Questions and Replies
15 July 2015 - NW2374
Mackenzie, Mr C to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
What was the revenue received by the SA Post Office (SAPO) from the Universal Postal Union for each month from 1 June 2014 to 30 April 2015?
Reply:
I have been advised by the South African Post Office as follows:-
SAPO does not receive revenue from Universal Postal Union.
15 July 2015 - NW2311
Mackenzie, Mr C to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
(a) What amount has Sentech invested in building South Africa’s digital broadcasting infrastructure and application system before March 2015, (b) what amount of this equipment and these systems are still covered by the original manufacturer’s warranties and (c) how many are operating without a manufacturer’s warranty?
Reply:
I have been advised by Sentech as follows:
- R1 287 609 781. 84.
(b-c) The Manufactures warranties cover equipment for maximum period of 24 months. The table below provides a span of equipment for active components of the DTT networks. There is a total of 4712 DTT assets amounting to R447 663 469 that falls outside manufacturers’ warranties (highlighted in yellow) and a total of 3206 assets amounting to R324 058 305 falling within manufacturers’ warranty period (highlighted in green).
Acquisition year | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | Total |
Warranty expiry date | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
Acquisition value | R63 056 479 | R91 020 130 | R82 065 010 | R91 433 270 | R120 088 580 | R30 067 142 | R229 562 145 | R64 429 018 | R771 721 774 |
Total assets | 328 | 936 | 1551 | 583 | 1314 | 1655 | 1077 | 474 | 7918 |
Warranty status | Out of warranty period | Within warranty period |
15 July 2015 - NW2383
Shinn, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
(a) Which legal firm is conducting the disciplinary hearings in respect of his department’s staff members implicated in the Media Corner deal,
Reply:
I have been informed by the Department as follows:-
- The Office of the State Attorney instructed advocates from the Johannesburg Bar.
(b)The DG instructed the State Attorney, and the State Attorney appointed advocates.
(c)(i) Adv. M. Mooki (Initiator) - R 1100 per hour
Adv. Z. Z. Matebese (Chairperson) - R 1200 per hour
Adv. V. D. Ntsweni (Chairperson) – R 850 per hour
Adv. M. E. Mathaphuna (Chairperson) – R 750 per hour
Adv. M. A. Mavodze(Chairperson) – R 1050 per hour
Adv. M. S. Shaba (Chairperson) – R 1250 per hour
Adv. S. B. Mhlapo (Chairperson) – R 700 per hour
(c)(ii) Adv. M. Mooki (Initiator) – R 267 352.80
Adv. Z. Z. Matebese (Chairperson) – R 158 004
Adv. M. S. Shaba (Chairperson) – R 191 662.50
Adv. S. B. Mhlapo (Chairperson) – R 83 790
(iii) Yes, the payments of three chairpersons who have not yet submitted invoices.
15 July 2015 - NW2515
Bozzoli, Prof B to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
Is the Ernst and Young forensic report on the University of Limpopo for the 2013-14 financial year publically available; if not, why not, if so, which (a) department or (b) departmental official is the custodian of the report?
Reply:
No. The forensic report on the University of Limpopo for the 2013/14 financial year is not publically available as it contains confidential information with regards to untested allegations against individuals and in order to avoid the infringement of the fundamental rights of individuals mentioned in the report, I will not be able to release the report.
Compiler/contact persons:
Ext:
DIRECTOR – GENERAL
STATUS:
DATE:
REPLY TO QUESTION 2515 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr B NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS:
DATE:
15 July 2015 - NW2382
Shinn, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
What is the status of his department’s disciplinary hearings of staff involved in the Media Corner deal,
Reply:
I have been informed by the Department as follows:-
- One Deputy Director-General: Still in progress
One Deputy Director-General: Disciplinary hearing has been finalised
Personal Assistant: Disciplinary hearing has been finalised
Departmental Bid Adjudicating Committee: Still in progress
Departmental Bid Evaluation Committee: Still in progress
- 12
- Two employees: Salary level 15
One employee: Salary level 8
Six employees: Salary level 13
One employee: Salary level 14
One employee: Salary level 11
One employee: Salary level 9
15 July 2015 - NW2376
Motau, Mr SC to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
Since his reply to question 416 on 27 March 2015, how many (a) persons are stationed and employed at the International Mail Centre situated at Jet Park in Johannesburg as at 31 May 2015 and (b) of these persons are employed (i) as (aa) management, (bb) permanent, (cc) casual and (dd) temporary staff and (ii) by third parties such as the SA Police Service and the SA Revenue Service?
Reply:
I have been advised by the South African Post Office (SAPO) as follows:
- The total number of people employed at Johannesburg International Mail Centre (JIMC) is 237.
(b)(i) (aa) Management 5
(bb) Permanent 211
(cc) Casuals 21
15 July 2015 - NW2375
Mackenzie, Mr C to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
(a) How many foreign mail items were (i) received by the Johannesburg International Mail Centre in (aa) February, (bb) March and (cc) April 2015 and (ii) stopped for processing by the SA Revenue Service (SARS) Customs Division in each of the specified months and (b) what was the time period to process these items in each specified month;
Reply:
I have been advised by the South African Post Office (SAPO) as follows:
1(a)(i) (aa) February 2015 - 56 161
(bb) March 2015 - 59 138
(cc) April 2015 - 60 010
(ii) All items are subject to import duties and are processed by SAPO. South African Revenue Service (SARS) stops items for inspection in the event of any missing or required documentation or if items are deemed not to be allowed in the country.
(b) The set standard for processing items is 48 hours. However this may differ depending on the volumes received and that have to be processed.
2. The South African Police Service (SAPS) work in conjunction with SARS to stop items for inspection in the event of any missing or required documentation or if items are deemed not to be allowed in the country.
The set standard for processing items is 48 hours. However this may differ depending on the volumes received and that have to be processed.
No arrests have been made by SAPS for this period.
15 July 2015 - NW2373
Mackenzie, Mr C to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
With reference to the SA Post Office’s (SAPO) membership of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), has his department officially notified the UPU (a) of the split in the Ministry of Communications and (b) that SAPO now falls under his department; if so, when?
Reply:
(a) The Department is an active member of the UPU and is in regular communication with the International Bureau of the UPU. I have met with the Director-General of the UPU, Ambassador Bishar Hussein of Kenya, in South Africa on the 6 August 2014, and provided an update of developments within the administration of the South African government relating to Telecommunications and Postal Services. Previously officials from the UPU had also been briefed by officials from DTPS as they interact on an ongoing basis.
(b) As the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services is the responsible Department for postal matters, including South Africa’s membership of the UPU, it follows that SAPO falls under DTPS. The UPU has been requested to update their website to record the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services, instead of the Department of Communications.
15 July 2015 - NW2544
Singh, Mr N to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
With reference to the application made on 23 September 2014 by a certain person (name furnished) for a vault copy of his birth certificate which has still not been processed by the Department of Home Affairs (details furnished), (a) why has nothing as yet been forthcoming, despite repeated requests for information from his department, (b) on what date is the application expected to be completed and the certificate issued to the specified person, (c) what are the full reasons for the delay in issuing this document and (d) what steps have been taken to ensure that this type of delay and lack of feedback to applicants by his department does not occur in the future?
Reply:
(a-c) Applications for both a computerised unabridged and a vault copy of birth certificate were captured on the system on 6 October 2014. However, due to an oversight on the part of the official who received the application, only the computerised unabridged birth certificate was processed on 10 October 2014 and printed at the office of application on 13 October 2014. The vault copy was processed on 29 June 2015.
(d) The Department has put in place mechanisms where clients can enquire about the progress on their applications through its call centre. In addition it will strengthen the current controls and monitoring of these areas.
15 July 2015 - NW2310
Mackenzie, Mr C to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
(a) How will the R270 million allocated to the broadband sub-programme in the Information and Communications Technology infrastructure support programme be spent in the 2015-16 financial year, (b) what tenders have been invited for the projects to be funded by this sub-programme and (c)(i) on what date were the tenders published and (ii) what is the number of the Government Gazette in which the tenders were published?
Reply:
I have been advised by the Department as follows:-
(a) R 21 million has been allocated for Broadband Planning; and
R 200 million has been allocated for South Africa Connect.
The department will be buying services for the 8 identified districts from a service provider.
(b) No tenders have been issued for the implementation of the programme.
(c) N/A
15 July 2015 - NW2415
Shinn, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
What amount did (a) his department and (b) each entity reporting to it spend on advertising in (i) The Sowetan and (ii) The Daily Sun in the 2014-15 financial year?
Reply:
I have been advised by the Department and Entities as follows:-
DEPARTMENT
(a) Nil
- (i) SAPO R 95 722.20
SITA R 241 216.61
Others Nil
(b)(ii) SAPO - R813 297.29
Others Nil.
15 July 2015 - NW2308
Shinn, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
Which department or government entities were involved in the drafting of the (a) scope of the project and (b) business plan for Phase One of the Government’s Broadband Roll-out project?
Reply:
I have been advised by the Department as follows:-
(a) and (b) In the development of the Project scope; Phase 1 Business Case and Plan; the Department engaged and consulted critical stakeholders including State-Owned Companies (SOCs) of the department who provided insight into the national footprint of infrastructure as part of the effort to determine the infrastructure gap. Provincial departments also provided input on their broadband rollout plans to ensure that they align with South Africa Connect and are integrated into the common plan of the DTPS. The national Departments of Health, Basic Education, Rural Development, National Treasury through the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC), South African Police Services and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) were consulted to develop the user requirement specification for the broadband services as part of the development of the business case.
15 July 2015 - NW2492
Mackenzie, Mr C to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
With regard to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigation into the irregularities around the appointment of a certain person (name and details furnished) and noting that an application to set aside this appointment is being opposed by both Universal Service and Access Agency SA (USAASA) as well as the specified person in the High Court in Gauteng, is USAASA paying the legal costs of the specified person; if so,
Reply:
I have been advised by USAASA as follows:-
- The USAASA Board took a resolution to oppose the SIU Court Application. Supporting affidavits deposed by the CEO were filed by the Agency in support of its defence and to answer to the allegations involving the CEO. The Agency is therefore paying all the legal costs.
- The CEO will not be held liable for any legal costs incurred in the event the application is unsuccessful. The reason for this is that, the CEO is not defending this matter in his personal capacity. The Board is defending the matter because it is the Board’s decision to appoint the CEO that is being challenged by the SIU. The Board’s decision to appoint Mr Zami Nkosi is what is at issue in this Court Case.
- No steps will be taken to recover the specified legal costs if a cost order is awarded against the Agency. The Agency is defending its own decision
- The Board, as the Accounting Authority, has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the Agency. The Board exercised its mind with due diligence when it decided to appoint Mr Zami Nkosi as its CEO and when it took a resolution to defend that decision and oppose the SIU Court application.
14 July 2015 - NW2338
Hunsinger, Dr CH to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)With reference to the N11 road between Ladysmith and Fort Mistake in Kwazulu-Natal, (a) are there any plans to (i) rebuild and (ii) undertake major maintenance to the specified section of the road; if not; why not; if so, (aa) what are the relevant details of the work to be undertaken, (bb) when will the specified work begin, (cc) when will such work be completed, (dd) what is the budgeted cost of the specified work and (ee) when will the tender be advertised; (2) what provision has been made for general workers to be recruited from communities who live within 10km from the specified road; if no provision has been made, why not?
Reply:
- (i) (ii) The project consists of two phases: Rehabilitation of the N11 from Nkunzi River Bridge to One tree Hill which includes the sections between Sunset Rest and Fort Mistake. This phase of the project is 14,3 km long and was completed in April 2015. The total cost of the works were R255,5 million (rounded) including VAT and CPA.
The second phase between Ladysmith and Nkuzi River Bridge is in the design phase. The honourable member has unfortunately confused the locations of the project limits.
(aa) The first phase of the project that includes Sunset Rest and Fort Mistake consisted of, inter alia, the rehabilitation of the pavement and widening the cross section to 13,4 m. Your question NW2712E also makes reference to this portion of the road.
(bb) As stated above, the first phase is complete. Construction of phase 2 will commence subsequent to the completion of the design and all relevant legislative permissions have been obtained; It is intended that this Contract commence around November 2015.
(cc) It is envisaged that the construction period will be between 18 and 24 months.
(dd) The cost of construction is estimated at R850m.
(ee) The advertisement date will be determined once the design and legislative requirements have been finalised.
(2) SANRAL is committed to community development and allows for use of local labour on all its projects. The general labour will be recruited from the local communities.
14 July 2015 - NW2367
Basson, Mr LJ to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
(1)Whether the cyanobacteria is present in the (a) Hartebeespoort Dam, (b) Vaal Dam, (c) Spitskop Dam, (d) Barberspan, (e) Koppies Dam and (f) Chrissiesmeer; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether she can provide the results of each of the water tests done at each of the specified dams since 1 January 2011; if not, why not; if so, what are the results in each case; (3) whether she has taken any steps to resolve the problem of the presence of cyanobacteria in the specified dams; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (4) what danger does the bacteria cyanobacteria pose to standing water bodies?
Reply:
- The Department does not currently monitor Barberspan or Chrissiesmeer for cyanobacteria, as they do not form part of the National Eutrophication Monitoring Programme (focused on dams). Both Barberspan and Chrissiesmeer are viewed as wetlands and will form part of the National Wetlands Monitoring Programme, which is currently being designed and will be implemented in 2016. For the other dams, the most recently available cyanobacterial counts are listed in the table below:
Dam |
Cyanobacterial count (cells/ml) (including Anabeana, Arthrospira, Cylindrospermopsis, Lyngbya, Merismopedia, Microcystis and Oscillatoria |
Hartbeespoort |
22 342 |
Vaal |
33 524 |
Spitskop |
7 851 |
Koppies |
Not available |
2. Results can be provided for all the dams since 2011 as requested, except Barberspan and Chrissiesmeer. The data information can be viewed on the Directorate’s website - https://www.dwa.gov.za/iwqs.
3. Addressing cyanobacteria in dams requires a multidisciplinary approach with its foundation in catchment management. Nutrient loading resulting from run-off in catchment where the dam is located, is the main reason for cyanobacterial blooms.
This loading takes place as a result of, inter alia, overloaded and / or dysfunctional waste water treatment works and agricultural run-off. DWS addresses this through collaboration with and guidance to local authorities, whom is responsible for operating these waste water treatment works. The Green Drop project is an example of this, where the efficient operation of wastewater treatment works by municipalities is audited and scored. Based on the outcome of this evaluation, guidance is provided by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to municipalities to assist them with adhering to the license conditions of the waste water treatment works.
The DWS has also recently acquired the services of Cuban engineers to assist local municipalities with the improved operation of their waste water treatment works.
The Department developed a set of guidelines for eutrophication management, including best agricultural practices which, if implemented by farmers, will reduce the nutrient loading resulting from agricultural run-off.
A specific project on the Hartbeespoort Dam to address the water quality remediation, which includes the treatment of cyanobacterial blooms, is the Metsi a Me project. This is a multidisciplinary project which addresses the remediation of dam specific water quality.
There is currently no similar scale projects on the other dams mentioned in the question, as these dams’ issues are addressed on a catchment base.
(4) Cyanobacteria, when present in high numbers in the water column, and under conducive environmental conditions, can release a toxin, microcystin, which could pose a health risk if untreated water is consumed by humans and animals. In addition, when the algal blooms die off and decompose, it can result in unpleasant smells, impacting on recreational users.
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14 July 2015 - NW2500
Hunsinger, Dr CH to ask the Minister of Transport
When were the Transit Administration Agencies (TAA) established in respect of each of the integrated public transport system and (b) what (i) mechanism, (ii) processes and (iii) procedures exists to monitor the TAA’s
Reply:
(a) When were the Transit Administration Agencies (TAA) established in respect of each of the integrated public transport system
The term Transit Administration Agency is the specific term used by Nelson Mandela Bay from 2007 in developing the institutional structure for overseeing Integrated Public Transport Networks in the City. Currently, this City is still studying the future feasibility of having a completely standalone Municipal Entity such as the Transit Administration Agency overseeing the IPTN. In the meantime Nelson Mandela Bay, along with other cities such as Polokwane, Tshwane, Mbombela, Rustenburg, George, etc., are currently planning and implementing IPTNS through specialist project teams that either fall under Transport Departments or Infrastructure and Engineering Services Departments.
The City of Johannesburg in 2013 established a Scheduled Services Unit to oversee Rea Vaya and IPTN operations, planning and regulation. This unit falls within the Municipality’s Transport department.
Cape Town in 2012 launched Transport for Cape Town as their specialized Transport Department that also deals with all IPTN matters.
EThekwini has set up a long standing Transport Authority which has assumed full responsibility for IPTN matters amongst other transport matters.
(b) What (i) mechanism, (ii) processes and (iii) procedures exists to monitor the TAA’s
(i) The mechanism to monitor IPTN implementation teams is through the National Department of Transport as the custodian of the 2007 Public Transport Strategy and the 2009 National Land Transport Act. The NDoT is also the Transferring Officer in terms of the Public Transport Network Grant that funds IPTNS through the Division of Revenue Act as a municipal conditional grant.
(ii) The processes are based on the Division of Revenue Act and the related Public Transport Network Grant Framework.
(iii) The procedures include monthly financial reports, quarterly reports, annual reports, quarterly bilateral meetings between municipal teams and NDoT, technical support and guidelines etc.
14 July 2015 - NW2303
James, Ms LV to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
Whether Coal of Africa was granted a water licence for its operations in the (a) Makhado Local Municipality and (b) Musina Local Municipality in Limpopo; if not, why not; if so, (i) on what date was it granted and (ii) what are the terms of the licence agreement?
Reply:
(a) Coal of Africa was not granted a water licence for its operations in the Makhado Local Municipality. Their water use licence (WUL) application is still being processed by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
(b)(i) Coal of Africa was granted a WUL for its operations in the Musina Local Municipality.
(b)(ii) The water use licence for Coal of Africa in respect of its operations in the Musina Local Municipality was granted on 29 March 2011. The water use licence was granted for a period of five years on the terms stipulated in WUL, which are confidential to the applicant. Coal of Africa plans to continue with the mine, consequently they have applied for another water use licence for the same area covered by the licence granted in 2011.
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14 July 2015 - NW1426
Robinson, Ms D to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
Does her department have a Regulatory Burden Reduction strategy in place; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the strategy?
Reply:
Yes. Cabinet has recently approved the Socio Economic Impact Assessment System (SEIAS) which is effective from 1 June 2015. The SEIAS requires that government departments must, before developing any policy, regulations and legislation, ensure that they take steps to minimize the unintended consequences of such policy, regulations and legislation, including unnecessary costs of implementation and compliance. The SEIAS further requires government departments to anticipate implementation risks and develop measures to mitigate such risks.
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14 July 2015 - NW2549
Dudley, Ms C to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)With reference to her reply to question 1600 on 19 May 2015, whether she will provide relevant information regarding a certain case (details furnished) between certain persons (names and details furnished); (2) will she provide clarity regarding the arrangement with Prodiba which the article (details furnished) suggest are on a month by month agreement, specifically with respect to (a) the decryption keys and (b) any intention to license the decryption keys given the uncertainty around Prodiba; (3) how does her department intend dealing with companies interested in legally licensing the decryption keys from her department as the owner of such decryption keys in order to provide effective software solutions for the country’s businesses; (4) who would the prospective licensed users contact to discuss the criteria and process?
Reply:
- The Department does not have any relations with Prodiba and as such, any access of department property by Prodiba is illegal. You are therefore referred to the recent North Gauteng high Court order of the 22 April 2015, Case No. 34273/12 and the latest constitutional court judgment of the 27 May 2015.
- The Court order stated in (1) above refers, there is no month to month contract agreement between the Department and Prodiba, Note that as from the 5th May 2015, the Driving License Card Account (DLCA), a trading entity under the Department of Transport took over all services that were previously provided by Prodiba.
- The Department does not intend to, in the short to medium term, commercialize the use of the decryption key, especially given the provision of the POPI Act.
- Given the response in (3) above, there is therefore no contact persons in this regard
14 July 2015 - NW2316
Redelinghuys, Mr MH to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
(1)Whether her department has had any engagement with the City of Tshwane regarding (a) a dam in Midas, Mabopane, Ward 22 and (b)(i) health, (ii) safety and (iii) environmental risks associated with the specified dam; (2) whether her department will conduct a health and safety assessment in respect of the specified dam; (3) whether her department intends to engage with the municipality to address the safety concerns of the local community?
Reply:
(1) The Department of Water and Sanitation had no previous engagements with the City of Tshwane regarding health, safety or environmental risk of a dam in Midas.
(2) No complaints about the query have been received by my Department and no health and safety assessment was therefore planned.
(3) Yes, my Department has engaged with the City of Tshwane municipality regarding this issue and met incidentally with a community leader on 18 June 2015 during the site visit. According to the representative of the community, they get their services from the City of Tshwane. Madibeng Municipality will also be approached through my sector support unit to address the matter further.
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14 July 2015 - NW2420
Balindlela, Ms ZB to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
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?
Reply:
Requesting the Honourable Member to refer to the response in NA 1128 published on 26 March 2015.
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14 July 2015 - NW2480
McLoughlin, Mr AR to ask the Minister of Police
What are the reasons for the refusal of a certain official (details furnished) to see a delegation of public representatives from a certain political party (name furnished) who wanted to conduct an oversight visit in accordance with the principles of the Constitution of South Africa, 1996?
Reply:
Numerous possible appointment dates were discussed between the Station Management and Mr Mike Waters who is the Member of Parliament. The dates of 2015-04-19, 2015-05-25 and 2015-06-01 were not suitable for both the Member of Parliament and the Station Management. The date that was agreed upon was later found to be not suitable for the Station Management as many of the senior officers could not be available. The Cluster Commander of Tembisa under which Kempton Park resort, Major General Nick Sithole, will contact Mr Mike Waters, MP, to discuss a suitable date that will suit both the Station Management and him (Mr Mike Waters).
14 July 2015 - NW2532
Maimane, Mr MA to ask the Minister of Police
(1)Did (a) he or (b) any official from his department authorise the use of the Presidential Protection Unit for the transportation of any (a) delegates, (b) diplomats or (c) Heads of State during the African Union Summit in Johannesburg between 10 and 15 June 2015; if so, which delegates, diplomats or Heads of State made use of the unit for this purpose; (2) if the unit was utilised for the purpose of transporting any such delegates, diplomats or Heads of State, (a) on what dates and (b) to and from which locations did the unit transport the specified individuals; (3) on whose authority was the Presidential Protection Unit employed to carry out the transportation of delegates, diplomats or Heads of State during the African Union Summit?
Reply:
1. Neither the Minister of Police (b) nor any officer from his Department authorized the use of Presidential Protection Service for the transportation of Head of State/Government and former Heads of States/Government during the African Union Summit in Johannesburg between 10 and 15 June 2015.
2. Presidential Protection Service was utilized for the purpose of transporting Heads of State/Government and Former Heads of State/Government (a) from the 10th to the 16th of June 2015 (b) from airports namely WAFB, ORTIA and Lanseria to Head Quarter Hotels and taken to Sandton ICC for the African Union Conference and back to the airports for departure.
3. Presidential Protection Service was authorized by NATJOINTS with a request from DIRCO to carry out the protection of VIP’s during the African Union Summit.
14 July 2015 - NW2518
Mubu, Mr KS to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)What amount has the SA National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) spent on the Winelands toll road project with reference to (a) print, (b) radio, (c) inlet and (d) billboard advertising since 2009; (2) what total amount has SANRAL spent on advertising the Winelands toll road project?
Reply:
(1) (a) I am informed that no expenditure incurred before financial year 2014/15.
(b) nil
(c) nil
(d) nil
(2) R1 2 11 224.91
14 July 2015 - NW2237
Figlan, Mr AM to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs
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 the2008-09 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) Yes
(aa)
(i) R580 597,82
(ii) Ms MP Mbengashe, Chief Director
(iii) The parties agreed to terminate the contract.
iSimangaliso
(b) No
(bb)
(i) N/A
(ii) N/A
(iii) N/A
South African Weather Service
(b) No
(bb)
(i) N/A
(ii) N/A
(iii) N/A
South African National Parks
(b) No
(bb)
(i) N/A
(ii) N/A
(iii) N/A
South African National Biodiversity Institute
(b) No
(bb)
(i) N/A
(ii) N/A
(iii) N/A
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14 July 2015 - NW2495
De Freitas, Mr MS to ask the Minister of Transport
(a) What has been the economic impact of the e-toll system on the Gauteng province since its introduction, (b) how was this impact measured and (c) how was the impact on traffic congestion on roads in Gauteng measured and ascertained?
Reply:
(a) I am informed that the overall economic impact was positive. As a result of the additional road capacity, delays on the road network were substantially decreased, and traffic growth of more than 20% in many instances could be accommodated. Improvements in travel speeds/reduced congestion was also confirmed by independent studies (refer to reports from Congestion survey by Tom Tom). Furthermore, the development that took place in the immediate vicinity of upgraded interchanges such as Lynnwood, Atterbury, Garsfontein, John Vorster, Allandale, etc reflects the positive impact the road improvement project had on Gauteng. As was demonstrated in various economic studies, the project renders a high return on investment and a B:C ratio of 8 to 1. The Panel to investigate the social and economic impact of the GFIP made amongst others the following conclusions (the full report is available from the Gauteng Province):
The impact of the GFIP in the GCR economy;
Reduced Travel time benefits:
- 45 000 hours at morning peak
- Average speed increase of 64 km/hr (without GFIP) to 100 km/hr (with GFIP)
- Average speed increase on secondary routes from 40km/hr to 48 km/hr
Reduced vehicle operating costs (5% to 20% depending on route and distance)
- Reduced fuel consumption
- Reduced maintenance costs
Improved logistics efficiencies
Improved travel conditions
- Enhanced safety
- Rapid response emergency services and prevention of secondary accidents (1 400 / month)
(b)Sees (a) above
(c) SANRAL has various counting stations on the freeway network as well as parallel routes to the freeway network that counts traffic on an ongoing basis. The graphs below provides an indication, based on the situation in 2014, what the impact of the GFIP on traffic speeds on both the freeways and supporting road network was with and without the toll roads as well as before and after the tolling of the freeways commenced.
As can be seen from the graphs below, the conditions on the freeways and alternative roads are substantially better than what it would have been if the GFIP was not implemented, even after toll collection commenced.
Freeways & Alternatives Routes. See Annexure A
14 July 2015 - NW1304
Balindlela, Ms ZB to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
What steps is her department taking to prevent raw sewerage flowing from Kwa-Thatha through Phaphamani into the Belmont Valley in Makana Municipality?
Reply:
Requesting that the Honorable Member to refer to the response to NA 1305.
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14 July 2015 - NW2546
Sithole, Mr KP to ask the Minister of Police
Whether he has any plans to arrange for satellite police stations to be established in (a) Okholweni, Ward 1 in Nquthu, (b) Mfongosi, Ward 9 in Nkandla and (c) Emabhuqwini, Ward 2 in Nkandla, as the specified areas are plagued by stock theft and senseless murders; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(a) Okholweni: Ward 1
- There is no place called Okholweni, the area is called Ukwalwini/ Ntabasibahle. Ward 1 is served by two stations namely Nquthu, and SAPS Ekombe. The biggest parts of Ward 1 are policed by SAPS Ekombe.
- There are no plans to establish a satellite police station within the area.
- The reasons are as follows:
- During an Accessibility Study, consultation with the community was conducted by this office and there was no need/ request identified for the establishment of a Satellite police station in this area.
- The area in question is within an 18km radius from the main police station. The province is currently focussing on areas with longer distances for prioritization of establishment of satellite police stations.
- Melmoth Stock Theft Unit investigates all Stock Theft Related cases within the Ekombe policing precinct.
(b)Mfongosi: Ward 9:
- There is already an established satellite station, Mfongosi under SAPS Ekombe.
(c)Emabhuqwini: Ward 2:
- There are no plans to establish a satellite police station within the area.
- The reasons are as follows:
- During an Accessibility Study, consultation with the community was conducted by this office and there was no need/ request identified for the establishment of Satellite police stations in this area.
- The area in question is within an 18km radius from the main police station. The province is currently focussing on areas with longer distances for prioritization of establishment of satellite police stations.
- Melmoth Stock Theft Unit is investigates all Stock Theft Related cases within the Ekombe policing precinct.
14 July 2015 - NW2498
Masango, Mr SJ to ask the Minister of Transport
(a) Who has been appointed as the service provider to co-ordinate the implementation and roll out of the road safety programs as outlined in the 365- day Road Safety Program aligned with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety global campaign for a period of 24 months, (b) when was the service provider officially appointed, (c) what are the (i) milestones and (ii) deadlines with regard to the programme and (d) what (i) progress, (ii) procedures and (iii) mechanisms exist to ensure the service provider delivers on its obligations?
Reply:
(a) The Department has not as yet appointed any service provider to co-ordinate the implementation of the 365- days Road Safety Programs. Tender evaluations were conducted and the successful bidder’s pricing was above the allocated budget for the project, therefore no appointment was made. The co-ordination of all the 365- days Road Safety Programs is currently being done internally by the Department , Provincial Departments of Transport, Transport Entities and some of its major role-players.
(b) (b),(c) and (d), falls away.
14 July 2015 - NW2318
Steenkamp, Ms J to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs
(1)Has her department undertaken any (a) research and/or (b) investigation into (i) the environmental impact of plastic shopping bags and/or (ii) potentially banning the use of plastic shopping bags; if not, why not; if so, what were the findings of such (aa) research and/or (bb) investigation; (2) Does her department have a policy position with regard to the banning of plastic shopping bags; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1)
(a)(i) Research on environmental impacts of plastic shopping bags:
The department undertook a study to determine the impact of the Plastic Regulations in 2007. The impact of plastics on the environment is well documented through various institutions and as such the department does not have to undertake additional research but will rather use the already existing information.
(a)(ii) Research on potentially banning shopping bags:
The department is currently undertaking a study to determine possible management options for plastic waste in the country as part of the finalisation of the plastics and packaging industry waste management plan which will include alternative ways of managing plastics bags. With new and emerging technologies there are other innovative ways of managing plastic with the potential to create jobs. Only when all other options have been explored would we then consider the option of banning plastic bags.
(b)(i) Investigation into environmental impacts of shopping bags:
See (a)(i) above
(b)(ii) Investigation into potentially banning the use of plastic bags:
See (a)(ii) above.
(2) The department may consider banning plastics bags as an option within the comprehensive assessment of the management of plastic waste in South Africa. It will include this option in the finalisation of the Industry Waste Management Plan (IndWMP) for Plastics, Paper and Packaging. This IndWMP will facilitate and promote the recycling sector for this waste stream including plastic bags which will also determine the most appropriate management option for this waste stream.
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14 July 2015 - NW2244
Balindlela, Ms ZB to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
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) The Department of Water and Sanitation had two employees whose contracts were paid out before the contractually stipulated date of termination amounting to R2 274 513.50 for the 2008-09 financial year.
(a)(ii) Payouts were made to NJ Ngele amounting to R2 251 602.00 and OO Ayaya amounting to R22 911.59.
(a)(iii) The reasons for the early terminations were: NJ Ngele - The employer paid the employee 24 months of the employee's salary as per settlement agreement; OO Ayaya - The employer discharged the employee from the Public Service. An amount of R22 911.59 in terms of leave discounting was paid to the employee.
(b) None of the entities reporting to me has paid out remainder of any employee’s contract for the 2008-09 financial year.
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14 July 2015 - NW2496
Masango, Mr SJ to ask the Minister of Transport
With reference to the Learner Transport Policy that was tabled in and approved by Cabinet, (a) on what date was the policy approved, (b) what criteria were used to approve the specified policy and (c) in each case, what (i) detailed plans, (ii) timelines, (iii) milestones and (iv) budgets were approved to implement the specified policy in each province?
Reply:
- The Policy was approved by Cabinet on the 27 May 2015
- The policy provides a framework in support of other public transport legislation through which learner transport must be provided
- (i) (ii) (iii) Detailed implementation plans with timelines, milestones are developed by the provinces.(iv) budgets for implementation are allocated by provinces
14 July 2015 - NW1849
Van der Westhuizen, Mr AP to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
How many public servants have successfully completed (a) Module 1 and (b) all the further modules of the Compulsory Induction Programme for public servants since its inception?
Reply:
(1) (a)(b) 10 087 public servants have successfully completed Module of the Compulsory Induction Programme and 3 685 public servants have completed all further Modules of the Compulsory Induction Programme.
14 July 2015 - NW2179
Balindlela, Ms ZB to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
Is her department currently involved in a work exchange and/or employment agreement with the Republic of Cuba; if so, (a) what number of Cuban nationals (i) are currently employed and (ii) are due to be employed by her department, (b) what specific work roles are envisaged for the Cuban nationals, (c) what are the specific skill sets of each of the Cuban nationals (i) currently employed and (ii) due to be employed, (d) what are the details of the process followed to ensure that the same skill set was or is not available in the country and amongst South African citizens and (e) what is the total cost of the (i) employment or (ii) prospective employment of such Cuban nationals?
Reply:
Yes, my Department is currently involved in a work employment agreement, deriving from a bilateral agreement that was reached between the Cuban and the South African Government. This agreement is part of the portfolio of cooperative agreements between the two countries. The agreement was signed on 9 September 2013 and its objective is to foster a technical development on water issues between the two countries.
(a) A total of 35 Cuban Engineers are (i) currently contracted with my Department for a period of two years, with a possibility of an extension to three years. (ii) Only one agreement has been concluded
(b) The Cuban secondment programme is meant to assist the Department of Water and Sanitation in the following mutually agreed areas:
- Hydraulic, Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in the functional areas of the National Water Resources Infrastructure (NWRI) Operations Unit of the Department,
- The Geohydrological and Engineering Services in rural and other disadvantaged areas where such services are inadequate in areas of Regional Functions,
- The operations and maintenance of bulk raw water supply infrastructure,
- The capacity building through training and support of local staff,
- Augmenting project management capacity.
(c) The majority of the current employed 35 Cuban Specialists are qualified in Hydraulic Engineering, a field which is not offered in South Africa, and it emerged that this qualification is a specialty branch of Civil Engineering which focuses only on water engineering. Their field of specialization is therefore of great value to the Department in the field of Operations and maintenance. The rest of the Specialists are qualified in the fields of Mechanical, Civil, Electrical and hydro geological Engineering, and they are also adding value to the different functions within my Department.
(d) My Department proceeds to recruit local specialist to fill permanent positions as it was the case with the 13 Electrical and Mechanical engineering posts recently advertised. The Learning Academy also proceeds with the facilitation of developing local engineering skills at entry level. The table below indicates the number of posts in the Engineering field that were advertised but not filled during the 2013/2014 financial year:
Region/Branch |
No of posts advertised per Region/ Branch |
Reasons for not filling the posts |
NWRI - Northern Operations |
29 |
A very small number of applications were received per post, in some instances no applications were received per post. The applicants did not meet the minimum criteria of the posts. Applicants are only registered as Candidates and not Technicians or Professionals Head-hunting for suitable candidates also did not yield any results, as individuals are requesting higher remuneration packages that cannot be offered by the Public Service. |
NWRI - Southern Operations |
10 |
|
Branch: NWRI - Head Office |
18 |
|
Branch: Policy and Regulation |
17 |
|
KZN Region |
18 |
|
Free State Region |
10 |
|
Eastern Cape Region |
9 |
|
Gauteng Region |
3 |
|
Limpopo Region |
12 |
|
Mpumalanga Region |
12 |
|
Northern Cape Region |
9 |
|
Western Cape Region |
1 |
|
Total |
148 |
(e)(i) The total cost of contracting is an all-inclusive package of R532 278 per Cuban Specialist per annum.
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14 July 2015 - NW2403
Waters, Mr M to ask the Minister of Police
Since his reply to question 2324 on 18 June 2015, what progress has been made with regard to case 89/5/15 reported at the Edenvale Police Station?
Reply:
Edenvale CAS 89/05/2015. The fingerprints that were lifted are linked to the manager of the company because the vehicle that was hijacked is also the company car. The car was recovered and is at the pound. The vehicle circulation is cancelled. The suspects are unknown. Recovery statement is outstanding. The docket will be closed as undetected.
14 July 2015 - NW2334
McLoughlin, Mr AR to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
(1)What is the current status of the Sedibeng Regional Sewerage Scheme (SRSS); (2) (a) what factors are currently holding up the implementation of the SRSS and (b) what steps are being taken to resolve these hold-ups; (3) when is the SRSS expected to become operational and (b) what interim measures are currently in place in the Southern Gauteng region to limit the impact on development in each affected municipality; (4) who is the current implementing agent of the SRSS?
Reply:
- The Sedibeng Regional Sanitation Scheme (SRSS) comprises construction upgrade of the following works:
- The Sebokeng Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) upgrade – construction started in August 2013, Progress for these works is at 35% complete on civil works;
- The Meyerton WWTW upgrade – construction started in March 2015 and construction work is progressing very well. Currently, progress for the civil contractor is around 8% complete; and
- The feasibility studies for the proposed 150 mega-litres Regional WWTW has started in April 2015 and expected to be completed by November 2015. The Implementation Readiness Studies and Preliminary designs are expected to be completed by April 2016.
(2)(a) The source of delays in the implementation of the entire SRSS were as a result of the change of the Implementation Agent (IA) from the Municipalities (Emfuleni and Midvaal LMs) to Rand Water and secondly, the legal process to cede the service providers from the LMs to Rand Water. However, some of the professional service providers ceding processes experienced legal changes, this involved the Supervising Engineer for the SRSS, which ended up at High Court and subsequently resolved in an out of court settlement.
(2)(b) All the legal processes have been completed and work is currently being undertaken as mentioned in paragraph 1 above.
(3)(a) The implementation of the SRSS will take between 5 to 7 years to complete.
(3)(b) Additional development in both Midvaal and Sebokeng will be connected to both Meyerton WWTW and Sebokeng WWTW, which are being upgraded. Outfall sewer lines are included as part of scope to connect new developments such as Savanna City.
(4) Rand Water is appointed as the IA by the Minister of Water and Sanitation.
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14 July 2015 - NW2351
Hunsinger, Dr CH to ask the Minister of Transport
Whether, with reference to the rebuilding and maintenance of the N11 road between Sunset Rest and Fort Mistake in KwaZulu-Natal which is complete or is nearing completion, (a) how many general workers (i) were or (ii) are recruited from communities who live within 10km of the road, (b) why were not all general workers recruited from local communities and (c) what are the relevant details of general workers who are not from the local communities?
Reply:
The contract for the rehabilitation of the N11 from Nkunzi River Bridge to One tree Hill was completed in April 2015.
(a)(i)&(ii) I do not see the significance of the 10 km distance; surely the honourable member is not suggesting that communities from within the locality of the project but beyond the 10 km that was approximately 14,3 km long, should not be employed.
(b) I trust that the honourable member is not suggesting that skilled labour is termed as general labour? In terms of the Contract, the contractor is permitted to bring onto site its skilled employees.
(c ) The general labourers were sourced from within the local communities.
14 July 2015 - NW2402
Waters, Mr M to ask the Minister of Police
Since his reply to question 2324 on 18 June 2015, what progress has been made with regard to case 32/5/15 reported at the Edenvale Police Station?
Reply:
Edenvale CAS 32/05/2015, the matter is still under investigation. Positive fingerprints were lifted on the scene, but he owner of the fingerprints is still not identified; meaning that the suspect is still unknown. Once identified, he/she will be traced.
14 July 2015 - NW2330
Balindlela, Ms ZB to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
Whether, with reference to the Eskom Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme in the (a) Ladysmith district of KwaZulu-Natal and (b) Harrismith district of the Free State, her department has done any investigations to ascertain the impact of the specified scheme on the Wilge River and Vaal River catchment area which has been affected and/or will be affected by the resettlement of persons resident on the project sites by Eskom; if not, why not; if so, what are the (i) relevant details of completed assessments and (ii) outcomes of the assessments?
Reply:
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Eskom Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme was the responsibility of Eskom and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) participated therein. The Department is not aware of any significant impacts on Wilge and Vaal Rivers.
The resettlement of communities was also part of the same process and thus no undue impacts are anticipated.
The Department issued Water Use Licenses for the project and will continue to monitor compliance to the license conditions.
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14 July 2015 - NW2488
Stander, Ms T to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
(1)What is her department doing to enforce the applicable legislation relating to water pollution; (2) what are the details of each of the water pollution cases her department is involved in with regard to (a) the area, (b) a description of the situation, (c) the environmental impact and (d) the method of intervention?
Reply:
(1) My Department through the Enforcement Unit among other units ensures that all pollution cases reported are investigated and rectification measures are taken where non-compliance is detected.
In instances whereby pollution of a water resource is precisely detected to be occurring or might be occurring, my Department institutes administrative enforcement action prescript in Sections 19 and 20 of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998) (NWA) with the objective of ensuring prevention and remedying effects of pollution and control of emergency incident.
My Department may lay criminal or civil charges against responsible person for unlawfully and intentionally or negligently committing any act or omission which pollutes or likely to pollute a water resource.
My Department also actively participates in the Inter-Departmental Enforcement Task Team comprising of the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and Department of Minerals Resources (DMR) to ensure intensified collective approach against polluters.
(2) Further details cannot be furnished as it may prejudice the outcome of some administrative action and criminal prosecution taken by the Department, which is sub judice according to the National Prosecution Authority.
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14 July 2015 - NW2223
Carter, Ms D to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs
Whether the Government had conducted any in depth analysis of townships and informal settlement areas to determine whether the residents who stay there were enjoying their full rights as set out in section 24(a) and (b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
Yes
LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
The environment sector is mandated to ensure environmental sustainability in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No. 108 of 1996); the National Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA), as amended; as well as other Specific Environmental Management Acts (SEMAs). The right to a safe and healthy environment which is not dangerous to human life, which is enshrined in the Constitution, makes it imperative that there should be a balance between addressing the current development needs and protecting the natural environment. The principles set out in Chapter 1 of the Constitution lay a solid foundation on how environmental justice could be realised and participation in environmental governance ensured. The NEMA and all its SEMAs are all premised on these principles, and embedded in them are specific provisions, tools, systems and structures to ensure that the environmental right is realised and the above principles are adhered to.
In response to these legislative imperatives, the environmental sector (National and Provincial Departments of Environmental Affairs) in consultation with other stakeholders (South African Local Government Association (SALGA), Department of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and municipalities developed a five year Local Government Support Strategy for the Environment Sector, 2014-2019. In drafting the strategy, a survey was conducted to determine the level of capacity of municipalities to deal with environmental management and governance. The questionnaire specifically sought to determine the level of compliance by all 278 municipalities with NEMA and SEMAs. Questionnaires were differentiated in terms of municipal geographic location (inland/coastal) and environmental functions each municipality is expected to perform. The scores (converted into percentages) were then used to divide municipalities into three categories as follows: 0-29% = Establishment Phase, 30-59% = Consolidation Phase,
60% upwards = Sustainability Phase. The results of the survey were as follows:
- Local Municipalities (LMs): 51% establishment phase, 41% consolidation phase, 8% sustainability phase
- District Municipalities (DMs): 32% establishment phase, 48% consolidation phase, 20% sustainability phase
- Metropolitan Municipalities (Metros): 0% establishment phase, 11% consolidation phase, 89% sustainability phase
Based on these findings, the implementation plan was developed to address challenges identified. In 2014/15, specific focus was given to the establishment and formalisation of environmental governance structures within municipalities to provide a platform of engagement with all citizens on environmental governance structures. These structures were successfully established and they are now operational. The performance of these structures is monitored through the 2015/16 Implementation Plan, and reports are provided to the relevant Intergovernmental Structures. Below is an outline of specific interventions for key thematic areas i.e. Air Quality and Climate Change; Waste Management.
- AIR QUALITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Prior to the advent of democracy, little was known about the quality of ambient air that the majority of the citizens of South Africa were breathing, as well as the potential health impact of that quality of air. However, since the dawn of democracy a number of measures have been put into motion to address this challenge. The use of coal and other energy sources that result in air pollution poses a major threat to citizens enjoying their full rights as set out in section 24(a) and (b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Since the promulgation of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (Act No. 39 of 2004) and the subsequent development of its National Framework for Air Quality Management in South Africa, the Department has facilitated, in partnership with the different spheres of government; the initiation of ambient air quality monitoring programmes.
The main objectives for monitoring are to provide information fundamental to decision-making; identifying air pollution that is non-compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS); and defining intervention strategies to evaluate the efficacy of air quality management strategies. Ambient air quality monitoring is also being used to identify areas in need of restoration and their prioritisation, such as in the national air quality priority areas of Vaal Triangle, Highveld and Waterberg-Bojanala. Currently, there are close to 85 government owned ambient air quality monitoring stations across the country. The stations monitor a range of criteria pollutants, including ozone (O3), particulate matter (both PM10 and PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (nitrogen dioxide NO2, and nitric acid NO), lead (Pb), hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and the relevant meteorological parameters.
The observations from the ambient air quality monitoring networks have informed the development of air quality management plans (AQMPs) by all spheres of government, in accordance with the air quality management challenges faced. Municipalities, for example, are required to have these AQMPs incorporated in their Integrated Development Plans (IDPs). This requirement elevates air quality issues in the planning processes of each of the municipalities.
The Department has developed priority area AQMPs, and has allocated specific funding for the implementation of these plans. In addition, and as part of the implementation of these plans, the Department has established Implementation Task Teams (ITTs) and Multi-Stakeholder Reference Group (MSRGs). These structures, amongst other things, facilitate the participation of communities in tackling air quality challenges facing them. There has been an increase in the participation of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in these areas, and the Department acknowledges that awareness is key in addressing air quality issues in these areas.
The Department is also in the final stages of developing the Strategy to Address Pollution in Dense, Low Income Communities. The objectives of this strategy are:
- to establish a forum that will ensure that the interventions that address air pollution in dense low-income communities are carried out in a coordinated manner, with integration of policies and interventions from various departments/institutions;
- to facilitate, through the forum, the implementation of interventions within air pollution priority areas in order to ensure the air that is not harmful to health and wellbeing;
- to plan and co-ordinate the implementation of future interventions to address the problem; and
- to monitor and report progress annually to the Minister of Environmental Affairs.
The strategy offers a great opportunity for all the identified role players to work together and improve on the gains made thus far in tackling air quality challenges that are faced by the citizens of the Republic.
2. WASTE MANAGEMENT
Government through Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) undertakes surveys at different intervals to establish trends in many different aspects, including provision of services. The Department works closely with Stats SA in relation to monitoring waste service in the country.
Waste services seem to be low in rural areas. However, we have discovered that this could be due to lack of understanding of the different service levels for waste services. The National Waste Collection Standards prescribe different service levels for different geographic areas. The Department is therefore currently capacitating municipalities on these collection standards. Municipalities are in turn required to educate their communities to ensure accurate reporting.
The Department also developed a number of waste management tools/measures to protect the environment and human health of all South African citizens by making sure that impact is managed appropriately.
These include:
- Waste Management and Classification Regulations; Norms and Standards for Assessment of Waste for Disposal; and Norms and Standards for Assessment of Landfill for waste disposal – which regulates the management classification of wastes in a manner that supports and implements the provisions of the Waste Act and prescribes the requirements and timeframes for management of certain wastes, among others.
- Draft Healthcare Risk Waste Management Regulations – which sets minimum requirements for management of waste from healthcare facilities, from cradle to grave.
- Licenses to ensure that facilities are operated in compliance with environmental legislation, ensuring that impacts are managed to protect the environment and human health.
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14 July 2015 - NW2363
Baker, Ms TE to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
(1)What are the relevant details of each outstanding water use license agreement in respect of each province? (2) What is the (a) date on which the application for a water use license was made, (b) reason for delay and (c) expected date of finalisation?
Reply:
(1) The relevant details of outstanding water use licence applications (WULAs) in respect of each Province appear on Table 1 below.
Table 1: WULAs in process at the Department
Provincial Operation |
Initial Assessment |
Outstanding Information |
Finalizing Assessment |
Awaiting decision |
Total |
Eastern Cape |
17 |
50 |
25 |
0 |
92 |
Free State |
39 |
35 |
20 |
1 |
95 |
Gauteng |
43 |
38 |
12 |
4 |
97 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
6 |
33 |
10 |
0 |
49 |
Limpopo |
52 |
24 |
125 |
0 |
201 |
Mpumalanga |
266 |
30 |
31 |
1 |
328 |
Northern Cape |
29 |
17 |
27 |
2 |
75 |
North West |
123 |
38 |
40 |
0 |
201 |
Western Cape |
121 |
10 |
57 |
0 |
188 |
Head Office |
24 |
74 |
11 |
95 |
204 |
Total |
720 |
349 |
358 |
103 |
1530 |
(2)(a) The year on which the application was made as depicted in Table 2 below.
Table 2: Year of application of water use licences in the Department
Provincial Operation |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Total |
Eastern Cape |
0 |
11 |
8 |
26 |
30 |
17 |
92 |
Free State |
0 |
16 |
16 |
22 |
41 |
0 |
95 |
Gauteng |
3 |
12 |
23 |
15 |
43 |
1 |
97 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
0 |
16 |
9 |
9 |
15 |
0 |
49 |
Limpopo |
1 |
16 |
42 |
67 |
75 |
0 |
201 |
Mpumalanga |
0 |
74 |
102 |
47 |
77 |
28 |
328 |
Northern Cape |
0 |
2 |
13 |
23 |
28 |
9 |
75 |
North West |
20 |
38 |
45 |
49 |
43 |
6 |
201 |
Western Cape |
8 |
4 |
25 |
49 |
80 |
22 |
188 |
Head Office |
96 |
67 |
27 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
204 |
Total |
128 |
256 |
310 |
320 |
433 |
83 |
1530 |
(2)(b) Reasons for delays in water use licence applications are:
- Outstanding information from applicants, mainly in a form of technical on site studies.
- Complexity of applications and volumes of supporting documents.
- Internal specialist inputs are intensive and hence the turnaround time is protracted.
(2)(c) The expected dates of completion of the water use licence application.
Table 3: Expected dates of completion of the water use licence applications per category
Category |
Number of WULAs |
Expected date of completion |
Initial Assessment |
720 |
30-Mar-16 |
Outstanding Information |
349 |
30-Dec-15 |
Finalizing Assessment |
358 |
31-Oct-15 |
Await decision |
103 |
30-Sep-15 |
Total |
1530 |
|
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14 July 2015 - NW2361
Motau, Mr SC to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)Whether any Gauteng municipalities owe money to the SA National Roads Agency Limited for e-tolls; if so, (a) which municipalities and (b) what amount do they owe; (2) how many municipality vehicles are registered with an e-tag in respect of each municipality in Gauteng?
Reply:
There are municipalities with outstanding invoices. However, since it is an outstanding invoice, it may still be in process to be paid by the particular municipality and payment thereof is awaited.
(1) |
(2) municipality vehicles are registered with an e-tag in respect of each municipality in Gauteng |
|
(a) List of Municipalities |
(b) Amount Owed |
|
City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality |
R351644 |
740 |
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality |
R1796445 & R41938.38 (two accounts) |
no information found on System using search criteria as described |
Sedibeng District Municipality |
R4026.45 |
47 |
Emfuleni Local Municipality |
R127685 |
No cars registered with an e-tag |
Lesedi Local Municipality |
R111294 |
26 |
Midvaal Local Municipality |
R3395 |
110 |
As the honourable member is aware the new etoll dispensation makes provision for all debtors to qualify for a 60% discount. Thus all the above amounts will be reduced by 60%.
14 July 2015 - NW1878
Balindlela, Ms ZB to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
Since 1 January 2015, has her department installed generators at any of (a) its offices or (b) the offices of the entities reporting to her as a result of load shedding; if so, what is the total cost of the (i) installation and (ii) running of these generators?
Reply:
No generators were installed at any of my Department’s and Entities offices for load shedding purposes.
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14 July 2015 - NW2499
Hunsinger, Dr CH to ask the Minister of Transport
With reference to her reply to Question 1750 on 26 May 2015, (a) what monitoring mechanisms exist to monitor the South African Taxi Council, (b) what were(i) the key performance areas and (ii) the actual key performance outcomes in the (aa) 2012-13, (bb) 2013-14 and (cc) 2014-15 financial years?
Reply:
(a) In terms of the PFMA, Act of 1999, with specific reference to section 38(j), The Department annual secures written assurance from SANTACO that it implements effective, efficient and transparent financial management and internal control systems. The aforesaid is in the form a Memorandum of Agreement signed annually between the Department and SANTACO. SANTACO receives the funding through quarterly payments, and they are also required to submit quarterly reports on expenditure.
(b) (i) The management and performance of SANTACO is overseen by its National Executive Committee. The Department in its Memorandum of Agreement oversees only the financial performance of SANTACO to ensure that there is transparency and accountability of the funds transferred.
(b)(aa) Please refer to response in (b) (i) above
(b) (cc) Please refer to response in (b) (i) above
14 July 2015 - NW2537
Carter, Ms D to ask the Minister of Police
Whether the police were using regional Facebook sites, WhatsApp and Instagram, amongst other social media applications, as necessary tools to obtain instant information on criminal activities and to give out instant alerts either to warn people of crime or to request people to be on the lookout for criminals who were fleeing from crime scenes at that time; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
Social media tools are active and being used within the SAPS. The following are the reasons SAPS has chosen to be active on social media platforms;
- To offer the organisation a way of interacting with the citizens on issues relating to crime, and various events/campaigns.
- To build a trustworthy relationship and a sense of community by engaging with each other thus improving the organization’s reputation with the community.
- To provide a forum for people to ask questions and report crime/successes.
- To spread knowledge quickly and with minimal effort that could protect your community, help catch suspects, find missing persons, etc.
- To place crime alerts warning the public of criminals using specific modus operandi, vehicles to look out for etc.
- Rapid exchange of information.
- To provide public education.
14 July 2015 - NW2416
Motau, Mr SC to ask the Minister of Police
What amount did (a) his department and (b) each entity reporting to him spend on advertising in (i) Sowetan and (ii) Daily Sun in the (aa) 2012-13, (bb) 2013-14 and (cc) 2014-15 financial years?
Reply:
The Government (GCIS) hereby confirms that the figures for advertising are as follows:
2013-2014 Daily Sun R196 286.35
Sowetan R271 732.44
2014-2015 Daily Sun R567 824.25
Sowetan R810 499.40
13 July 2015 - NW2365
Stander, Ms T to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources
(1)When will his department publish a National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report for the mining sector; (2) how many staff members of his department were responsible for assessing compliance with environmental management plans or programmes in each region in the (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 financial years; (3) how many staff members of his department were responsible for enforcement action for failure to comply with environmental management plans or programmes in each region in the (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15 financial years? NW2729E
Reply:
(1) The mining sector report will be included in the report published annually by the Department of Environmental Affairs.
(2) (a) 71
(b) 106
(3) (a) 71
(b) 115
Approved/not approved
Adv N.A Ramatlhodi
Minister of Mineral Resources
Date Submitted:-……………/………………/2015
13 July 2015 - NW2428
Lorimer, Mr JR to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources
What amount did (a) his department and (b) each entity reporting to him spend on advertising in (i) Sowetan and (ii) Daily Sun in the (aa) 2012-13, (bb) 2013-14 and (cc) 2014-15 financial years?
Reply:
|
(aa) 2012-2013 |
(bb) 2013-2014 |
(cc) 2014-2015 |
|
|||
R0.00 |
R0.00 |
R27 453,60 |
|
(ii) Daily Sun |
|||
R0.00 |
R32 491.37 |
R31 824.00 |
|
(b) Entities |
(aa) 2012 - 2013 |
(bb) 2013 - 2014 |
(cc) 2014 - 2015 |
|
|||
Council for Geoscience |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
Mine Health and Safety Council |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
Mintek |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
State Diamond Trader |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
South African Diamond and Precious Metal Regulator |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
|
|||
Council for Geoscience |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
Mine Health and Safety Council |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
Mintek |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
State Diamond Trader |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
South African Diamond and Precious Metal Regulator |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
R 0.00 |
All the entities reporting to the Minister never advertised in either the Sowetan or Daily Sun.
Adv N.A Ramatlhodi
Minister of Mineral Resources
Date Submitted:-……………/………………/2015
13 July 2015 - NW2533
Majola, Mr TR to ask the Minister of State Security
Did his department begin informal investigations into five non-governmental organizations who have taken the Government to court on several occasions if so; (a) which five organizations (b) when will the investigation be completed and (c) to whom will the report of the investigation be submitted?
Reply:
No