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08 January 2024 - NW753

Profile picture: Gondwe, Dr M

Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

1) On what date was the position of the Eastern Cape Director of the National Rural Youth Service Corps advertised; 2) whether Mr Lubabalo Makapela applied for the specified position when it was initially advertised; if not, why not; if so, will she furnish Dr M M Gondwe with the proof of the specified person’s application; 3) whether the person met the criteria for shortlisting; if not, why was the person then shortlisted for the position; if so, on what date was the person interviewed for the position; 4) (a) what total number of candidates were shortlisted for the position, (b) on what date did the shortlisting take place and (c) what criteria were used to shortlist candidates for the position; 5) whether the (a) human resources department and (b) union(s) were represented during the entire recruitment and selection process; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

Reply:

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT:

  1. 10 August 2021.
  2. Yes; however, the application form contains personal information and will not be disclosed in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013.
  3. All the issues related to the appointment of Mr Lubabalo Makapela are subjected to comprehensive investigation by the Department. The department will be guided by the outcome of the investigation report.
  4.    (a) 6.

               (b) 4 February 2022.

               (c) All the issues related to the appointment of Mr Lubabalo Makapela are subjected to comprehensive investigation by the Department. The                                 department will be guided by the outcome of the investigation report.

        5.(a) Yes. Deputy Director Human Resource Administration, Eastern Cape (EC), Assistant Director Recruitment and Selection, EC; Human Resource                        Administration Clerk, EC.

             (b) No, in terms of the Departmental Policy on Recruitment and Selection, “Trade union representatives may be present during the shortlisting and                       interview processes for posts on salary levels 1 to 12 and Occupation Specific Dispensations to observe that the process is fair and without any                        bias and discrimination.” The post of Director NARYSEC is at salary level 13 and therefore the unions were not required to be part of the                                  processes.

08 January 2024 - NW211

Profile picture: Bagraim, Mr M

Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

What are the details of the (a) destination and (b) total costs for (i) accommodation, (ii) travel and (iii) any other costs incurred for international travel of each (aa) Minister and (bb) Deputy Minister of her department since 1 June 2019; (2) what is the total cost incurred for domestic air travel for each (a) Minister and (b) Deputy Minister of her department since 1 June 2019?

Reply:

 

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT:

(1)(a) Please refer to the table below.

       

(1)(a)

Reason for travel

Minister

July/August 2019

Johannesburg/ Addis Ababa/ Cook Islands/ Lome (Togo)/Porto Novo, Benin / Cook Islands/ Lome (Togo)/ Lagos/ Johannesburg

Attended a conference on Songhai farming methods and protecting Natural Resources.

Minister

September 2019

Johannesburg/ Accra Ghana/ Johannesburg

Attended 2019 African Green Revolution Forum

Minister

Oct/Nov 2019

Johannesburg/ Addis Ababa/ Johannesburg

Attended High level Food Security & Nutrition Conference

Minister

November 2019

Johannesburg / Addis Ababa/ Abidjan/ Entebe Uganda

Attended Land Policy Conference in Africa

Minister

December 2019

Johannesburg / Lome (Togo)/Addis Ababa/ Dubai

Attended State visits to Guinea Conakry, Ghana and Togo

Minister

December 2019

Lome (Togo)/Addis Ababa/ Pekoa

 

Minister

December 2019

Addis Ababa/ Dubai

 

Minister

December 2019

Pekoa /Addis Ababa/Johannesburg/ Johannesburg

 

Minister

December 2019

Dubai/ Wuhan/ Sanya (China)

Attended state visit to China

Minister

December 2019

Pekoa/ Doha/ Johannesburg

 

Minister

December 2019

Pekoa / Sanya /Pekoa

 

Minister

December 2019

Sanya /Pekoa

 

Minister

December 2021

Abidjan/Accra

Attended State Visit to Abidjan, Cote D”Ivoire and Ghana

Minister

March 2022

Dubai: United Arab Emirates,

Commemoration of the South African National Day of the Dubai Expo

Minister

June 2022

Johannesburg / Berlin – Germany / Johannesburg

Ministerial Conference on Food Insecurity

Minister

June 2022

Johannesburg /Addis/ Geneva / Addis / Johannesburg

Attended WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference

Minister

October 2022

Johannesburg / Jeddah / Johannesburg

Attended State visit to Saudi Arabia

Minister

October 2022

Johannesburg / Paris / Johannesburg

Attended the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) meeting of agriculture ministers

Minister

October 2022

Johannesburg / Addis Ababa/ Johannesburg

Attended the High Level Food and Security and Nutrition Conference.

Minister

November 2022

Nairobi Kenya

Attended state visit

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL BY DM CAPA

DM

Date

Destination

Reason for travel

DM Capa

February 2023

Cape Town / Johannesburg / Addis Ababa/ Cape Town

Attended the investors’ roundtable common African Agro Park (CAAPs) programme held on the margins of the 36th Ordinary session of the African Union (AU) assembly.

DM Capa

Sept/October 2022

Johannesburg / Indonesia/ Johannesburg

G20 Agriculture Ministerial meeting

DM Capa

November 2022

Johannesburg / Muscat: Oman / Johannesburg

Attended the Third Global High Level Conference on Anti-microbial Resistance (AMR).

       

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL BY DM SKWATSHA

DM

Date

Destination

Reason for travel

DM Skwatsha

November 2021

Cape Town / Johannesburg / Geneva/ Johannesburg / Cape Town

Cancelled due to COVID 19 travel restrictions (12th WTO Ministerial Conference)

DM Skwatsha

September 2022

Cape Town / Johannesburg / Cairo/Johannesburg / Cape Town

Attending COP 27

DM Skwatsha

November 2022

Cape Town / Johannesburg/ Entebbe/ Johannesburg/ Cape Town

12th Conference of Ministers of Agriculture

(1)(b),(i),(ii),(iii),(aa),(bb) Please refer to the table below

             

Financial year

Minister accomodation

(b)(i)(aa)

Minister travel cost

(b)(ii)(aa)

Minister other costs

(b) (iii)(aa)

Deputy Minister(s) accommodation

(b) (i)(bb)

Deputy Minister(s) travel costs

(b)(ii)(bb)

Deputy Ministers other costs

(b)(iii)(bb)

2019/2020

R 12,800.00

R -

R -

R98,163.00-DM- Skwatsha

R381,803.00-DM Skwatsha

R8,875.00-DM Skwatsha

2020/2021

R -

R -

R -

R -

R -

R3,836.00-DM Skwatsha

2021/2022

R -

R29,426.00

R -

R -

R 91,287.00-DM Capa

R -

2022/2023

R66,581.00

R570,445.00

R -

R92,722.00-DM Capa

R185,059.00-DM Capa

R9,431.00-DM Capa

Total

R79,381.00

R699,871.00

R -

R 190,885.00

R658,149.00

R22,142.00

(2)(a),(b) Please refer to the table below.

Total Cost Domestic Air

 

Financial Year

(a) Minister

(b) Deputy Minister-Skwatsha

(b) Deputy Minister-Capa

2019/2020

R32464.8

R377519.44

0

2020/2021

R132408.29

R74372.76

R9777.45

2021/2022

R219798.87

R233453.98

R247203.55

2022/2023

R91277.44

R527487.61

R3209.51

Total

R475949.4

R1 212833.79

R260190.51

05 January 2024 - NW3796

Profile picture: Steenhuisen, Mr JH

Steenhuisen, Mr JH to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

With regard to the several observations and recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State regarding the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the fight against grand corruption, in giving effect to these, by what total amount has the annual budget of the NPA and specifically, the Investigating Directorate, been increased and/or supplemented to facilitate a more effective crime fighting operation?

Reply:

The NPA budget allocation increased by 5.39% over the MTEF period, from R4,9 billion to R5,7 billion in order to capacitate the NPA to deal with State Capture cases and the fight against corruption. This increase was as a result of the R1.3 billion additional funding allocated to the NPA during the 2022 MTEF.

However, the increase was against a background of an inadequate budget where the ratio of compensation to operational costs was 85:15. The budget increase improved the ratio to 77:33 which was soon reversed to 83:17 due to the virement to deal with the shortfall in the Compensation of Employees (CoE) budget, after the NPA had to absorb the Cost of Living Adjustment (CoLA) from its baseline and the ID, as part of the NPA, was also impacted.

The ID budget allocation increased by 11.60% from R243 million to R308 million over the MTEF period. However, this increase is below inflation and in fact, the budget has actually decreased, in real terms.

.

05 January 2024 - NW4137

Profile picture: Mthethwa, Mr E

Mthethwa, Mr E to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

(1)Whether he has a mechanism in place when cases in courts are regularly postponed; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the (a) justifications for a postponement of a case in excess of 75 times and (b) are the cost implications that could be attributed to such postponements including the costs related to legal aid provided in such cases; (2) whether any mechanisms in the judiciary have been reported to him that alerts the Judge Presidents of the various divisions of the High Court of multiple postponements of cases for their attention in order to minimise unnecessary and further costs and delayed processes that deny justice to those who seek and are desperate for it; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

1. Yes, there are mechanisms in place to address cases in courts which are regularly postponed. These include the quarterly meetings of senior members of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, with the Regional Court Presidents’ Forum as well as separately with the Chief Magistrates’ Forum, as Magistrates are in charge of Case-flow Management in courts. These meetings discuss blockages in the system and measures to address such blockages. The relevant actions on backlog cases, are further discussed at such meetings.

a) Please would the Hon member give me the details of the case that has been postponed in excess of 75 times, so that I can request the Department to follow up on such with the relevant Regional Court Presidents’ Forum or Chief Magistrates’ Forum, as well as the relevant Provincial Head of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development? I would not regard postponement of a case in excess of 75 times, as acceptable, but I do not know the reasons for such, i.e., it may have been caused by the accused himself or herself, by changing attorneys every now and then, which forces postponements because attorneys need to learn the history of the case.

(b) Legal Aid South Africa has informed me as follows:

(i) The mandate of Legal Aid SA in so far as the representation of accused persons in criminal matters are concerned, derives from section 35(3) of the

South African Constitution.

(ii) The accused in a criminal matter has the choice to conduct their own defence, alternatively, appoint a legal representative of own choice and, if they cannot afford a legal representative of their own choice, to apply for legal aid, in which case a legal representative will be appointed for them at no cost to them.

(iii) In the 2022/2023 Financial Year, Legal Aid South Africa represented a total of 322 337 accused persons in criminal matters across all courts. Legal

representation is provided using mainly salaried legal practitioners in the full-time service of Legal Aid SA. However, a small portion of matters, being 2% in

the 2022/23 Financial Year, are allocated to independent legal practitioners using Legal Aid SA’s Judicare and agency model.

(iv) In criminal matters, the state is dominus litis and all prosecutions are at the behest of the National Director of Public Prosecutions.

(v) Very few criminal cases are capable of finalization at the first appearance and most criminal cases will be postponed at least once, the number of postponements and the reasons therefore differing from case to case.

(vi) It must be understood that a matter may be postponed, whether or not substantive proceedings were conducted on the day the matter was postponed, ad whether or not substantive proceedings are to be conducted on the next date of appearance. The word ‘postponement’ therefore does not equate to wasted court time.

(vii) The postponement of a case impacts productivity and cost-effectiveness, only if it is unnecessary. It must be noted however, that what may be unnecessary for one court stakeholder may be seen as necessary by another. Presiding officers have the overall responsibility to see to the efficient operation of the courts and therefore, a party seeking a postponement, must provide sufficient reasons for the request.

(viii) Legal Aid SA has a comprehensive Quality Management Program and as part of this program, every practitioner’s case is reviewed so that no unnecessary postponements are caused by the practitioner. The practitioner is also required to oppose all requests for postponements by the prosecution, which are unnecessary, or are likely to prejudice the client. The quality management program is applied to all legal practitioners dealing with legal aid work, notwithstanding the fact that they may practice independently.

(ix) A productivity monitoring program is also in place and all practitioners’ cases exceeding targeted turnaround times, are monitored. This ensures that legal practitioners keep postponements to a minimum, so that their cases may be finalized speedily. On average for Legal Aid SA Internal Practitioners, there are 2.8, 3.5 and 2.4 postponements per District, Regional and High Court matter, respectively, as per Legal Aid SA Management Information Systems. In regard to Judicare Practitioners (Private Practitioners) there are on average 3.3, 4.3 and 3 postponements per matter in the District, Regional and High Courts, respectively.

(x) Both the quality and productivity targets form part of our practitioner’s performance contracts as well as those of their managers and supervisors.

(xi) Legal Aid SA also has stakeholder engagement programs aimed at improving efficiencies in the court system. These include Local Case Flow Management Committees, as well as National and Provincial Efficiency Enhancement Committees.

(xii) Legal Aid SA shares data trends with other court stakeholders in a bid to promote an inter-sectoral approach in fighting case backlogs.

(xiii) Because the bulk of Legal Aid SA’s work (97%) is done by their own internal practitioners, the cost of postponing a case cannot be distinguished from the cost of any other work performed by an employee on a given day. However, where a matter is handled by Judicare, every postponement is remunerated according to approved tariffs, currently being R295 per postponement but was R276 in the 2022/23 financial year.

(xiv) There were 18 137 and 13 324 court sitting days in the year where the District and Regional Courts, respectively, sat when Legal Aid SA did not cover the Courts due to capacity constraints. This will result in postponement of matters where accused persons require legal aid representation but there is no legal aid practitioner scheduled to appear at the court on these days. This will result in the postponement of matters to a date when a legal aid practitioner is scheduled to appear in the Court.

(xv) The estimated cost of postponements, without considering the rationale, is

estimated to amount to R266 million for the 2022/23 financial year in respect

of Legal Aid SA.

2. (a); and (b) I have been informed by the Secretary-General of the Office of the Chief Justice that the Office of the Chief Justice does not maintain a performance dataset on the number of postponements per case in the Superior Courts. However, the OCJ continues to embrace the advantages that technology presents and leverages on it. The modernization of court processes remains a key priority area for the OCJ, not only to improve access to justice for all in accordance with section 34 of the Constitution but to enhance effective record management. As such, the Court Online system has been rolled out to the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria and Johannesburg and a further rollout is imminent.

The Provincial Efficiency Enhancement Committee (PEEC) chaired by the Judge President of a Division interrogates the blockages and constraints that impact on the speedy resolution of cases. The performance of judicial functions falls however under the purview of the Judiciary and the Chief Justice. It was advised that requests for information relating to the performance of judicial functions, be directed to the Chief Justice.

 

05 January 2024 - NW730

Profile picture: Sharif, Ms NK

Sharif, Ms NK to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

What (a) are the relevant details of how the Secretariat of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide has facilitated the implementation of the National Strategic Plan, given that the Council has not been established yet and (b) total amount has been spent on the Secretariat and its work to date?

Reply:

a) The Secretariat of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF Secretariat) serves as an interim structure of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NC on GBVF) for the coordination and implementation of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP on GBVF).

The functions/activities of the GBVF Secretariat include, but are not limited to:

  1. The compilation and submission of monthly progress reports on the implementation of the NSP on GBVF to all FOSAD Clusters;
  2. The compilation and submission of quarterly progress reports on the implementation of the NSP on GBVF to the Presidency;
  3. Providing secretariat services to the multisectoral END GBVF Collective, a voluntary platform with 700 members that creates space for stakeholders from government, civil society, development agencies, and private citizens to think, plan, and work together in the implementation of the 6 pillars of the NSP on GBVF;
  4. The convening of information sessions with national and provincial government departments on the integration of the NSP on GBVF targets to departmental plans;
  5. The implementation of the 100-Day Challenge Capacity Building Programme, which was a pilot to accelerate local implementation of the NSP on GBVF in seven districts with intentional focus and systems design to create the enabling conditions for collaboration, innovation and execution;
  6. The provision of technical support to the planning and organising of the Presidential GBVF Summit 2 working groups; organised Pillar Dialogues; and trained all nine provinces on pre-summits guidelines in line with the Presidential Summit theme: “Accountability, Acceleration and Amplification NOW”;
  7. Drafting the NSP on GBVF two and a half years reflective report which formed the key base document for the Presidential Summits on GBVF; and
  8. Provides secretariat support services to all Presidential Summits on GBVF inclusive of final summit reports.

These are some of the highlights of the overall work coordinated by the GBVF Secretariat to implement the NSP on GBVF.

b) The total amount incurred over the period 2020/21 to 2022/23 by the GBVF Secretariat amounts to R6 635 834.

05 January 2024 - NW3873

Profile picture: Pambo, Mr V

Pambo, Mr V to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

(a) What total number of (i) pre-1994 elections Special Branch members applied for amnesty at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and (ii) such applications were (aa) granted and (bb) denied and (b) what (i) happened to the Special Branch members who were denied amnesty and (ii) were their names?

Reply:

(a) What total number of

(i) pre-1994 elections Special Branch members applied for amnesty at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and

(ii) such applications were (aa) granted and (bb) denied

The information on the total number of the pre-1994 elections Special Branch members who applied for amnesty at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and whose applications were granted and denied is available on the amnesty hearing transcripts and on volume 6 section 3 chapter 1 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report which are available on the Department of Justice website www.justice.gov.za/trc/index/html.

(b) What (i) happened to the Special Branch members who were denied amnesty

The National Prosecuting Authority has established a section in the National Prosecuting service handling TRC amnesty and prosecution related matters.

(ii) What were their names

Their names are available on the Department of Justice website on the amnesty hearing prescripts www.justice.gov.za/trc/index/html.

05 January 2024 - NW3163

Profile picture: Msimanga, Mr ST

Msimanga, Mr ST to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

(1)What total number of prisoners have (a) escaped and/or (b) attempted to escape in the past five years in both (i) public and (ii) private correctional facilities; (2) whether he has been informed of the total number of (a) prisoners who are currently under the care and/or supervision of correctional facilities and (b) prison guards in each province; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

Reply:

(1)(a) Total number of inmates escaped in the past five years in both public and private correctional facilities as reported by regions.

Region

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

April 2023 To Date

Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West

01

06

07

05

02

Free State & Northern Cape

09

11

03

03

02

KwaZulu-Natal

05

03

06

02

03

Western Cape

04

75

03

05

02

Gauteng

10

12

02

02

01

Eastern Cape

05

10

01

10

03

TOTAL

34

117

22

27

13

The following number of escaped inmates were re-arrested to lawful custody

Region

2019/20

2020/21

22021/22

2022/23

2023/24

Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West

01

03

01

05

01

Free State & Northern Cape

08

09

03

03

0

KwaZulu-Natal

04

02

05

02

02

Western Cape

03

75

03

05

0

Gauteng

06

02

02

01

01

Eastern Cape

05

10

01

05

03

TOTAL

27

101

15

24

07

1 (b) Total number of inmates attempted to escape in the past five years in both public and private correctional facilities as reported by regions.

Region

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

April 2023 To Date

Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West

0

0

01

0

01

Free State & Northern Cape

03

03

03

01

02

KwaZulu-Natal

01

0

0

02

01

Western Cape

04

01

03

01

02

Gauteng

05

01

02

0

02

Eastern Cape

03

25

02

02

02

TOTAL

16

30

11

6

10

(2)(a) whether he has been informed of the total number of (a) prisoners who are currently under the care and/or supervision of correctional facilities; and

Community corrections population is composed of the three categories of offenders such as Probationers, Parolees and Awaiting Trial Persons. The national population / total caseload within the system of community corrections as at 30 September 2023, is outlined as per table below:

REGIONS

PROBATIONERS

PAROLEES

AWAITING TRIAL PERSONS(ATP)

TOTAL PER REGION

Eastern Cape

886

8 455

29

9 370

Free State & Northern Cape

568

5 179

123

5 870

Gauteng

595

7 810

54

8 459

KwaZulu-Natal

881

10 100

06

10 987

Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West

633

7 758

243

8 634

Western Cape

1 262

4 185

376

5 823

TOTAL

4 825

43 487

831

49 143

The total number of probationers and parolees within the system of community corrections is 48 312 and Awaiting Trial Persons (ATP) population is 831. The total nationally is 49 143.

(b) Prison guards in each province; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

The post establishment /structure within the system of community corrections per region as at 02 October 2023 is delineated/outlined as per table below:

REGION

FILLED POST

VACANT

TOTAL POST FUNDED

Eastern Cape

246

30

276

Free State & Northern Cape

233

31

264

Gauteng

346

52

398

KwaZulu-Natal

270

24

294

Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West

421

28

449

Western Cape

331

55

386

Head Office

19

18

37

TOTAL

1 866

238

2 104

A total of 1 866 posts are currently filled nationally within the system of community corrections with 238 vacant posts.

END.

05 January 2024 - NW3600

Profile picture: Mkhwebane, Adv B

Mkhwebane, Adv B to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

What processes have been put in place to ensure that the National Prosecuting Authority handles cases in a fair and impartial manner, particularly cases that involve high profile individuals and politically sensitive matters?

Reply:

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa provides in section 179(4) that:

“National legislation must ensure that the prosecuting authority exercises its functions without fear, favour or prejudice.”

The National Prosecuting Authority Act, 32 of 1998, in compliance with the Constitution, provides in section 32 (1) (a):

“A member of the prosecuting authority shall serve impartially and exercise, carry out or perform his or her powers, duties and functions in good faith and without fear, favour or prejudice and subject only to the Constitution and the law.”

All prosecutors are required to take an oath in this regard, before commencing to exercise, carry out or perform their powers, duties or functions in terms of the NPA Act.

Not only does the law require prosecutors to handle cases in a fair and impartial manner, but the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) has issued directives which require prosecutors in the prosecution of sensitive or contentious nature, including cases involving high profile individuals, to inform the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) concerned in writing, of the nature and details of such matters, and for the DPP to similarly inform the NDPP.

This ensures that there is adequate oversight of cases that involve high profile individuals and politically sensitive matters.

05 January 2024 - NW3280

Profile picture: Mkhonto, Ms C N

Mkhonto, Ms C N to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

Whether her department has a welfare unit in place that offers financial support to public servants who are about to leave the work system onto pensions; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

The Employee Health and Wellness (EHW) Strategic Framework for the Public Service calls for all departments to provide pre-retirement support which includes advising employees to access financial planning advise from authorised advisors. This is a decentralised function that is not centrally located within the DPSA.

Pre-retirement financial counselling services is therefore one of the key aspects of the EHW Framework and is implemented in partnership with the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF). The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) as mandated by the Public Service Act monitors the implementation of the EHW programme in the Public Service; conduct audits on an annual basis to ensure the implementation of the EHW programme, including pre-retirement programme.

Pillar 4 (Wellness Management) of the EHW Strategic Framework calls for all departments in the Public Service to implement the following four sub-objectives of the pillar:

    1. Individual Wellness (Physical Wellness)
    2. Psycho-Social wellness (Social, Emotional, Spiritual, Intellectual and Financial/ Economical Wellness)
    3. Organizational Wellness (Creating and maintaining a positive and safe working environment)
    4. Work Life Balance (promoting a balance to ensure that work does not negatively interfere with the private lives of employees including family, leisure, and health and vice versa).

End

05 January 2024 - NW3227

Profile picture: Sharif, Ms NK

Sharif, Ms NK to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

Given that the SA Police Service (SAPS) remains the first line of defence in the fight against the scourge of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), (a) how does her Office work with the SAPS to ensure that proper training on GBVF is done and (b) will she furnish Ms N K Shariff with evidence of the work done?

Reply:

a) The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities in collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS) has developed a Gender-Based Violence and Femicide and sexual offences action plan. This plan is grounded on the priorities of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP on GBVF) with one focus on training and development. The training which is provided by the SAPS includes both proactive and reactive training on GBVF related matters. The former is important for the prevention of GBVF, while the latter is important for ensuring appropriate services that inhibit secondary victimisation of those affected by GBVF.

b) The below table shows training embarked on the SAPS during the 2023/24 financial year reported to the DWYPD as part of NSP on GBVF implementation.

Proactive Formal Training

Name of Course

Trained

Competent

Human Rights and Policing Programme

984

984

Vulnerable Groups Course

1577

1577

First Responder to Sexual Offences

1442

1442

National Victim Empowerment Training Programme

656

656

 

Total Trained

4659

4659

Proactive Non-Formal Training

Name of Course

Trained

Competent

Buccal Sample

164

164

Dignity, Diversity and Policing

135

135

Missing Persons

35

35

Domestic Violence

515

515

Total Trained

849

849

 

Reactive Formal Training

Name of Course

Trained

Competent

Resolving of Crime Skills Training

586

586

Basic Crime Investigative Practice

658

653

Family Violence, Child Protection, Sexual Offences

221

220

Sexual Offenses for Investigations Learning Programme

559

559

Psychological Motivated Crimes Learning Programme

49

48

Missing Persons

420

420

Domestic Violence Learning Programme

2080

2079

Biological: DNA Evidence Recovery Crime Scene Examiner

78

72

Biological: Body Fluid Detection Dog Course

0

0

DNA Evidence Recovery for Bio Body Fluid Dog

0

0

Collection Non-Intimate Forensic DNA Buccal Sample

4494

4471

Dignity, Diversity and Policing

5087

5087

Total Trained

14232

14195

 

Reactive Non-Formal Training

Name of Course

Trained

Competent

Domestic Violence

31

31

Total Trained

31

31

05 January 2024 - NW3770

Profile picture: Gondwe, Dr M

Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration

(1)What (a) total number of officials in the Public Service were implicated in irregular appointments in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years, (b) number of the officials were (i) dismissed and (ii) not dismissed from the Public Service following an investigation into their involvement in irregular appointments and (c) are the reasons that the officials were not dismissed; (2) (a) in which national and/or provincial departments are the specified officials employed and (b) what positions did/do the officials hold in each case?

Reply:

Discipline management and appointments are a decentralized function across the Public Service. Any investigation into alleged violations of appointment processes would be managed directly by departments and the DPSA would not be privy to the contents of such investigations into irregular appointments and/or information on dismissals with regard to irregular appointments. The information sought would therefore be accessible via the departments directly.

As part of the Ministerial-Presidential Priorities for the 2023/24 Financial Year, the DPSA is coordinating the establishment of a Central Discipline Database to address the challenges identified above. The Database will include the detailed categorisation and documentation of all disciplinary matters including sanctions such as dismissals.

End

05 January 2024 - NW4051

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Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

With regard to the planned smart meter programme, what contingency plans are put in place to mitigate potential delays or unforeseen challenges in the smart meter implementation process; (2) What measures has he undertaken to ensure that the smart meters meet all the necessary safety and quality standards; (3) Whether there are any provisions for consumer education and awareness campaigns regarding the benefits and usage of smart meters; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (4) Whether there will be any associated costs or fees to be incurred by consumers in relation to the smart meter installation or usage; if not, why not; if so, (a) who is liable for funding the smart meter programme and (b) what are the further relevant details; (5) Whether there are plans in place for cost-sharing with consumers or other stakeholders; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

The Ministry/Minister was appointed to oversee and direct the implementation of the Energy Action Plan, with 5-outcome areas. As such, the focus of NECOM has been on strengthening/stabilising generation, enabling the fast tracking of new generation including addressing legislative bottle necks, and accelerating the scale and pace of implementation of renewable energy projects, as well as upscaling rooftop solar/embedded generation projects, and transforming the energy landscape through transformation of the energy sector.

Whilst the deployment of smart meters is an important intervention (in particular to implement demand side management), it has not been a core focus the Ministry work. The level of the question is also largely operational, and assumes a national deployment of smart meters, whereas, smart meters will be deployed by respect distribution licence holders (Eskom and Municipalities). In respect of ESKOM the Department of Public Enterprises remains the shareholder department, to whom the Board of Eskom Holdings is accountable in terms of the Memorandum of Incorporation for strategic outcomes. As such, the question should either be directed to DPE (for Eskom supply distribution area) and the respective Municipalities and or COGTA for Municipal distribution areas

05 January 2024 - NW728

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Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

Whether, with reference to the recent increase in the national minimum wage, and against the background that the implementation of a national minimum wage has already forced many sheltered employment workshops attached to various non-governmental organisations to close their doors as they cannot afford to pay the national minimum wage to their employees with disabilities, she has been or intends monitoring the impact of the national minimum wage increases on vulnerable groups for the purpose of making recommendations to Cabinet that will exempt the sheltered employment workshops from implementing the national minimum wage; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

Sheltered employment workshops form part of the skills development programmes coordinated by the Department of Employment and Labour in collaboration with the Department of Social Development. This question may be directed to these relevant Departments for reply.

05 January 2024 - NW4006

Profile picture: Groenewald, Dr PJ

Groenewald, Dr PJ to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

what total number of a firearms and ammunition of each (i) type and (ii) calibre were (aa) stolen and (bb) lost and/or went missing at each correctional centre in each province (aaa) in the past four financial years and (bbb) from 1 April 2023 up to the latest specified date for which information is available. (2) What steps has his department taken to combat the theft and loss of the firearms and ammunition (3) Whether any persons were (a) arrested and/or (b) found guilty in this regard; if not, why not, if so, what total number of (i) persons were arrested and/or found guilty and (ii) the specified persons were members of Correctional Services?

Reply:

  1. The total number of firearms and ammunition of each type and caliber which were stolen and lost and/or went missing at each correctional centre in each province in the past four financial years up to the latest specified date is as follows:

REGION

Centre

a) Total number of firearms (Type & calibre)

b) Total number of ammunition (Type & calibre)

(aa) Stolen

(bb) Lost/ missing

(aaa) period

(bbb) April 2023 till date

LMN

Modimolle CC

One (1) Glock 9mm

N/A

N/A

Lost

2020/21

N/A

 

Witbank CC

One (01) Beretta 9mm

15 ammunition

(magazine)

Stolen

N/A

N/A

2023/24

 

Makhado CC

One (01) Bereta 9mm

15 ammunition

(magazine)

N/A

Lost

2022/23

N/A

EC

King Williams Town

One (1) Glock 9mm

N/A

N/A

Lost

2021/22

N/A

 

Middeldrift CC

One (01) Z88 9mm

N/A

N/A

Lost

2020/21

N/A

 

Mdatsane CC

Two (02) Z88

9mm

30 ammunition (magazine)

X2 Stolen

N/A

N/A

2023/24

 

Mthatha Remand

One (01) Z88

9mm

15 ammunition

(magazine)

Stolen

N/A

2021/22

N/A

 

Flagstaff CC

One (01) Z88

9mm

10 ammunition

(magazine)

Stolen

N/A

2021/22

N/A

 

Lusikisiki CC

One (01) Z88

9mm

15 ammunition

Magazine

Stolen

N/A

2020/21

N/A

 

Sada CC

One (01) Z88

9mm

10 ammunition

Magazine

N/A

Lost

N/A

2023/24

 

St Albans Med B CC

One (01)

Barretta 9mm

10 ammunition

(magazine)

Stolen

N/A

2019/20

N/A

 

St Albans Med A CC

One Glock

9mm

30 ammunition

(magazine)

Stolen

N/A

2020/21

N/A

KZN

Eshowe CC

One (01) Glock

9mm

15 ammunition

(magazine)

N/A

Missing

N/A

2023/24

 

Ncome Max CC

One (01) Glock

9mm

15 ammunition

(magazine)

N/A

Missing

N/A

2023/24

FS/NC

Victoria West CC

One (01) Glock

9mm

25 ammunition

(magazine)

N/A

Missing

2022/23

N/A

WC

Brandvlei Youth CC

N/A

15 ammunition

(magazine)

N/A

Missing

2019/20

N/A

 

Brandvlei Med CC

N/A

45 ammunition

(magazine)

N/A

Missing

N/A

2023/24

GAUTENG

Johannesburg Med A

One (01) Z88

9mm

15 Ammunition

N/A

Missing

2020/22

N/A

 

Odi CC

One (01) Z88

9mm

15 ammunition

(magazine)

N/A

Missing

N/A

2023/24

Total

18

 

295

08

10

   

2. Steps taken to combat the theft and loss of firearms and ammunition are as follows:

  • Monthly inspections and proper handing over of firearms is conducted daily;
  • Continuous checking and control of firearms is done daily;
  • Physical counting of firearms and ammunitions is vigorously done;
  • Weekly certification is done and forwarded to the Area Commissioner according to the stipulations of Department B Order Chapter 16 Paragraph 5.6.4 and 5.6.5;
  • SAPS is also conducting random inspection to monitor compliance with Firearm Control Act 2000;
  • Continuous orientation of security officials and armoury controllers about the essence of registers;
  • New arsenal controllers were appointed in writing and strict security measures are implemented;
  • Fire arms are conducted for during unlock and lockup on daily basis;

3. (a) No arrest were made, however all incidents were reported to the South African Police Service for criminal investigation.

(3)(b) Yes, internal investigations have found that officials were involved and disciplinary processes were meted out. Details are as follows:

REGION

TOTAL NUMBER FOUND GUILTY

LMN

  • Five (05) officials were found guilty with one month leave without pay each.

EC

Five (05) officials were found guilty:

  • One (01) official- final written warning
  • Two (02) officials- 1 month leave without pay
  • Two (02) officials- dismissed

Four incidents of stolen firearms are currently under internal investigation and all cases have been registered with SAPS.

KZN

No officials have faced disciplinary charges as the cases are still under internal investigation.

FSNC

Eight (8) officials found guilty as follows:

  • Three (03) issued with final written warnings
  • Three (03) each granted 1 month leave without pay
  • Two (02) granted two months leave without pay each.

WC

  • One official issued with a verbal warning
  • Two incidents under internal investigation

GP

  • One official granted one month leave without pay

Total of nineteen 19 officials found guilty subsequent to disciplinary processes.

 

END

05 January 2024 - NW4165

Profile picture: Msimang, Prof CT

Msimang, Prof CT to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

Whether his department has records of (a) budget and (b) total spending towards the maintenance and refurbishment of courts in each province during the 2021-2023 period; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

The Department of Justice and Correctional Services

(a) Yes

(b) Yes

(c) The table below is the summary of the DOJ&CD Day-to-Day maintenance budget and expenditure report.

Province

Budget

Expenditure

National Office

R1,808,000.00

R652,592.30

Eastern Cape

R4,634,000.00

R1,485,168.04

Free State

R1,970,000.00

R1,969,684.84

Gauteng

R10,931,000.00

R8,759,690.39

KwaZulu Natal

R2,631,000.00

R2,631,327.82

Limpopo

R795,000.00

R708,416.74

Mpumalanga

R7,082,000.00

R5,889,792.71

North West

R1,760,000.00

R1,760,150.34

Northern Cape

R2,655,000.00

R2,655,659.99

Western Cape

R3,902,000.00

R3,901,726.26

Grand Total

R38,168,000.00

R30,414,209.43

(d) The table below is the summary of the DOJ&CD Day-to-Day maintenance budget and expenditure report for 2022/2023:

Province

Budget

Expenditure

National Office

R2,216,000.00

R2,216,639.05

Eastern Cape

R1,875,000.00

R1,875,054.42

Free State

R1,556,000.00

R1,556,865.52

Gauteng

R14,695,000.00

R14,695,085.80

KwaZulu Natal

R8,627,000.00

R8,627,407.58

Limpopo

R898,000.00

R897,541.76

Mpumalanga

R4,843,000.00

R4,843,005.18

North West

R6,001,000.00

R6,000,933.88

Northern Cape

R5,072,000.00

R5,069,859.10

Western Cape

R10,820,000.00

R10,820,294.21

Grand Total

R56,603,000.00

R56,602,686.50

(e) The table below is the summary of the DPWI maintenance and refurbishment budget and expenditure report for 2021/2022:

Province

Budget

Expenditure

Eastern Cape

R80,706,214.00

R28,198,940.00

Free State

R13,362,994.00

R3,852,995.00

Gauteng

R0.00

R0.00

KwaZulu Natal

R1,805,833.00

R1,805,833.00

Limpopo

R45,551,811.00

R26,392,055.00

Mpumalanga

R4,464,708.00

R0.00

North West

R16,259,403.00

R8,066,016.00

Northern Cape

R1,494,062.00

R0.00

Western Cape

R16,698,230.00

R16,277,284.00

Grand Total

R180,343,255.00

R84,593,123.00

(f) The table below is the summary of the DPWI maintenance and refurbishment budget and expenditure report for 2022/2023:

Province

Budget

Expenditure

Eastern Cape

R78,858,841.00

R41,480,037.00

Free State

R27,695,015.00

R6,235,802.00

Gauteng

R2,300,000.00

R0.00

KwaZulu Natal

R200,000.00

R0.00

Limpopo

R24,809,728.00

R8,366,450.00

Mpumalanga

R2,296,356.00

R0.00

North West

R9,950,000.00

R9,408,015.00

Northern Cape

R2,775,459.00

R511,628.00

Western Cape

R25,311,261.00

R11,854,052.00

Grand Total

R174,196,660.00

R77,855,985.00

05 January 2024 - NW3200

Marais to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(1 )Whether, with reference to the incidents of army brutality during the early days of the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, she has communicated and/or reported any incidents of army brutality to the public and/or their parliamentary representatives; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2)(a) What are the details of accessible channels that were put in place by her department for citizens to report incidents of army brutality and (b) how were the reports handled; (3) What are the relevant details of the (a) support mechanisms that were established for victims of army brutality during the lockdown and (b) avenues that were available to persons for seeking justice, medical assistance and/or legal aid; (4) Whether any valuable lessons have been learnt from the incidents; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (5) Whether any resultant reforms and/or changes have been implemented in procedures, training and oversight of law enforcement during domestic deployments to prevent similar incidents in the future; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

Find reply here

05 January 2024 - NW1564

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Hicklin, Ms MB to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

Whether, with reference to the reply to question 1293 on 9 July 2021 regarding property at 398 Malherbe Street, Tshwane, (details furnished), the process of handover to the Department of Social Development was completed; if not, (a) why not and (b) will what remains of the property be donated to the Capital Park Ratepayers' Association who are still desperate for a shelter; if so, (i) was the house renovated as it was in a considerable state of disrepair, (ii) who was responsible for the renovation, (iii) what was the total cost of the renovation and (iv) which department paid for the renovations?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

Kindly note that address provided on Parliamentary question number 1293 & 1564 which is 398 Malherbe Street Capital Park does not belong to state, it is privately owned. See attached Aktex.

Response provided on Parliamentary question number 1293 & 1564 provided relate to state owned property on address 227 Malherbe Street, Capital Park.

(a) Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is still waiting for response from the Department of Social Development. KAM sent email to DSD on the 01/06/2021 with three months to respond.

(b) The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure does not have a record of an application seeking a donation of property in question from Capital Park Residents and Ratepayers Association. The organization is welcome to make such application through the Regional office to Director, REMS: Mr. Ndivhoni Mathivha or Deputy Director, REMS: Mr. Sylvester Tshilwane.

(i) There is no house on the property, it’s a vacant land.

(ii) Not applicable.

(iii) Not applicable.

(iv) Not applicable

05 January 2024 - NW1713

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Alexander, Ms W to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

Whether she will furnish Mrs W R Alexander with a comprehensive breakdown of the procurement allocation of (a) her Office and (b) every entity reporting to her in terms of the percentages allocated to (i) small-, medium- and micro-enterprises, (ii) cooperatives, (iii) township enterprises and (iv) rural enterprises with a view to evaluating the effectiveness of the set-aside policy of the Government in fostering an inclusive and diverse economic landscape (details furnished) in the (aa) 2021-22 financial year and (bb) since 1 April 2023?

Reply:

The procurement allocation for the department is apportioned in line with the Annual Performance Plan (APP) and Operational Plan (OP) targets to ensure achievements of these targets. Further, procurement is facilitated through the Central Supplier Database (CSD) located in the National Treasury. The question may be directed to the Ministry of Finance for detailed reply.

05 January 2024 - NW3853

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Dyantyi, Mr QR to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

What (a) is the impact of the Brand SA campaign known as Made in South Africa and (b) measures are required to promote the local brands of the Republic in the international market? [

Reply:

(a) Brand SA does not have a campaign called Made in SA. However, in line with its mandate, Brand South Africa profiles and showcases South African talent, skills, people, product and services. The recent campaigns anchored under brand advocacy focused on the following pillars on;

1) creative arts: where Brand South Africa profiled a young entrepreneur from Eastern Cape who owns a brand called Inga. Inga produces proudly South African bags that are designed, crafted, and produced in South Africa. Innovation & Technology: where Dr. Reza who is an aesthetics specialist and also owns an aviation company which exports aviation products. Dr Reza, through his foundation also offers skills and education on the aviation industry to his employees who come from the community the aviation company operates from. Brand South Africa recorded a video and promoted it on international platforms such as News Central. CNN Africa, Africa News, BBC News Africa, Supersports Blitz. This assisted in driving awareness, demand creation and expansion of his brand.

2) Exporting South Africa to South Korea: where Brand South Africa collaborated with influencers in South Korea with an objective of increasing familiarity and favourability of creative talent in South Korea. Some of the South African designers included Black Coffee, Maxhosa, and David Tlale. This campaign assisted in driving awareness of the nation brand, skills and talent.

3) In line with the Believe in SA strategy, Brand South has implemented a media partnership with BBC broadcast and BBC.Com on a campaign called ‘The Next Generation’ which profiles young South African entrepreneurs. The campaign puts a spotlight on the young generation showcasing their innovations in medical innovation, fintech and energy. As innovators, they have found new ways to make an impact and are ideal advocates for South Africa’s business story. The campaign is currently flighting across North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific until March 2024.

(b) While the focus of Brand South Africa is to instil confidence in South Africa and promote investment and tourism, Brand South Africa is equally committed to fostering the consumption of South African goods and services as a way to export the South African nation brand to the world and as a stimulus for economic growth and overall competitiveness of South African industries in the global market.

As part of its strategic initiatives, Brand South Africa conducts the Global Reputation Research Study, involving over 10,000 respondents across 14 international target markets. This research study evaluates South Africa's export competitiveness and appeal (among other measured variables) in key markets: the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, China, Japan, India, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

Furthermore, the country is also benched marked against emerging & established continental powers: Africa - Nigeria & or Egypt; Middle East: United Arab Emirates & Turkey; Asia: Vietnam & Thailand, Vietnam & Thailand, South America: Chile & Brazil, and UK.

  • Global businesses engaged in trade with South Africa, and those purchasing South African goods and services, consistently rank the country among the best, alongside esteemed counterparts such as the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey.
  • Further attesting to South Africa's global standing, among the benchmarked nations, global businesses place it within the top five countries to do business with, sharing this distinction with the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Thailand, and Brazil.
  • Over 76 percent of all respondents across all 14 markets expressed a strong interest in purchasing South African export products. This affirmation underscores the resonance and desirability of South African goods on the global stage and reflects the positive perception of the Nation Brand but also signals a significant market potential for South African exports.
  • Notably, the export sector emerges as one of the nation's key economic strengths, followed closely by the pivotal contributions of tourism and investment. This multifaceted approach reinforces Brand South Africa's crucial role in shaping and elevating the nation's global identity and economic prowess.
  • prominence in Brand Finance’s Africa 200 report ranking stands as a testament to the robustness and resilience of its brands. Firmly positioned as the powerhouse of African brands, South Africa's influential role underscores its significant impact on shaping the business landscape across the continent. The top 200 brands in Africa have collectively experienced a commendable year-on-year brand value growth of 6%, culminating in an impressive total value of USD 54.4 billion. At the forefront of this success, South Africa emerges as the primary contributor, representing over half of the brands in the ranking and an impressive 75% (USD 40.8 billion) of the total brand value. This substantial leadership underscores South Africa's key role in driving and defining the narrative of African brands on the global stage.

05 January 2024 - NW4007

Profile picture: Groenewald, Dr PJ

Groenewald, Dr PJ to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(1 ) What total number of (a) firearms and (b) ammunition of each (i) type and (ii) calibre were (aa) stolen and (bb) lost and/or went missing at each military unit in each province (aaa) in the past four financial years and (bbb) from 1 April 2023 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; (2) What steps has her department taken to combat the theft and loss of the firearms and ammunition; (3) Whether any persons were (a) arrested and/or found guilty in this regard; if not, why not; if so, what total number of (i) persons were arrested and/or found guilty and (ii) the specified persons were members of the SA National Defence Force?

Reply:

Find reply here

05 January 2024 - NW4056

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Khumalo, Dr NV to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

With reference to her commitment at the BRICS Dialogue 2023 to conduct investigations into communication breakdowns with Gauteng Economic Development, what are the relevant details of the (a) progress and (b) timeframes for the investigation? [

Reply:

1.(a) It was subsequently concluded that there was no need for a formal investigation to be instituted in this regard as the measures in place to address the challenge are adequate. The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) has a Frontline Monitoring and Support (FMS) programme implemented across all provinces in a holistic manner, which is a key monitoring mechanism that provides government not only with relevant, reliable information on the quality of service delivery on the ground, but also to facilitate improvements in service delivery.

(b) N/A

05 January 2024 - NW3790

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Smalle, Mr JF to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

(1)What (a) total number of cases of transformer theft and/or sabotage to electrical infrastructure were reported in the (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21, (iii) 2021-22 and (iv) 2022-23 financial years and (b) was the financial cost in terms of each province; (2) (a) which areas are yet to be restored and connected as a result of the theft incidents and (b) what action has been taken to restore and protect the electrical infrastructure?

Reply:

The Ministry/Minister was appointed to oversee and direct the implementation of the Energy Action Plan, with its 5-outcome areas. As such, the focus of NECOM has been on strengthening/stabilising generation, enabling the fast tracking of new generation including addressing legislative bottle necks, and accelerating the scale and pace of implementation of renewable energy projects, as well as upscaling rooftop solar/embedded generation projects, and transforming the energy landscape through transformation of the energy sector, consequently, the Ministry has not kept the records of the financial and economic impact (since its establishment) associated with cable theft and/or sabotage of transformer.

2. Further, incidences of this nature are observed across Eskom distribution, Transmission and the Municipalities and as such the Ministry does not maintain a outage/response and repair log. This information will have to be sourced from (Eskom Distribution), through the Department of Public Enterprises or the respect Municipality (in municipal licensed areas)

05 January 2024 - NW2783

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Sharif, Ms NK to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

Considering that youth and persons with disability programmes run by her Office have been merged into one programme which is underfunded, what are the details of the plans of her Office to protect the (a) budgets allocated to and (b) integrity of the programmes of the two critical components of the mandate of her Office?

Reply:

The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) has obtained approval from the National Treasury to split the Youth and Persons with Disabilities into two separate programmes effective 1 April 2024.

The allocation of funds to departments from the fiscus is a mandate of the National Treasury. This question may be directed to the Ministry of Finance for reply.

04 January 2024 - NW3300

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Herron, Mr BN to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

With reference to his recent announcement of Operation Bring Back which targets over 1 260 hijacked buildings belonging to his department, what resources and structures does his department intend to rely upon in order to repurpose the buildings that have been successfully brought back into the hands of Government, considering that many of the buildings are derelict and unable to fulfill the purpose for which they were designed?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

I have been informed by the Department that in order to repurpose the buildings that have been brought back successfully into the hands of Government, the Department will employ two approaches which in the main are:

1. Government use;

Existing resources including DPWI and User departments’ CAPEX budget will be utilised. Where the scale and the financial extent of the repurposing projects exceed available resources, Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach will be considered

2. Revenue generation:

Based on highest and best use analysis of the properties, the Department will approach the market in refurbishing the buildings for short and long-term letting for income generation purposes.

04 January 2024 - NW3863

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Herron, Mr BN to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

Given the seriousness of the case about the inhumane treatment of learners with disabilities at the Ikhwezi Lokusa Special School where disabled children were disregarded and placed in unregulated facilities, what (a) course of action has her Office taken in relation to its investigation into those responsible and (b) are the relevant details of the plans that her Office, in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders, has put in place to develop the facility and make it conducive for learners with disabilities?

Reply:

The management of schools for children with special needs is vested with the Departments of Education and Social Development. The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) provides policy direction on all matters relating to persons with disabilities in the Republic.

a) Consequently, when this issue was brought to the attention of the DWYPD, we engaged the Office of the Director-General in the Eastern Cape Provincial Government on 24 November 2023. This engagement was organised to ascertain the course of action by the Eastern Cape Provincial Government toward ensuring that the situation at the school is improved and to ensure that the infringements of the rights of children with disabilities at Ikhwezi Lokusa Special School are decisively dealt with.

b) Following the above referenced engagement, the Eastern Cape Provincial Government undertook to facilitate a response to the challenges. Meetings will be coordinated in due course to provide an update thereto.

04 January 2024 - NW3897

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Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

(1)Whether his Office has determined the total cost of implementing the smart meter project; if not, (a) why not and (b) what cost modelling has been done; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) (a) who is the designated service provider for the (i) installation and (ii) maintenance of the smart meter, (b) how was the service provider selected and (c) what criteria were used in the selection process; (3) what is the (a) commencement date of the specified project, (b) timeline for the completion of the smart meter roll-out and (c) timeline for each province?

Reply:

(1) (a) Yes, Eskom has determined the total cost of implementing smart meters.

(b) Eskom has a financial evaluation model that is used for all its projects and the same model was used to evaluate the financial viability of the various

phases of the smart metering project.

(2) Eskom does not have a designated installer as multiple contractors are appointed to install meters in various regions each time a project is initiated. For projects like this where a large number of meters are to be installed at one go (as a project), an open Request for Proposals (RFP) for potential installers is issued to the market and successful bidders are awarded tenders to install meters in various areas.

(3) Eskom started installing smart meters in 2010 when a pilot project was commissioned in Sandton (Gauteng) and Margate (KZN) for 5000 meters.

This was followed by Phase 1 of the project that was implemented in Sandton/Midrand in 2015, where about 33 000 smart meters were installed.

A decision was taken in June 2021 to only use smart meters going forward and as such, all faulty meters are now replaced by smart meters.

There is no official commencement date yet for a project to replace all meters with smart meters as the project is still going through internal

governance processes and an RFP still has to be issued to the market.

 

 

04 January 2024 - NW4182

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Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

(1)What are the full details of incentives that have been put in place for private households to install rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to mitigate the demand for electricity and lessen load shedding; (2) Whether the incentives that are currently in place will be extended; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether he has been informed that certain municipalities are charging residents a fee (details furnished) where consumers are off the grid and using their own renewable energy; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) which other local municipalities and/or metros are following the strategy of charging consumers for being off the grid, (b) on what basis is the levy being charged and (c) what steps will he take to stop this as a disincentive to private households to be part of the rooftop solar PV programme?

Reply:

1. To encourage the uptake of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV), the government eased private generator regulation giving customers more private generation energy options through across-network wheeling and on-site self-generation. This year, the government introduced further incentives like SARS tax rebates and National Treasury energy bounce loan guarantee programmes making Roof Top PV systems more affordable to households and small businesses. This is against the backdrop of customers seeking reliability during loadshedding, affordable electricity and climate change objectives.

To make rooftop PV more attractive, in the same way that Eskom does, many municipalities also offer grid services like net-billing (i.e. using PV surplus energy to offset billed consumption), and

wheeling (i.e., using the grid to transport generator production to customers). In addition, work is being done through the National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM) on the development of a feed-in tariff (i.e., the utility buying customer surplus PV energy) which also encourages uptake.  Eskom also has a standard offer programme in place where customers can sell excess energy to Eskom under a short-term power purchase agreement.  Under the NECOM draft, frameworks were developed on net billing and wheeling to guide the industry with a standardised approach. These two draft frameworks are currently with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).

2. The National Treasury is the custodian of the incentive and have not expressed any indication of whether the scheme will be extended. There is however an ongoing discussion on the expansion of scheme (coverage as opposed to time-line), to the extent that it be expanded to include the battery and inverter which are the largest cost components of roof top solar solutions.

3. With regard to Municipalities the determination of tariffs and fees is a function of municipal budgeting, as provided for by the Municipal Finance Management Act, and as such the legislative competence of the respective Municipal Council, subject to due process. Under these circumstances whilst the fees may be a counter-incentive to upscaling rooftop solar/embedded generation, the Minister cannot “stop” legitimate fees imposed by Municipalities. There is also a question of municipal revenue loss (which impact the viability of Municipalities), in the context of self generation. These are broader consideration in respect of division of revenue across government, and must be addressed through the structures of Government in the context of the strategic approach to the energy distribution sector.

In respect of Eskom, only grid-tied solar PV solar systems on the Eskom networks require Eskom permission even if they are not exporting their surplus on the Eskom network. Such grid-tied customers will be liable for upfront costs for quotation, and connections (including bi-directional time-of-use meters where required). It should be noted, if a customer is off-grid, this means there is no connection and therefore no charges will be raised by Eskom.  A customer that has grid-tied generation and uses the system as a backup must pay network fair charges for this backup.

 

04 January 2024 - NW3490

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Sarupen, Mr AN to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

(1)Whether his department is aware of the illegal dumping taking place on Farm Portion R/7 of Groen Kloof 358-JR in the City of Tshwane, especially along the portion close to the Gautrain railway line and N14 road; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what steps is his department taking to prevent this illegal dumping; (2) what plans does his department have for the use of this land; (3) considering the location of this land, surrounding amenities and the lack of housing opportunities in the City of Tshwane, whether his department intends using this land for human settlement; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

I have been informed by the Department that:

1. Remainder of Portion 7 of Farm Groenkloof 358-JR has been allocated to the Department of Defence (DOD) for Utilization. The property in question is subject to the Endowment Act No. 33 of 1922.

2. Remainder of Portion 7 of Farm Groenkloof 358-JR is subject to the Endowment Act No. 33 of 1922. The property can be used exclusively for the benefit of the Defence force organizations and establishments.

3. Remainder of Portion 7 of Farm Groenkloof 358-JR is subject to the Endowment Act No. 33 of 1922. The property can be used exclusively for the benefit of the Defence force organizations and establishments.

04 January 2024 - NW3844

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Bond, Mr M to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

What are the reasons that the Commission for Gender Equality is slow to address the audit (a) findings and (b) action plan?

Reply:

The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) is a Chapter 9 Institution that is accountable directly to Parliament in terms of Section 181(5) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) which states that "These institutions are accountable to the National Assembly, and must report on their activities and the performance of their functions to the Assembly at least once a year". Consequently, the question may be re-directed to the CGE for reply.

04 January 2024 - NW2973

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Hlonyana, Ms NKF to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

What monitoring steps of intervention has her Office taken regarding the reports of forced and coerced sterilisation?

Reply:

The Department of Health is the custodian of the National Integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Policy. This question may be directed to the Department of Health for reply.

04 January 2024 - NW3955

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Bond, Mr M to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

Whether (a) she, (b) the Deputy Minister and (c) any other official in her Office attended the Rugby World Cup final in France in October 2023; if not; what is the position in this regard; if so, what (i) are the relevant details of each person in her Office who attended the Rugby World Cup, (ii) is the total number of such persons and (iii) were the total costs of (aa) travel, (bb) accommodation and (cc) any other related costs that were incurred by her Office as a result of the trip(s)?

Reply:

The Minister, Deputy Minister and officials in the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities did not attend the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in any official capacity. Consequently, no expenditure has been incurred therewith by the Department.

04 January 2024 - NW3003

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Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

(1) With respect to the contractual relationship with Mozambique for the provision of electricity to the Republic, what (a) quantity of MWs (i) has Mozambique undertaken to provide to the Republic and (ii) is the Republic currently using and (b) are the terms of the agreement in respect of the (i) period, (ii) pricing matrix and (iii) other material elements of the agreement; (2) Whether the Republic uses the full allocation in terms of the agreement; if not, what are the reasons for the underutilisation of electricity in the midst of the loadshedding crisis; if so, what are relevant details?

Reply:

(1)-(2) (1)-(2) We have received an offer of between 80-100 megawatts from Mozambique, Eskom is ceased with processing the power purchase agreement in terms of the current Ministerial determination for cross-broader purchases. Eskom has since issued the Standard Offer Cross Border Programme (CBSOP), in terms of which the Mozambique offer will have to be processed.

The CBSOP enables Eskom to procure energy on a short-term basis (less than three years) from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. This standard offer approach permits Eskom to purchase cross-border energy at an established price calculated at the avoided cost of Eskom’s own generation (including long-term energy purchases from local independent power producers). The standard offer allows for a static price, which is established each year based on the regulatory-approved cost recovery mechanism, and benchmarks the variable cost of local generation. This programme is designed to simplify the procurement of energy from existing and new facilities in the region.

Once the applicable governance processes have been concluded, the Ministry will make the necessary pronouncement.

 

04 January 2024 - NW3950

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Khakhau, Ms KL to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

Whether (a) he and (b) any other official in his Office attended the Rugby World Cup final in France in October 2023; if not; what is the position in this regard; if so, what (i) are the relevant details of each person in his Office who attended the Rugby World Cup, (ii) is the total number of such persons and (iii) were the total costs of (aa) travel, (bb) accommodation and (cc) any other related costs that were incurred by his Office as a result of the trip(s)?

Reply:

(a)-(b) We confirm that neither the Minister nor official(s) in his Office attended the Rugby World Cup final in France in October 2023.

(i)-(ii)-(iii)_(aa)-(bb) & (cc) please refer to the reply for (a) & (b)

04 January 2024 - NW3001

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Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

(1) Whether, in developing a sustainable energy mix to address the energy crisis, the National Energy Crisis Committee (Necom) has investigated (a) geothermal energy and (b) wave energy; if not, why not in each case; if so, what (i) were the determinations in terms of the suitability of the specified energy source in each case and (ii) are the relevant details in each case; (2) whether Necom has investigated funding for energy innovation geared towards developing solutions to address the energy needs of the Republic; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

1. (a/b) The draft IRP 2023 reviews the approved IRP 2019 and covers two-time horizons, namely the 2030 and 2050 time horizons. Several key assumptions used in the IRP 2019 have significantly changed, including the electricity demand projection, Eskom’s energy availability factor, Eskom’s coal fired power plants shutdown plan, as well as the cost of new power generation technologies.

The 2030-time horizon (Horizon One) focuses on addressing prevailing generation capacity constraints, whereas the 2031 – 2050 time horizon (Horizon 2) focuses on an analysis of the energy mix pathways for sustainable security of supply.

For Horizon One – five scenarios have been developed and assessed based on the state of readiness of projects in the pipeline. The scenarios considered include first the RMIPPPP, REIPPPP 5 and business projects currently under construction. Second, all project initiatives with commercial operation date (COD) and a specified location. Third, all project initiatives include those with no grid capacity reservation, COD, and specified location. Additionally, two scenarios, one comprising the reference case and current gas programme, and another based in improved plant performance according to the generation recovery plan have been modelled.

For Horizon 2, six energy pathways were considered to assess the impact of the different energy technologies in ensuring the country’s power system security of supply at the least cost to the economy. The reference pathway establishes a benchmark against other pathways and it is based on least cost. The five other pathways are based on certain guiding policy principles and they are designed to be exploratory in nature. These policy principles were formulated with a focus on decarbonising the power system, shutting down of existing coal-fired power stations post 2035, and exploring clean coal technologies including carbon capture.

Technology specific options (including geo-thermal / wave energy) will be enabled once the 2023 IRP has been through public participation process, based on the least cost principal.

2. NECOM, has 5 outcomes to address the immediacy of energy security and reducing the frequency of load shedding. As such, no specific funding has been considered for energy innovation. Never the less, the Department of Science and Innovation remains the custodians of the National research and innovation strategic path, in concert with the relevant line Departments.

The Department’s Technology Innovation programme plays a key role in developing a sustainable and globally competitive South African energy knowledge base and industry, especially in relation to the emerging global hydrogen economy, by informing and co-shaping the national energy policy in coordination with the Department of Energy and other key stakeholders.

04 January 2024 - NW3215

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Seitlholo, Mr IS to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

With reference to the ongoing renovations and structural building of the Park Road Police Station in Bloemfontein, Free State, what are the relevant details of the (a) intended handover of phase 1 of the renovations, (b)(i) available budget for the continuation of phase 2 of the project and (ii) intended time frame for completion of phase 2, (c) total amount allocated for the entire project since inception and (d) implementing agent acting on behalf of his department in this regard?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

I have been informed by the Department that:

a) The intended handover of phase 1 of the renovations is 03 May 2024

b) (i) The available budget for Phase 2 is R 51,828,205.97

(ii) The intended time frame for completion of Phase 2, is 14 months with the anticipated completion date for Phase 2 is planned for 30 March 2026

c) The total amount allocated for the entire project since inception is R 82,766,187.19

d) The Implementing Agent for the project is the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

04 January 2024 - NW3733

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Sonti, Ms NP to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

What are the reasons that the formation of the National Youth Development Agency does not include (a) LGBTQI+ persons and (b) persons with disabilities on their board?

Reply:

Members of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) board are appointed in terms of Section 9 of the NYDA Act (Act No. 54 of 2008) by the President based on a recommendation from Parliament. This question may be ventilated with the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities as the primary process holder.

04 January 2024 - NW3876

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Mthethwa, Mr E to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

(1)Whether performance agreements have been signed with all current Cabinet Ministers; if not, why not; if so, what are the prescribed consequences for nonperforming Ministers; (2) what (a) tools are used by her Office to monitor performances of Ministers and (b) periodical time frames are set for evaluations of the performances; (3) which Ministry is the (a) worst performing and (b) best performing to date?

Reply:

1. Yes, the President signed performance agreements for the 2019/24 term with all the ministers starting in October/November 2020 and annual agreements for 2023/24 financial year during the month of June 2023.

The President regularly assesses the performance of the Ministers and he is responsible for consequence management at his discretion.

(2) (a) The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), developed a system to track progress against indicators and milestones in the performance agreements. The toolkit draws from the different forms of data including the annual reports of the departments, the bi-annual reports of DPME, self-evaluations by the Ministers and the verification of frontline services by the DPME.

(b) For the current cycle, the President committed to assessing the progress against the agreements in October 2023 and April 2024. The assessments for October 2023 have started and it is ongoing.

(3) The assessment of ministers’ progress against the performance agreements do not score and rank Ministers’ performance. However, the management of performance is an ongoing process and seeks to improve performance by addressing implementation challenges which includes coordination between and within the sectors and the three spheres of government.

 

04 January 2024 - NW3956

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Bond, Mr M to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

Whether (a) she, (b) the Deputy Minister and (c) any other official in her Office attended the Rugby World Cup final in France in October 2023; if not; what is the position in this regard; if so, what (i) are the relevant details of each person in her Office who attended the Rugby World Cup, (ii) is the total number of such persons and (iii) were the total costs of (aa) travel, (bb) accommodation and (cc) any other related costs that were incurred by her Office as a result of the trip(s)? [

Reply:

a) The Minister did not attend the Rugby World Cup final.

b) The Deputy Minister attended the Rugby World Cup quarter-final which was sponsored and declared to the President. The trip was undertaken within the context of ongoing stakeholder management.

c) No other official in the Ministry attended the Rugby World Cup.

(i) No officials from her office attended Rugby World Cup.

(ii) No officials from her office attended the Rugby World Cup.

(iii) No costs incurred.

(aa) No costs incurred for travel.

(bb) No costs incurred for accommodation.

(cc) There were no other related costs incurred.

04 January 2024 - NW3845

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Bond, Mr M to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

How has the Commission for Gender Equality’s failure to obtain a certificate from the Legal Practice Council impacted on women who needed legal representation from the Commission for Gender Equality?

Reply:

The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) is a Chapter 9 Institution that is accountable directly to Parliament in terms of Section 181(5) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) which states that "These institutions are accountable to the National Assembly, and must report on their activities and the performance of their functions to the Assembly at least once a year." Consequently, the question may be re-directed to the CGE for reply.

04 January 2024 - NW4181

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Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

(1) Whether his Office has determined the total cost of implementing the smart meter project; if not, (a) why not and (b) what cost modelling has been done; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) (a) who is the designated service provider for the (i) installation and (ii) maintenance of the smart meter, (b) how was the service provider selected and (c) what criteria were used in the selection process; (3) what is the (a) commencement date of the specified project, (b) timeline for the completion of the smart meter roll-out and (c) timeline for each province?

Reply:

Annexure

Find reply here

 

04 January 2024 - NW3186

Profile picture: De Freitas, Mr MS

De Freitas, Mr MS to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

What (a) plans has his department put in place for the Johannesburg Tower in Johannesburg, (b) research has been undertaken into the best use for the tower going forward, (c) research and/or investigation has been undertaken to examine the possibility of making the tower a tourist attraction in future and (d) is the cost analysis of each possibility that has been considered?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

I have been informed by the Department that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure does not own any towers within the City of Johannesburg.

04 January 2024 - NW3861

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Masiko, Ms F to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

What (a) measures has her Office, in partnership with the private sector and The Presidency, put in place to strengthen the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, noting the repurposing of funds from other schemes such as the Expanded Public Works Programme and Community Work Programme to the Presidential Employment Stimulus and (b) are the enablers for its effectiveness?

Reply:

a) The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) is delivered through a partnership approach, and a Project Management Office (PMO) has been established in the Presidency which is responsible for overall coordination and strategic oversight. Key government departments lead implementation of various youth employment initiatives such as the National Youth Service, the Expanded Public Works Programme, and the Community Works Programme, among others, which are all coordinated through the PMO.

b) The Department has partnered with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to conceptualise the SANDF-led National Service, which is a programme for young people to be trained on certain skills to restore dignity and provide for their livelihood. Cabinet has designated the departments of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Employment and Labour; Higher Education, Science and Innovation; Small Business Development; Transport; Public Works and Infrastructure; Defence and Military Veterans; Trade, Industry and Competition; the Government Communication and Information Services and the Presidency to be a part of the technical team that will lead this initiative. The effectiveness of our initiatives to address youth unemployment hinges on the availability of resources to implement these initiatives at a scale proportional to the magnitude of the problem. We anticipate that resources will be repurposed to fund this initiative.

04 January 2024 - NW4169

Profile picture: Buthelezi, Ms SA

Buthelezi, Ms SA to ask the Minister of Human Settlements

Whether her department has the relevant details of the number of Government Subsidized Houses under construction in each province during the 2013 – 2023 period; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

The Housing Subsidy System (HSS) reveals that since 2013 to date, the Department with the support of Provinces and Municipalities built the houses illustrated in the table below.

 

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

EC

12 646

13 469

13 198

12 491

11 123

9 817

8 757

5 427

6 833

5 550

FS

6 920

5 308

5 322

4 064

3 330

3 695

2 290

1 890

1 647

311

GP

22 352

14 984

14 968

16 003

17 606

9 623

12 153

9 495

7 354

6 982

KZN

29 151

29 312

26 552

22 467

20 290

20 564

15 737

10 315

12 033

9 325

LIM

3 080

2 149

8 476

10 251

9 050

10 513

8 135

4 518

4 269

4 808

MPU

8 126

8 293

9 226

3 670

8 739

8 522

6 710

4 522

2 955

1 900

NC

2 464

2 133

1 337

1 449

809

541

620

221

591

173

NW

9 362

9 206

10 873

9 152

6 552

6 523

6 739

2 847

2 734

3 918

WC

11 835

10 348

10 355

9 793

8 380

7 828

8 184

6 354

6 200

5 665

TOTAL

105 936

95 202

100 307

89 340

85 879

77 626

69 325

45 589

44 616

38 632

04 January 2024 - NW4071

Profile picture: Van Zyl, Ms A M

Van Zyl, Ms A M to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

(1)Whether there is a maintenance plan in place for the Eskom’s farm lines for Venterstad, Oviston and Steynsburg in the Eastern Cape; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the plan; (2) whether he has been informed that when there are power outages the specified farm areas and towns are left without power for more than five days; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the reasons that it takes Eskom so long to fix the lines; (3) whether his department will provide a new maintenance plan and time frame to ensure that the lines are investigated to pick up defects; if not, why not; if so, on what date?

Reply:

1. Steynsburg Town and the surrounding farming areas are fed from the Bulhoek Steynsburg 22kV overhead power line. This is an Eskom Eastern Cape electricity network. This network is 205 km in length and is maintained yearly by Eskom.

Eskom is aware of a couple of prolonged power line faults in the area in the last year up to now. The inspections and defects clearing described above are part of a mitigation strategy which is aimed at reducing such incidents.

Power line inspections are carried out yearly and defects picked up are cleared by Eskom maintenance teams. The next maintenance event emanating from this year’s already-completed power line inspections for the power line supplying the Steynsburg area is planned for February 2024.

2. Venterstad, Oviston Town and the surrounding farming areas are fed from Badsfontein Venterstad's 11kV overhead power line. This is an Eskom Northern Cape electricity network. This network is 139.92 km in length and is maintained yearly by Eskom.

The inspections are carried out annually and defects picked up are cleared by Eskom maintenance teams. Eskom is aware of thirteen (13) power line faults in the area thus far this year.

Five (5) of the thirteen (13) line faults affecting the Venterstad and Oviston areas are considered long-duration faults with the longest lasting for two days. Inspections of the power line have been completed and next the planned maintenance event for the power line supplying the Venterstad and Oviston areas is scheduled for 22 February 2024.

3. The inspections and defects clearing described above are part of a mitigation strategy which is aimed at reducing such incidents. It is in our interest to make sure we provide the customers in these areas with reliable power supply taking into consideration their farming, commercial and residential activities

 

04 January 2024 - NW3846

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Sharif, Ms NK to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

In light of the Disability Rights Awareness Month (DRAM) which started on 3 November through to 3 December 2023 and considering her statement that Cabinet had approved the sixth annual report on the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and urged other departments to implement an action plan to recruit persons with disabilities, (a) what plans has her department put in place for DRAM and (b) how does she intend to hold other departments accountable for their lack of inclusion of persons with disabilities?

Reply:

a) The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) launched the Disability Rights Awareness Month (DRAM) by releasing a statement on 3 November 2023 to highlight the country’s commitment to uplift and empower persons with disabilities.

A national DRAM calendar was developed and circulated widely to ensure that events and activities conducted to commemorate DRAM in all provinces throughout the country were supported and attended by relevant stakeholders. The DRAM calendar of activities is attached as Annexure A.

The DRAM activities covered discussions on challenges and responses around persons with albinism, promoting implementation of South African Sign Language (SASL), sensitizing officials on disability rights and service delivery issues, access to transport, employment equity, the impact of climate change has on persons with disabilities, and access to sport, among many other areas. The objective was to increase awareness in the country on disability inclusion, equity and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in all sectors of society.

b) In line with the performance reporting template on the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, all government departments are expected to provide reports to the DWYPD on employment equity targets on a quarterly basis and include challenges experienced by departments to recruit, support and retain persons with disabilities in the workplace.

The DWYPD holds two meetings a year to provide technical support to all national government departments and offices of the premier to provide them with technical support and to create a platform for departments to share best practices and challenges. Organisations for and of persons with disabilities are also invited to attend and participate in these bi-annual meetings.

All employment equity data collected from government departments is analysed and included in the Annual Progress Report on the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (WPRPD) which is processed to Cabinet for consideration.

04 January 2024 - NW4192

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Essack, Mr F to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

(1)What total number of kilometres of the transmission lines in the Eskom transmission network (a) have already reached their life expectancy, (b) will reach their life expectancy and (c) are due for replacement in the 202324 financial year?

Reply:

(1) Transmission owns and operates over 33 245 circuit kilometres of power lines, and regularly conducts asset health reviews on all its infrastructure, including the power lines, using international benchmark standards. Our last power lines condition assessment report was published in 2021 (the next revision is due in March 2024). The response below applies to the 2023/24 financial year:

(a) Transmission’s asset management approach prescribes that power lines do not generally reach life expectancy to the extent that they must be completely rebuilt. It is the transmission line components that reach the end of life and that are replaced. This applies to conductors, insulators, towers (steelworks), foundations and hardware. Therefore, individual parts are assessed for their performance and risk, and replaced or refurbished as needed.

Only when critical structural components such as foundations and/or tower member steel are condemned would an entire power line be deemed to have reached its expected life. A refurbishment or replacement project for such a power line would then be initiated.

(b)Same response as above.

(c) Projects are classified into two groups: Projects to address the end-of-life components, and projects to address the performance of lines.

  • End of life component: 23 lines, 1 105 circuit kilometres are currently being worked on with a total value of R523 million.
  • Performance: 28 lines, 2 358 circuit kilometres are currently being worked on (majority is bird guards in hotspot areas), total value R129 million.

More projects are planned for future years as Transmission continuously reviews the status of its transmission lines.

 

 

04 January 2024 - NW4164

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Msimang, Prof CT to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

Whether his department has records of the number of reported fraud cases against public officials during 2009 – 2022 period; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

Find reply here

04 January 2024 - NW3002

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Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Electricity

(1) What are the full relevant details of the projects that are in the development stage for implementation under the Just Energy Transition Programme (JETP); (2) what (a) are the full relevant details of the projects that (i) have been and (ii) are being implemented under the programme in terms of the (aa) funding, (bb) timelines and (cc) location and (b) portion of the $8,5 billion has been utilised and/or assigned to each of the projects?

Reply:

Cabinet approved the JET implementation plan, which will guide South Africa’s transition to low carbon economy through the scaling up of renewable energy sources. Three priority areas to support the economy of the future has been identified, being, electricity sector, New Energy Vehicles (NEV) and Green Hydrogen. The Investment Plan supports South Africa’s goal of achieving a low carbon economy and a climate resilient society through the following interventions

  1. Creating quality jobs in new sectors like electric vehicles, green hydrogen, renewable energy, and manufacturing
  2. Increasing our energy security and ending load shedding through a massive rollout of new, sustainable energy sources
  3. Addressing the risks of climate change and positioning South Africa to be an important global player in the green economy of the future
  4. Boosting economic growth through more than R1 trillion of new investment in the South African economy

The JET IP sets out a number of interventions South Africa needs and investments required the country to transition to a low carbon and climate resilient economy in line with the National Determined Contributions presented to the United Nations. The JET IP will be driven by a combination of reforms in the energy sector including the Mpumalanga Just Transition, New Energy Vehicles and Green Hydrogen, among others.

The plan further responds to South Africa’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as well as NDP commitments. The Jet IP will enable South Africa to gradually meet its carbon emissions reduction commitments while at same time, it will ensure inclusive economic growth, energy security and employment.

The full extent of the JET IP is available on the following link, and Annexure B contains the – electricity sector modelling assumptions and technical analysis, and Eskom jet project pipeline

https://pccommissionflo.imgix.net/uploads/images/South-Africas-Just-Energy-Transition-Investment-Plan-JET-IP-2023-2027-FINAL.pdf

04 January 2024 - NW3216

Profile picture: Seitlholo, Mr IS

Seitlholo, Mr IS to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

What are the full details of the (a) current state of the renovations and building of the Odendaalsrus Police Station in Free State, (b) total amount spent on the project thus far and (c) the intended date of completion of the specified project?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

I have been informed by the Department that:

a) The contractor was terminated due to poor performance and the process to get a replacement contractor is underway. The tender is scheduled to go to the market on 26 October 2023.

b) The amount spent to date is R 51,676,923.29

c) The anticipated date of completion is 18 July 2025

04 January 2024 - NW4141

Profile picture: Siwisa, Ms AM

Siwisa, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

With reference to his reply to question 3313 on 15 November 2023, what (a) number of buildings will his department release and/or hand over to private ownership, excluding the buildings that have been identified for the Public Private Partnerships pilot project and (b) plans will he put in place to accommodate other government departments?

Reply:

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure:

I have been informed by the Department that:

  1. DPWI is identifying a further 25 buildings for the ROT programme. The pilot programme consists of 5 buildings, bringing the total to 30.
  2. Government departments that are willing to move into the refurbished state owned building will stay in their current accommodation until such time that their identified and refurbished buildings are ready.