Questions and Replies
28 March 2024 - NW264
Boshoff, Dr WJ to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
(1)(a) On what grounds did the University of South Africa appoint a certain person (name and details furnished) in a previous position and (b) how was the specified person’s contract renewed after the person had retired at 65; (2) what qualifications does the person hold for the position?
Reply:
1. Section 34 (1) of the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997, as amended, (the Act) states that “the council of a public higher education institution must appoint the employees of the public higher education institution”. Furthermore, subparagraph (3) states that “the council must determine the conditions of service, disciplinary provisions, privileges and functions of the employees of the institution, subject to the applicable labour law.
2. In this regard the university advised that it extended the contract of its head of security on the basis of his 35 years’ experience. He holds Security Course Certificate Grade A, B, C, D and E.
27 March 2024 - NW585
Engelbrecht, Mr J to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
Whether he has considered granting medical parole for inmate Mathys Johannes Cloete, number 215767450, detained at Zonderwater Correctional Centre; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The medical parole application of the mentioned offender was presented to the Medical Parole Advisory Board (MPAB) on 30 November 2023 and the application was not recommended based on his clinical state and current investigations which will allow for future treatment.
27 March 2024 - NW181
Engelbrecht, Mr J to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
(1)What (a) total number of inmates who were released in terms of the special remission programme have reoffended since 27 October 2023 and (b) offences were committed by each offender; (2) whether the specified inmates have been readmitted to correctional facilities; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. (a) A total of 326 offenders were released from 27 October 2023 to 02 November 2023 which is the project end date. Of the 326 offenders released, 02 offenders reoffended.
1. (b) Crimes committed by each offender are as follows:
No. |
Offences Committed |
House breaking with intention to steal and Theft |
|
Assault |
2. Details of Inmates readmitted to Correctional Centres as follows:
Readmission Date |
Correctional Centres |
01 November 2023 |
Empangeni Remand Detention Facility |
02 November 2023 |
Jansenville |
END
27 March 2024 - NW458
Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
What number of (a) suspected illegal foreign nationals have been arrested in quarter 3 of the 2023-24 financial year, (b) those arrested was released from custody because his department failed to confirm their immigration status within the required 48 hours and (c) illegal foreign nationals was deported were?
Reply:
- The number of suspected illegal foreign nationals that have been arrested in quarter 3 of the 2023-24 financial year is 32572.
- The number of the released illegal foreign nationals during quarter 3 from Lindela Repatriation Centre is 69.
- The number of deported foreign nationals is 5148.
END.
27 March 2024 - NW219
Lekota, Mr M to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1) Whether his department has very substantially solved the technical problems and the repeated downtime, especially as a result of the (a) glitches with the State Information Technology Agency mainframe affecting access to the National Population Register, (b) sluggishness of the live capture functionality at the counter leading to delays in processing transactions and (c) obsolescence of equipment contributing to system downtime and hindering efficient service provision; if not, why not, in each case; if so, (i) how exactly and (ii) to what extent are the technical problems being solved; (2) whether he will make a statement on (a)(i) how and (ii) to what extent systems are being modernised and (b) how the rendering of services is therefore being sped up; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
Reply:
(1)(a) In January, the Department of Home Affairs experienced a system downtime on the National Population Register (NPR) due to a glitch. SITA submitted an incident report and also took corrective actions to restore services. They are also replacing the infrastructure that contributed to the failure as part of their Modernisation program, which we believe will improve stability. The glitch was caused by a failure on the Telco equipment at the back-end of the system.
(1)(b) The NPR and LC (Live Capture) systems are currently responsive and accessible. However, due to power interruptions and bulk verifications, there may be some accessibility issues. To manage this, the Department is prioritising traffic between the systems and ensuring that bulk verifications are managed within the allotted thresholds.
(1)(c) SITA has started a Modernisation program for all its data center equipment, which hosts critical systems. Additionally, their primary mainframe and storage vendor is actively monitoring the performance of links on a 24/7 basis. SITA has also upgraded its mainframe hardware. Moreover, the Department and SITA are jointly developing an Application Programme Interface (API) to further manage and streamline the data verification process.
(2) The Department's Modernisation program aims to enhance the user experience and provide citizens with better access to Home Affairs-related services. To achieve this goal, critical applications and infrastructure are being upgraded, and access to and from these services is also being improved. Additionally, new channels, such as kiosks, mobile offices, mobile applications, and offices at banks and malls, are being introduced to facilitate ease of access to these services.
END.
27 March 2024 - NW602
Faber, Mr WF to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
With reference to his reply to question 185 on 7 March 2023, what are the details of the (a) make, (b) model, (c) year of manufacture, (d) date of purchase and (e) purchase price paid for each vehicle purchased by his department for (i) him and (ii) each Deputy Minister since 8 May 2019?
Reply:
(i) The official vehicles for the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services are purchased and managed by Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.
(ii) The Department of Correctional Services manages official vehicles for the Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services responsible for Correctional Services. The details of official vehicles purchased for the Deputy Minister since 08 May 2019 are as follows:
(a)(ii) Make |
(b)(ii) Model |
(c)(ii) Year of manufacture |
(d)(ii) Date of purchase |
(e)(ii) Purchase price |
Toyota |
Fortuner 2.8d 4x4 |
2019 |
2019/09/02 |
R606 588.20 |
Ford |
Everest XLT 2.0d 4x4 |
2019 |
2019/09/02 |
R 606 539.90 |
Toyota |
Fortuner 2.8 GD6 4x4 |
2023 |
2023/10/18 |
R 763 619.55 |
Toyota |
Fortuner 2.8 GD6 4x4 |
2023 |
2023/11/22 |
R 763 619.55 |
END
27 March 2024 - NW678
Khanyile, Ms AT to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
With reference to the Multi-Disciplinary Task Team which was established to root out criminal behaviour within his department’s immigration services, what is the total number of officials identified to have allegedly committed unlawful and/or irregular activities or potential unlawful and/or irregular activities?
Reply:
- The Multi-Disciplinary Task Team (MDTT) has identified sixty-one (61) officials for disciplinary action in respect of potential irregular activities as at 29 February 2024 and;
- Two (2) criminal referrals to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) for investigation of potential unlawful activities.
END.
26 March 2024 - NW149
Cuthbert, Mr MJ to ask the Minister of Transport
Whether there are any plans in place to recommission the Daveyton Train Station; if not, why not; if so, what are the full relevant details of the (a) plan and (b) time frames?
Reply:
Details for Daveyton's recommissioning plans:
(a) The recovery of the PRASA inbound logistics in the main, the infrastructure network, rolling stock and train stations, and maintenance and train operations depots are at the centre and form an integral part of the PRASA Service Recovery Programme (PSRP) to deliver Customer Value. The Daveyton – Germiston – Johannesburg link is included in the PSRP. PRASA developed a rehabilitation phased-in approach plan to restore rail services in Gauteng. The strategy adopted focused on prioritising lines quicker to rebuild to enable the resumption of rail operations. The rehabilitation programme is divided into phases based on short turnaround times and allocations of capital funds.
Below are the main projects that PRASA is working on to recommission the line and those include:
NO. |
CRITICAL PROJECTS |
STAGE |
ESTIMATED DELIVERY DATES |
1 |
Rehabilitation of the OHTE |
Procurement: Approach to Market |
Jan 2025 |
2 |
Rehabilitation of Substations |
Procurement Re-advert: Approach to Market |
Jan 2025 |
3 |
Rehabilitation of drainage |
Procurement: Adjudication |
Sep 2024 |
4 |
Supply and Installation of rails |
Delivery |
Aug 2024 |
5 |
Rebuilding of Boksburg Bridge |
Construction |
Jul 2024 |
6 |
Rehabilitation of train stations |
Procurement |
Sept 2024 |
(b) The Daveyton-Germiston line is anticipated to resume the limited train operations during Quarter 3 of the 2024/25 financial year, focusing on critical areas that include the civil and electrical infrastructure and train station upgrades offering basic functionality.
The Boksburg Gas-Tanker explosion disaster of December 2022 that damaged the Boksburg Rail-Over Road Bridge resulted in additional scope of work following the bridge collapse, which affected the OHTE and rail infrastructure.
4. RECOMMENDATION
4.1 It is recommended that the EA approves the reply should she concur with its content.
______________________
MR NGWAKO MAKAEPEA
DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL: RAIL TRANSPORT
DATE:
______________________
ADV JAMES MLAWU
DIRECTOR-GENERAL: TRANSPORT
DATE:
DECISION
26 March 2024 - NW311
Ismail, Ms H to ask the Minister of Transport
Considering the longstanding issue of flight delays which has negatively affected both domestic and international tourists, (a) which airports are affected by flight delays due to air traffic control systems where only one frequency is working, (b) what has caused this issue and (c) by what date will this issue be attended to and resolved?
Reply:
a) OR Tambo International Airport.
b) The issue was caused by:
- the radio coverage challenges which caused the unavailability of forward relays at various Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) remote sites. ATNS relies on third-party telecommunications service providers to relay the data from the control centre to the forward relay and vice-versa;
- Vandalism and theft where backup power facilities are often stolen at the sites. These sites, due to their remote nature, have become susceptible to power failures as backup power facilities are prone to theft; and
- Load-shedding.
c) Mid-March 2024.
26 March 2024 - NW106
Hunsinger, Dr CH to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)What (a) is the nature of the association and or relationship between Road Accident Fund (RAF) and iHeart; (b) is the total amount of funding that was used from the RAF budget for the iHeart Festival event, if any, if none (c) other resources were made available, and (d) at what cost; what benefit/s, including complimentary tickets, did the RAF receive in exchange; (b) how was this applied; whether he attended the said event or received complimentary tickets, If so, how many? NW111E
Reply:
a) There is no long term contractual relationship between RAF and Heart FM, the project was a once of agreement. It arises out of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) Strategic intervention of promoting road safety. The RAF has developed a strategy to identify and explore environments where road users are present. Music festivals have been identified as one of such environments.
A pilot project was implemented with Heart FM to implement this mandate, as a partner to educate the road users (Heart FM listeners) and festival attendees on the importance of road safety. As road users are engaged on these platforms, although they attend such events to have fun, they must be mindful not to drink and drive. They are strongly encouraged to stay safe on the road.
b) The total budget was R1 091 779.80.
c) On the day of the music festival, the RAF had activations, where RAF were educating the target audience on road safety. Twenty-four complimentary tickets were given to the Marketing team to carry out their work on the day of the event. No one else received tickets. On the day of the event, RAF were able to interact with 2,500 people. The RAF had access to 700, 000 listeners from Heart FM for a period of two weeks daily. The organisation also gained digital exposure through social media platforms as well as Heart FM’s as RAF co-branded during that period.
d) None
26 March 2024 - NW147
Cuthbert, Mr MJ to ask the Minister of Transport
With regard to the Daveyton Train Station that is not operational, what steps had been taken to (a) make the routes profitable before the station was decommissioned and (b) ensure that the train services of the specified station were timely and professionally managed?
Reply:
(a) Daveyton station and the other stations on the same line before decommissioning due to theft and vandalism. The station was rated as Super Core because it generated over R1 million in revenue and had high patronage and a high frequency of trains that operated in the corridor to serve the high demand.
As a high-performing corridor, all stations were well-resourced and allocated with customer and protection service staff to effectively manage access to stations and trains by manning all entry points to allow only paying customers entry through the successful implementation of various revenue enhancement programmes like “iThikithi eSandleni” and “Home and Away” initiatives to ensure that all commuters paid for their train fares and verified before entering and exiting the stations. Daveyton station used to have infrastructural building facilities that complied with the universal access and the lifts that provided access to the platforms.
(b) The train service in Daveyton – Johannesburg last ran on 18 January 2020. The Springs to Johannesburg terminated on 05 February 2020, just before the introduction of the March 2020 lockdown. Below is the table that indicates the number of passenger trips for both the year 2018 and 2019 respectively:-
LINE |
ACTUAL PASSENGER TRIPS |
TERMINATION DATE |
|
2018 |
2019 |
||
Daveyton - Johannesburg |
14 956 |
9 989 |
18 JAN 2020 |
Daveyton station was run by trained personnel from Customer Services. There were staff members responsible for station maintenance/cleanliness, ticket sales, customer care, etc. For the safety of commuters, PRASA had internal Protection Services members and contracted security officials responsible for the safety of personnel, commuters, the company’s assets and trains. For commuters to plan their trip, the station had noticeboards displaying train schedules.
Trains ran on schedule, and Train Control Officers monitored movement at the Gauteng Nerve Centre (GNC). Trains arrived and departed from designated platforms, numbered for easy identification. Train announcements were made over public address system, indicating train arrivals, departures, delays, and other important train service information. The station had safety measures implemented, where warning signs and safety announcements were made to ensure customers’ safety.
Customers purchased train tickets at the ticket office before boarding the train, including weekly and monthly tickets. The station had functional amenities such as restrooms, platform shelters, and benches for journey experience and comfort.
26 March 2024 - NW108
Cuthbert, Mr MJ to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)(a) For how long has the Daveyton Train Station been inactive and (b) what are the reasons that the station is inactive; (2) whether any resources have been allocated to ensure that the station is not subjected to further vandalism; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) (a) what destinations could commuters travel to by train from Daveyton Train Station before it was de-activated and (b) what did it cost commuters to travel to the specified destinations; (4) whether the specified routes were profitable; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1) (a) Daveyton Train Station has been non-operational since Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 to date.
(b) The station is still currently non-operational due to the severity of the theft and vandalism that occurred during Covid-19, with the station building’s rails, steel steps, doors, roof sheets, station gates, as well as overhead wires, signalling equipment, and all other equipment for basic functionality completely vandalised. However, the Rebuild and Recovery Programme for the Daveyton line is in progress, with the station scheduled to be open in the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year.
(2) There are two (2) security guards deployed for each shift at the Daveyton Station for 24 hours and two (2) security guards deployed to guard the Relay Room, which is situated within the vicinity of the Station.
(3) (a) Commuters could travel from Daveyton to Johannesburg Park Station via Germiston Junction and nineteen (19) stations in between. The line offered critical junctions like Dunswart, where commuters could connect from the far east of the Springs and Germiston Junction / Station.
(b) The ticket prices were zonal with a minimum cost of R7-50 to a maximum of R12-50 for a single trip. Monthly tickets were selling at a minimum of R142-00 to a maximum of R252-00. However, it should be noted that Prasa has not yet provided for weekly and monthly ticket sales.
(4) Daveyton is one of the seven (7) ‘Supercore’ stations out of fifty-two (52) stations in the Eastern Corridor. The routes, as mentioned in 3(a) was profitable, generating a revenue of around R24 million per year, with around 1,2 million tickets sold/issued.
26 March 2024 - NW592
Bond, Mr M to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
With reference to her reply to question 81 on 3 April 2023, what are the details of the (a) make, (b) model, (c) year of manufacture, (d) date of purchase and (e) purchase price paid for each vehicle purchased by her department for (i) her and (ii) each Deputy Minister since 8 May 2019?
Reply:
Designation |
(a) Make |
(b) Model |
(c) Year of manufacture |
(d) Purchase date |
(e) Purchase Price |
(i) Former Minister Dlamini -Zuma |
Volvo |
XC60 |
2020 |
24 March 2020 |
R 806 699.96 |
(ii) Deputy Minister Tau Cape Town office |
Toyota |
Fortuner 2.8 GD6 |
2023 |
30 May 2023 |
R 692 347.15 |
(i) Minister Nkadimeng Cape Town office |
BMW |
X3 20D |
2023 |
28 June 2023 |
R 786 295.01 |
(i) Minister Nkadimeng Pretoria office |
BMW |
X3 20D |
2023 |
28 June 2023 |
R 786 295.01 |
(ii) Deputy Minister Tau Pretoria office |
BMW |
X3 20D |
2023 |
28 June 2023 |
R 786 295.01 |
(iii) Deputy Minister Burns-Ncamashe Pretoria Office |
BMW |
X3 20D |
2023 |
29 March 2023 |
R 788,795.00 |
End.
26 March 2024 - NW10
Sithole, Mr KP to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)With reference to her reply to question 3824 on 8 January 2024, regarding the international trip to Prague and which highlights the topics that were presented by officials from the SA National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) at the Permanent International Association of Road Congresses, how will the insights gained from such presentations be integrated into SANRAL’s projects and initiatives in the Republic; (2) considering the total cost of R2,52 million for sending the 29 SANRAL officials to Prague, what assurances can she provide that the (a) specified expenditure aligns with SANRAL’s strategic priorities and (b) benefits from the participation justifies the financial expenditure?
Reply:
(1) The Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC) is a non-profit organisation established in 1909. PIARC’s broad aim is to promote international cooperation and the exchange of knowledge on issues relating to roads, road infrastructure and road transport. With more than 125 member countries, PIARC brings together governments from all over the globe. Its members represent all levels of economic development and every region in the world. In addition to national governments, PIARC includes regional authorities, collective members, and individual members.
The South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) represents South Africa and has been an active member and participant in PIARC since 1998. The works of PIARC are primarily done through Technical Committees on four-year cycles. The Technical Committees have representation from various countries from a wide cross section and spectrum around the world, including developed and developing nations. South Africa is an example of a member country with an economy in transition.
It is important for both developed and developing nations including those such as South Africa, that have a world class national road network, to have a voice on these PIARC Technical Committees, to represent the SADC region and the African continent, to ensure that the standards/specification and products produced are aligned to varying needs. The works of the Technical Committees generally culminate in best internal practices and experiences, which take the form of Literature Review Reports, Reports on the Collections of Case Studies for specific topics of interests and relevance, briefing notes, Technical Reports and Technical documents, as well as other technical documents on Technical events, all of which are road or road transport related. There are also various International Seminars held in various parts of the world on road and road transport topics depending on the needs of such countries or regions. These are coordinated by PIARC in conjunction with localised road authorities.
During the past four-year work cycle (2020-2023), SANRAL together with PIARC co-hosted Technical Committee meetings for two Technical Committees namely, TC 2.2 Accessibility and Mobility in Rural Areas and TC 3.1 Road Safety, as well as an International Seminar with SARF and the international Road Federation, in Oct 2022, as part of the knowledge exchange initiatives promoted by PIARC and its members. SANRAL showcased our commitment to Transformation, Skills Development, Engineering Excellence and Flagship projects.
2(a) SANRAL participation in PIARC is directly aligned to SANRAL’s strategic priorities as outlined in the SANRAL ACT 7 of 1998, section 26 which states:
(r) to liaise with bodies of professional persons performing work with regard to national roads in the Republic or similar roads elsewhere;
(s) to liaise and exchange information, knowledge and expertise with the official bodies or authorities entrusted with control over roads of a national or international character in other countries, and to participate in the conferences, seminars and workshops of those bodies or authorities and in the activities of any multinational or international association of those bodies or authorities;
2(b) The contribution of the SANRAL representatives/members on the various PIARC structures have been significant over the last four year cycle, as evident in the body of work and reports, and seminar proceedings, which are available and published on the PIARC official website (www.pairc.org).
It is clearly evident that South African PIARC Technical Committees members selected to the attend the final meetings and Congress, in addition to presentations made at the said World Road Congress (WRC) in Prague, have also made significant contributions to this international body of work. Their participation in the WRC is therefore a logical conclusion to share and receive feedback on the body of knowledge produced during the four-year cycle.
To further illustrate this point, South Africa had active representation on a number PIARC Technical Committees during the 2020-2023 cycle. The following reports have South African PIARC Technical Committee Members as part of the Author groups and/or acknowledged for their contributions. These include and are not limited to the following technical reports and products under the 4 primary Strategic Themes, namely:
Strategic Theme 1: Road Administrations
Technical Committee on Performance of Transport Administration produced:
- It´s All About People – Defining and Promoting Diversity and New Talent Management - Technical Report. ISBN: 978-2-84060-773-1
- Customer Experience and Public Value Creation – Technical Report. ISBN: 978-2-84060-748-9
- Diversity and Talent Management in Transport Administrations – The Road to Success. - Literature Review Report. ISBN: 978-2-84060-670-3
Technical Committee on Finance and Procurement produced:
- Best Practices in Funding and Financing of Road Infrastructure - Collection of Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-688-8
Technical Committee on Disaster Management produced:
- Climate Change, Resilience and Disaster Management for Roads - Seminar ISBN: 978-2-84060-777-9
- A Study on Financial Management of Disasters in the International Arena - Briefing Note ISBN: 978-2-84060-694-9
Strategic Theme 2: Mobility
Technical Committee on Mobility in Urban Areas produced:
- Case Studies on Travel Behaviour Data Collection in Metropolitan Regions - Briefing Note ISBN: 978-2-84060-798-4
Technical Committee Accessibility and Mobility in Rural Areas produced:
- Rural Roads: Pillars of Rural Development - Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-812-7
Technical Committee on Road Freight produced:
- Control and Enforcement Measures to Reduce Truck Overloading and Associated Infrastructure Damage on Road Networks - Collection of Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-689-5
Technical Committee on Road Network Operation/ITS produced:
- Utilizing Data to Optimize Road Network Operations - Collection of Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-684-0
Strategic Theme 3: Safety and Sustainability
Technical Committee on Road Safety produced:
- Specific Road Safety Issues for LMICs: Illustrative Examples - Collection of Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-775-5
Strategic Theme 4: Resilient Infrastructure
Technical Committee on Road Pavements (Structural Design) produced:
- Innovative Pavement Maintenance and Repair Strategies - Collection of Case Studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-721-2
- Use of Recycled Materials in Pavements - Case studies ISBN: 978-2-84060-678-9
Technical Committee on Bridges produced:
- Road Bridges - New Rehabilitation Materials and Technologies - Technical Report ISBN: 978-2-84060-709-0
Technical Committee on Tunnels produced:
- Good Practices in Maintenance and Traffic Operation of Heavily Trafficked Urban Road Tunnels - Technical Report ISBN: 978-2-84060-734-2
- Improving Road Tunnel Resilience, Considering Safety and Availability - Literature Review ISBN: 978-2-84060-631-4
Technical Committee Road Design Standards produced:
- State of the Art in Road Design Standards - Literature Review ISBN: 978-2-84060-708-3
The congress, organised by PIARC and the Czech Road Society, brought together more than 6,000 participants from 120 countries, including 1,700 Czech and Slovak students, 4,000 delegates and 40 ministers and deputy ministers from around the world, who shared their views, policies and practices over five days. The Congress hosted 65 sessions, 16 workshops and 15 technical visits.
The insights gained from the above reports, presentations and discussions are then incorporated, where applicable, into the South African Committee of Transport Officials National Guidelines Series for South Africa, which consist of over 30 publications that are used to guide officials and industry consultants on the applicable best practices to be applied in South Africa.
26 March 2024 - NW107
Hunsinger, Dr CH to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)What commitments has the Road Accident Fund (RAF) made in terms of the agreement of involvement with iHeart; (2) what (a) projects of the specified entity has the RAF sponsored or assisted with donations other than road crash claims in the past five financial years and (b) total amount that was spent from the budget of the RAF for the specified projects?
Reply:
1. RAF has made no commitment with iHeart. The event was part of a pilot project to promote road safety.
2. RAF has not sponsored or made any donation to iHeart.
26 March 2024 - NW148
Cuthbert, Mr MJ to ask the Minister of Transport
(1) What is the average cost for commuters to travel without the train services to the points where commuters would travel by train from the Daveyton Train Station before it was decommissioned. (2) Whether she has found that rail transport is a cost-effective form of transportation; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details.
Reply:
(1) In Daveyton, where trains are currently not operational, commuters use taxis as the main mode of transport for both long and short distances. Daily commuters were paying R7,50 for a single trip on the train and in the taxi; the fare is R23 for a one-way/single trip. The average cost of taxi transport per month is nearly R1300.00 compared to rail transport, which costs an average of R 416.00 monthly.
The table below is a cost comparison for road vs rail transport:
Transport destinations |
2020-2021 |
Train fare |
2022-2024 |
Train fare |
Taxi |
Taxi |
|||
Daveyton- Dunswart |
R20.00 |
R7.50 |
R23.00 |
No service |
Daveyton - Germiston |
R23.00 |
R8.50 |
R25.00 |
No service |
Daveyton - Johannesburg |
R27.00 |
R11.50 |
R35.00 |
No service |
Daveyton- Pretoria |
R50.00 |
R12.50 |
R70.00 |
No service |
(2) Rail commuter transport is a cost-effective means of transportation. It is affordable, Government subsidized, and accessible. It has the ability to move a large number of commuters at once, which makes it an efficient mass mover. This accessibility provides commuters with access to economic opportunities at an affordable rate
25 March 2024 - NW507
Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
(1) What has been her Office’s findings on the evaluation of the economic growth performance in the past decade in relation to the goals of the National Development Plan (NDP) which were intended to be financed by an economic growth rate of 5,4% from 2012 to 2030; (2) how does she intend to deal with the underperformance in economic growth envisaged by the NDP?
Reply:
Find reply here
25 March 2024 - NW385
Mthethwa, Mr E to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
(1)With reference to his reply to question 4137 on 5 January 2024, wherein he requested the details of the case that has been postponed more than 75 times, which has been confirmed as Case: T1619/2021 D928865, what reasons led to the specified case to be postponed for multiple times; (2) what is the total cost of the specified postponements to date; (3) what steps has his department taken (a) to mitigate against these undetectable contributors to the wasteful expenditure by the courts and (b) against officials who allegedly simply report to work to postpone cases for errors committed by the State?
Reply:
1 The reasons for postponements are the following:
- The case referred to above is the State v Johannes Mmola and four others as evidenced in Rabie Ridge CAS 106/05/2021 where the accused are charged with murder and malicious damage to property. According to courts records, the case was postponed 59 times not 75 times. Please see the attached annexure A.
- The record of the court proceedings was painstakingly scrutinized by the Chief Prosecutor, East Rand and the majority of the postponements were as a result of absent legal representatives or the changing of legal representatives
- After various remands for address verification and the sorting out of legal representation for the accused, the bail application commenced on 06 July 2021. Various other remands occurred during the course of attending to the bail application.
- On 08 September 2021 the bail application proceeded where the investigating officer gave evidence in opposition to bail being granted. Bail was denied on 22 September 2021 for the first four applicants and the matter was postponed for further investigations. The matter was eventually remanded to 11 October 2021 for the post-mortem report and photo album.
- On 08 November 2021, Adv Mudau came on record, handing in a legal brief from Mgiba Noxolo Incorporated. Only accused 5 was at court and the matter was remanded to 12 November 2021 for the other accused’s presence and for Adv Mudau to hand documents to the prosecutor with the intention to apply for bail on new facts.
- Following various postponements, the application for bail on new facts for accused 4 was refused on 10 February 2022. Adv Mudau appeared for accused 2-5. The court allowed for a final remand for further investigations to 28 April 2022.
- On 28 April 2022, Adv Mudau indicated his intent to bring an application on new facts for accused 5 who was absent as he was hospitalised. The court was then informed on 05 May 2022 that accused 5 had passed away and the case was postponed to 23 June 2022 for the death certificate and instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). On 23 June 2022, the case was transferred to the Tembisa Regional Court for 27 June 2022 under case number TRC228/2022.
- On 14 July 2022, Adv Mudau informed the court that he had not received financial instructions and the family of the accused requested a postponement until 29 July 2022 to raise the funds.
- Adv Mudau was absent on three subsequent court appearances whereupon the accused decided on 12 August 2022 to apply for legal aid on 12 August 2022.
- Various postponements occurred in relation to the sorting out of legal representation. On 21 November 2022 it was confirmed that Ms Ledwaba will represent accused 3 and Judicare will be appointed to represent accused 1 and 4. Case was postponed to 08 December 2022 for this purpose. On 14 December 2022 and 16 January 2023, the matter was again postponed for the appointment of Judicare attorneys.
- The court was eventually able to postpone the case till 07 March 2023 for disclosure purposes. On 07 March 2023, the matter was set down for trial at the Tembisa Regional Court for 25 May 2023.
- On this day, the legal representative for accused 2 was not available as he was attending an urgent bail application in the High Court.
- The matter was subsequently postponed to 11 September 2023 for trial. All within the control of the prosecution will be done to ensure that the matter proceed on 11 September 2023.
- On 11 September 2023, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
- On the same day, the first state witness, who suffers from a kidney disease, collapsed whilst in court and was rushed to hospital. The matter was rolled over to 12 September 2023 to potentially proceed with the matter, should this witness be available.
- On 12 September 2023, the witness was still indisposed. The matter was postponed to 27 October 2023. On this date, the evidence in chief of the first state witness was concluded and the legal representative of Accused 1 started with cross-examination which was not finalised on 27 October 2023.
- The matter was postponed to 16 January 2024 for continuation of the cross-examination of the first state witness.
- On 16 January 2023, the third legal representative commenced with cross-examination of the first state witness. At this time, the witness requested a postponement due to ill health and having to be hospitalised.
- The case was postponed to 08 July 2024 for the continuation of the cross-examination of the first witness.
2. The costs of individual criminal cases are not quantified. The cost of each case is part of the operational costs to run the Courts on a daily basis. The National Prosecuting Authority takes the management of court time seriously, and where prosecutors are guilty of misconduct in causing a case to be postponed unnecessarily, disciplinary/ remedial actions are taken. The only costs that the department incurred is R560.00 that relates to travelling expenses of the witness.
3. (a) Reply to question 1 provide various reasons for postponements. The question raised relating to consequence management does not have regard to the multifarious reasons for postponements which would have been granted by the Presiding Officers. The majority of postponements were not fruitless and wasteful expenditure and thus consequence management is not appropriate for any Legal Aid SA Official save for the double briefing by our Judicare Practitioner, Adv Mhlari, on 23 May 2023, which will be raised with the practitioner for consequence management in accordance with the Legal Aid SA ‘s Judicare accreditation terms and conditions.Save for the few occasions when the State applied for postponements for justified further investigation, the State has always been available and prepared to proceed, but due to external contributing factors, as set out above, the matter was postponed.
(b) From the record of proceedings and information supplied by the prosecutor, there is no indication of any undue delays occasioned by the State.
END
25 March 2024 - NW270
Msimang, Prof CT to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
(1)In light of the recent mass resignations and suspensions following the report of the Department of Correctional Services on the investigation into the escape of Mr Thabo Bester from the Mangaung Correctional Centre (MCC) in May 2022, (a) what impact will this have on the ability of the Mangaung Correctional Centre (MCC) facility to operate as a centre for correctional services and (b) do the specified resignations involve critical staff who may now leave the institution open to security threats; (2) whether there is a plan to recruit replacement staff within a period of 60 days to fill all vacancies; if not, why not; if so what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1)(a) The resignations have not impacted operations as the Contractor has built-in a capacity to train more that required security staff for any disturbance that may arise at the Centre.
(1)(b) The affected staff was from security the Contractor has accordingly trained enough staff for security functions and it is therefore easy to replace the resigned and dismissed staff.
(2) The current available plan is designed to replace the resigned and dismissed staff within a period of a month (30 days). There are people who underwent security training and were vetted by the authorised institution as well as DCS Training Standards. The trained officials await vacancies that may arise from the Centre as and when they arise, details of these individuals are provided to DCS for certification, it is only after certification has been granted by DCS that the Contractor appoints the individuals.
END
25 March 2024 - NW547
Masipa, Mr NP to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
What are the relevant details regarding the production of vaccines as it relates to freeze drying at the Onderstepoort Biological Products since the new board took over?
Reply:
The freeze dryer was not operational over the December period due to technical issues which required the services of a specialist service provider. Finding the specialist took some time with an appointment only made in January 2024. The freeze dryer has been operational since the third week of February 2024.
Six batches of vaccines have been freeze-dried to date. Production is continuing over seven days (every day of the week) to cover the production backlog.
25 March 2024 - NW398
Makesini, Ms M to ask the Minister of Human Settlements
How many houses has her department built since 1 January 2019?
Reply:
The Department of Human Settlements manage to build two hundred and forty-five, five hundred and eighty-seven (245 587) houses since 1 January 2019 to date (which is only for quarter one to quarter three of the current financial year. These houses were built throughout the nine provinces as per the breakdown on the below table.
Province |
18/19 (Q4) |
19/20 |
20/21 |
21/22 |
22/23 |
23/24 (Q1-Q3) |
Total |
EC |
1 126 |
8 757 |
5 427 |
6 833 |
5 550 |
3 455 |
31 148 |
FS |
761 |
2 290 |
1 890 |
1 647 |
311 |
188 |
7 087 |
GP |
2 593 |
12 153 |
9 495 |
7 354 |
6 982 |
4 803 |
43 380 |
KZN |
4 743 |
15 737 |
10 315 |
12 033 |
9 325 |
7 593 |
59 746 |
LP |
3 954 |
8 135 |
4 518 |
4 269 |
4 808 |
6 200 |
31 884 |
MP |
250 |
6 710 |
4 522 |
2 955 |
1 900 |
1 300 |
17 637 |
NC |
96 |
620 |
221 |
591 |
173 |
84 |
1 785 |
NW |
1 653 |
6 739 |
2 847 |
2 734 |
3 918 |
2 768 |
20 659 |
WC |
3 007 |
8 184 |
6 354 |
6 200 |
5 665 |
2 851 |
32 261 |
Total |
18 183 |
69 325 |
45 589 |
44 616 |
38 632 |
29 424 |
245 587 |
25 March 2024 - NW690
Van Zyl, Ms A M to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1) What is the total number of teaching assistants who are (a) currently employed and (b) permanently employed in each province; (2) what (a) is the vacancy rate of teaching assistants in each of the provinces and (b) total number of teaching assistants who were employed as part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus are still employed by her department?
Reply:
The Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, implemented as the Basic Education Employment Initiative across all provinces has had four (4) successful Phases, of which Phase IV concluded in September 2023. As there is no phase currently active, there are no teaching assistants employed in the Basic Education Sector.
25 March 2024 - NW586
Steenhuisen, Mr JH to ask the President of the Republic
Whether he authorised an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit into the allegations of degree fraud against a certain person (Minister Noxolo Kiviet); if not, why not; if so, (2) whether the investigation into the specified allegation has been completed; if not, why not; if so, (3) whether the allegations were substantiated; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NW690E
Reply:
In terms of Proclamation R84 of 2022, gazetted on 5 August 2022, I authorised an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into certain allegations with respect to the affairs of the University of Fort Hare. The matters for investigation included allegations with respect to the awarding of honours degrees.
I am informed by the SIU that the investigation is ongoing.
The SIU proclamations issued by the President are not meant for specific individuals but are rather related to alleged maladministration and/or malpractices in connection with the affairs of a State institution.
25 March 2024 - NW505
Mkhaliphi, Ms HO to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Whether she has engaged with King Misuzulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini and the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform (a) to find solutions to the problems besetting the Ingonyama Trust and (b) about the desirability of King Zwelithini taking the chairpersonship of the Trust?
Reply:
No, the Minister has not engaged with King Misizulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini and the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform because –
a) the administration of the Ingonyama Trust Act rests with the Minister for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, who is in terms of the provisions of the Act, the competent Executive Authority regarding the affairs of the Ingonyama Trust.
b) The Minister is also not a competent authority in relation to the issue of the desirability of the King taking the Chairpersonship of the Trust. The composition of the Board falls within the purview of the Minister for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.
End.
25 March 2024 - NW328
Basson, Mr LJ to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
What are the full details of all (a) sponsorships, (b) donations and (c) financial transfers provided for lawfare and/or any other purposes to (i) her, (ii) her department and (iii) officials of her department by any (aa) Qatari, (bb) Iranian and/or (cc) Russian organ of state, organisation and/or resident since 1 January 2021 up to the latest date in 2024 for which information is available?
Reply:
(a),(b),(c) None.
(i)(aa),(bb),(cc) (ii)(aa),(bb),(cc) (iii)(aa),(bb),(cc) Falls away.
25 March 2024 - NW466
Schreiber, Dr LA to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
Whether her department has a policy on providing anonymised data from the Personal and Salary System and Multi-Agent System to academics, researchers and/or others in the public domain to enable external analysis, research and advice; if not, why does her department refuse to make the specified data publicly available in so far as it complies with the relevant provisions of the Protection of Personal Information Act, Act 4 of 2013; if so, what is the process for researchers, academics and members of the public to obtain access to the data?
Reply:
The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has approved a Manual in terms of section 14 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (Act No.2 of 2000) (PAIA) which, amongst others, deals with and promotes the right to access records held by the DPSA, as a public body and sets out the procedures to be followed by members of the public to access records held by the DPSA.
Furthermore, the DPSA has published, on its website, a Notice in terms of section 15 of PAIA identifying categories of records of the department which are automatically available without a person having to request access in terms of the procedures contained in the Manual.
The Manual and section 15 Notice are available on the DPSA website at the following link: https://www.dpsa.gov.za/paia/
In so far as human resource data and any other information to enable external analysis, research and advice is concerned, such requests are considered and released subject to the provisions of the PAIA and the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (Act No. 4 of 2013) with due regard to the lawful requirements for the further processing of personal information.
End
25 March 2024 - NW502
Manyi, Mr M to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
(1) Whether she made any specific recommendations and/or interventions to mitigate the poor performance and budget deficit; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) what steps will she take during the period 1 April to 29 May 2024 to devise a framework within which such critical issues are dealt with proactively by the new administration?
25 March 2024 - NW433
Breedt, Ms T to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
With reference to the recent docking of the ship Al Kuwait carrying 19 000 live cattle in Cape Town and the attending reports of cruelty to animals on the specified ship, what measures and regulations will she and her department put in place to manage the welfare of future exports of live animals on ships from the Republic, in order to safeguard the welfare of the animals and prevent the abuse of the animals transported; (2) whether the existing non-mandatory Guidelines for the Exportation of Live Animals by Sea version 1 will be converted into enforceable regulations; if not, why not; if so, (a) by what date will this be implemented and (b) what are the relevant details thereof, including the (i) requirements for pre-boarding veterinary care and inspection, (ii) independent monitors on board for the duration of the voyage, (iii) on-board automated monitoring of ambient conditions and (iv) transparent reporting on the ambient conditions and welfare of animals during the voyage and upon arrival at their destination; (3) whether there will be any prohibition of live export by sea during certain times, such as exclusion during the Northern Hemisphere summer, as prohibited in the existing regulations and in Australia's regulations, but not adhered to in terms of the shipment that took place in July 2023; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (4) whether she will make a statement on the matter?
Reply:
(1) The AI Kuwait that docked in Cape Town was ferrying 17500 heads of cattle from Rio Grande, Brazil to Iraq. A South African Company, acting on behalf of their customer, approached the Department with a request to allow the vessel that was transporting 17500 heads of cattle to dock in Cape Town to load 2000 tons of animal feed. Detailed specifications of the vessel were provided, ensuring stringent measures to prevent contamination. Loading procedures for the feed were outlined, involving the use of conveyor belts. No livestock from South Africa was carried on this vessel.
Relating to the cases of exports from South Africa, the current laws, standards, and international norms and standards that are used for the exports of live animals from the Republic, already serve to provide assurances for animal welfare. The department is, however, working on beefing up the regulatory framework by introducing regulations for the export of animals by sea.
(2) Yes.
(a),(b) The first draft will be finalised by the end of April 2024. This will be followed by the formal legislation development processes including a socio-economic impact assessment, public consultation, and review of the comments from the public. Once the process has been completed, the document will be presented to the Minister for consideration and promulgation. It is envisaged that the second part of the process will be completed in the second quarter of the next financial year.
(i),(ii),(ii),(iv) The regulations will include the appropriate measures.
(3) Any possible prohibitions will be considered during the drafting of the regulations.
4. No.
25 March 2024 - NW526
Komane, Ms RN to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(a) What forms of support are offered to departments on the National Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Sector, (b) is that support making an impact in the implementation of the specified framework and (c) were all heads of department and senior management services across the Public Service trained and/or workshopped on the framework before implementation?
Reply:
The Directive on Human Resources Management and Development for Public Service Professionalisation, Volume 1, ratified by the Minister for Public Service and Administration on 16 February 2024, specifies various support mechanisms to aid departments in implementing the National Framework for Public Sector Professionalisation. These mechanisms encompass, among numerous others, the following:
(a) Forms of Support Offered to Departments
In the context of forms of support offered to departments, the Directive specifies support in recruitment and selection, detailing requirements for the Senior Management Service (SMS), including the Nyukela Certificate, experience waiver for entry-level roles, and graduate recruitment programs. It obligates departments to train individuals appointed without experience, incorporating training, coaching, and mentorship for employee development. The Directive mandates that new employees undergo induction within six months of joining while existing staff must participate in re-orientation programs every five years. The Directive merges performance management with professional development, advocating for reporting tools to enhance impactful performance outcomes and link them to organisational goals. Furthermore, the Directive prescribes the maintenance of a qualifications database to align skills development with Human Resources plans and address the sector's skill shortages.
(b) Impact of Support on the Implementation of the Framework
Under the "impact of support on the implementation of the framework," it is imperative to note the Directive emphasises strict compliance and outlines legal consequences for non-compliance, aiming to enhance public sector proficiency and ethics through rigorous recruitment, comprehensive training, and ongoing professional development. This strategic approach is expected to have a positive ripple effect on the successful enactment of the Framework. With the official full-scale implementation date slated for 1 April 2024, and despite being nascent, proactive measures and preliminary applications of the Directive have already been set in motion. The implementation phase is reinforced by a meticulously designed monitoring framework, which employs systematic observation, in-depth analytical review, and the strategic leveraging of insights to strengthen accountability and transparency across the board. This methodology is finely tuned to align with the Directive's overarching goals, aiming to catalyse a transformative journey towards heightened excellence and professionalism within public service entities.
(c) Training and Workshopping of Heads of Department and Senior Management
Within the context of training and workshopping for heads of department and senior management, the Directive was extensively discussed at forums such as FOSAD, GSCID, and various inter-government committees, ensuring its comprehensive circulation for broad-based consultation and understanding. It was thoroughly workshopped with corporate leaders, encompassing senior managers and relevant officials, during the department’s routine monthly meetings with Heads of Corporate Services across the public service. Despite the Directive's formal effectuation date being 1 April 2024, proactive steps have been undertaken by the MPSA to roll out outreach and educational initiatives aimed at the actual implementers within the public service, as evidenced by the programmes already undertaken in the Mpumalanga province. These outreach and educational sessions to all provinces have been planned for the first quarter of the 2024/2025 reporting period, signifying ongoing efforts in this crucial implementation area.
End
25 March 2024 - NW595
De Villiers, Mr JN to ask the Minister of Finance
With reference to his reply to question 84 on 9 March 2023, what are the details of the (a) make, (b) model, (c) year of manufacture, (d) date of purchase and (e) purchase price paid for each vehicle purchased by the National Treasury for (i) him and (ii) the Deputy Minister since 8 May 2019?
Reply:
(a) Make |
(b) Model |
(c) Year of manufacture |
(d) Date of purchase |
(e) Purchase price paid since 8 May 2019 |
|
(i) Minister |
BMW |
X3 XDRIVE 20D |
2022 |
4 March 2024 |
R786 710 |
(ii) Deputy Minister |
Audi |
Q5 4.0 TDI |
2023 |
13 October 2023 |
R795 000 |
25 March 2024 - NW535
Manyi, Mr M to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
(a) How did her Office address systemic issues in underperforming government departments in the past five years to ensure sustainable improvements rather than short-term fixes and (b) what are the relevant details in this regard?
Reply:
Find reply here
25 March 2024 - NW548
Schreiber, Dr LA to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)What steps has her department taken to prepare the public administration for a smooth transfer of political power to new (a) national and (b) provincial coalition governments after the national elections on 29 May 2024, given that opinion polls unanimously project that no single political party will secure a majority in the 2024 elections; (2) whether her department is prepared to assist by facilitating meetings between opposition leaders and senior managers in the Public Service to prepare for a smooth transfer of political power to a new coalition government as it is the established practice in democracies around the world; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1 (a-b) and (b)
Section 197 (1) of the Constitution states that “within public administration there is a public service for the Republic, which must function, and be structured, in terms of national legislation, and which must loyally execute the lawful policies of the government of the day”. The Code of Conduct for Public Servants also state under Section 12(f) of the Public Service Regulations, 2016 that public servants “Shall not abuse his or her position in the public service to promote or prejudice the interest of any political party or interest group”. Section 13(k) states that public servants shall “refrain from party political activities in the workplace”.
The question by the Honourable Member is therefore unfortunate, as it has undertones of dragging public servants into party political work. This is wholly unethical and against the Constitution. The Public Service and Administration cannot and must not work on the basis of opinion polls, which we are not aware of their methodologies, limitations and biases. The professionalisation of the Public Service requires that public administration be protected from political interference and abuse. To this end, the Department has proposed through the amendments to the Public Service Act, a clear delineation of duties and responsibilities to improve accountability between the political and administrative sphere.
End
25 March 2024 - NW555
Van Zyl, Ms A M to ask the Minister of Basic Education
What is the (a) total number of (i) children who make use of hostel facilities and (ii) existing hostels, (b) child to hostel ratio, (c) housemother to hostel ratio and (d) envisaged to existing and current housemother’s ratio at each special needs school that provides accommodation on site in each (aa) province and (bb) municipal area?
Reply:
(a) (i) Please see attached
(b) (c) (d) The requested information resides with the provinces. The Honourable member is kindly requested to direct the question to the Members of the Executive Council (MECs).
25 March 2024 - NW577
Smalle, Mr JF to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
(1)With reference to the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, Act 56 of 2003, Material Irregularity 2021-22, in terms of which 13 material irregularities were found by the Auditor-General South Africa against municipalities investing R1,6 billion into VBS, while R109,43 million was recovered through the liquidators of VBS, what total amount has been recovered from officials and/or individuals highlighted in the reports of the various investigations; (2) whether each of the municipal managers responsible for depositing grant funding into VBS was sanctioned; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case; (3) (a) what are the relevant details of how the R109,43 million was redistributed and (b) which grants and projects were affected in each case?
Reply:
It is our understanding that the transgressions (non-compliance with the Municipal Investment Regulations) in relation to the VBS investigations is currently before the courts. We are therefore unable to provide any comment in this regard at this point in time.
End.
25 March 2024 - NW254
Herron, Mr BN to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
Whether, given that Adv Shamila Batohi, the National Director of Public Prosecutions, made a presentation to Parliament on 1 June 2022, explaining that progress on the National Prosecuting Authority’s Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Commission investigations are monitored and divided into three categories (details furnished), he will furnish Mr B N Herron with an overview of the progress of the specified cases, in relation to the total number of cases carried by each of the TRC's 10 divisions (details furnished); if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
Reply:
1. For ease of reference firstly find an updated summary of the total number of matters under investigation as at January 2024.
DIVISION |
TOTAL MATTERS UNDER INVESTIGATION |
DPP: WC |
11 |
DPP: FS |
3 |
DPP: MTHATHA |
10 |
DPP: EC |
12 |
DPP: NW |
11 |
DPP: KZN |
27 |
DPP: MPUMALANGA |
8 |
DPP: NC |
5 |
DPP: JHB |
23 |
DPP: PTA |
14 |
DPP: LMP |
13 |
UNKNOWN DPPS/JURISDICTION |
|
TOTAL |
137 |
(2) Herewith the total number of cases carried by each of the divisions at the following phases:
(a) Phase A (0-33%) – available evidence, locating or compiling of docket, inquest reports, witness statements, detainee statements, location of SAPS 14 or Mortuary reports etc.
(b) Phase B (34-65%)- Expert reports, engagements with experts to obtain reports or to perform reconstruction of scenes.
(c) Phase C (66-100%) – Stages nearing completion of investigations and /or decision making based on evidence and expert reports.
NO |
DIVISION |
A |
B |
C |
Total |
1 |
WC |
2 |
0 |
9 |
11 |
2 |
FS |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
MTHATHA |
1 |
0 |
9 |
10 |
4 |
MKHANDA |
6 |
0 |
6 |
12 |
5 |
NW |
6 |
0 |
5 |
11 |
6 |
KZN |
16 |
2 |
9 |
27 |
7 |
MP |
6 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
8 |
NC |
4 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
9 |
JHB |
21 |
0 |
2 |
23 |
10 |
PTA |
8 |
0 |
6 |
14 |
11 |
LMP |
12 |
0 |
1 |
13 |
137 |
25 March 2024 - NW587
Alexander, Ms W to ask the Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
With reference to her reply to question 99 on 16 August 2023, what are the details of the (a) make, (b) model, (c) year of manufacture, (d) date of purchase and (e) purchase price paid for each vehicle purchased by her Office for (i) her and (ii) the Deputy Minister since 8 May 2019? [NW692E]
Reply:
|
|
(c) Year of manufacture |
|
|
|
(i) Minister Ramokgopa-Pretoria |
Audi Q5 |
40TDI QUATTRO |
2023 |
27 June 2022 |
R790 000.00 |
(ii) Former Minister Mthembu |
Mercedes Benz |
C220D |
2019 |
11 Dec 2019 |
R696 410.99 |
(iii) (a)DM Kekana-Pretoria |
Audi Q5 |
40TDI QUATTRO |
2023 |
27 June 2022 |
R771 237.60 |
(iii) (b)DM Kekana-Cape Town |
Audi Q5 |
40TDI QUATTRO |
2023 |
27 June 2022 |
R738 244.28 |
(iv) (a) Former DM Siweya-Cape Town |
BMW 3 Series |
320D |
2019 |
26 Nov 2019 |
R515 500.00 |
(iv) (b) Former DM Siweya-Pretoria |
BMW X3 |
XDRIVE 20D |
2019 |
26 Nov 2019 |
R582 500.00 |
25 March 2024 - NW557
Van Zyl, Ms A M to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1) What is the breakdown of the total number of nurses placed on school premises in each special needs school (a) in each province and (b) municipal area; (2) whether the specified nurses in each respective school have (a)(i) a designated clinic space and (ii) all the basic medical equipment such as thermometers, blood pressure machines, oxygen machines, and blood sugar testing kits and (b) medicine available to administer to the children when and if the need arise; if not, what is available to them; (3) whether her department has a plan in place to address the needs in the special needs schools; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant (a) details and (b) time frames of the plan?
Reply:
(1) (2) and (3) The question falls under the Executive Authority of the Members of the Executive Council (MECs) of the 9 Provincial Education Departments (PEDs). The Honourable Member is kindly requested to refer the question to the MECs as per section 92(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rule 134 (5)(b) of the NA rules.
25 March 2024 - NW509
Msimango, Mr X N to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
What are the (a) reasons that there is so much dependency on external service providers by municipalities for the work that can be done internally and (b) required measures to build internal capacity to provide the core services required by the public?
Reply:
a) Reasons for dependency on external service providers by municipalities for the work that can be done internally have been investigated and documented in the State of Local Government Report (SOLG) as follows:
- Lack of adequate support from National and Provincial Government departments and other service delivery departments.
- High vacancies rates in key senior management positions within municipalities (especially distressed municipalities) has resulted in the increased reliance on external service providers in core services.
- The absence of CFOs in municipalities impact sound financial management and vacancies in the technical departments compromise service delivery.
- Revenue challenges in municipalities (especially dysfunctional municipalities) caused by negative economic position makes is difficult for them to attract and retain competent staff members.
b) Measures to build internal capacity to provide the core services required by the public:
a) The introduction of the Municipal Systems Act: Municipal Staff Regulations of 2021, in line with the Municipal Systems Act, 32 of 2000, laid a solid foundation for the achievement of the objective to strengthen the capacity of municipalities to perform their functions through recruitment and appointment of suitably qualified and competent persons, thereby professionalising local government and decreasing the use of external service providers for core functions.
b) Municipal Skill audits (Gapskill system):
Chapter 5 of the MSR obliges municipalities to conduct Skills development to:
- support the achievement of the municipality’s goals set out in the Integrated Development Plan by providing critical skills that ensure the delivery of quality services.
- promote the development and retention of competent municipal staff, including the development of technical, professional and specialist staff who have the required qualifications and skills.
- support the employment equity objectives of a municipality.
- be based on high quality provision and effective workplace learning and development practices, including coaching, mentoring, on-the-job learning and opportunities for the practical application of skills in the workplace.
Moreover, the department is finalizing the enhancement of the Gapskill system in order to assist municipalities to support staff members to:
- clarify the skills required for jobs, identifying relevant skills needs and develop opportunities to satisfy the skills needs.
- identify new skills and knowledge required by staff to support their career growth and progression.
- create learning opportunities which will allow their staff to develop the skills and expertise to enable them to compete effectively for placement in new or vacant posts; and
- ensure that skills development is a KPA in senior managers and supervisors performance agreements.
c) Professionalisation of the public services:
- The Department is participating in the implementation of the Professionalisation of public service through the setting of uniform standards for staff establishment, job competency framework, recruitment, selection and appointment, performance management, capacity building and skills development.
- To deal with the issue of bloated organograms, the Department developed prototypes staff establishments according to powers and functions of different categories of municipalities and is now in the process of piloting and validating the prototype staff establishments in all municipalities, over a period of 36 months. The implementation of the prototype staff establishments will result in the “fit for purpose” functional operating models of municipalities. Capacitated municipalities will no longer rely on service providers for core services.
- In 2016, the Department introduced competency assessment for senior managers in line with the Competency Framework as promulgated in 2014 with the Regulations on appointment and conditions of services for senior managers (Regulations). The Department has finalised the review of the current Local Government: Competency Framework and assessment batteries for different categories of municipal positions during the 2022/23 financial year and has embarked on the pilot and validation of competency assessment batteries during the 2023/24 financial year.
d) To strengthen the coordination of capacity building in local government, the in order to build internal capacity:
The NCBF of 2004 has been reviewed and resulted in the approval of the Integrated Local Government Capacity Building Strategy (ILGCBS&IP) in 2022. This aims to provide an overarching new framework strategy that incorporates all current existing capacity building strategies in local government. The ILGCBS&IP will decisively deal with the rise of well-intended, but uncoordinated short-term municipal capacity building interventions and ensure that all municipalities become adequately capacitated to take on their redistribution, transformation and developmental tasks in a viable, structured and affordable way, and within the shortest possible period of time (as directed in the Constitution).
Establishment of a Sector-wide National Capacity Building Coordinating Forum as a coordination mechanism - consists of key sector departments, provincial departments responsible for local government, state associated institutions (LGSETA, SALGA). It serves as single-window of capacity building coordination and a clearing house for any initiative that is earmarked for local government.
End
25 March 2024 - NW183
Engelbrecht, Mr J to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
(1)With regard to the 16 472 inmates who were released in terms of the special remission programme, what total number of the inmates completed (a) rehabilitation and (b) re-integration programmes; (2) What total number of the released inmates who have reoffended completed (a) rehabilitation and (b) re-integration programmes; (3) Whether he has found that the rehabilitation and re-integration programmes are effective and sufficient to prevent reoffending; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1)(a) The total number of inmates completed (a) rehabilitation programmes are 7912.
(1)(b) The total number of inmates completed (a) re-integration programmes are 11697.
(2)(a) Total number of the released inmates who have reoffended completed rehabilitation programmes are 382.
(2)(b) Total number of the released inmates who have reoffended completed re-integration programmes are 51.
(3) Yes, the rehabilitation and re-integration programmes are effective and sufficient to prevent re-offending. Out of the total number of 16 472 inmates who were released on the special remission programme only 433 has re-offended as on 29 February 2024.
END.
25 March 2024 - NW697
Alexander, Ms W to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
Whether she will furnish Mrs W R Alexander with a (a) list and (b) full description of all events planned by her Office to take place before 29 May 2024 in celebration of the 30 years of democracy in the Republic, including the (i) projected total cost or expenditure of each event and (ii) breakdown thereof in terms of expenditure for (aa) catering, (bb) entertainment, (cc) venue hire, (dd) transport and (ee) accommodation; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
Find reply here
25 March 2024 - NW725
Chetty, Mr M to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
Whether he will furnish Mr M Chetty with a (a) list and (b) full description of all events planned by his department to take place before 29 May 2024 in celebration of the 30 years of democracy in the Republic, including the (i) projected total cost or expenditure of each event and (ii) breakdown thereof in terms of expenditure for (aa) catering, (bb) entertainment, (cc) venue hire, (dd) transport and (ee) accommodation; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The Department of Water and Sanitation has not planned any events to take place before 29 May 2024 in celebration of the 30 years of democracy in the Republic.
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25 March 2024 - NW512
Mothapo, Adv MR to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
What has she found is the impact of the different planning cycle periods of local and national government?
25 March 2024 - NW470
Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
Whether, with reference to the Rooiwal Communal Property Association (CPA), she will furnish Mrs V van Dyk with a copy of their (a) constitution, (b) financial statements since the 2015-16 financial year, (c) updated membership register and (d) title deed from the Regional Land Claims Commission to the Rooiwal CPA; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(a)(b),(c) Any member of the Communal Property Association (CPA), can make a request to the CPA executive to access CPA information. A request must be formally made to the CPA executive committee and the Department can assist if the Committee fail to provide the copy of the constitution, financial statements, and updated membership register.
(d) A request must be formally made to the Land Claims Commission to obtain copies of the title deeds.
25 March 2024 - NW519
Graham-Maré, Ms SJ to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
In terms of the SA Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, which of the (a) Second Phase interventions have been fully achieved and (b) Third Phase interventions have not yet been achieved to date?
Reply:
Find reply here
25 March 2024 - NW506
Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN to ask the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
(1) Whether, with reference to her statement at the Three-Sphere Planning Session of the National Council of Provinces held that our National Development Plan must prioritise improved livelihoods as the true measurement of meeting development targets such as economic growth, she has implemented any specific measures and/or policies to achieve an increase in improved livelihoods that resulted from economic growth and economic inclusion; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) how is she fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors to enhance improved livelihoods flowing from economic growth and development outcomes?
Reply:
Find reply here
22 March 2024 - NW713
Faber, Mr WF to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy
Whether he will furnish Mr W F Faber with a (a) list and (b) full description of all events planned by his department to take place before 29 May 2024 in celebration of the 30 years of democracy in the Republic, including the (i) projected total cost or expenditure of each event and (ii) breakdown thereof in terms of expenditure for (aa) catering, (bb) entertainment, (cc) venue hire, (dd) transport and (ee) accommodation; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
Regarding (a), (b), (i), (ii) (aa) – (ee), at present, the department has not planned to host events nor allocated any budget for such events taking place before, or on and after 29 May 2024 to celebrate 30 years of democracy in the Republic. All our planned activities are in line with the department’s mandate and operational plans.
22 March 2024 - NW683
Graham-Maré, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy
Whether, with regard to the licenses and authorisations required for independent power producers (IPPs), his department considered establishing a single portal to expedite the authorisations required for IPPs such as environmental impact assessments with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, water use licenses with the Department of Water and Sanitation and various land consents which can be used by IPPs and relevant government departments to ameliorate the bottlenecks; if not, (a) how is his department assisting IPPs to expedite these consents and authorisations and (b) will his department consider establishing such a portal; if so, (c) on what date does he envisage the portal to be operational and (d) does his department have buy-in from the various government departments?
Reply:
In July 2023 government launched an Energy One Stop Shop to assist Independent Power Producers (IPPs) with a streamlined process for various authorisations. The One Stop Shop falls under the stewardship of the Department of Trade Industry and Competition (DTIC) and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) only provides necessary support. To avoid duplication of effort, the DMRE does not intend to establish a similar function within government which will serve the same purpose but will continue to provide support to the DTIC.
22 March 2024 - NW721
Le Goff, Mr T to ask the Minister of Tourism
Whether she will furnish Mr T A Le Goff with a (a) list and (b) full description of all events planned by her department to take place before 29 May 2024 in celebration of the 30 years of democracy in the Republic, including the (i) projected total cost or expenditure of each event and (ii) breakdown thereof in terms of expenditure for (aa) catering, (bb) entertainment, (cc) venue hire, (dd) transport and (ee) accommodation; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
I am informed by the Department that no events are planned by the Department of Tourism, before the 29 May elections, to celebrate 30 years of democracy in the Republic of South Africa.
22 March 2024 - NW655
Tito, Ms LF to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether he has been informed that the Home Affairs office in Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State closes at 11:00 every morning due to downtime and water shortage, with members of the public being turned away without any assistance; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in this regard?
Reply:
The Minister of Home Affairs was indeed informed in writing about service delivery challenges at the Phuthaditjhaba office. Water supply to the building was affected by a burnt water pressure pump on the galvanized water tank on top of the building. Municipal water supply was not reaching the building because there was no pressure at all. All bathrooms were not working due to no water supply.
As a result, and due to occupational health and safety considerations, the office started servicing clients from 07h30 in the morning and at 11h00 the office use to take the last group and close the door and serve the clients until they are all served, sometimes up to 14h30 or 15h30. However, the water supply to the building has been resolved and the office operates normal working hours until 16:00.
END.
22 March 2024 - NW644
Tambo, Mr S to ask the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
Whether, with reference to reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation intends to amend the existing agreements around retransmission payments and/or royalties so drastically that actors and actresses will earn much less for the broadcasting of content they featured on, and at a later stage actors and actresses might earn nothing, there was any consultation with industry representatives and stakeholders regarding such a resolution that will condemn actors and actresses whose content and talent is reused to poverty; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
I have been informed by the SABC as follows:
The SABC is in the process of amending the current repeat fee strategy. This process has not been finalised as consultations with all relevant and key stakeholders are ongoing.
The proposed amendments to the current strategy have been approved by the SABC Board in 2018. In its current form, this strategy is unsustainable as payments have been structured in such a way that they are implemented for an indefinite period.
The strategy was introduced in 1996 by the Performers Artists Workers Union (PAWE). The union was established with the aim of engaging the new SABC dispensation to redress the struggles encountered by black actors under the Apartheid regime for not receiving equitable treatment as their white counterparts from mainly white-owned production companies.
In 1997 the SABC’s Department of Programme Policy, Planning and Co-Production agreed with PAWE that content production houses commissioned by the SABC be required to use a Standard Performers’ Agreement when performers entered into contracts. This came into effect on 1 September 1997.
At the time the SABC was the sole commissioner and producer of local content and agreed to a Standard Performers’ Agreement that contained two clauses namely: Clause 5 on repeat fees payable to Principal Performers of drama productions and Clause 7 on exploitation fees payable to Principal Performers on the licensing of commissioned productions.
Twenty-eight (28) years later there is a requirement that the strategy be aligned to the SABC’s various financial and legislative requirements. It must be stressed that intention behind the new proposal is not to disempower performers but to ensure that all parties benefit.
Authorised for submission by
______________________________________
MS. NONKQUBELA JORDAN-DYANI DIRECTOR-GENERAL
DATE:
Recommended/not recommended
__________________________
HON. PHILLY MAPULANE, MP
DEPUTY MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
DATE:
Approved/ not approved
________________________________
HON. MONDLI GUNGUBELE, MP
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
DATE: