Questions and Replies

Reply:

A portion of the building accommodating De Aar Magistrates Court was gutted by fire on 8 January 2020. The cause of the fire is unknown although it is believed to have been caused by arson. The South African Police Service (SAPS) and the De Aar fire Department has not been able to supply a fire damage report.

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) was on site within days to clean up and assess the damage caused in order to confirm structural integrity and habitability. Unfortunately, the structural integrity was compromised as well as electrical and other installations. Consequently, consulting engineers were appointed to compile an assessment report and cost estimate to execute the repairs.

Due to the high cost estimate of R35 208 465.00, the DPWI Regional Office in Kimberley had to seek approval and allocation of funds from DPWI National Office in Pretoria, and the funds were approved in April 2023.

Alternative rental offices were allocated as a temporary measure in order to alleviate overcrowding. Since only a portion of the facility was damaged by the fire, the front section of the building is still in use. Furthermore, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development placed a mobile temporary structure on the premises to serve as an additional court room.

In the main, the delays were caused by the outstanding fire damage report from the SAPS and Fire Chief.

END

Reply:

1. (a) Funding of learner transport is provided by the provincial treasuries through provincial equitable share. The total budget of scholar transport for 2022/2023 was R4,175,636,000.00 and is illustrated in the table below:

Province	Annual Budget 2023/2024
Eastern Cape	R 694,000,000.00
Free State	R 102,400,000.00
Gauteng	R 1,046,934,000.00
KwaZulu Natal	R 266,400,000.00
Limpopo	R 466,231,000.00
Mpumalanga	R 464,891,000.00
North West	R 450,000,000.00
Northern Cape	R 191,481,000.00
Western Cape	R 493,299,000.00
TOTAL	R 4,175,636,000.00

(b) The Department of Transport has developed a National Learner Transport Policy in order to ensure effective and efficient management of learner transport across the country. The policy provides that a standardised measure of remuneration for subsidised learner transport and that it shall be based on total kilometres travelled. Factors such as road conditions and travel distances shall determine the cost of a service. The Department has further developed a standard contract guideline that provinces could use in the contracting of transport operations. The policy further provides that the implementing departments must ensure that learner transport services are undertaken according to procurement legislation and Treasury regulations.

2. Funding of learner transport is provided by the provincial treasuries through provincial equitable share. There is no funding of scholar transport from National Department of Transport.

3. According to the progress reports for provinces in relation to the National Learner Transport Programme for the financial year of 2022.2023, the implementation of the programme is summarised as follows:

Reply:

(1) (a) Daveyton-Dunswart-Germiston; Vereeninging-George Goch (via Midway); Kwesine Germiston; Cape Town-Khayelitsha; Cape Town-Kapteinsklip; Kelso (Umbongontwini) – Durban; Cape Town-Kraaifontein; Cape Town-Wellington; East London-Berlin; Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage; Cape Town-Strand; Crossmore-Durban; Springs-Johannesburg; Randfontein-Johannesburg; Durban-Stanger; Pinetown-Durban; Germiston-Vereeniging (MTN); Cape Town-Malmesbury; Cape Town-Worcester; Nigel-Springs; Eerste Rivier-Muldersvlei; Johannesburg-Oberholzer; Germiston-New Canada (Booysen); Wests-Durban; Mabopane-Pienaarspoort (via Capital Park).

(b) The main issues holding back refurbishment are: load shedding affecting some of operational areas supplied by the Municipality (Connect power supply from substations), encroachment and community unrests activities, which affects the acceleration of the key projects for the Recovery Programme.

(2) PRASA Protection Services has collaboration with SAPS, Crime Intelligence, as well as the State Security Agency. Regional meetings between Law Enforcement and PRASA Protection Services takes place every 2 weeks, with National meetings conducted on a monthly basis.

PRASA is represented on the Economic Sabotage of Critical Infrastructure (ESCI) Forum and collaborates with SOE’s, such as Telkom, Eskom, Transnet, etc… The ESCI Forum meets on a monthly basis.

3. At this stage it is not possible to quantify the volumes of material that PRASA is currently utilizing – however, we can report that:

(a) Materials such as rails, turnouts, wheels, and major cables on the General Overhaul and toilets on the Mainline Passenger Services Coaches are imported.

(b) Major spares, namely windows shrouds, interior panels, interiors seats floorboards, insulation material and paint are bought through South African producers and are sourced locally.

Reply:

Roads Authority	Progress Reported
Eastern Cape	Within the province of the Eastern Cape work is allocated to in-house and outsourced services depending on the availability of resources such as personnel and funding. Demonstrated below is the work that has been done up-to-date. District Total Pothole Repaired m²(Cumulative) Type of Model used Total expenditure to date Joe Gqabi 9 822 Outsourced R2 131 020.90 Sarah Baartman 11 268.9 In-house & outsourced R2 341 406.616 OR Tambo 3140.8 In-house & outsourced R257 276.00 Chris Hani 2 208.37 In-house & outsourced R375 000.00 Amathole 1322.55 Inhouse In-house Alfred Nzo 1205 In-house & outsourced In-house As demonstrated above the province has repaired 28 967.62 m² potholes using a combination of In-house and outsourced services. In the process of repairing potholes the province has incurred R5 104 703.51 expenditure up-to-date.
Free State	The programme started on 8 August and the Free State Department of Police, Roads and Transport have identified roads to form part of the Vala Zonke Programme. Some roads have already been attended to and oversight visits taken place by the Minister, together with the Deputy Minister and MEC responsible for PR&T. The following roads formed part of the National Launch: The R57 – Sasolburg to Vaalbank road is The R59 – Sasolburg to Vredefort road is The R501 – Viljoenskoon to Potchefstroom road A total of 15 407 square meters of potholes have been attended to in the Free State.   No contractors or implementing agents are involved. Teams from the Department perform the activities. To date the Free State spent R6,9 million on the procurement of material for the fixing of potholes by Departmental Maintenance teams
Gauteng	The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has introduced two apps to improve the Department's response to the problem of potholes. The first app, PotholeFixGP allows the public to report potholes on any public road in Gauteng to the Department. Potholes reported by the public on provincial roads are then attended to by the Department's maintenance teams, while potholes reported on municipal and SANRAL roads are referred to the relevant road authority for attention. The app was launched on 28 May 2022 and to date, the public has reported 5 419 potholes using the PotholeFixGP app, with 990 potholes reported on provincial roads, 4 379 on municipal roads and 50 on SANRAL roads. The Department has repaired 566 of the potholes reported on provincial roads to date. The second app is an in-house maintenance app that the Department's maintenance teams use to record potholes found by them and to then report when these potholes have been repaired. This app was introduced at the end of May 2022 and to date the Department's maintenance teams have used the app to capture information for 13 291 potholes that have been repaired on the Gauteng provincial roads. At an average area of 3.4 m2 per pothole, the total area of the 13 291 potholes repaired by the Department is 44 875 m2. At an average rate of R 130/ m2 to repair a pothole, the total amount spent to repair the 13 291 potholes is R 5.8 million. (Note: The R 130/m2 is based on the rate supplied to the CSIR by the Department when we prepared the inputs for the 2021/2022 RAMP. SANRAL has reported rates of R 700/ m2 to R 1 500/ m2 to repair potholes. Using a rate of R 700/ m2, the cost to repair the 13 291 potholes would be R 31.4 million and at R1 500/ m2, it would be R 67.3 million.)
KwaZulu Natal	Since the launch of Vala-Zonke Program on the 8th August 2022, the Kwa Zulu-Natal Department of Transport repaired a total of 275 137 .83 m2 of blacktop compared to a provincial target of 311 963.53 m2 . The above was achieved by combination of internal teams and external service providers with a total spend of R 190 919 230.08 as at the end of the 6 month period.
Limpopo	Since the launch of pothole patching operation in August 2022, 92 513m2 have been repaired. The operation is carried out mainly through departmental workforce augmented by about 2 000 temporary beneficiaries. In this regard, the cost is estimated at R26 million based on material and workman-hours.
Mpumalanga	The Mpumalanga Department of Public works, Roads and Transport has been repairing potholes in line with Vala Zonke pothole repairing programme using both outsourcing and internal approaches. To date, Transport Infrastructure ten months performance report indicates good performance when compare annual planned targets of 142 186 m2 vs 173 585 m2 ten months actual outputs. The Department is investing more in building internal capacity, four mechanised potholes patching machines are in operational on tourist roads in the Province and more potholes square metre are achieved within short space of time. The Mpumalanga Department of Public works, Roads and Transport has an expenditure of 52% on surfaced road potholes patching allocation as shown below. ANNUAL BUDGET EXPENDITURE (09/01/ 2023) PERCENTAGE R340 962 000,00 R178 927 834,28 52%
Northern Cape	The Northern Cape Department of Roads and public works has been repairing potholes in line with the Vala Zonke Programme launched by National Department of Transport. The table below show the m2 of pothole patched and expenditure since the launch of the programme in August 2022 up to December 2022. District or Region August Pothole Repairs – m2 Repaired September Pothole Repairs – m2 Repaired October Pothole Repairs – m2 Repaired November Pothole Repairs – m2 Repaired December Pothole Repairs – m2 Repaired TOTAL FRANCES BAARD 5 139,10 1417.18 952.41 651.64 499.94 8660.27 JOHN TAOLO GAETSEWE 1388,60 1 514.56 907.11 329.87 623.6 4763.74 PIXLEY KA SEME 470 562 1284.41 2365.90 412.08 5094.39 NAMAKWA 255.5 604.3 516.6 1312.64 1224 3913.04 ZF MQGAWU 207,2 414.35 378.69 148.05 96.67 1244.96 TOTAL m2 7 460,40 4 512.39 4 039.22 4 808.1 2 856.29 23676.40 EXPENDITURE R3 249 351.01 R4 722 498.94 R3 606 965 R4 173 924.56 R2 550 638.40 R18 303 377.91
North West	DR KENNETH KAUNDA DISTRICT The annual target for the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District for the 2022/2023 fiscal period is 6970.00m² (as it appears on the District’s Operational Plan for 2022/23). For the period 01 April 2022 to 10 February 2023 the output is 29575.20m² and 9530 potholes patched (in-house and outsourced). 34270.80 bags (25kg each covering 0.5m²) were applied to achieve the output of 29575.20m² (8728 potholes patched) at an expense of R2 056 248 (R60/bag). Operation Vala Zonke / Kwala Kaofela was launch on 01 August 2022. For the period 1 August 2022 to 10 February 2023 the District patched 5696.19m² and 4156 potholes (in-house and outsourced). Included in the District’s output of 29575.20m² and 9530 potholes patched, service providers (outsourced output) contributed the following: i) 2300.00m² and 280 potholes (rollover from appointment in 2021/22) and ii) 1050.00m² and 148 potholes; and iii) 9089.80m² and 374 potholes = a total of outsourced output achieved of 12439.80m² and 802 potholes patched in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District for 2022/2023 (01/04/22 – 10/02/2023) The expense in respect of the 12439.80m² (802 potholes patched by appointed service providers in terms of the Framework Agreement PWR 125/20B amounted to R4 614 873.52 for the 2022/23 fiscal year. The total cost implication in respect of 29575.20m² and 9530 potholes patched in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District for the period 01 April 2022 to 10 February 2023 amounts to R6 671 121.52 BOJANALA DISTRICT The total work done from August to December 2022 which is Q1 and Q2 is 8407m2 and number of total Potholes is 11 915.9 for the 2022/23 financial year. For Q3 the total work done from January to February 2023 is 671m2 and number of total Potholes is 698.20 for the 2022/23 financial year. The cumulative total as of 03 February 2023 for work done is 12614m2 and for number of Pothole is 9078. The total expenditure for the District is as follows: 1. Asphalt readymix = R1 970 640.00 2. Cement = R166 800.00 3. 9,5mm Crushed road stone= R619 476.00 4. KRS Drums = R543 375.00 5. Small Equipement = R231 816.00 6. Diesel = R3 079 320.00 TOTAL = R 6 611 427 NGAKA MODIRI MOLEMA DISTRICT In-house maintenance 6147 m² - Material cost R511 462,5 NB: Coldmix only R83,2 per m² Outsourced Projects 392,3 m² – R32 361,45 : work done and number of Potholes patched is 1721 from 14 July to September 2022 for Q2 In-house maintenance 12 295 m² - R1 762 519 R143,35 per m² NB: Composition of Emulsion and Crusher stone; plus Coldmix Work done and number of Potholes patched 3443 from 1st October to December 2022 for Q3 In-house maintenance 3298m² - R532 308 R161,40 per m² NB: Composition of Emulsion and Crusher stone Work done and number of Potholes patched 1045 from 1st January to 30th January 2023. The Total number of Potholes patched to date is 22 132m2 and number of Potholes to date 6209 DR. RUTH SEGOMOTSI MOMPATI DISTRICT The total work done from August to December 2022 which is Q2 is 4 958.29 m² and number of total Potholes patched is 5 142 for the 2022/23 financial year. The total work done from 1st October to December 2022 which is Q3 is 845.13 m² and number of total Potholes patched is 896 for the 2022/23 financial year The total work done from 1st January to 17th February 2023 which is Q4 is 289.47 m² and the number of total Potholes patched is 321 for the 2022/23 financial year The Total number of Potholes patched to date 6 092.89 m² and number of Potholes to date 6 359
Western Cape	The Western Cape Government, Department of Transport have performed routine maintenance works on the provincial road network to repair and fix potholes. The amount of blacktop patching repaired from 1 April 2022 to 31 December 2023 was 17 444 square meters. The Department do not have the itemised financial reports for the repair and fixing of potholes and cannot provide this information.

Reply:

South Africa, like many other countries, continues to voice its concerns about perceived imbalances in the International Criminal Court's (ICC) prosecution strategy. Accountability and equal treatment are principles that South Africa continues to advance in the realm of international law, and international criminal justice in particular. In particular, the Court has the potential to hold the most powerful countries accountable for their unlawful actions in the international arena.

The ICC is a treaty body and operates within a legal framework defined by the Rome Statute. The investigations and prosecutions are guided by specific criteria and jurisdictional limitations. The ICC's jurisdiction is primarily based on crimes committed on the territory of States that are party to the Rome Statute or crimes committed by nationals of those States, in territories of other States.

Iraq is a not a State Party to the Rome Statute, however, the ICC has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed on its territory by nationals of States Parties such as the United Kingdom which is a Rome Statute State Party. On 9 December 2020, the Prosecutor closed the preliminary examination into Iraq/UK and decided not to request the opening of an investigation, having concluded that none of the potential cases arising from the situation would be admissible before the ICC at the present time. This is without prejudice to a reconsideration based on new facts or evidence. The Court may in future, as new evidence comes to the fore, reopen its investigation into crimes committed on the territory of Iraq. However, as there is no statute of limitations in international law for atrocity crimes, this does not prevent the United Nations from establishing a special tribunal to investigate the crimes committed on the territory of Iraq.

Afghanistan deposited its instrument of accession to the Rome Statute on 10 February 2003. The ICC may therefore exercise its jurisdiction over crimes listed in the Rome Statute committed on the territory of Afghanistan or by its nationals from 1 May 2003 onwards. On 31 October 2022, the Pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC authorised the prosecution to resume investigations into the situation in Afghanistan which remain ongoing.

The South African Government calls on the ICC to investigate fully and with equal priority, all atrocity crimes committed within the context of the Afghanistan and not to deprioritise any aspect thereof. In addition, South Africa will engage the Prosecutor on the progress of all preliminary examinations and situations, including investigations into all crimes committed on the territory of the State of Palestine.

Pakistan is one of those States, along with the United States and Russia, that have not ratified the Rome Statute or deposited a declaration which would grant the ICC jurisdiction over its territory. The Court therefore does not have jurisdiction over crimes committed on the territory of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Ultimately, the ICC's ability to prosecute individuals from certain countries rests on various factors, including political will, international cooperation, and the evolving nature of international law.

Efforts are being made to address concerns about the impartiality of the ICC. South Africa as a State Party will continue to engage in dialogue and participate in discussions on potential reforms to enhance the Court's functioning and address perceived imbalances.

Reply:

The approval of the White Paper on National Rail Policy (NRP) by Cabinet on 22 March 2022, assured a new and vibrant future for the rail industry in South Africa. The NRP contains specific policy direction on rail infrastructure, access, economic regulation and the market structure geared to dramatically change rail transportation in South Africa and intends to re-establish rail as the backbone of freight transportation and urban commuter mobility.

Transnet and PRASA, both wholly owned by the Government, has been experiencing significant performance problems over several years (massive capital investment backlog, inadequate funding, obsolete and ageing infrastructure, deteriorating rolling stock, and outdated technologies and insufficient specialised technical skills) that has contributed to rail’s generally declining state.

The implementation of the NRP has wider strategic implications for rail infrastructure management, ownership and access control. The NRP opens up opportunities for new players to participate in the investment and delivery of rail services. These opportunities, if implemented successfully, will draw rail friendly freight back to rail.

Reply:

a) Government has always been constructing bridges for vehicles and pedestrians across provinces, and addition to this is response to SONA, as Welisizwe bridges are planned for rollout. The Eastern Cape is one of the Provinces that will be receiving 19 Welisizwe bridges that will be concluded in October 2023.

b) During the 2023/24 financial year, additional 17 bridges are planned for construction. The DPWI and SANDF are integral Departments in this program.

Reply:

1. (a) National Skills Fund (NSF), according to Section 27(2)(a) of the Skills Development Act No. 97 of 1998, the NSF is funded by 20% of the collected skills levy. The table below shows the NSF budget allocation for the year under review (2022/23), the current financial year (2023/24), and the two subsequent years.

b) Budget allocation for the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) for 2023/24 financial year.

Name of the SETA	Total SETA Budget Allocation for 2023/24 Financial Year
AGRISETA	R608 419 000.00
CHIETA	R689 384 000.00
BANKSETA	R1 900 983 000.00
CETA	R1 039 538 000.00
CATHSSETA	R349 967 000.00
ETDPSETA	R 1 262 588 744.00
EWSETA	R355 790 000.00
FASSET	R619 985 575.00
FOODBEV	R559 000 000.00
FP&M SETA	R395 565 835.00
HWSETA	R849 968 000.00
INSETA	R640 889 930.00
LGSETA	R959 939 000.00
MICT	R1 101 955 232.00
MERSETA	R1 736 763 138.00
MQA	R106 380 043.00
PSETA	R147 518 982.00
SASSETA	R623 800 000.00
SERVICES SETA	R1 881 000 000.00
TETA	R891 893 383.00
W&R SETA	R2 120 919 000.00

2. (a) The NSF Staff component/complement of the NSF is made up as follows:

Total number of approved Posts	Total filled posts	Current Vacancies	Number of Interns (WiL / Graduates)
179	125	44	34

b) The SETAs Staff component/complement is made up as follows:

Name of the SETA	SETA staff compliment as at 31 March 2023 (“inclusive of temporary staff and interns”)
AGRISETA	114
CHIETA	54
BANKSETA	72
CETA	166 (115 – permanent & 51 – Interns)
CATHSSETA	77
ETDPSETA	138
EWSETA	56
FASSET	76
FOODBEV SETA	67
FP&M SETA	63
HWSETA	158 (148 permanent, 5 – temporary and 5 – internships)
INSETA	113
LGSETA	120
MICT	126
MQA	157
MERSETA	300
PSETA	64
SASSETA	139
SERVICES SETA	247
TETA	130
W&R SETA	277

3. (a) (i) and (b) the table below presents the NSF employee cost budget allocation and rental for the year under review (2022/23), the current financial year (2023/24), and the two subsequent years.

a) (ii) Budget allocation for salaries Allocation by 31 March 2023.

Name of the SETA	Budget allocation for salaries by 31 March 2023
AGRISETA	R76 249 000.00
CHIETA	R60 955 000.00
BANKSETA	R72 212 174.00
CETA	R120 609 000.00
CATHSSETA	R58 197 000.00
ETDPSETA	R126 087 489.00
EWSETA	R32 560 000.00
FASSET	R44 782 306.00
FOODBEV SETA	R58 000 000.00
FP&M SETA	R37 009 477.00
HWSETA	R117 725 000.00
INSETA	R80 030 602.00
LGSETA	R81 199 000.00
MICT	R96 300 000.00
MERSETA	R173 648 212.00
MQA	R106 380 043.00
PSETA	R51 542 594.42
SASSETA	R106 800 00.00
SERVICES SETA	R208 000 000.00
TETA	R88 638 344.00
W&R SETA	R189 099 000.00

b) what is the budget allocation for property rentals by 31 March 2023.

Name of the SETA	Budget Allocation for property rentals by 31 March 2023
AGRISETA	R755 486.00
BANKSETA	R4 017 630.00
CETA	R6 784 739.52
CATHSETA	R5 800 000.00
CHIETA	R3 312 000.00
ETDPSETA	R25 658 645.00
EWSETA	R4 100 000.00
FASSET	R5 500 000.00
FOODBEV SETA	R6 3 000 000.00
FP&M SETA	R6 875 645.00
HWSETA	R12 651 000.00
INSETA	R7 200 00.00
LGSETA	R15 900 000.00
MICT	R10 331 751.00
MERSETA	R16 104 833.00
MQA	N/A (MQA owns the building)
PSETA	R8 586 810.80
SASSETA	R11 600 000.00
SERVICES SETA	R20 000.00 (1 Office at a TVET College)
TETA	R5 302 562.00
W&R SETA	R 23 000 000.00

4. (a) Succinctly, areas of possible overlaps and duplicates between SETAs and the NSF are:

1. Funding for capacity development for the PSET sector including funding on research and college infrastructure improvement.
2. Skills development beneficiaries/learners funding through bursaries, scholarships for occupations in high demand, and learners in rural areas.
3. Skills development funding through SMMEs and Cooperatives programs.
4. Skills development funding of worker education.

(b) By the legislative nature of the Skills Development Act 1998 SETAs’ primary responsibility is to facilitate skills development and training in their specific sectors whilst the NSF has a non-sectoral mandate based on the prevalent national priorities expressed in various national skills development strategies at a given time and space. The NSF’s reach on skills development and training funding is therefore broader than the SETAs given the sector and non-sector differentiation.

The Ministerial Task Team (MTT) Report on the Strategic Review of the National Skills Fund (NSF) July 2022, recognised that the NSF as a skills development entity is positioned within the broader national context to support the attainment of key government policies and plans to address the triple challenge of poverty, inequality, and unemployment, however, highlight possible overlap responsibilities between NSF and SETAs considering the following:

i) The mandate of SETAs and the NSF is based on the Skills Development Act 1998 confirms that the NSF’s role is to fund skills development for national priorities (across all sectors),

ii) Therefore, leave SETAs to focus on the skills development needs of the different sectors of the economy (sector-specific).

iii) Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) are established in terms of Chapter 3, Section 9(1) of the Skills Development Act, No 97 of 1998, with a responsibility to:

• To register learnerships;
• To develop Sector Skills Plans;
• To accredit training providers;
• To implement the NSDS goals;
• To collect levies from employers;
• To provide career guidance to learners;
• To provide and disburse funding for training; and
• To implement training/learning programs such as internships, learnerships, work-integrated learning, in-service training, bursaries, and artisanship.

iv) The SETAs are mandated in terms of the Skills Development Act to liaise with the National Skills Authority on the national skills development policy, the national skills development strategy, and sector skills plans.

v) This may result in the SETAs allocating funding to projects identified as national priorities as identified in the national skills development strategy (now the National Skills Development Plan, 2030) which the NSF is mandated to fund.

The NSF is mandated to fund projects identified by the Minister and the Director General. SETAs, on the other hand, are mandated to allocate grants, with some being mandatory to levy paying employers and some discretionary. The discretion of SETA’s funding could be directed at any priority including possibly the projects related to the achievement of the purposes of the Skills Development Act as the NSF does.

5. The NSF is tasked with the responsibility of providing funding, which is focused on national priorities and providing resources to unlock and catalyse national human development potential. The NSF’s ultimate beneficiaries are the learners funded by NSF for skills development that are on learnerships, internships, apprenticeships and in various skills development programs; and the PSET system through which the education, training and skills of learners are developed.

These interventions consist of workplace-based components; therefore, learners are placed in the workplace during their learning period. Furthermore, the NSF committed to undertaking the evaluation study which includes a tracer study in the current financial year to explore the learner’s perceptions of who is employed or self-employed after completing their interventions/programs and evaluate post-school education-to-work transitions of learners/students/graduates. This will, in effect, provide NSF with data on the effectiveness of the interventions/programs for obtaining employment or self-employment.

Furthermore, the NSF is in the process of establishing its own research chair which will assist with evaluation studies for the 2020 to 2025 strategic period including tracer studies and will further assist in determining how many beneficiaries have since obtained jobs. The study is due to commence upon completion of the five-year cycle.

The NSF has in recent years made a concerted effort to train persons with Disability and the table below provides an overview of a number of beneficiaries targeted for the NSF interventions in relation to Persons with Disability:

Portfolio of Projects	Number of beneficiaries targeted	Number of beneficiaries with disabilities
Unsolicited Proposals	1 041	1 041
Closed Projects: RFP UIF / Rural 2018 – 2021	445	445
Artisan Development – in process	2% of 5 885	118
TVET College Phase III – in process	2% of 21 594	432
Current RFP: Persons with Disability evaluation processes underway.	2 630	2 630

According to the Evaluation of the National Skills Fund Report by the NSA (page 110), from 2015 to 2020, 168 566 learners were funded and enrolled with 137 019 completing their training. Of the learner who completed 11 424 became self-employed, 11 807 continued to study full-time whilst 38 192 became fully employed and economically active citizens within two years of the NSF intervention.

The beneficiaries interviewed for the study confirmed an increase of household income whilst 65% found the skills learned useful and beneficial, and 70% indicated that the training funded was in line with the skills acquired. Further, 10 883 are no longer available for work due to several reasons i.e., illness, retirement and change of personal circumstance. 64 713 remain unemployed as at the time of the study due to lack of opportunity and/or absorption by the employers and the remainder had planned to study further.

For the period 2021/2022 financial year, the National Skills Fund trained 81 532 learners through NSF funding for education and training in various occupational programs with beneficiaries participating in work placement through the learnerships and/or artisan-related programs. Of the total beneficiaries, 51 109 were women and 35% were youth below 25 years and 45% were youth between 25 and 35 years.

Reply:

• 1. The Department has turnaround times for visas that have a direct economic contribution in as far as employment and investment are concerned. The turnaround times are as follows:

1. Critical Skill work visa: turnaround time is 4 weeks
2. General work visa: turnaround time is 8 weeks
3. Business visa: turnaround time is 8 weeks

2. The Immigration Regulations do not make provision for time frames for decision-making on visa applications.

1. Section 7 of The Immigration Act, No. 13 of 2002 which confers powers to the Minister in relation to the Immigration Regulations does not prescribe the time frames for decision-making.
2. The Department endeavours to process visa applications in line with the principle of Service Standards as envisaged in the Batho Pele Principles. The volume of applications received and accepted daily by the Department currently exceeds the available human resource capacity in the Chief Directorate: Permits to issue, in equal measure, the equivalent number of outcomes to applicants The Department has already been open and transparent by publicly announcing that the current backlog will be cleared by June 2024.

3. The visa categories which are measured as per the Department’s Annual Performance Plan are critical skills, business and general work visas. Performance over the last two financial years indicates the following:

1. Financial Year 2022/23: the average number of weeks to finalise Business and General work visas was between 4,3 and 4,7 weeks.
2. Financial Year 2022/23: the average number of weeks to finalise Critical Skills work visas is between 6 and 6,5 weeks.
3. Financial Year 2021/22: the average number of weeks to issue Business and General work visas was between 5,3 and 6 weeks.
4. Financial Year 2021/22: the average number of weeks of Critical Skills work visas issued was between 4,6 and 5 weeks.

4. The Department has not assessed the economic impact of legal immigration on the Republic, as yet. Such an exercise will require an independent research study to be commissioned.

5. The Department has successfully collaborated with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) on research work for the development and drafting of The Critical Skills List. Once DHET invites research proposals the Department will request that a study on the economic impact of legal immigration on the Republic be considered on behalf of Home Affairs.

END

Reply:

(a). According to information captured on PERSAL:

1. The total number of public servants who faced disciplinary action for fraud and serious conduct in the 2019-2020 financial year is 44
2. The total number of public servants who faced disciplinary action for fraud and serious conduct in the 2020-2021 financial year is 28
3. The total number of public servants who faced disciplinary action for fraud and serious conduct in the 2021-2022 financial year is 31

(b) See table underneath for (i) the breakdown of the figure for each government department and (ii) a description of the nature of fraud and/or serious conduct.

 

Number of Public Servants disciplined for Fraud and Misconduct
	2019/ 2020	2020/ 2021	2021/ 2022	Total
Total	(i) National/ Provincial departments	(ii) Description	44	28	31	103
KwaZulu-Natal	Agriculture and Rural Development	Fraudulent medical certificate	0	0	1	1
	Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs	Misrepresentation fraud & dishonest absenteeism	0	0	1	1
	Education	Fraud in the internship intake	0	0	1	1
		Fraud regarding learners reports of grade 5 social science	0	1	0	1
		Allegation that educator committed fraud by accepting cooked marks	1	0	0	1
		Allegation that official committed fraud with regard to English trail examination paper	0	0	1	1
		Failed to secure the school cheque book resulting in fraudulent withdrawals	1	0	0	1
		Educator alleged to have underpaid educator assistants and general school assistants and other fraudulent activities.	0	0	1	1
		Submitting a fraudulent document	0	1	0	1
	Health	Absent without reporting, fraudulently claiming nightshift allowance and submitted false statement	0	1	0	1
		Fraudulently obtained/falsified and presented a sick note and contravened the code of conduct	0	0	1	1
		Fraudulently obtained/falsified and presented a sick note with the intention and contravened the code of conduct	0	0	1	1
		Fraudulent medical certificate, under the influence, intoxication and late coming	0	0	1	1
		Officer committed alleged fraud and corruption, misconduct	0	0	1	1
		Exposed kids to Covid-19 in hospital and ordered more food on daily basis for kids which exceeded the number of kids in the crèche	1	0	0	1
		Stealing and committed fraud	1	0	0	1
		Tender fraud	1	0	0	1
	Human Settlements	Intentionally submitted a fraudulent offer of employ	0	1	0	1
Mpumalanga	Health	Fraudulently misuse petrol for own benefit	0	1	0	1
National	Correctional Services	Theft or bribery, fraud, corruption or any combination	0	0	1	1
		Breaching security, theft, bribery, fraud and corruption	0	0	1	1
		Submission of fraudulent medical certificates	0	0	1	1
		Official submitted fraudulent medical certificates	0	0	1	1
		Official submitted fraudulent medical certificates for sick leave	0	0	1	1
	Employment and Labour	Fraud, violating SOP, contravening Code of Conduct	0	1	0	1
	Environment, Forestry and Fisheries	Official is alleged to have committed fraud when procuring stationery and printer cartridges	0	0	1	1
	Higher Education and Training	Dishonesty/ negligence/ fraud,, unauthorised loading of an employee on the payroll	0	0	1	1
	Justice and Constitutional Development	Corruption fraud and bringing the name of the department into disrepute	0	0	1	1
		Fraud	2	0	0	2
		Fraud and corruption	0	0	1	1
		Fraudulent medical certificate, gross dishonesty	0	0	1	1
		Fraudulent S&T claim	0	0	1	1
		Fraudulently received small claims monies	0	0	1	1
	Police	Allegedly committed fraud by applying for a SAPS e-mail address for a civilian	1	0	0	1
		Submitted a fraudulently obtained sick certificate	1	0	0	1
		Arrested on a charge of fraud, employee left his/her post without permission	0	1	0	1
		Fraud complaint against SAPS official	1	0	0	1
		Allegation that SAPS member received a bribe to return a vehicle taken by the Hawks. The vehicle was not returned.	0	1	0	1
		Complaint that suspect fraudulently changed the licence of a vehicle into his name without his consent	1	0	0	1
		Corruption, fraud, using state vehicle without consent (misusing state vehicle)	1	0	0	1
		Fraud, fraudulent entries in SAPS 132(b) log sheet - used state vehicle without consent	1	0	0	1
		Fraud	5	1	0	6
		Fraud, sold items to a supplier without the necessary authority. The money was paid directly into the officers private account	0	1	0	1
		Fraud, member pretended to be the rightful owner of a house which he rented out	0	1	0	1
		Fraud, altered medical certificate	1	0	0	1
		Fraud case	1	0	0	1
		Fraud, altered medical certificate	0	1	0	1
		Fraud, falsified medical certificate	0	1	0	1
		Fraud, falsifying official documentation	0	2	0	2
		Fraud, forged signature	1	0	0	1
		Fraud, fraudulent sick certificate	1	0	0	1
		Fraud, members travelling overseas booked off sick / took family responsibility leave	1	0	0	1
		Fraud, members travelling overseas booked off sick / took family responsibility leave	1	0	0	1
		Fraud, purchased braai packs on police account for a station lecture	1	0	0	1
		Fraudulent sick certificate submitted	0	1	0	1
		Inciting employees to submit fraudulent applications to access housing allowance	1	0	0	1
		Member submitted a fraudulent insurance claim	0	1	0	1
		Fraud, allegedly used state vehicle without permission	1	0	0	1
		Member fraudulently changed chassis and engine numbers of stolen and hijacked vehicles	1	0	0	1
		Corruption, fraud and defeating the ends of justice	0	1	0	1
		Submitted fraudulent monthly reports and non-compliance to instructions	1	0	0	1
		Fraud and theft	1	0	0	1
		Perjury, false statement, fake insurance claim (Fraud)	0	1	0	1
		Dishonesty - made fraudulent entries in registers	1	0	0	1
		Used fuel cards of state owned motor vehicles and committed 33x counts of fraud	0	1	0	1
		Fraud - ordering food without paying, smoking in rooms, not paying for visitors and removing crockery from rooms	1	0	0	1
		Fraudulently issued an affidavit to sell stolen stock cattle(10)	1	0	0	1
		Fraud – ordering food without paying, smoking in rooms, not paying for visitors and removing crockery from rooms	3	0	0	3
		Theft and fraud	1	0	0	1
North West	Community Safety and Transport Management	Fraud	0	0	1	1
		Fraud and unacceptable behaviour	0	1	0	1
		Fraudulent claims	0	0	1	1
		Fraudulent S&T claims	0	0	1	1
	Education	Fraud	0	0	1	1
Western Cape	Education	Fraud	1	0	0	1
		Committed an act of fraud	1	0	0	1
		Employee failed to prevent financial mismanagement which resulted in fraud	0	0	1	1
		Falsifying documentation, fraud, mismanagement of finances	1	0	0	1
		Fraud or dishonesty iro overtime claims	1	0	0	1
		Fraudulent statement of senior certificate results	0	1	0	1
		Employee committed fraud by marking another employee present on the school attendance register	0	1	0	1
		Employee allegedly has fraudulent qualifications	0	1	0	1
		Copied CV and in doing so committed a fraud and alternatively a dishonest act	0	1	0	1
		Submitting fraudulent medical certificate	0	0	1	1
	Health and Wellness	Fraud activities with regards to government cars fuel cards	0	0	1	1
		Fraudulent activities regarding fuel cards	0	0	1	1
		Fraudulent medical certificate.	0	0	1	1
		Submitted fraudulent sick note	0	0	1	1
Data source: PERSAL
Compiled by the DPSA
Excluding Defence and State Security Agency

End

Reply:

1. INTRODUCTION

The Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act (IPR Act) was enacted in 2010 with an objective to ensure that intellectual property (IP) emanating from publicly funded research and development (R&D) is identified, protected, utilised, and commercialised for the benefit of the Republic.

Section 11(1)(c) of the IPR Act further states that "The recipient determines the nature and conditions of intellectual property transactions relating to any intellectual property held by it, but must take into account the following: preference must be given to parties that seek to use the intellectual property in ways that provide optimal benefits to the economy and quality of life of the people of the Republic" [own emphasis added].

In terms of the IPR Act, recipients[1] (including Higher Education Institutions and Science Councils) must request approval from the National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO), a specialised service delivery unit with the Department of Science and Innovation, to enter certain IP transactions.

The IP transactions requiring NIPMO approval, is summarised in the table below, indicating the legislated form to be submitted.

	Legislatively prescribed IP Form to submit
LOCAL IP TRANSACTIONS
Exclusive, royalty-free licence	IP8
Non-exclusive, royalty-free licence	IP8
Assignment	IP4
OFFSHORE IP TRANSACTIONS
Exclusive, royalty/revenue-bearing licence	IP6
Exclusive, royalty-free licence	IP6
Non-exclusive, royalty-free licence	IP8
Assignment	IP5

2. IP TRANSACTIONS IN MORE DETAIL

Assignment is a legal term for the transferring of rights, property, or other benefits to another. The IPR Act makes provision for local or offshore assignment. The legislative background will be set out below:

A recipient intending on transferring (or assigning) its IP emanating from publicly financed R&D within South Africa must submit a IP4 form to NIPMO for approval (see Regulation 11(9) of the IPR Act). In addition to the IP4 form, the recipient must motivate that the assignment is in the public interest or provide reasons as to why the IP cannot be commercialised through other means such as an exclusive licence (Regulations 11(10) of the IPR Act).

A recipient wishing to assign IP offshore or outside South Africa must submit a IP5 form to NIPMO for approval (Regulation 12 (7) of the IPR Act). In addition to the IP5 form, the recipient must satisfy NIPMO that there is insufficient capacity in the Republic to develop or commercialise the IP locally; and that the Republic will benefit from such offshore transaction (Section 12(2) of the IPR Act).

Regulation 17 of the IPR Act states that “Failure by a recipient to obtain from NIPMO, approval for an intellectual property transaction for which approval is required in terms of the Act and these regulations; will render such Intellectual Property transaction and relevant agreement void from the beginning”.

The offshore IP transactions that were submitted to NIPMO for approval since the promulgation of the IPR Act are summarized as follows:

Financial year	IP transaction activities
2012/2013	1 offshore IP transaction received Not approved as it fell outside the scope/provision of the IPR Act.
2013/2014	No applications received.
2014/2015	4 offshore IP transaction received and approved 1 assigned to University of Birmingham; and 3 assigned to Persomics AB.
2015/2016	1 offshore IP transaction received No NIPMO approval required as the intellectual property was not yet created and therefore not in a position to make a decision.
2016/2017	2 offshore IP transactions received and approved Files requested from archives and information will be updated at later stage.
2017/2018	3 offshore IP transactions received 1 not approved – benefit to South Africa not clearly set out; and 2 were approved and assigned to Tawazun Dynamics and Nisonic.
2018/2019	2 offshore IP transactions received No NIPMO approval required - wrong IP form sent; and 1 was approved and assigned to the USA Department of Health, Columbia University, CAPRISA.
2020/2021	1 offshore IP transaction received Not approved as it fell outside the scope/provision of the IPR Act.
2021/2022	2 offshore IP transactions received Approval granted for transfer to APIX Biosciences; and 1 submission not approved – sufficient commercialisation capacity exists in South Africa
2022/2023	4 offshore IP transaction received and approved 3 assigned to UNICEF; and 1 assigned to Greentech Investment holding.

To date NIPMO has received 20 offshore IP transactions to consider for approval. Of these 20, 14 were approved, 3 were not approved, and 3 required no approval from NIPMO as it fell outside the scope/provision of the IPR Act.

3. RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS POSED

“What (a) intellectual property (IP) rights have been sold to international companies that have not benefited South African companies, (b) amount were they sold for…”

The IPR Act was promulgated on 22 December 2008 and commenced on 2 August 2010 following the publication of a proclamation for its’ commencement in the Government Gazette. Furthermore, no provision was made in the IPR Act indicating that the IPR Act has retrospective application and one can assume that the IPR Act applies prospectively (in order words, for IP generated from publicly financed R&D after 2 August 2010).

As can be seen from the introduction above, no offshore IP transaction referred to NIPMO was transferred to international companies that have not benefitted South Africa.

Regulation 10(1)(c) of the Exchange Control Regulations of 1961 states that “prior National Treasury permission must be obtained before entering into any transaction whereby capital or any right to capital is directly or indirectly exported from the Republic”. National Treasury evaluates and approves (where appropriate) the transactional value of each IP transaction transferred outside of South Africa.

The IPR Act, defines “benefits” as "contribution to the socio-economic needs of the Republic and includes capacity development, technology transfer, job creation, enterprise development, social upliftment and products, or processes or services that embody or use the intellectual property”.

NIPMO assess each submitted application, to determine whether such IP transaction could reasonably benefit South Africa, and if so, will not approve the transaction.

Hence National Treasury considers the transactional value while NIPMO evaluates benefit to the country as defined within the IPR Act. NIPMO therefore does not have the data on the amount for which the IP was sold/transferred.

Question (c) were the spin-offs companies accrued from the specified IP rights and Question (d) number of jobs did the international companies create in their respective countries?

After the NIPMO approval for the assignment of IP, the IPR Act does not require the assignee and assignor to report on the status of the IP in perpetuity.

With respect to offshore assignment, once the transaction is approved the IP becomes the property of the offshore assignee, and the assignor loses control over the IP, and therefore NIPMO no longer receives updates on the IP from the assignor.

In light of the above, we are unable to answer these questions.

4. CONCLUSION

Failure to obtain approval from NIPMO for an IP transaction for which approval is required in terms of the IPR Act; will render such IP transaction and relevant agreement void from the beginning.

It should be appreciated that NIPMO is unable to report on data that was not reported. Should it come to our attention that IP emanating from publicly funded R&D was indeed transferred without the Republic benefitting, the IPR Act and Regulations make provision to cancel that IP transaction.

1. Section 1 of the IPR Act: "recipient" means any person, juristic or non-juristic, that undertakes research and development using funding from a funding agency and includes, an institution ↑

Reply:

1. (a) The Department has no records of the appointment of Mr Paul Maselo.

Reply:

The response from National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) indicates that there is no expenditure relating to accreditation of student accommodation incurred to date. The scheme has not approved or paid any invoices from student accommodation accreditation.

The student accommodation accreditation is a new project and there is no past information from which realistic projections of expenditure can be made. The cost of accreditation when it is performed will be funded by revenue generated from accommodation providers. When accommodation providers register their property on the portal, there will be fees that will be invoiced by the portal to the accommodation service provider and those fees will include cost of expenditure for accrediting the property.

Now, there is no expenditure for student accommodation accreditation as NSFAS has not incurred any expenditure on student accommodation accreditation. As soon as expenditure records, preferably audited, will be submitted to the Honorable Member.

Reply:

I am informed by the North West Department of Human Settlements that the low-cost subsidy housing project by Drop Dot (Pty) Ltd has not yet been completed. The initial plan was to build 300 units and 300 VIP toilets but this was revised to 276 units and toilets as a result of untraceable beneficiaries during the construction process.

The provincial Department was anticipating to complete the project before the end of April 2023, but heavy rains between December 2022 and March 2023 resulted in unforeseen construction delays. The North West Department of Human Settlements will complete the project before the end of 2023-2024 financial year.

According to the HSS report, the total budget was R46,402,299.85. So far, R34,520,227.90 has been spent with 191 units completed and 85 outstanding.

Reply:

1. Various government entities and private organisations are conducting research on cannabis species, i.e., hemp and marihuana. The Cannabis Industrialisation Masterplan prioritises research, development and innovation on CBD for various health conditions and industrial applications.

a) It is envisaged that various research outcomes from CDB research will yield commercial health products for the treatment of priority health conditions like cancers, diabetes, neurogenerative diseases, hypertension, depression and selected infectious diseases such as upper respiratory infections, etc.

b) The current landscape on cannabis research has been part of the discussion of the Masterplan Committees. The DSI’s African natural medicines consortium has been tasked to investigate this by the Presidency-commissioned team. However, the DSI is currently funding a consortium of researchers and indigenous knowledge holders at the Council for Industrial and Scientific Research, University of Free State, Agricultural Research Council, University of Pretoria, and University of KwaZulu-Natal.

c) The DSI funds a consortium of universities, science councils and indigenous knowledge holders. The Department of Small Business Development and Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Economic Development has also partnered with the DSI team led by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

2. Various research consortia, both private and government-led teams are studying various cannabis strains found in and around South Africa. The DSI teams are interested in local land races of marihuana and hemp. The focus is on two new strains of hemp being investigated by the Agricultural Research Institute, and both Cannabis sativa and indica strains for industrial, medicinal, cosmeceutical and nutraceutical applications.

(3a) The DSI Consortium priorities indigenous knowledge holders as beneficiaries, whilst the Department of Small Business Development beneficiate rural or village farmers and small, medium and micro enterprises. There is currently no country data on the total number of research projects, beneficiaries and breakdown by gender, age or people living with disabilities. The Masterplan in general recognises the need to beneficiate these two groups, including women, youth and people living with disabilities.

(3b) The DSI in partnership with the DSB and Gauteng Department of Agriculture are supporting 20 small, medium and micro-enterprises at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

(i) Of the 20 small, medium and micro-enterprises supported, 13 are owned and led by women who are or work indigenous knowledge holders.

(ii)There are no people living with disabilities, but there is a consideration to publish a directed call at people living with disabilities in the second phase of the programme.

The start-ups will receive two value-added products each and will have the potential of employing up to ten individuals each. A follow-up study will be conducted to evaluate their impact following upscaling of their projects. The DSI is funding infrastructure initiatives to support cannabis research in various universities and science councils.

Reply:

The reliability of municipal water and sanitation services is generally deteriorating, evidenced by the Green Drop and Blue Drop assessments. To mitigate the total collapse of services/infrastructure, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is strengthening its regulatory role over municipal water and sanitation services.

During this financial year we will be consulting on updated and more comprehensive norms and standards for water and sanitation services, in terms of the Water Services Act. We will also publish a National Regulatory Dashboard showing the extent of compliance with the national norms and standards for water services for all Water Service Authorities, drawing on existing monitoring information. We are also in the process of introducing standardised regulatory enforcement protocols to be implemented by all our regional offices, to make our regulatory actions more consistent.

One of the underlying causes of the decline in municipal water services, both in terms of the reliability of service delivery and in terms of financial sustainability, is the non-implementation of certain key requirements of the Water Services Act by municipalities. The Act distinguishes between Water Services Authorities and Water Service Providers and requires municipalities to separately manage and account for the roles of Water Services Authority and Water Services Provider. It further requires Water Services Authorities to ensure that Water Service Providers provide access to efficient and sustainable water services to everyone. Almost all Water Service Authorities have been failing to do this.

To address this, we are considering introducing some amendments to the Water Services Act, with the aim of further clarifying the roles, responsibilities and functions of Water Services Authorities and Water Services Providers; setting minimum standards for the functioning of Water Services Providers which must be enforced by Water Services Authorities; and providing the Minister with powers to regulate these matters. We will be consulting on these proposed amendments with a view to taking them through the cluster system to Cabinet during this financial year.

 

---00O00---

Reply:

a) The basis for determining the number of job opportunities that will arise from the deployment and operation of the SKA project is guided by analysis that was done on the job opportunities[1] that were created through the establishment and operation of the South African MeerKAT telescope – a precursor to the SKA telescope. An independent economic modelling exercise indicated that the MeerKAT construction program for the period 2012 to 2022 and the operational phase since 2018 has created 5 606 direct job opportunities. The model that was used to calculate the job opportunities created through MeerKAT was applied to the construction and construction and operation of the SKA telescope over the next 10 years. With the funding that is likely to flow to South Africa, it is estimated that a further 16 475 job opportunities will be created. This number will continuously be reviewed to always ensure the best available data. In addition, appropriate monitoring has been put in place to enable reporting of direct job opportunities that will flow from SKA construction, due to commence this year.

b) The scope of skills development is broad and is further supported by strategic skills development interventions undertaken through the Human Capital Development (HCD) Bursary Programme of the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO). At a national level, the design and construction of the SKA will enhance the development of skills in data science; compute and big data storage technologies; electronic engineering; radio frequency engineering; software development; project management and systems engineering. These skills are extremely relevant in the 4th industrial revolution and are easily transferred as we witnessed when SARAO was appointed to coordinate the National Ventilator Project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional skills development interventions undertaken within the Karoo ensure that these communities are able to participate meaningfully in the construction and operation of the SKA. This includes business development skills for local SMME’s, as well as artisan training (such as the training of electricians), which has catalysed the development of an Artisan Training Centre in Carnarvon.

c) Projections on job opportunities are based on a ten-year horizon, starting in 2023. However, skills development across the skills identified above has been ongoing since the commencement of the MeerKAT project.

d) Establishment of the SKA project in the Karoo provides a range of opportunities for the development of youth in rural communities surrounding the telescope. Already, learners are being supported through several interventions at schools, including science engagement; robotics programs; maths and science educator support; and school holiday programs. Learners who pass grade 12 and qualify to study a science or engineering related degree at university are granted bursaries by SARAO – so far, 34 learners from the local community have been awarded bursaries. A further 72 have been supported to study at TVET colleges. Following the development of the Astro-Tourism Strategy, SARAO is piloting a program to train youth in the Karoo as Astro-tourism guides – with the intention of exploiting potential Astro-tourism opportunities in the future. This will be enhanced through the establishment of the SKA Science Tourism Visitor Centre and this project is currently going through the detailed engineering design phase. SARAO participates in various outreach programs that are organised by the Department of Science and Innovation and its entities for the youth from the townships.

1. 1 job opportunity = 1 full time equivalent (FTE) year ↑

Reply:

Name of the SETA	(a) (ii) Expenditure of fuel and/or diesel during Load shedding Stage 4 by 31 March 2023 (2022/23)	(b) (ii) Expenditure of fuel and/or diesel during Load shedding Stage 6 by 31 March 2023 (2022/23)
AGRISETA	R37 788 .00	R0.00
BANKSETA	R43 521.66
	(Diesel expenditure from April 2022 to 31 March 2023 for both stages. Due to the Frequent change between stages, it is not possible to separate the expenditure for each specific stage.
CETA	R 1 462 605.26	N/A
CATHSETA	R300 878.00
	It must be noted that the SETA does not keep a log of fuel/diesel expenditure per stage of load shedding.
CHEITA	R2312.00	R2251.00
ETDPSETA	R120 512.82	R248 843.12
EWSETA	R113 974.59
	Comments: It is not practical to split the cost between stages of load shedding
FASSET	0 – Part of the Landlord’s responsibility	0 – Part of the Landlord’s responsibility
FOODBEV SETA	R 223 624.25	R 335 436.58
FP&M SETA	R 71 456.98	R0.00
HWSETA	R189 534.27	N/A
	The amount of R189 534.27 could not be split between stages 4 and 6 of load shedding because the diesel recovery invoice from the landlord just reflects electricity recovery and it is not split according to stages.
INSETA	R0.00	R0.00
	Kindly note that INSETA rented the building occupied in the financial year 2022/23 and the landlord was responsible for the fuel/diesel used during loadshedding and no cost increase was incurred by INSETA.
LGSETA	R 193 462.83	N/A
	R17 587.53 per month fixed (Started from May 2022)
MICT	R 365 979.71
	The expenditure incurred is for all stages of load shedding, the diesel costs are incurred by the landlord and charged to the SETA. There is no distinction between stages of load shedding.
MERSETA	R30 000.00 to R45 000.00 per month	R46 000.00 to R72 000.00 per month
MQA	R534 978.92
	Diesel supply is for all stages 1-6 as in some cases we would have varied stages of load shedding in a day or week. An accurate estimate of consumption for stages 4 and 6 could not be determined.
PSETA	R 233 416.18	N/A
	The amount spent for the 2022/23 financial year is R233 416.18. PSETA is unable to split the amounts between stages 4 and 6.
SASSETA	R324 497.67	N/A
	It is not practical to reliably determine the cost of diesel per stage of load shedding, as they change daily and sometimes hourly. SASSETA incurred a total of R324 497.67 on diesel because of load shedding during the 2022/2023 financial year.
SERVICES SETA	R4531 56.75
	Services SETA - Diesel refilling spends for the financial year (no tools to measure costs between stages)
TETA	R281 673.25	R281 673.25
W&R SETA	R 494 821.00	R0.00

Reply:

The total number of public servants facing disciplinary action for unlawfully benefitting from the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant, as at 1 March 2023, is 176.

End

Reply:

No, This will be raised with the Chair of the ITB for further processing with the realm of the KwaZulu-Natal Ingonyama Trust Amendment Act, No. 9 of 1997.

Reply:

No. There was no wasteful expenditure as the event was not cancelled, but postponed to the following week. More than 116 415 bags of 50kg each were already distributed and used by the small-scale growers.

Reply:

a) South Africa is in the process of developing the Cannabis Industrialisation Masterplan, which is led by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development (DALRRD). The Master Plan has several pillars in regulatory systems, sustainable seed supply systems, research and innovation, enterprise and suppliers and market development, and education and communication/awareness – lead by the Departments of Justice (DOJC); Health ((NDOH); Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development (DALRRD); Science and Innovation (DSI); Small Business Development (DSBD); Trade, Industry and Competitions (DTIC); Social Development (DSD); and Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) respectively. The South African cannabis market is attested to be R28 billion, however the DTIC reported to the Master Plan Committee that a service provider has been appointed to investigate the actual economic potential and actual revenue of cannabis per sector in South Africa.

b) The DSI’s African Natural Medicines Platform has documented that the entire cannabis plant can be used for health purposes. It is the tetrahydrocannabinol that is generally used of recreational purposes through inhalation (smoking) and not the other ingestible products. The projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for health and recreation is 30% and 31% by 2027 respectively.

c) It is projected that a total of 900 000 general population and 250 000 traditional health practitioners may be part of decent jobs created through aspects of the value-chains including primary production, product development, agro-processing, manufacturing, distribution, warehousing, marketing, and commercialization. The Presidency has commissioned the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to fast-track the approval of the Masterplan including documentation of key economic milestones reached.

(d) There is no data on the total number of people employed in the cannabis industry in South Africa. It is the mandate of the DTIC to investigate the economic potential of the Cannabis Industry, including women, youth and people living with disabilities, per sector, e.g., medicines, textile, cosmetics, etc.

Reply:

a) The typical anticipated lifespan of a commercial and light industrial building generally falls within the range of 50 to 60 years. However, it is worth noting that a majority of the CSIR buildings surpass this age threshold, as they are over 60 years old. Currently, significant efforts and investments are dedicated to building maintenance with the objective of extending the lifespan of these assets. The remaining useful life of these buildings is estimated to be between 10 to 15 years. In addition to the building infrastructure, the electrical utilities infrastructure also warrants attention. As a general guideline, electrical systems are expected to have a lifespan of 20 to 40 years. However, within the CSIR portfolio, a significant portion of the electrical infrastructure exceeds the 40-year mark. Furthermore, a considerable portion of the research infrastructure is outdated and does not meet present-day standards.

b) The cost to replace building infrastructure and associated support infrastructure is an estimated cost of R4bn. The CSIR is currently undergoing a building condition assessment to provide a more detailed insight in the maintenance and renewal requirements to ensure that we prioritise investment appropriately. The outcome of this building condition assessment is expected by July 2023.

c) The impact of aging infrastructure for the CSIR can be significant and wide-ranging. Some of the key impacts include:

Decreased Efficiency: Aging infrastructure can lead to reduced operational efficiency and effectiveness. Outdated equipment, systems, and facilities will require more frequent repairs and maintenance, leading to increased downtime and decreased productivity. This will hinder research activities, delay projects, and limit the institute's overall output.

Safety Risks: Aging infrastructure can pose safety risks to researchers, staff, and visitors. Electrical systems, plumbing, and structural components can deteriorate over time, potentially leading to hazards such as electrical failures, water leaks, or structural collapses. These risks can compromise the well-being of individuals and the integrity of research operations.

Obsolescence: As technology advances, outdated infrastructure will become incompatible with modern research equipment and methodologies. This can limit the institute's ability to conduct state-of-the-art research, attract top researchers, or collaborate with external partners. It may also result in a competitive disadvantage compared to institutions with up-to-date infrastructure.

Increased Maintenance and Operating Costs: Aging infrastructure typically requires more frequent and costly maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. Outdated systems are less energy-efficient, leading to higher utility bills. The need for constant repairs and replacements can strain the CSIR financial resources, diverting funds from research programs and other essential areas.

Inability to Meet Regulatory Standards: Regulatory standards for research facilities often evolve to ensure the safety of personnel, protection of the environment, and compliance with ethical guidelines. Aging infrastructure will struggle to meet these updated standards, leading to potential non-compliance issues and difficulties in obtaining necessary certifications or permits.

Impact on Recruitment and Retention: Researchers and staff are more likely to be attracted to institutions that offer modern, well-maintained facilities. Aging infrastructure may deter talented researchers from joining or remaining at the CSIR, as it can impact their ability to conduct cutting-edge research, collaborate effectively, and provide a conducive working environment.

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

The Department identified several properties and vacant land parcels located around the universities in nine (9) out the eleven (11) Regions and a total of 68 properties were identified. The lists of properties were shared with DHET and site visits were conducted in some properties for assessments and verification.

Below is the summary of identified properties:

REGION	IDENTIFIED PROPERTIES	VISITED & VERIFIED	NOT VISITED / VERIFIED
Port Elizabeth	13 Properties	10	3 Properties to be visited
Durban	21 Properties	21
Polokwane	8 Properties identified	0	8 Properties to be visited
Mmabatho	17 Properties identified	8	9 Properties still to be visited
Johannesburg	1 Block of flats identified	1
Bloemfontein	1 Block of flats identified	1
Kimberly	No properties identified
Mthatha	No properties identified
Pretoria	1 Block of flats identified	0	1 property to be visited
Nelspruit	4 Properties identified	0	4 Properties to be visited
Cape Town	2 Properties identified	2
Total	68	43	25

Reply:

a) What kind of indigenous knowledge is stored in the specified system?

The knowledge in the system is constructed around indigenous claims of communities across the country. It includes knowledge on African Traditional Medicine, indigenous food, agriculture, astronomy, arts and culture, governance and other Indigenous Knowledge disciplines. The current metadata makes provision for multimedia recordings of African Traditional Medicine and indigenous food.

The other knowledge in the system is the Pharmacopoeia, that is, a list detailing various medicinal plants and their treatments to different ailments.

b) How accessible are the IKRS to (i) general public and (ii) academic populance.

The system has different levels of access, that is, open access and confidential access.

(i) The public

The public can access the National Indigenous Systems Office (NIKSO) page. It is constituted by the 2019 IK Act in all 11 official written languages.

The IK contents of community’s multimedia recordings is classified for confidential access only and it is not open to the public as the IK Regulations governing such access has not yet been Gazetted.

(ii) The academic populace

The academic populance can access the Pharmacopoeia and the NIKSO page.

Reply:

1. The Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act (IPR Act) was enacted in 2010 with an objective to ensure that intellectual property (IP) emanating from publicly funded research and development (R&D) is identified, protected, utilised, and commercialised for the benefit of the Republic.

In terms IPR Act, institutions (including Higher Education Institutions and Science Councils) must report to the National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO), a specialised service delivery unit with the Department of Science and Innovation, on all matters pertaining to the IP contemplated in the Act, including all IP from which it elects to obtain statutory protection and the state of commercialisation thereof.

These biannual reports are referred to as IP disclosures (in other words research outputs which could be translated ideas into products, processes and services).

Over the past 5 years the following number of IP disclosures were reported to NIPMO:

Financial year	Number of IP disclosures reported	Number of institutions
2018/19	300	24
2019/20	248	27
2020/21	226	24
2021/22	241	21
2022/23	217	27

2. The Department of Science and Innovation conducted a National Survey of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer (IP and TT survey) at publicly funded research institutions. The inaugural baseline survey was published in 2017, for the survey period 2008 to 2014. The second IP and TT survey for the period 2014 to 2018, was published in 2021 (Copy of the survey reports available on DSI website at: https://www.dst.gov.za/index.php/resource-center/rad-reports/tt-ip-survey )

In terms of the second IP and TT survey for the period 2014 to 2018, institutions reported over 1250 actionable IP disclosures, over 900 granted patents, 300 granted trademarks, 65 registered designs and 45 new plant breeders’ rights applications.

Institutions further reported that they concluded, over the survey period 2014 to 2018, 290 IP licences, 235 of which yield revenues of R185 million. More than R23 million in commercialisation revenue was paid to over 270 IP creators or enablers situated within these institutions. Institutions yet further reported that they formed 55 start-up/spin out companies, which employed over 320 people.

A total of 100 start-up/spin-out companies were formed since 2008, 95% of which were from HEIs. Of the 100, 72 remained operational as of 2018.

The Department will embark on the third National IP and TT Survey in the 2022/23 financial year for the survey period 2019 to 2022.

3. Section 5(1)(e) of the IPR Act, provides that a recipient must refer disclosures for which it elects not to retain ownership or not to obtain statutory protection to NIPMO within 30 days of it making such an election. These referrals are made on an IP1 Form as prescribed by the Act.

As part of submitting an IP1 Form to NIPMO, the recipient must select the "reasons for referral”. The options available are: 1) Put into the public domain; 2) Not statutorily protectable; 3) Abandonment of IP: Unfavourable Search and/or examination; and 4) Abandonment of IP: Lack of market and commercial potential.

If a recipient states as reason for its referral “Put into the public domain” or “Abandonment of IP: Lack of market and commercial potential” it is compulsory for such IP disclosure to be advertised on the Innovation Bridge Portal for at least 45 days prior to NIPMO approving the abandonment of the IP.

The Innovation Bridge Portal is an initiative of the Department of Science and Innovation, supported by the World Bank Group, and the Department of Small Business Development and hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (access to the Innovation Bridge Portal at https://www.innovationbridge.info/ibportal/)

The purpose of the Innovation Bridge Portal is to be “an open innovation platform that brings entrepreneurship ecosystem stakeholders together for the benefit of innovators and entrepreneurs. It seeks to promote collaboration amongst public and private ecosystem stakeholders, to become that “one-stop shop” repository of information, opportunity, and network connection”.

Over the past 5 years the following number of IP1 referrals were submitted to NIPMO and approved for abandonment:

Financial year	Number of IP1 referrals reported to NIPMO
2018/19	30
2019/20	37
2020/21	18
2021/22	28
2022/23	29

Furthermore, Sections 14(2) and 14(3) of the IPR Act make provision that NIPMO must conduct reviews of non-commercialised IP in consultation with the recipient. Should it come to NIPMO’s attention, during the review process, that some IP may be commercialised, NIPMO must engage in further consultations with the recipient in an endeavour to ensure that the IP is commercialised. In this regard NIPMO has drafted and published NIPMO Interpretation Note 12 entitled “Procedure for the review of non-commercialised intellectual property at institutions”.

NIPMO initiated, as part of a pilot, the review of non-commercialised IP of its first institution in 2022/23. The pilot results necessitated NIPMO to consider alternative approaches to follow when engaging on non-commercialised IP. These alternative approaches will be researched and implemented in 2023/24 as part of the second stage of the pilot.

4. As at 25 April 2023, there are the following number of inventions being advertised on the Innovation Bridge Portal for further development and/or uptake:

Number of inventions	Industry/Sector
28	Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
16	Manufacturing
12	Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
7	Mining and quarrying
3	Transportation and storage
3	Construction

5. NIPMO has two funding mechanism to assist with the protection, and technology transfer of IP emanating from publicly financed research and development, namely the i) IP Fund and ii) OTT Support Fund.

(i) IP Fund

Section 13 of the IPR Act established the IP Fund to provide financial support to institutions (higher education institutions and science councils) for statutory protection and maintenance of their IP/IP rights.

NIPMO developed and published NIPMO Guideline 2 entitled “The Intellectual Property Fund Rebate Guideline” to define the scope of assistance. In accordance to this guideline NIPMO can provide up to 50% rebate for costs incurred by the institution depending on availability of funds from the South African National Treasury.

(ii) OTT Support Fund

The Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) Support Fund was established in 2011 in response to the mandate given to NIPMO by the IPR Act to support i) the establishment and maintenance of OTT, ii) building human capacity and capabilities within these offices and to iii) ensure that IP is identified, protected, utilised and commercialised for the benefit of South Africans.

Since the establishment of the OTT Support Fund, NIPMO has committed over R270 million to 35 institutions in support of activities such as human capacity development, access to IP Analysis Tools, conducting of IP audits, hosting of IP awareness activities, and attending NIPMO endorsed trainings.

To date, over 160 contract positions were (fully or partially) funded by NIPMO at OTTs since its establishment.

In 2019, NIPMO recognised the need to support more activities relating to the commercialisation of IP and has since committed over R14 million for activities including contract drafting, techno economic feasibility analysis, market assessments, business plan development and technology marketing relating to IP disclosed to NIPMO.

Due to the nature of IP and long lead time it takes to translate a research output into a commercial success, it is not possible to quantify the total amount the Department has spent in the past five years on IP which are not utilized for the benefit of South Africans.

It can be reported that the Department has recently started actively tracking the number of disclosures reported to NIPMO that are licensed for the first time as part of its Annual Performance Plan. For 2021/22, 5 institutions licensed 20 disclosures for the first time and in 2022/23 6 institutions licensed 17 disclosures for the first time.

In addition, NIPMO undertook a commercialisation trend snapshot for 2021/22. As part of OTT Support Fund requirements, NIPMO receives bi-annual/annual reports on active agreements from OTTs. These reports cover all activities within the OTTs and specifically its commercialisation endeavours.

For the 2021/22 financial year, NIPMO analysed reports received from 16 institutions. Of the 16 institutions, 9 (or 56%) concluded an IP license or were in discussions to conclude such in 2021/22. The top four sectors of commercialisation activities for 2021/22, following the analysis of the OTT Support Fund reports, are i) Medical and Health (32%), ii) Computer related services and Electronics (17%), iii) Food technologies/services (8%) and iv) Energy (7%).

Reply:

According to the information received from Transnet

(1)(a)&(b), the following two tables provide a summary of the ferrous and non-ferrous scrap sales by auction.

a) Table 1: Auctioned ferrous scrap by type, buyer, tonnage and value.

b) Table 2: Auctioned non-ferrous scrap by type, buyer, tonnage, and value.

(2) (a) and (b) table 3 below provides a summary of ferrous scrap sold to three contracted private companies (foundries), following a procurement process in February 2022.

(2)(c) Table 3: Ferrous scrap sold to the three contracted foundries, by types of material, tonnages, and value sold.

Remarks: Reply: Approved / Not Approved

Melanchton Makobe P J Gordhan, MP

Acting Director-General Minister of Public Enterprises

Date: Date:

Reply:

1. (a)The breakdown of the amount spent at the conference is as follows:

1. The amount for venue hire – R 185 483.50

2. Sound and PA system –R 43 412.50

3. Catering and refreshment – R 227 843.75

Total amount of the event including the service fee of R 31 971.78 from the travel agent amounts to R 488 711.53.

SASSA Free State did not procure gifts from the budget of the institution.

(b) (i) There were 250 officials who were invited to the event;(ii) and 214 officials attended the event.

(c) Please refer to the attached concept document.

(d) The biggest venues in a form of boardrooms in government departments that SASSA Free State normally uses are from Premier’s Department, Department of Health and National Department of Public Works. All these three government departments venues cannot accommodate 250 officials with round tables set up. For this reason, a private venue was procured.

2. SASSA Free State relied on paragraph (a) 4.15 and 4.30 of the National Treasury Instruction Note No.2 of 2016 / 2017. In that it allows for catering of officials on forums and hiring of venues.

The gifts were not procured by SASSA Free State.

3. (a) A copy of National Instruction Note No.2 of 2016/2017 is hereby provided.

(b) A concept document is attached.

Reply:

1. There is no reference in the final Annual Financial Statements for each of the financial years ended 31 March 2018 to 31 March 2021 of any dividend having been paid by Alexkor SOC Ltd. There is not a dividend declaration included in the currently unaudited Annual Financial Statements at 31 March 2022. Given that Alexkor SOC Ltd (nor its 51% owned joint venture PSJV) has not addressed maintenance backlogs and both fatal and non-fatal non-compliance with the Mine Health and Safety Act requirements for the past 6 years, it will not be possible, or financially prudent to pay a dividend at 31 March 2023.

2. There has been no government bailout in the specified period.

According to information received from DENEL

a) Denel has not paid any dividends to the Government over the past five years.

b) Denel received the following amounts from the Government 

Year ended 2018/2019 -

2019/2020 1,800,000,000.00

2020/2021 576,000,000.00

2021/2022 3,068,886,261.73

2022/2023 3,582,700,000.00

9,027,586,261.73

According to information received from Eskom:

ESKOM HOLDINGS SOC LTD
	a) Dividends (Rand)	b) Government support (R’ billion)
FY2019	0	23
FY2020	0	49
FY2021	0	56
FY2022	0	31.7
FY2023	0	21.9
Total	0	181.6

According to information received from SAFCOL:

Financial Year	Dividend Amount	Government Bailouts
2022/23	R1 Million (declared at AGM of 2021/22).	None
2021/22	None	None
2020/21	None	None
2019/20	None	None
2018/19	None	None

According to information received from SAA

a) Dividends over the past five years:

b) Shareholding funding to SAA is as follows:

YEAR	AMOUNT
2018/19	R5.0bn to fund operations and working capital
2019/20	R5.5bn to fund working capital and lender debt
2020/21	R18.275bn to fund business rescue
2021/22	R6.778bn (R4.078bn to fund legacy debt and R2.7 bn for subsidiaries
2022/23	R1.583bn to fund legacy lender debt

According to information received from Transnet

a) No dividends have been paid by Transnet to Government in the past five years.

b) Transnet received R5.837 billion in January 2023, with R2.937 billion representing disbursement for the repair of flood damages suffered by Transnet during April 2022 and R2.9 billion to accelerate the repair and maintenance of freight rail locomotives.

Remarks: Approved / Not Approved

Melanchton Makobe PJ Gordhan, MP

Acting Director-General Minister

Date: Date:

Reply:

The NRS048-9 specification states that bulk potable water supply points should be exempted from loadshedding where the network allows this. The issue is that the bulk water supply points very rarely have the necessary independent network connections that would allow this to happen, and the water pumps are distributed very widely in the electrical networks, so excluding them would mean unacceptably large amounts of load would not be available for loadshedding, reducing the effectiveness of the loadshedding system as a tool to stabilise the Grid.

End.

Reply:

The Compensation Fund systems ensures employers register with the Fund and submit compensation claims for their workers.

The Fund’s monitoring tools for employers’ compliance are the following:

• Flagging of employers on the system with discrepancies in returns of earnings
• On site auditing of employers’ Return of Earnings for accuracy and completeness.
• Inspectors conducting on site visits to determine validity of submitted information
• Telephonic and onsite engagements to verify information

Reply:

As of 12:00 on 8 May 2023, Stage 6 loadshedding is the highest stage of loadshedding to be implemented in South Africa. Stage 7 or 8 load-shedding have never been implemented. The NRS048-9 Code of Practice differentiates between loadshedding and load curtailment, the latter being the instructed, partial reduction of demand from large industrial customers. On occasion, load curtailment, up to Stage 4, has been implemented in conjunction with Stage 6 loadshedding. Each stage of load curtailment is approximately 5% of the large customer demand with Stage 4 load curtailment being up to 1000MW of demand that is removed from the power system.

End.

Reply:

a) I am informed by the Mpumalanga Department of Human Settlemnents that in the previous financial year, it met with all Municipalities requesting the list of areas with unsafe and unihabitable mud houses. The Department received a list with 501 mud houses in 20 wards from Thembisile Hani Local Municipality in April 2023. Ten (10) houses were received in Vezubuhle in Wards 18 and 20. According to the province, the list was only received in the current financial year, resulting in these projects not being planned and budgeted for 2023-2024. The Department shall prioritize the eradication of mud houses within the next Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF).

b) The Mpumalanga Department of Human Settlements is currently busy with the formalization of informal settlements in the area which will result in the provision of bulk infrastrucrture and basic services.

Reply:

Find reply here

Reply:

The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme has to date contracted 115 Projects with a total capacity of 9218 MW. 92 projects have reached COD totalling 7209 MW and 24 Projects are still under construction.

Reply:

The control of invasive animal species primarily resides under the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development will only get involved if such animals pose an animal health risk. The Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act No. 40 of 2000) only applies to animals listed under schedule 1 of the Act, and therefore animals that are not listed under the schedule, including invasive animal species, are not covered under the laws administered by DALRRD, and therefore the meat thereof cannot enter the commercial food chain.

Reply:

(1)(a) The Housing Development Agency (HDA) owns and/or controls 3656.4497 hectares of land through the powers of attorney and/or other legal instruments in the Republic.

(1)(b) The Provincial distribution of the land is as follows:

Province	Extent (hectares)
Eastern Cape	229.1141
Free State	362.4021
Gauteng	511.9226
KwaZulu Natal	462.7404
Limpopo	85.0599
Mpumalanga	70.6333
Northern Cape	303.3749
North West	725.1572
Western Cape	906.0452

(1)(c),(d)&(e) The details are as follows:

Metro	Extent (hectares) (c) and(e)	Developmental Status/Plans (d)
Buffalo City	0.2900	Planned site and services
Cape Town	162.4150	12 hectares – feasibilities studies 2 hectares – water reservoir completed (land acquired for servitude purposes) 3.7 hectares – Internal services installation 0.8 hectares – social housing project packaging 0.2 hectares – project packaging 141 hectares – development planning stages
Ekurhuleni	20.7300	Development feasibility stages
Tshwane	38.1075	Development planning
eThekwini	3.1561	Project packaging
Johannesburg	453.0851	452 hectares – development planning 0.3hectares – Social housing project packaging
Mangaung	259.6135	Development planning

(1)(f) The number of hectares of land that has been owned and/or controlled by the HDA for more than two years without any formal development or pre-development activity taking place such as scoping exercises and pre-feasibility studies is zero.

(1)(g) The reason is that the agency must develop such land in conjunction with the respective municipalities and the province who must allocate funding and sign an implementation protocol.

(1)(h)The average period that the HDA had owned and/or controlled land parcels is approximately five (5) years. The unavailability of bulk services and capacity is a critical challenge in most municipalities.

(2) The Department does not have any additional details. All details are as provided in paragraphs (1)(c) – (e) above.

(2)(a) Not applicable.

(2)(b) Not applicable.

Reply:

a) The process of developing the IRP is mainly a technical modelling activity of the power system. Inputs assumptions into the model consider all commercially viable and proven generation technology options. The output of modelling is the proposed energy generation technologies are a function of cost, environmental impact and lead time. The output is also a function of energy availability factor of the existing generation plant including the decommissioning plan.

b) At the Policy level the output of the technical model should take into account energy security and energy sovereignty and the needs of South Africa as a developing country. The preferred plan should therefore consider the impact on the economy as a whole. It therefore must not be only about least technology cost but about the least cost to the economy.

Reply:

(a) The budget available for the Eskom Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGT) for the 2023/2024 Financial Year is R19,6 billion including IPP OCGT spend.

(b) The year-to-date spend for the 2023/2024 Financial year, as of 8 May 2023, is R3 billion.

End.

Reply:

Rail and port operations are the responsibility of Transnet which reports to the Department of Public Enterprises. The Department continues to raise the issue of port and rail constraints with relevant parties.

Reply:

a) The Department planned and budgeted for the attendance of 46 South African Heads of Mission of the investment conference in Sandton between 12 to 14 April 2023.

b) The total cost so far of the (i) tickets, (ii) accommodation and (iii) subsistence allowance for the Department is:

(i) tickets - R820 567.79

1. accommodation - R285 600.00
2. subsistence allowance - R25 800.00
3. Ambassadors that were budgeted and paid for but who did not arrive are:

c) Ambassador PS Sizani (Berlin, Germany); Ambassador NC Mfeketo (Washington, USA); Ambassador DT Dlomo (Mexico City, Mexico)

Reply:

(a) & (b) The National Department of Human Settements has approved the Business Plan of the North West Department of Human Settlements for the 2023-2024 financial year, which amongst others, contains a list of incomplete projects such as Motlhabe 88.

The North West Department of Human Settlements had proposed an extension of scope to complete the 38 outstanding units on the afore-said housing project in 2022, however, the developer who was constructing the houses in Motlhabe did not agree to the approved funds granted per house due to the escalating costs of building materials, partcicularly the steel.

I am informed by the North West Department of Human Settlements that it is currently re-costing the incomplete project by taking it through the Supply Chain Management bid process within three months from the date hereof. The provincial Department anticipates to complete the outstanding units before the end of March 2024.

Reply:

I am not sure of the allegations that the Hon. Member lays against the former Commissioner. All I am aware of is that, that Commissioner tried his best operating in conditions of not his own choosing, but committed to put the entity at a better place. Be that as it may, kindly see the below table for your question.

YEARS OF SERVICE	TOTAL COST REMUNERATION PACKAGE
2018	R 1,490 097.00 p/a
2019	R 1,567 581.00 p/a
2020	R 1,567 581.00 p/a
2021	R 1,591 095.00 p/a
2022	R 1,638 828.00 p/a
TOTAL	R 7,855 182.00

Reply:

Based on the Department’s assessment and the Report of the Portfolio Committees on Mineral Resources and Energy, Home Affairs and Police on the Joint Oversight Visit on Illegal Mining to Five South African Provinces, dated 25 November 2022, the department in consultation with interested and affected parties has begun work to identify gaps on the MPRDA and Precious Metals Act that may need to be amended. The intention is to submit these Bills for tabling in Cabinet during 2024/25 financial year. Work to amend the Diamond Act No. 56 of 1986 is underway and public consultation is planned for Quarter 2 this financial year.

Reply:

According to Information Received from Eskom:

(a)(i)

In the 2021/22 financial year, 571 295 617 litres of diesel were used.

(a)(ii)

In the 2022/23 financial year, 937 508 149 litres of diesel were used.

(b) The total cost of diesel consumption in FY21/22 was R6,407 million and R21,356 million in FY22/23.

Note that the R6,407 million included the rebate of R2,297 million, which was retrospectively written off for the FY21/22 in the FY22/23. Excluding the rebate, the total cost of diesel consumption was R8,704 million.

 

Remarks: Approved / Not Approved

Jacky Molisane PJ Gordhan, MP

Acting Director-General Minister

Date: Date:

Reply:

Yes, the schedule includes animals that may be listed as threatened species in accordance with conservation provisions, and therefore, their slaughter for human and animal consumption must be in line with the relevant conservation provisions and this covers lions and leopards. See attached draft amendment and the clarificatory notice.

The Schedule that Honourable Winkler is referring to was a draft amendment to the current Schedule 1, which was gazetted for public consultation. The process was not concluded due to a need to conduct further consultations and possible investigations before amending the Schedule.

Reply:

The joint-venture partnership which has been granted environmental authorisation for exploration drilling in the west coast block comprises TotalEnergies, Shell and PetroSA. TotalEnergies is the operator for the joint-venture, hence the environmental authorisation is directed to TotalEnergies but the license is for the joint-venture which includes the state owned company, PetroSA.

a) It is premature to provide estimate of the financial benefits that would accrue to the state and our people if the exploration was to be successful as this would depend on the actual size of the discovery. We know though that licensees must pay royalties to the fiscus for the oil and gas they extract or produce. The revenue to the fiscus will benefit all our people. If the efforts are fruitful, the project will create permanent employment for some of our people.

b) The state, through PetroSA, has capacity for exploration and production of oil and gas as demonstrated by PetroSA’s 20 years track record in producing oil and gas in the south coast which was used as feedstock to the gas-to-liquids (GTL) refinery in Mossel Bay. PetroSA continues to build its capacity to play a more meaningful role in the upstream oil and gas sector as envisaged in Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill, 2021. (The UPRD Bill sets the mandatory state participation at 20% carried interest). PetroSA’s participation in the west coast block recently licensed for exploration is an example of how they continue to build their capacity.

Reply:

Members of the Cabinet are accountable collectively and individually to Parliament for the exercise of their powers and the performance of their functions. Any unauthorized or premature disclosure of Cabinet meetings or information undermines the collective responsibility of the Cabinet.

End.

Reply:

Honourable Dr Cardo, we admit at the onset and remain worried about the impact of load shedding on our labour markets, and by extension the whole economy including the sectors you have mentioned,

That been the case I want to bring to your attention that despite this challenge the fourth quarter labour force survey report reflect about 860 000 people employed in primary agriculture (down 1% year on year), which is well above the long-term agricultural employment of 780 000. It is also important to note that this report also speaks about an increase in employment in private households by 54 000.

On your specific question about Government strategies to challenges posed by load shedding let me confirm that indeed Government is addressing the concern of energy security and supply.

You will know already that the Minister of Electricity is hard at work looking at potential measures to implement to avert load shedding.

This includes the extension of the use of coal fired earmarked for decommissioning. This we believe will contribute to stabilising the energy supply.

With regards to agriculture, be advised that the Department of Agriculture is working on the Master Plan for the sector. The intention of this plan is to trigger growth by improving both imports and exports for the sector.

END

Reply:

(1) We advise the member to direct the question to the Department of Cooporative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

(2) The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) is the regulatory authority, inter alia, on municipal electricity pricing guidelines. It publishes an annual determination of Municipal Tariff Guidelines and the revision of Municipal Tariff Benchmarks around May of each year, which is applicable to the following financial year (commencing in July 2023).

The public commenting period for the 2023/24 determination closed on 04 May 2023 and NERSA will accordingly publish their decision regarding the 2023/24 guidelines in due course.