Grade R in terms of relevant weighting in line with the ideal maximum class size for Grade R.

Reply:

(a) The standard return of company assets.

(b) Sensitive information / unprocessed.

(c) 1st August 2015 to 30th November 2015.

(d) None.

(e) PRASA Board of Control decided that it was in the best interest of the entity that the then Group Chief Executive Officer be released early.

Reply:

The Bilateral Investment Treaty between South Africa and Zimbabwe is a negotiated Agreement. Furthermore, it is unusual for Agreements of this nature to have retrospective application as the guiding principle is that parties enter into such agreements with a view to addressing future events.

 

(2)Whether he intends to take steps to promote the rights, and claim compensation for the losses, of South African citizens who have been prejudiced by the Zimbabwean government and/or illegal occupiers before the commencement of the agreement; if not, why not, seen against the background of the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, and relevant international law; if so, what are the relevant details;

Reply:

The Republic of South Africa is responsible for enforcing rights and obligations within its own territory. Any events that take place outside the borders of the Republic are extra-territorial and remedies or redress would have to be sought in the jurisdiction where prejudice occurred. The Bill of Rights contained the Constitution of the Republic is applicable only in South Africa and has no application in Zimbabwe. The South African Government is addressing concerns of South African investors as and when they arise through the diplomatic and multilateral channels available bilaterally and regionally.

(3)Whether he is considering legislation to bring about compensation for such disadvantaged people by way of making the confiscation of assets of the Zimbabwean government and/or responsible ministers and/or officials in South Africa possible; if not, why not, seen against the background of the Bill of Rights, as contained in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, and relevant international law; if so, what are the relevant details;

Reply:

The dti respects the independence and competence of the judiciary to make determinations in that regard.

(4)What steps is he taking regarding the current unlawful dispossession of South African citizens’ property rights in Zimbabwe by the Zimbabwean government and/or illegal occupiers?

Under the Bilateral Investment Treaty concluded with Zimbabwe in 2009 and ratified in 2010, investors affected by measures taken by the Zimbabwean State can, after challenging such a matter in domestic courts, resort to international arbitration in order to settle any dispute. No further steps can be taken by the Government of the Republic of South Africa in that respect as the international arbitration process is independent and the rulings thereof are binding.

Reply:

(a) The Gauteng Department of Education is investigating the matter. A full response will be provided once the investigation has been completed and relevant information has been provided to the Department of Basic Education.

(b) The Provincial School Safety Coordinator (Mr Z Nkuna) has reported that the school was never vandalised whilst security was in place, the security was retracted at the end of the month of January 2015 with no reported incidents.

Reply:

The Department of Higher Education and Training has 0.72% of its employees who are classified as disabled. All advertisements for vacancies in the Department specify that candidates whose appointment will promote representivity in terms of race, gender and disability will receive preference. The Z83 application form that is used across the public service requires applicants to specify their disability. No qualifying applications received, have specified their disability status. The Department informally liaises with relevant organisations for persons with disabilities to recruit possible qualifying applicants for vacant positions within the Department. For the next five years, the Department aims at being an inclusive department through the implementation of strategies for the recruitment and retention of disabled individuals.

 

 

 

 

Compiler/Contact persons:

Ext:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

REPLY TO QUESTION 2800 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

STATUS:

DATE:

Reply:

1. The Court set aside the decision as indicated above and instructed the department to take a fresh decision, which was taken in November 2013. The department is not aware of a high number of new asylum seekers. According to the annual statistics shared with the public, the number of newcomers continues to decrease from approximately 233 300 in 2009 to 72 000 new applications in 2014. Departmental officials are coping with these numbers. The only bottlenecks remain with the appeal and review cases dealt with by the Refugee Appeal Board and Standing Committee on Refugee Affairs.
2. The construction of the centre has not yet commenced. The Department of Public Works (DPW) has identified a suitable site in Komatipoort. The site is however zoned for agricultural use. An application was then made by DPW to rezone and subdivide the site. The application was heard by the Tribunal on 31 March 2015. Approval was granted by the Tribunal for the rezoning and subdivision of the site subject to South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) commenting on the access route to the site. SANRAL comments are awaited.