Questions and Replies

Reply:

(a)   The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is using the reallocated budget to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when employees are at the office.  Management has earmarked and reprioritised R1.2 million for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves, sanitisers and disinfectants for 197 SAQA employees, and to procure cleaning equipment and consumables, as well as deep cleaning services, as and when necessary after risk assessments.

(b)  SAQA is facing dire financial challenges as a result of the pandemic lockdown measures in that no evaluation of foreign qualifications or verifications of qualifications for appointments are being requested, which normally provides significant revenue for SAQA annually. SAQA is unable to raise its originally budgeted income through these revenue generating streams during the lockdown.

The reallocation of funding added to the financial challenges that SAQA is already facing. SAQA, in consultation with the Department, considered the following cost-cutting measures:

• vacant positions and non-critical positions will not be filled in the immediate future;
• savings on travel/accommodation and subsistence items as a result of the lockdown; 
• advertisements; 
• consultancy fees; and 
• conference costs.

SAQA’s revised budget is reflecting a deficit of approximately R37 million, even after effecting intensive cost-cutting measures in preparing its revised budgeted expenditure.

Reply:

The Department is working with all 26 universities towards the successful completion of the 2020 academic year in a manner that does not compromise the safety of staff and students, and in a manner that provides a fair opportunity for all students to engage meaningfully with their study programmes. Universities have developed multimodal teaching and learning plans that implement a mix of strategies deemed suitable for the context of each university. Some universities are primarily delivering their teaching and learning programmes through online synchronous and asynchronous means whilst others are employing a mix of strategies that include online learning as well as the physical delivery of teaching and learning materials in digital form (memory sticks/USBs) or in print form.

A special COVID-19 Responsiveness Grant (CRG) has been created to assist universities to implement their multimodal plans, including the acquisition of laptops for students and staff, to ensure reasonable access to data, to strengthen their information and communication technology teaching and learning delivery platforms, and to develop staff and student capacity for online teaching and learning modalities.

Online learning is likely to remain part of every institution's teaching and learning strategy going forward. To this end, universities are being supported to enable all students to obtain a suitable device for online teaching and learning. Some universities have used Council-controlled funds, and/or CRG funds to procure laptops, and others are working with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to secure laptops for NSFAS-funded students through the national process led by NSFAS.

The Department has also negotiated with the major network service providers, and a data package at a significantly reduced cost has been put in place for students who are supported through NSFAS.

Reply:

At this point in time, the Department has not received any confirmation from universities of projects that may be slowed down or postponed as a result of the cuts and reprioritisation of funding. A large amount of the reprioritised funds comes from interest accrued on earmarked grants that had not yet been specifically allocated to any projects. No currently approved projects have been stopped. 

All infrastructure projects that were approved during previous infrastructure cycles that are not yet finalised will continue to be supported. In the 2020/21 financial year, R750 million will not be transferred as originally planned to fund some approved projects at specific institutions. The transfers for these projects will be delayed into the 2021/22 financial year. This will have a knock-on effect in that there will be less funding available in the first year of the next infrastructure cycle for new projects and will result in the slowing down and stretching out of infrastructure development across universities. The 6th infrastructure and efficiency cycle commences in April 2021, and planning for the new cycle will start soon so that the new projects can be implemented early in April 2021.

Reply:

The COVID-19 pandemic has already had an impact on normal university expenditure, allowing for substantial savings due to the postponement of a range of activities, especially due to cancelled conferences, and limited travel and accommodation being undertaken. In addition, general savings on services (electricity and water) have also been experienced. Many institutions at the same time, recognising the context, have made decisions not to fill vacant posts unless they were essential positions, thus ensuring that they are better able to manage the highly uncertain fiscal climate.

Immediately after the Presidential announcement declaring a national disaster, the Department embarked on a consultative process and engaged with all universities regarding the system’s needs to ensure the successful completion of the academic year and the need to operate differently. This process involved the development of costed remote multi-modal teaching, learning and assessment plans.

Considering all of these aspects, including the funding required to assist the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funded students to acquire laptops, the total financial impact is R3.8506 billion. This is funded partially by institutions’ own internal reprioritisation (R749 million), through reprioritising unspent earmarked grants and interest on earmarked grants at institutions (R1.332 billion), as well as funds made available by NSFAS for advances on allowances to fund laptops (approximately R2.5 billion for both university and TVET college students).

In addition, institutions estimated that they would require R1.821 billion for ensuring that their campuses are compliant to health and safety protocols when they reintegrate staff and students in line with their return-to-campus plans. Some plans had unnecessary high cost items and the Department has indicated that it could not support those items. The Department has identified R608.249 million (made up of R398.249 million from 2020/21 ad-hoc earmarked funds, together with the R210 million returned from the R750 million suspension on the 2020/21 infrastructure and efficiency grant), subject to Ministerial approval, to support institutions to implement their return to campus plans. 

The suspension of R2.5 billion from the block grant, and the reallocation of R2.117 billion has resulted in a net cut of R382.596 million (1.07%) from the block grant. The transfers of the subsidy will continue as expected to institutions to fund their operations. Institutions will need to ensure that they create efficiencies to deal with the real shortfall of 1.07% on their block grants, ensure prudent expenditure and manage the additional costs related to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic within their available budgets. While no programmes funded though the earmarked grants have been stopped, the original plans have been slowed down, or redirected, to deal with the challenges brought to the fore by the pandemic. 

Reply:

(1)        In November 2019, an allocation of R170.293 million was made from the 2019/20 budget to the Centre of Specialisation students for the year 2020. 

             This comprised of:

• 1 210 returning students from 2019 (1stcohort)           =-    R 84 million 
• 840 new enrolments for 2020 (2ndcohort)                   =       R 86 million

The Centres of Specialisation were unable to realise the new enrolments for 2020 given the disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic, largely due to uncertainty in employer commitments and as a result, no new enrolments will take place in 2020. This accounts for R86 million of the R170 million which colleges will carry forward into the new financial year. Three colleges started their second intake in 2020 and as such will not be allowed to start a third intake in 2021.

New allocations will be made in March 2021 and the second cohort will be able to start the programme, if employers are ready. The timing of the payment from November 2020 to March 2021 will therefore ensure minimum further disruption of the programme.

(2) (a) There will be no third intake in 2021.

(b) No other costs have been cut as student fees are paid to colleges for the different cohorts.

Reply:

(1)    For the 2020/21 financial year, an amount of R198 734 325 was provided to eThekwini TVET College with regards to programme funding. This amount is the budget before the special budget adjustment announced by the National Treasury in June 2020. The new budget allocations will be issued to the TVET colleges as soon as it is approved.

(2)     The initial 2020/21 budget allocation of R198 734 325 consisted of the following economic categories:

            (a)       Compensation of Employees (PERSAL)        R 100 067 099

            (b)       Direct Transfers (subsidies)                             R 59 906 226

         (c) NSFAS Tuition Fees                                         R 38 761 000

(3)    Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges did not receive COVID-19 relief funding during the initial budget allocation (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and colleges were requested to reprioritise its budget to accommodate COVID-19 related expenditure. Based on the new special budget adjustment announced by the National Treasury in June 2020, an earmarked COVID-19 budget allocation has been made available to TVET colleges and will be issued to TVET colleges as soon as it is approved.

Reply:

1. (a) There are eighteen (18) African natural medicines that have been through various levels of the value chain of medicines development, to the point of being prescribed by traditional health practitioners (i) of which fourteen (14) were in progress since 2015, and (ii) four (4) were since 1 April 2020.

(b) The (i) names and (ii) treatment purposes for each of these African natural medicines are listed in Table 1.

(c) (i) There are twelve (12 African natural medicines currently under further development, and Table 2 provides (ii) the reasons and (iii) the status of each investigation.

2. Table 3 illustrates the list of completed and ongoing African Natural Medicines studies, funded between 2015 and 01 April 2020

Table 1: List of African Natural Medicines and Types of Health Conditions each Treats

African Natural Medicine	Treatment
Phela	Immune-Modulator (HIV, Covid-19)
Medical Cannabis	Cancers, Diabetes, Pain, Alzheimer’s
Nkabinde	Anti-Viral
Marula	Diabetes, Health Food
Liv Green	Tuberculosis
Manay-Immune	Immune-Modulators
Four New Herbs	Covid-19 Anti-Virals, Immune-Modulators
Lenong	Wound Healing, Arthritis
Machaba	Immune -Booster (Infectious Diseases)
Prijap	Diabetes, Immune-Modulator
Umphetha	Immune -Booster (Infectious Diseases)
Aloe Path	Wound Healing
Moshumasekgwa	Immune-Modulator
BP6	Anti-Viral
BP05	Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (Swollen Prostate)

Table 2: List of African Natural Medicines, Reasons for Continuity and Progress

African Natural Medicine	Progress and Reason for Continuity
Phela	Positive Phase 1 clinical trial for immune-modulation
Medical Cannabis	Activity for cancers, diabetes, hypertension and pain
Nkabinde	Activity for Anti-HIV latency and ACE-2 inhibitors
Marula	Techno-economic for large-scale manufacturing
Liv Green	Good pre-clinical and anti-hepatotoxicity activity
Manay-Immune	Positive pre-clinical studies for immune-modulation
Prijap	Activity for diabetes and general immune-modulation
BP05	Activity against benign prostatic hyperplasia
Four New Herbs	Covid-19: Anti-virals and immune-modulation evidence

Lenong, Machaba, Umpetha, Aloe Path and Moshumasekgwa are complete and will be handed over to traditional health practitioners in September 2020 for upscaling and full commercialisation

Table 3: List of completed and ongoing studies, between 2015 and 01 April 2020

Completed Research Studies		Ongoing (New) Research Studies
Product	Investment		Product	Investment
Lenong	R1 000 000		Phela	R2 000 000
Machaba	R1 200 000		Medical Cannabis	R6 000 000
Prijap	R1400 000		Nkabinde	R10 000 000
Umphetha	R1 000 000		Marula	R2 000 000
Aloe Path	R1 100 000		Liv Green	R1 000 000
Moshumasekgwa	R1 000 000		Manay-Immune	R1 400 000
BP6	R1 200 000		Four New Herbs	R1 000 000
			BP05	R9 996 908
Total	R7 900 000		Total	R33 396 908

Reply:

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has provided the following response to the questions posed: 

(1)   In general, the examination of theses by academics is considered as a collegial activity and part of academic citizenship. Some colleagues have declared the external examination of theses as part of the private work declaration as an indication of transparency for additional funds received. It is thus not a requirement, but an optional declaration that promotes transparency.

(2) The amounts paid to external academics who examine (i) Masters and (ii) Doctoral theses vary markedly between institutions, and the remuneration generally takes the form of a cash payment into the academic’s bank account.

(3) (a) Most, if not all, institutions would regard it as academic citizenship, as is the norm at UKZN.

 (b) There are no financial implications for external academics who perform collegial activities. Both internal and external academics such as Honorary Research Fellows are paid for examining theses.

(4) The requirement to declare external thesis examination as private work in UKZN's Graduate School of Business and Leadership, has resulted in contestation by some academics, but has not directly led to academics being discouraged from examining theses, as per academic citizenry. However, the previous instances of excessive external examination have subsided due to the transparency of the process.

Reply:

The Department is aware of the recent judgement by the Supreme Court of Appeal reinstating Afrikaans as the medium of instruction at the University of South Africa, alongside the current medium of instruction, which is English. The Department has been closely following many other judgements, notably by the Constitutional Court, rightfully upholding decisions by university Councils at a number of universities, to move away from the use of Afrikaans as a barrier of access to non-Afrikaans language speakers. The Department has welcomed these decisions as they advance government’s transformation agenda and are part of the national effort to create inclusive institutional cultures at institutions of higher learning.

The Department’s approach to languages at universities is a systemic one and it does not convene a meeting with universities every time there is a court judgement in favour of, or setting aside, a particular university Council’s decision on their language plan or strategy. The Department has a generic language policy framework that serves to guide institutional language policies and plans.

The language policy framework has recently been revised and strengthens the previous higher education language policy framework of 2002. At the core of this policy is the affirmation of all official languages as spelled out in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Values of inclusivity, parity of esteem between all our languages and the promotion of multilingualism are central to this policy framework and it is encouraging that a number of universities are already moving in this direction. As indicated previously on a number of occasions, in the post 1994 South Africa, none of our higher education institutions, whether public or private, will exclude any South African on the basis of language as such practices belong to the past.

Reply:

The explanation received from the Services SETA is that the payment of stipends is based on attendance registers submitted by the training provider and/or host employer.  Accordingly, Mr Lizo April was paid as follows:

Period: July 2019 – December 2019

The learner was paid a stipend for each month, except for the months of September 2019 and November 2019 where attendance could not be confirmed by way of the attendance register.

Period: January 2020 and February 2020 

The Services SETA sent a communique to all stakeholders in December 2019 directing them to ensure that learners should only return to classes on 1 February 2020 and that no stipends would be paid for the month of January 2020, as learners were not expected to attend classes or workplaces in January 2020. It should be noted that learners were paid their full stipends in December 2019 although classes ended by or before 15 December 2019.   

The Services SETA did not receive the learner’s attendance register for the month of February 2020 from the host employer/training provider.

Period: March 2020 onwards

Attendance registers for the month of March 2020 was used as a basis to pay learners during the period of the lockdown.

The Services SETA did not receive the learner’s attendance register for the month of March 2020 from the host employer/training provider.

Action taken against a provider who fails to meet the payment obligations

In instances where a training provider repeatedly fails to meet the obligations as provided for in the service level agreement between the parties, the SETA investigates the non-compliance and where necessary institutes a legal process through either litigation or termination of the agreement in part or in full. The course of action is determined by the nature of the obligation breach.

Stipend amount of R2 500

The Services SETA pays an amount of R2 500 as a stipend to learners undertaking an apprenticeship. Any additional amount paid to the learner would have been from the training provider or host employer.

Reply:

1. (a) The Department has allocated R1.1 million and reprioritised R1.5 million for the management of COVID-19 within its offices, i.e. four buildings at head office and six regional offices. The budget is meant to cover the supply of masks to 3 800 employees, procurement of sanitisers, scanners, personal protective equipment for the cleaning staff, decontamination and deep cleaning of offices. In view of the capacity constraints in cleaning services, a service provider had to be procured for deep cleaning and augment the existing capacity for a three months period. In addition to the above, the Department is in the processes of procuring emergency and pyscho-social support services, stands for sanitisers with foot pedals, thermal cameras and digital scanners as the small hand-held scanners are proving to be unreliable. The additional needs will amount to R2.3 million. In total, the Department will incur expenses to the total value of R5.0 million

(b) Letters were sent to universities on 13 May 2020 requesting them to submit costed Teaching, Learning and Assessment Plans, as well as Campus Readiness Plans to the Department by 19 May 2020. Universities submitted costed Campus Readiness Plans, which varied considerably with respect to what institutions wanted to implement and with regards to the funding required and the equipment requested. Funding required varied from as little as R2.1 million to R 402.8 million. Some suggested items were large infrastructure changes that would not be possible. The total cost of the submitted plans was R1.85 billion. This was assessed as unrealistic as many items indicated were unnecessary.

The Department, in consultation with Higher Health who assessed these plans, decided that there are certain legitimate expenses that institutions will incur that they could not have been budgeted for prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Department should consider providing a second COVID-19 Responsiveness Grant (CRG-2) to assist institutions with these costs. The Minister has been requested to approve the re-prioritisation of R526.3 million from the 2020/21 earmarked grants not yet transferred to assist universities to pay for unbudgeted items for campus readiness and health and safety measures over the next period.   

TVET Colleges have been able to reprioritize approximately R780 million from their current 2020 operational budgets to assist with COVID 19 related expenditure.

Total cost to be incurred by Community Education and Training (CET) colleges is
R27 million to prepare for the reopening of their facilities after the easing of the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19.

(2)  (a) The Department had planned to acquire additional capacity in the form of nurses within the Employee Health and Welfare unit but has since entered into a partnership with the Health and Welfare SETA for the provision of nursing services to do screening and contact tracing. The Department will be increasing its cleaning capacity by employing more cleaners at head office and in colleges, and in particular Community Learning Centres colleges that do not have dedicated cleaners as they are using the Department of Basic Education’s facilities.

(b) (i) Universities’ plans make provision for the employment of additional staff where required. All universities have made provision for physical distancing in their plans.

Social distancing has been prioritised in TVET colleges firstly through the staggered return of different student cohorts over a 7-week period, as well as through the splitting of classes and revision of timetables. These arrangements will not require additional lecturers.

The CET colleges are not employing additional staff; however, the following conditions have been applied in determining the resumption of classes. Only colleges that have satisfied the social distancing requirements have allowed staff and students to return effective from 23 June 2020. The return of different categories of CET college staff to their workstations and students to their learning sites is subject to readiness of the colleges and learning sites as well as appropriate social distancing measures put in place by colleges.

(ii) All universities have made provision for essential health and safety items. The Department has recommended to the Minister that funding through the proposed CRG -2 be approved for the following categories as advised by Higher Health: 

• Requirements for environmental and regular cleaning in line with the health and safety protocols, including cleaning equipment and material and the appointment of additional cleaning staff.
• Personal protective equipment appropriate for front-line staff, staff in university clinics and the general student and staff population.  
• Internal isolation and quarantine facilities (levels 4 - 2 of the risk-adjusted strategy) and external facilities (only if this is necessary after level 1 has been announced and 100% of students have returned to the campus).
• Clinical support in the form of locums at the university clinic, mental health support, etc.
• Screening stations and equipment. This may include additional staff.

TVET colleges have been monitored over the last 6 weeks in terms of their readiness to receive staff and students. By mid-June 2020, all the protocols for COVID-19 compliance, as set out by the Department of Health and the Guidelines for PSET institutions for Management of COVID-19, were above 90% readiness. As at 26 June 2020, the state of readiness was at 98%. Higher Health trained staff across all colleges on implementing the protocols.

All CET colleges have assured the Department that personal protective equipment for staff and students were procured from the budget set aside to deal with COVID-19.

Reply:

(a)    In the 2020 State of the Nation Address (SONA), the President announced that “to improve the quality of general and specialised SAPS investigations, we are establishing a Crime Detection University in Hammanskraal”. This was understood as a directive to work towards the establishment of a specialised public higher education institution that would offer qualifications on the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework in fields linked to crime detection. 

(b)    In terms of the Higher Education Act (Act 101 of 1997, as amended), the proposed institution for crime detection in Hammanskraal cannot be established immediately as a university. The Act allows for new institutions to be established as either Higher Education Colleges or University Colleges.  The decision on whether this institution will be established as a university college or a higher education college will be dependent on the outcome of a feasibility study that must be undertaken. 

A higher education college is an institution that is established by the Minister, as an independent institution, to offer a scope and range of qualifications that is defined as relatively narrow, possibly in a specific field, e.g. Crime Detection, or a small range of fields, e.g. Crime Detection, Safety and Security, and Military Studies. It is likely to have a relatively small student population, e.g. less than 5 000 students when it is fully operational. It will offer a range of qualifications and skills programmes. The qualifications would include higher certificates, advanced certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, undergraduate degrees and postgraduate diplomas accredited through the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The institution could also offer short skills programmes or occupational programmes accredited through the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). Once the college is fully established and it shows potential to grow further and expand, it could then be declared as a university college, under the governance structure of an established university.

A university college is an institution established by the Minister, under the governance of an existing university, with the intention to grow its student numbers and programmes to cover a scope and range of activities that would enable it over time to be recognised as a fully-fledged university. While the institution would initially start with a small number of programmes in a limited number of fields, e.g. Crime Detection and Safety and Security, it would be planned to grow over time to cover a wider range of related fields and programmes in higher education including undergraduate, honours, Masters and Doctoral degree programmes. It may also offer a limited number of programmes accredited by the QCTO. A university college may be declared to be established as a fully-fledged university when it meets the requirements to be established as such, i.e. when it has grown and developed to such an extent that it has the scope and range of operations that allows it to be defined as a university.

(c)    The disciplines taught at such an institution will be determined by a feasibility study and could include a range of disciplines within policing and security studies that will develop professional and occupational knowledge and skills required to bolster capacity in policing, crime detection and prevention capabilities, and will involve an investigative capacity, including the use of forensic methodical approaches and technology, data analytics, criminal and evidentiary law, and investigative practice. The feasibility study should provide guidance on how this public higher education institution would be differentiated based its mandate and mission. 

(d)    Through the feasibility study a determination will be made on the institutional type, i.e. whether it will be a higher education college or a university college to start with and what the Programme Qualification Mix of the public higher education institution should be.

(e)   (i) A project plan has been developed for Ministerial approval to set out the process and deliverables towards the production of a feasibility study for the two new higher education institution mentioned in the 2020 SONA. The feasibility study must aim to address a number of critical issues including, the size and shape of the new institution; its site(s) of establishment, land assembly and spatial framework; supply and sustainability of required engineering services; environmental sustainability; socio-economic impact analysis; and the digital technology requirements for a contemporary higher education institution.  A project management team will be set up to manage the process. The feasibility study will be undertaken in the current financial year and will determine the time lines for the establishment and development of the institution in line with a costed plan.

 (ii) Funding for the new public higher education institution, in line with the findings of the feasibility study and plan, must be secured from the Vote. In terms of the Higher Education Act, a new institution can only be established once funding is appropriated for that purpose, as this is required before the institution can be legally established.

Reply:

(a)     Based on the Services SETA records, the stipend for the month of November 2019 was paid to all learners whose attendance could be confirmed through attendance registers. Ten out of the forty learners were not paid due to non-attendance.

(b)    The names of ten learners who were not paid stipends for November 2019 and December 2019 due to non-attendance are:

- Jonathan Mahosi

- Winstar Mdlalose

- Zanele Kubheka

- Millecent Tsotetsi

- Veronica Maseko

- Nokuthula Muriel Ndaba

- Prisca Kunene

- Nomthandazo Mazibuko

- Germina Letsoalo

- Kwanda Ndebele

(c)     The enforcement mechanism that is utilised to ensure that payments are effected where owing is through a Training Agreement signed between the SETA and the training provider stipulating the conditions for the payment, which include amongst others, a confirmation report that training has occurred and proof of attendance of learners.

On receipt of the report from the training provider, the SETA verifies the information in accordance with the Training Agreement and allows the training provider to confirm the correctness of information and if some gaps are identified, the training provider is allowed to correct information in order to effect the payment.

(d)     The timeframes stipulated between:

(i)     Completion of a level by a learner is in accordance with the learnership agreement signed with the learner. A learner is expected to complete the level within twelve months.

(ii)   Moderation of the work by the provider is determined by the size of the moderation sample involved. Two summative assessment moderations take place, i.e. an internal moderation conducted by the training provider and an external moderation conducted by the SETA. The external moderation by the SETA is triggered by the submission of the summative assessment and internal moderation reports from the training provider. On average, it takes the Services SETA two weeks to conduct an external moderation, depending on the availability of resources.

(iii) Commencement of the next level is dependent on the outcome of the external moderation report. In the event that the external moderation upholds the assessment decision and there is no remediation required, the next level can commence. It usually takes a week for the external moderation to be quality assured and issued. Customarily, the next level can commence within one month.

(e)     According to the SETA records, the training provider did not submit attendance registers for all learners before the lockdown period. An attendance register was received for only 8 out of the 40 learners, and payment was effected for the 8 learners who are deemed compliant with the Training Agreement.

(f)     Where the programme has been stalled by the training provider:

 (i)    The duration of the programme will be extended by the same period subject to the training provider submitting an implementation plan to complete the project.

(ii)    According to the SETA, learners will not be paid additional stipends for the additional period where the training provider stalled the programme. Procedurally, stipends are paid to learners once the programme has resumed and on receipt of attendance registers confirming the training.

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Attached is the response in respect of PQ 1144.

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION:

1.	(a) the name of the company from which the specified goods and/or service were purchased	(b) the amount of each transaction	(c) the service and/or product that each company rendered
	1	XL Nexus Travel	R42 500,00	Shuttle Services
	2	Dischem	R949,50	Surgical Gloves
	3	Dischem	R61,90	Sanitizer
	4	Lynnwood Road Pharmacy	R398,00	Surgical Gloves
	5	Lynnwood Road Pharmacy	R1 561,00	Face Masks
	6	Serene Pharmacy	R699,90	Surgical Gloves
	7	Serene Pharmacy	R629,80	Sanitizer
	8	Pharma Value Pharmacy	R2 638,68	Face Masks
	9	Barclay Square Pharmacy	R1 881,30	Sanitizer
	10	Masana Hygiene	R20 412,50	25 Sanitizer Dispensers
	11	Masana Hygiene	R20 829,38	Sanitizer refill for dispensers (3 Months)
	12	Maanda Nes Investment	R67 212,60	Once-Off spray deep cleaning of offices
	13	Us-pects Trading Enterprise	R40 500,00	Face Mask
	14	Us-pects Trading Enterprise	R8 450,00	Surgical Gloves
	15	Supra Healthcare	R4 312,50	Face Masks
	16	Supra Healthcare	R5 637,30	Surgical Gloves
	17	Maanda Nes Investment	R63 000,00	Once-Off Decontamination Spray
			R281 674,36

2(a) There was one deviation from normal supply chain management process for the appointment of Masana Hygiene to provide sanitiser dispensers and sanitiser refills for a period of three months at an amount of R41 241,88.

The deviation was sought and approved in accordance with the provisions of National Treasury Instruction No. 05 of 2020/21, which permits emergency procurement in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Covid-19 has been classified as a global threat to human life. Thus, eminent steps had to be taken to proactively minimise its spread in the Departmental premises. The immediate procurement of sanitisers enabled the Department to ensure that the risk of infection is minimised.

2(b)	The name of the company	The amount of each transaction	The service and/or product that each company rendered
	Masana Hygiene	R20 412,50	25 Sanitizer Dispensers
	Masana Hygiene	R20 829,38	Sanitizer refill for dispensers (3 Months)
		R41 241.88

3.	The name of the company from which the specified goods and/or service were purchased	reasons that the goods and/or services were purchased from the specified companies
	1	XL Nexus Travel	The Department has a contract for travel and accommodation with the company. Moreover, the contract was established through an open tender process.
	2	Dischem	Petty cash was used to procure from these companies. They are retailers and they were randomly selected for procurement based on the availability of stock.
	3	Dischem
	4	Lynnwood Road Pharmacy
	5	Lynnwood Road Pharmacy
	6	Serene Pharmacy
	7	Serene Pharmacy
	8	PharmaValue Pharmacy
	9	Barclay Square Pharmacy
	10	Masana Hygiene	The Department has a contract for cleaning and Hygiene services with the company. Thus, it was more cost-effective to utilise them.
	11	Masana Hygiene
	12	Maanda Nes Investment	An open and fair request for quotations process was followed to appoint these companies. These companies won the bids on the basis that they scored the highest number of points on the 80/20 preference point system and also complied with the bidding requirements.
	13	Uspects Trading Enterprise
	14	Uspects Trading Enterprise
	17	Maanda Nes Investment
	15	Supra Healthcare	An open and fair request for verbal quotations process was followed to appoint this company. The company won because it quoted the lowest price and complied with the bidding requirements.
	16	Supra Healthcare

4. The Minister’s office will advise if the Minister has to make a statement in this regard.

Reply:

(1) The National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and the SA Revenue Service (SARS) concluded an agreement on 5 December 2019. The agreement did not seek to govern the provision of personal tax status information by SARS to NSFAS. The primary purpose of the agreement was to permit NSFAS to obtain additional information from SARS relating to the gross annual income of NSFAS applicants, or their parents and/or guardians by enhancing the scope of section 70(2)(b) of the Tax Administration Act, Act No. 28 of 2011 and section 24 of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme Act No. 56 of 1999, which governs the provision of SARS information to NSFAS. Prior to the conclusion of the agreement, NSFAS could only request and SARS was only obliged to provide NSFAS with information, which related to the name and address of the employer of a person to whom a loan or bursary has been granted under that scheme.

(2) Not Applicable.

(3) Not Applicable.

Reply:

(a) South Africa has a bilateral science and innovation partnership with the United Kingdom as part of the Newton Fund initiative, which is operational in 17 other countries. The UK-South Africa Newton Fund is administered by the South Africa’s Department for Science and Technology and the UK’s Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Newton Fund is part of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment. As such, the partnership is required to subscribe to development cooperation principles which include country ownership, a focus on results and accountability, inclusive partnerships, and transparency and mutual accountability.

Matter Innovation is a private sector consultancy domiciled in the United Kingdom. The company was selected, appointed, and contracted by the UK’s Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. United Kingdom (UK) government to implement a specific Newton Fund initiative known as the Global Innovation Partners Programme in South Africa.

The DSI engaged with Matter Innovation within the framework of the Newton Fund cooperation in 2018 and 2019.

(b) The engagement was pursued at the request of the United Kingdom Government because Matter Innovation was appointed under the SA-UK Newton Fund bilateral partnership and the intended purpose of the initiative was in line with the mandate of the DSI to strengthen science, technology, and innovation in South Africa.

(c) The engagement ended in 2019 when the contract between Matter Innovation and the UK Government’s Department of Business, Innovation and Skills ended. At this stage there was no mandate or enabling institutional framework to continue the cooperation. Matter Innovation was funded by the UK government to engage in this cooperation.

(d) As highlighted above, the engagement between the DSI and Matter Innovation arose as a result of a Newton Fund supported contract between the UK’s Department of Business, Innovation, and Skills and Matter Innovation. As such, there was no basis for the DSI to continue engagement with Matter Innovation independently. The DSI continues to implement multiple partnerships with the UK Government strengthening science and innovation capacities in South Africa, none of which has been impacted by the discontinuing of the engagement with Matter Innovation. There has never been any link from the Department’s perspective between the engagement with Matter Innovation and cooperation with the EU. The latter continues to flourish.

Reply:

(1) (a) The Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) was placed twice under administration.

(b) 25 March 2011 and 3 February 2020.

(c) In 2011, CETA was placed under administration due to allegations of financial mismanagement and in 2020, due to allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.

(2) (a) CETA received four clean audits in the 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 financial years.

(b) The total amounts of underspending are as follows:

Year	Amount
2015/16	R 315 136 800.80
2016/17	R 255 673 499.26
2017/18	R 236 761 241.45
Total	R 807 571 541.51

(3) Based on information obtained from CETA and the National Artisan Moderation Body, CETA has trained a total of 25 362 artisans to the point of qualification.

(4) No instances of corruption have been uncovered to date. The independent investigation commissioned is currently under way looking into the allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

(1) The Department did not receive official communication from National Treasury on the budget reductions. The Department is waiting for the announcement to be made by Parliament.

(2) Not applicable

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

(1) R1 759 479 000. This amount is made up of R1 435 304 000 budget cuts and R324 175 000 for COVID-19 initiatives.

(2) The reduction will not be spread evenly throughout the department.

2 (a) Programmes have different budgets for implementing different initiatives.

2b (i)

Budget cuts per programme

Programme	Compensation of employees R’000	Goods and services R’000	Transfers and subsidies R’000	Total R’000
Administration	18 995	22 987	-	41 982
Technology Innovation	5 769	9 978	50 000	65 747
International Cooperation and Resources	5 946	14 422	14 925	35 293
Research Development and Support	4 339	6 055	926 144	936 538
Socio-economic Innovation Partnerships	4 951	-	55 375	60 326
Total	40 000	53 442	1 046 444	1 139 886

Budget cuts per entity (Parliamentary Grants)

	R’000
Technology Innovation Agency	45 586
South African National Space Agency	18 209
National Research Foundation	96 610
Council for Science and Industrial Research	99 765
Academy of Science of South Africa	2 790
Human Science Research Council	32 459
Total	295 418

(ii) Principles

Programmes

• There is an anticipated savings on compensation of employees’ budget as the filling of vacancies will delay due to the pandemic.
• Savings to be realized from goods and services budget due to the lockdown, for example: Travel, events, etc.
• Various factors were considered under transfers and subsidies budget:
  • Projects that would not be feasible to implement due to the pandemic, for example: infrastructure, science awareness, etc.
  • Projects that were allocated funds during the last quarter of the financial year and the prospect of spending the new money (2020/21) were slim.
• There are however other areas where the cuts will have a negative impact, these include; the Human Capital Development. The department proposed these cuts in order to reach the 20% stipulated by National Treasury. These challenges were presented by the department to the National Treasury.

Entities

• 10% cut was proposed on the entities’ parliamentary grants across the board.
• A lesser percentage (as opposed to 20% requested by National Treasury) was proposed in order to minimize the impact of the cuts to entities.
• Entities are also expected to make some savings on areas where there will be no or minimal activities during the lockdown.
• Based on the above, the department is satisfied that the proposal is fair, however it was noted that entities which rely on external revenue might be negatively impacted as the revenue has declined substantially due to the prevailing conditions.
• The department has discussed the entities that are affected by decline of external revenue with the National Treasury for possible amnesty.

Reply:

(a) Assistance is provided to TVET colleges through Higher Health, which conducts daily screening and provides health care volunteers on every campus. Capacity development webinars on the COVID-19 Post-School Education and Training (PSET) guidelines and protocols have been conducted for TVET management in all the regions. Higher Health facilitated these sessions and over 1 000 management staff at TVET colleges have been trained. Colleges have reprioritised their budgets to take the necessary measures in line with the COVID-19 protocols and guidelines. Amongst others, college budgets have been redirected towards the procurement of personal protective equipment, sanitisers, facial masks, fumigation and the deep cleansing of campuses.

(b) The Department has been administering the TVET readiness assessment questionnaire on a weekly basis for the past four weeks. This was intended to assess the state of readiness of TVET colleges and report progress to the Department and Ministerial Task Team on COVID-19. Continuous monitoring, which includes on-site visits and the through the regional offices, the Department verifies the information provided by colleges. In addition, the Minister and Deputy Minister have recently visited several PSET institutions to assess and monitor the state of readiness for the phased return of students and staff to campuses under level 3.

Reply:

(1) The campus offers Engineering and Related Design (E&RD) NCV programmes where students are doing practical activities as part of the Internal Continuous Assessments (ICASS). For the students to qualify for entry into the examinations the ISAT (practical exam component) needs to be administered. The Campus yearly is conducting relevant practical tasks. We are not aware of any programme offered at Springfield Campus where practicals are supposed to be offered and they are not offered.

(2) ERD NCV programmes are paid for by NSFAS to all financial needy and qualifying students.

(3) Parts of the precast walls are missing due to thuggery from the neighboring informal settlements. Last year, in November 2019, missing precast walls were replaced, but the thuggery continued. Additional security is deployed to ensure the safety and security of the college property and its stakeholders. The dumpsite is a challenge as it is on an access road to the Campus. The municipality cleaning of the road is unsatisfactory and there is continuous engagement with the municipality to devise a permanent solution.

Reply:

(a) (i) Five cases of fraud involving NSFAS employees were registered with the Wynberg South African Police Services.

(ii) Following the arrest of three NSFAS employees on or about 9 October 2019, the NSFAS Chief Governance, Risk and Compliance Executive initiated a reconciliation project, which entailed extracting a history of all SBux purchases and withdrawal transactions concluded with merchants in the Western Cape specifically. The rationale being that there were no institutions on SBux in the Western Cape, yet transactions were being concluded daily, which pointed to the operation of a syndicate.

(b) The five cases registered with the Wynberg SAPS office between 2017 and 2019, were handed over to the Commercial Crimes Unit on or about 10 November 2019. A criminal inquiry under Case No: 200/08/2019 was also handed over at the same time.

(c) In the five cases of fraud involving NSFAS employees, the following progress has been made:

• Case No: 323/05/2017 – Warrant of arrest has been issued as the accused fled the province and his whereabouts are unknown.
• Case No: 80/11/2018 - Warrant of arrest has been issued as the accused fled the province and his whereabouts are unknown.
• Case No: 14/10/2019 – Allegations are being investigated.
• Case No: 200/08/2019 – The National Prosecuting Authority is negotiating a plea bargain.
• Case No: 82/10/2019 – The matter has been placed on the court roll for 7 July 2020 to view video footage obtained of the alleged fraudulent transaction.

The criminal inquiry registered under Case No: 200/08/2019 is being investigated. Given that the transactions at the Western Cape merchant stores were concluded during September 2019, and the criminal inquiry was officially opened in November 2019, the video footage at the specific merchant stores were only retained for a maximum of 14 days from the date of the incident, where after the video footage is deleted by the merchant store.

(d) In the five cases of fraud involving NSFAS employees, the total value of the suspected fraud is as follows:

• Case No: 323/05/2017 – R15 503.76
• Case No: 80/11/2018 - R86 135.41
• -Case No: 14/10/2019 – Contravening the provisions of the National Qualifications Framework Amendment Act, No. 12 of 2019
• Case No: 200/08/2019 – R3 500.00
• Case No: 82/10/2019 – R8 000.00

The reconciliation project and subsequent criminal inquiry under Case No: 200/08/2019 revealed 508 individual transactions/fraudulent transactions were concluded, amounting to R354 595.65.

(e) & (f) There are currently internal disciplinary hearings underway and subject to the dismissal of the relevant employee(s), the NSFAS management team will consider pursuing criminal charges against the employee(s).

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Entity:	(a). Was there any paid consultants used to write the;  (i) Strategic Plan, (ii) Annual Performance Plans?	(b) Amount that each consultant charge?	(c) What was the total cost to his department/entity for outsourcing the plans?	(d) What were the reasons for outsourcing?
CHE	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
INSETA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
CHIETA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
SAQA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
MerSETA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
FP&M SETA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
CHIETA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
CETA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
ETDP SETA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
TETA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
EWSETA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
SASSETA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
HWSETA	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable
FoodBev SETA	Strategic Plan - Yes for facilitation of Board strategy Annual Performance Plans - No	i. R40 250 ii. Not applicable	R40 250	There was no outsourcing of the developing of the plans however there was a facilitator who facilitated the board strategy session that led to the development of the strategic outcomes by the Board
LGSETA	The consultant was appointed and paid to facilitate the strategic planning session only for 2020/21 financial year. The development of the plans were done internally   Appointed Service provider: Simulation Consultants CC	R145 000	R145 000	The consultant was appointed for facilitation of the strategic planning session only because he/she had to give an external perspective/insight on the review of the five year plans ensuring that the session addresses the new developmental goals assigned for our sector during the strategic planning session.
AgriSETA	Strategic Plan, Sector Skills Plan, Annual Report and Annual Performance Plan	Regenesy -R93 100 Blackmoon Advertising – R283 426	R376 400	AgriSETA doesn’t appoint service provider for writing APP and Strategic plans, management write and prepare those documents    A consultant is only appointed to edit and design and layout, printing of the documents etc since we have no graphic designers internally. That part is outsourced because we have no graphic design and printing equipment to produce such documents including annual reports.
MICT SETA	Motif Capital Partner	R 66 240	R 66 240	‒      The introduction of a new framework for the development of Strategic plans was quite different from the previous framework.   ‒      The lateness of the introduction of the framework versus submission timelines.
NSFAS	YES	R490 000.00	Refer (b)	When the Entity was placed under Administration one of the major concerns and challenges was the substandard work that came from the Planning and Monitoring Unit in terms of the Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan. The onboarding of a specialist was to assist the Entity to meet this requirement. The mandate ranged from providing ad-hoc advice on the design of SMART indicators in relations to targets to the training of key staff on the design in order to avoid submitting a sub-standard work.
QCTO	The services of facilitators from Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) was engaged for supporting the development of the strategic plans.	R 919 296.00	R 919 296.00	QCTO used GTAC as the new Framework for Medium Term Planning was introduced by DPME and the QCTO needed capacity building for management to develop plans that comply with the new framework. The process was not outsourced but GTAC facilitated and guided the process. QCTO management with full consultation of staff developed the plans across all levels of the organisation.
FASSET	Africa International Advisors	R 115 000.00	R115 000	Due to internal capacity constraints and the new framework which was introduced. This was to ensure that we were able to adhere to the requirements of this new framework.
CATHSSETA	Yes	R247  068	R247  068	1.  Due to the DPME revised framework on SPs and APPs the CATHSSETA acquired the services of an experienced and reputable company to assist in the compilation of the documents. The framework had a lot of changes that required the SETA to appoint someone who is knowledgeable about the new planning needs etc. It must be noted that Ziko Consulting played a supportive role in the process and the CATHSSETA team managed the entire consultation and approval process. 2.   The SETA is also challenged with capacity issues within the unit in terms of human resources, therefore a support structure is required for the short term to assist professional compilation of such these entity strategic do documents.
W&RSETA	W&RSETA contracted Underhill Corporate Solutions for the compilation of its Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan	The contracted company (Underhill Corporate Solutions) assigned 4 of its employees to the project; and the total amount charged by the company was R489 670.00.	R489 670.00.	Limited resources as the unit only had one employee responsible for strategic planning.

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION 

The entities reporting to the Minister did not outsource the writing of the Strategic Plans or Annual Performance Plans, and responded as follows:

(a) None. The Department of Science and Innovation, National Research Foundation, Academy of Science of South Africa, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Council, Human Sciences Research Council, National Advisory Council on Innovation and South African National Space Agency did not pay consultants to write the:

(i) Strategic Plan; and/or

(ii) Annual Performance Plan.

(b) Nil.

(c) Not Applicable (N/A).

(d) N/A.

Reply:

(1) Examples of five SMME projects that TIA funded in the 2018/19 financial year through its various funding instruments (including the Seed Fund, Technology Stations Programme and Technology Development Fund) are:

i. RIOT Network – RIOT has developed a wireless communications network technology that makes it easy for anyone to setup, operate and monetize public wireless broadband networks by agglomerating private network access devices of individuals (i.e. households) and very small businesses. The technology is useful for extending broadband coverage to underserviced areas, and it enables SMME to operate as local internet service providers (ISPs). The project is currently completing its technology development and received financial support of R3 451 700 in 2018/19.

The technology has been successfully tested and deployed in Olievenhoutbosch (an area plagues with break-ins), where a subset of the local community is using the technology to monitor theft in the area. This is achieved through artificial intelligence enabled IP cameras, that detects and alert residences of suspicious behaviour in the region. The cameras are interconnected and access through RIOT’s network infrastructure.

Currently the organisation employs ten people in high value engineering jobs. At full commercialisation the company will enable thousands of jobs as SMEs leverage the technology to set up and monetise local networks. The company has also attracted private investment that enables it to continue improving its technology and in preparation for scale. The company is 100% youth owned, 41% black owned and 18% female owned.

ii. SAMEC Engineering - TIA provided the company with an amount of R1 700 959.00 in the 2018/19 financial year out of an approved amount of R7 799 775.00 for the development of an air condition system using thermal storage to cool buildings (industrial and commercial) or temporary structures (e.g. a marquee). Thermal storage happens during off-peak periods when electricity is cheap and that energy is used to cool buildings during high peak periods when electricity is expensive. This will lead to cost savings and load reduction during peak periods.

The first tranche enabled the project to develop a demonstration unit which has been installed at Durban University of Technology and it serves as a data collection point to demonstrate the performance of the unit.

iii. AgriProtein Technologies (Pty) Ltd is a technology start-up company that successfully developed and piloted a nutrient recycling technology (converting organic waste to animal feed protein) to commercialise an insect-based protein feed in the animal feed industry. TIA, through its Bioeconomy Programme extended a loan of R11 968 573 to AgriProtein to carry out phase one of the project known as “Magmeal” as a low cost and environmentally sustainable animal feed.

To-date, AgriProtein has successfully developed an operational Generation 1 (G1) Production Facility employing a total of 141 employees, in Philippi an economically depressed area in Cape Town and has expanded to attract the international market. They secured about $105 million investment in 2018 to fund global expansion.

In a region characterised by low youth employment a total of 57% of permanent employees were under the age of 35. Over R 44 million was spent on local payroll in 2018 and directly supported a total of 139 permanently, decent jobs as December 2018, with a gender split of 30% females and 70 % males.

iv. Mkazi Concepts

TIA funded Mkazi Concepts (Pty) Ltd through the Technology Stations Programme for R502 000 towards development of a Hand-Hygiene Monitor with a RFID (radio frequency identification) badges or wrist bands that track and record on the number of times in-between user-wash per control area. The project falls within the Internet of Things (IoT); and Data Monitoring and Controls in decision making (i.e. Machine Learning) in the primary healthcare environment and other markets such hospitals, mobile health clinics, schools, food industry, etc.

The grant funding subsidised the Technology Station in Electronics hosted at Tshwane University of Technology and the Product Development Technology Station at Central University of Technology for engineering and technology support to assist the client from concept development, first-type prototype to Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with additional financial to conduct a demonstration in an open environment. This was done at a clinic in Windsor East in Gauteng, Johannesburg.

The project provided at least for job opportunities with a locally available intelligent product for the fourth industrial revolution (FIR).

The product intends to increase level of effectiveness of hand hygiene compliance which are currently at 40% nationally due to manual based hand-washing systems and lack of surveillance. In light of COVID 19 the product becomes more important for the implementation and controls of hand-hygiene intervention that are regarded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the lowest-costs with highest-impact for effectively preventing infections.

v. Smart Blade - SmartBlade Video

Laryngoscope is a medical device that

harnesses smartphone technology to provide

guided and more cost-effective method for

examining or inserting a tube through the

larynx. The process of inserting the tube

is called endotracheal intubation. SmartBlade

will thus enable single operators of varied skill

levels to intubate difficult airways in a cost-effective way. Currently the cost of video laryngoscopy is prohibitive to the individual clinician, small clinics and ambulance services.

TIA funded SmartBlade [http://smartblade.co.za] to the tune of R484 275 through its Seed Fund Programme for prototype development, premarket sample manufacturing and testing, market research, regulatory compliance research. This resulted in the filing of two (2) provisional patents and a design registration. Prototypes were manufactured and pre-clinical trials conducted using the SmartBlade technology and generated good results. The android app was developed and tested. The SMME managed to secure follow-on funding of R9,5 million from Savant Venture Fund in May 2019 for technology optimisation and commercialisation. In response to COVID 19 they have optimised the Video laryngoscopy technology to incorporate a disposable laryngoscope as a recommended intervention for COVID-19 patients.

 

(2) In line with its approved Strategic Plan 2020-2025 TIA, through its Bio-economy Programme, aims to support indigenous knowledge-based innovation in targeted areas. These include African Traditional Medicines, neutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals and health infusions. In respect of specific products, these will be solicited through TIA’s Call for Proposals during the financial year, from which specific products will be selected for funding.

(3) Yes. The plan will be made available by 15 July 2020.

(4) The current models accord with international best practice in some respects, specifically, the Technology Acquisition and Deployment Fund which was adapted from the Indian model that uses a similar approach to commercialisation. Secondly, the ecosystem approach has been widely used by Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency responsible for supporting technology innovation together with other like-minded entities around the world, especially in Europe. Thirdly, the SBRI is a model that originates from the USA, subsequently adopted and successfully used by countries such as the UK, Netherlands, India, Australia, and now broadly adopted by the European Union.

The plan nevertheless is largely home-grown, based on TIA’s own understanding and knowledge of the RSA ecosystem, and specific dynamics that are peculiar to a developmental state and a maturing ecosystem.

(5) The Plan, once finalised, will be released publicly.

Reply:

(1) The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), through the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap (SARIR), established the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR). SADiLaR has an enabling function, with a focus on all official languages of South Africa, supporting research and development in the domains of language technologies and language-related studies in the humanities and social sciences. The Centre supports the creation, management and distribution of digital language resources, as well as applicable software, which are freely available for research purposes through its online repository.

The resources include language datasets (for all official South African languages, including the indigenous languages) as well as high-level resources, such as natural language processing tools that are developed for use in applications, such as machine translation engines for local languages, automatic speech recognition systems, text-to-speech systems, speech-to speech translation systems, interactive communication systems, and a variety of text-related applications, such as grammar and spelling checkers, online electronic dictionaries, and so forth.

SADiLaR plays a strategic role in ensuring the constitutional imperative is achieved in the long term to ensure that the historically diminished use and status of the indigenous languages of the people of South African are redressed and positive measures are taken to elevate the status and advance the use of these languages.

The Recognition of Prior Learning is an initiative of the DSI, which through the implementation of the Protection, Promotion, Development and Management of Indigenous Knowledge Act No 6 of 2019, aims to recognise the skills of indigenous practitioners in various IKS domains. The initiative focuses on the development of a competency-based qualification to be registered on the National Qualifications Framework. The Department is currently working with IK practitioners (Traditional Health Practice IK domain), to scope their

competencies of their various cultural settings, and has so far documented competencies in isiZulu, Setswana and TshiVenda languages. The workshops with IK practitioners are conducted in the vernacular languages of the IK practitioners. To this end, the IK occupations and accompanying competencies that are documented in the vernacular languages serve as a principle and as a means to promote and preserve the languages of the knowledge systems in its own context.

The National Recordal System (NRS) of the DSI supports the Protection, Promotion, Development and Management of Indigenous Knowledge Act No 6 of 2019 (herein after referred as the IK Act) through the registration of IK. The initiative promotes the recording of IK in vernacular languages using multimedia technology (recording of audio, video, images and transcriptions of each recorded IK story), as a means to preserve IK for future generations so that the context is not lost. Further hereto, the aim is to protect the IK from biopiracy and misappropriation, and to enable the sharing of benefits to the local and rural communities who have registered such IK in the system, should the knowledge be used by any 3rd party, following the various legal prescripts of the IK Act, No 6 of 2019. A key element of the NRS in the promotion of the vernacular languages is by having IK recorders from the participating communities to implement the documentation of IK. In this way, the youth are exposed to the value of their community IK, and through using their languages they are able to capture extensions of the very rich IK that are held by their own communities. The registered IK is held in a digital repository that stores, provide access to, transmit, manage and secure the registered indigenous knowledge via the digital platform.

(2) The South African Centre for Digital Language Resources provides a digital space for language resources and tools as part of its online repository available at https://repo.sadilar.org/. SADiLaR, through its nodes, focuses on ensuring African Languages are digitised, relevant text and speech processing technologies are developed, terminology development is supported through the creation of wordnets (which are large lexical databases containing nouns, verbs, etc. and their relationships) and language testing and training projects.

SADiLaR funds and supports a range of projects related to indigenous languages in collaboration with SADiLaR’s nodes (consisting of University of Pretoria (Department of African Languages); University of South Africa (Department of African Languages); CSIR (HLT Research Group); North-West University (Centre for Text Technology); and Inter-Institutional Centre for Language Development and Assessment (ICELDA). Projects relate to digitization, semantics and terminology, language development and teaching resources, speech resources, and text resources and technologies.

Collaboration between the North-West University, University of Pretoria and the CSIR in the area of Human Language Technologies predates the establishment of the SADiLaR. The development of a Human language technologies (HLT) speech-activated multilingual service delivery platform was funded from the European Union Government Budget Support programme, between 2014 and 2017. The platform is aimed at providing technology tools necessary for delivering information and services to South African citizens in their language of choice, in an affordable and sustainable manner. The focus was on the development of core technologies in automatic speech recognition (ASR) and text to speech (TTS) using mobile phones as the primary communication channel, furthermore, providing an HLT-enabled solution for website accessibility to print-disabled and low literate end-users.

The aim of the solution was to enable access to information and promote multilingualism. The solution involved the integration of TTS voices in South African English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa with the Non-Visual Desktop Access screen reader. Cape Access (CA) of the Western Cape Government was identified as a possible government partner following a need expressed to make their websites more accessible. CA identified 11 eCentres in which to pilot this technology. A demographics survey was conducted at these eCentres to determine who the typical visitors to these eCentres are and how they operate. After this, eCentre managers were trained on how to use the technology and the technology was subsequently installed and piloted at these eCentres.

The HLT-enabled solution which was also piloted at Kaleidoscope SA (Institute for the Blind). This pilot aimed at allowing blind students to use the Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) screen reader with local languages as a basis for receiving training. Kaleidoscope SA offers formal qualifications (N4 & N5) in a number of fields to blind students.

Furthermore, an activity aimed at assessing communication practices and needs of multilingual persons using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) was undertaken. The research was undertaken in collaboration with the Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) at the University of Pretoria and entailed the integration of CSIR Text-to-Speech (TTS) voices with AAC software. Two sets of evaluations were held and the local voices evaluated were South African English, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Afrikaans and Setswana.

The DSI is also currently funding the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Research (CAIR), which has a node at North West University. This particular node’s area of expertise is led by a Multilingual Speech Technologies (MuST) research group focused at the creation and use of speech technologies in the less-resourced languages.

SADiLaR, through its involvement with the UNESCO Year of Indigenous languages, reached more than 850 participants directly through language celebration events. These events created a space for academics, lecturers, students (undergraduates – postgraduates), broader public as well as profound contributors in the various languages to interact, and were held across South Africa at various universities in cooperation with the National Lexicography Units of South Africa. These events culminated in SADiLaR taking part in the Language Technologies for All conference with a focus on Enabling Linguistic Diversity and Multilingualism Worldwide, creating awareness of how the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap is directly contributing toward linguistic diversity and multilingualism through SADiLaR.

SADiLaR is also brainstorming its COVID-19 response, in particular to allow for “Rapid situational awareness in emerging situations like natural disasters or disease outbreaks”. This requires availability of Human Language Technology not only for the official languages of the country, but all languages spoken in South Africa.

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION:

1. The Department of Science and Innovation has not awarded any goods or services exceeding R500 000 (tenders) at this stage. All the Covid-19 related purchases have been below R500 000, procurement was done through quotations;
2. Not applicable;
3. Not applicable;
4. Not applicable.

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

1. Procurement in excess of R500 000 per case is considered as a tender, hence no single tender was awarded in respect of COVID-19 to date;
2. None;
3. Not applicable;
4. Not applicable.

Reply:

The Department started undertaking national cohort studies, including a specific study on NSFAS funded students in the 2016/17 financial year. The database of students who had received NSFAS funding in all previous years of study was mapped to the HEMIS dataset. The NSFAS cohort study considers any student who received NSFAS funding at any point in time during their studies. The NSFAS cohort study published on 13 March 2017 considered all cohorts that entered the public higher education sector, i.e. universities, for the first time from the 2000 to 2014 academic years. This report and subsequent reports show that students who have been funded by NSFAS perform better than the national cohort.  It should be noted that there is insufficient data to determine how the students on the new bursary scheme are performing, as at least 4 years of data would be required for 3-year qualifications and 5 years of data for 4-year qualifications.  This cohort only commenced their studies in the 2018 academic year. It should also be noted that the national cohort includes students funded by NSFAS. 

The 2000 to 2014 first time entering undergraduate cohort studies for public higher education institutions, published in March 2017, shows that the dropout and throughput rates for the 2006 cohort are as follows for the:

• national cohort, 38.2% and 54.4% respectively;  
• DHET NSFAS cohort, 28.5% and 62.5% respectively; and 
• Thuthuka cohort, 10.4% and 85.8% respectively.

The 2000 to 2015 first time entering undergraduate cohort studies for public higher education institutions, published in March 2018, shows that the dropout and throughput rates for the 2007 cohort are as follows for the:

• national cohort, 37.9% and 55.6% respectively; 
• DHET NSFAS cohort, 25.9% and 66.2% respectively; and 
• Thuthuka cohort, 13.0% and 81.2% respectively. 

The 2000 to 2016 first time entering undergraduate cohort studies for public higher education institutions, published in March 2019, shows that the dropout and throughput rates for the 2008 cohort are as follows for the:

• national cohort, 34.6% and 58.0% respectively; 
• DHET NSFAS cohort, 22.4% and 68.9% respectively; 
• Thuthuka cohort, 12.3% and 83.1% respectively; and 
• Funza Lushaka cohort 8.2% and 87.0% respectively

The 2000 to 2017 first time entering undergraduate cohort studies for public higher education institutions, published in March 2020, shows that the dropout and throughput rates for the 2009 cohort are as follows for the:

• national cohort, 31.3% and 61.1% respectively; 
• DHET NSFAS cohort, 22.2% and 69.7% respectively; 
• for the Thuthuka cohort, 11.0% and 84.6% respectively; and 
• Funza Lushaka cohort 8.6% and 86.8% respectively 

It should be noted that the NSFAS cohorts in every cohort study have performed better than the national cohort. These cohorts of NSFAS funded students were from poor families earning up to R1220 000 per annum, and the students in the scheme did not necessarily receive full cost of study funding, as funding was capped and there was an expected family contribution.

In comparison, the Thuthuka cohort are students entering accounting studies and in general would include high performing students from the basic education sector. These students have also received full cost of study funding and tailored 'wrap around' support. 

The Funza Lushaka cohort is also a selected (competitive) cohort and has always been fully funded for all aspects of their study.   

The cohort study published by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) on 13 March 2017 did not focus on performance of NSFAS recipients in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. The Department has been working closely with NSFAS to improve the capacity of NSFAS to administer and disburse bursaries to TVET college students and to respond to the uniqueness of the TVET college sector. NSFAS systems and processes require specific enhancements to adequately cater for the TVET college sector, especially the numerous and somewhat shorter academic cycles. This intervention will ultimately enable NSFAS to effectively report on performance of recipients in the TVET college sector with its numerous academic cycles. Notwithstanding this intervention, the Department has started gathering data on performance of NSFAS recipients in TVET colleges. However, this information is not readily available now as its analysis is still being undertaken.

Reply:

1.	1 (a) (i)	1 (a) (ii)	1 (b)
Shifting of earmarked funds (historic debt)	R1.963 billion		In the process of being written off.
Disbursements with respect to NOCLAR		R4.359 billion	This should be closed out during the 2020/21 financial year, including recoveries.
Disbursements in excess of contract amounts			NSFAS has applied to the Credit Regulator for a waiver to this legislative requirement.
Other	R6 million		The investigation is complete and findings indicate that no was loss incurred but it was rather a compliance matter only.

.

(2) The key performance areas of the Administrator are:

• Finalise the close out of the 2017/18 student funding cycle, including the finalisation of all data exchange and final payments. - Ensure the effective close out of the 2019 funding cycle and provision of accurate data to the Department.
• Ensure effective preparation for, and implementation of, the 2020 student funding cycle in consultation with the Department.
• Ensure that the entity pays adequate attention to both TVET colleges and universities in all aspects of its core business processes.
• Maintain a close and productive working relationship between NSFAS and the universities and TVET colleges.
• Put in place the necessary management and governance controls to ensure that all risks of the 2020 student funding cycle are appropriately managed, with the support of the Department and institutions as necessary.
• Manage the day-to-day work of the entity and steer NSFAS to address its operational challenges fully.
• Oversee the process of appointing new executive staff at NSFAS, in terms of a process agreed with the Department.
• Ensure a smooth transition between the administration and the new executive staff. - Oversee all forensic and other investigations necessary for the effective operation and management of the entity and any follow up required.
• Provide support to the Ministerial Task Team appointed by the Minister.

(3) The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation does not intend to extend the term of office of the Administrator unless conditions dictates otherwise. The process to finalise the appointments of vacant senior executive management posts, including the appointment of the Executive Officer is underway. The terms of reference of the Administrator states that he must ensure a smooth transition between the administration and the new executive staff. The Minister is in the process of initiating the appointment of a new Board in terms of Section 5 of the NSFAS Act 56 of 1999.

Reply:

The Draft Framework for Institutional Audits 2020 and Draft Manual for Institutional Audits 2020 were approved for consultation with the higher education sector by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) at its meeting of 7 April 2020. It is envisaged that once the feedback from the sector has been considered by the HEQC, the Framework and Manual would be ready for final approval by the HEQC at its July 2020 meeting. UNISA forms part of a group of 20 higher education institutions, both public and private, that have been identified for the audit in 2020 after the final approval of the Framework and Manual. At this stage it is not envisaged that the COVID19 restrictions will cause undue delay in the UNISA audit, barring totally unforeseen developments on the trajectory of the pandemic.

The Draft Manual for Institutional Audits 2020 makes provision for three institutional visits prior to the main audit site visit, for the purposes of (i) initiating the audit, (ii) discussing the strategy for the audit with the institution, and (iii) finalizing the site visits programme. All these institutional visits can be done via videoconferencing and will commence in August 2020 as planned. Training for the identified higher education institutions, as well as the audit panel members, for the institutional audits can also be done online in the last part of 2020 as planned. A large and complex institution such as UNISA will require at least 6 months to complete their self-evaluation report and to compile a portfolio of evidence, which means that the due date for this is likely to be towards the end of January 2021. The Manual already makes provision for these documents to be submitted in digital format.

The audit portfolio meeting in which the panel finalises (i) the programme for the audit visit, (ii) the requirements for the additional information and evidence, (iii) the details of supporting documentation to be available on-site during audit visit, (iv) the persons to interview, and (v) the members of the panel and dates to visit satellite campuses, if applicable, can also be done online.

The actual audit site visit for UNISA is likely to be around April 2021, by which time it is anticipated that the COVID-19 restrictions would have been lifted. In the event of a continuation of the restrictions due to unforeseen developments, the Council on Higher Education is currently in the process of developing a new methodology in which the self-evaluation reports and portfolios of evidence of institutions will be subjected to a thorough document analysis by the audit panel members on an online platform, with lines of enquiry, further evidence and interviews being conducted online. Physical site visits will only take place in cases where the audit panel is unconvinced by the digital evidence, which may include visual material in addition to text-based material. This methodology will undergo a trial with the national doctoral review, which is currently underway.

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

(1) Currently, the DSI has not planned on providing specific Covid-19 financial or other relief to small businesses. The focus of the DSI is to continue strengthening existing interventions that provide technology and other support to small and medium enterprises including the technology stations programmes, industry development centres, technology localisation programme. These support programmes continue to prioritise critical priority beneficiary groups such as black people, youth, and women.

(2) Not applicable

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

(1)   His Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, on the occasion of announcing further economic and social measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on 21 April 2020, stated “…in addition to existing tax relief measures, we will also be introducing a 4-months holiday for companies’ skills development levy contributions...”.

Subsequently, National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service published the revised 2020 Draft Disaster Management Tax Relief Bill and 2020 Draft Disaster Management Tax Relief Administration Bill with the following reference regarding the skills development levy “this is a suspension, not a deferral, as a result, employers will not become liable for these amounts after 31 August 2020”.

It is estimated that the 4-months' skills levy holiday (May, June, July and August 2020) will lead to a reduced income of R4.89 billion for the Sector Education and Training Authorities and R1.22 billion for the National Skills Fund. In total, this amount for the 2020/21 financial year is estimated to be R6.1 billion.

In response to the COVID-19 relief, the National Skills Fund has set aside a budget of
R1.5 billion for COVID-19 relief that focusses on continued funding of learners’ stipends during and after the lockdown to complete their learning programmes, as well as additional funding of R1 000 per learner for skills development providers to support additional COVID-19 measures such as hygiene consumables, masks, etc.

Six of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) are collaborating in support of the interdepartmental economic stimulus project for small enterprises and cooperatives. This project will provide support for small enterprises and cooperatives covering the following scope:

• Demand and need for the supply of essential goods and services during the Covid-19 lockdown period and beyond.
• Manufacturing, warehousing and distribution of essential goods during the COVID-19 lockdown period and beyond.
• Provide opportunities for Small Enterprises and Cooperatives in the Value Chain of Manufacturing / Procurement and Distribution of these goods and services. 
• Capacity building for the Small Enterprises and Cooperatives in value chain management of manufacturing, procurement and distribution of these target goods and services.
• Sustainable Funding Mechanism for the Small Enterprises and Cooperatives beyond the COVID -19 Lockdown Period.

The broad objective of this initiative is to support various entities involved in the supply of the essential needs across all provinces and districts as listed below:

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and systems;
• Sanitizers and sanitation and disinfectant systems;
• Coffins and Funeral undertaker services;
• Manufacturing of the essential goods: PPE and systems, sanitizers, sanitation and disinfectant systems as well as coffins; amongst others; and
• Packaging, Warehousing and Transportation services.

This project will be supported using budgets allocated to support Small Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMMEs) and Cooperatives as captured in the participating SETA’s Annual Performance Plans for 2020/21 financial year. Each SETA will implement their response programs in line with their budget availability, reprioritization, KPAs and approval protocols.

The following are the SETAs participating in the interdepartmental economic stimulus project for small enterprises and cooperatives:

1. Transport Education Training Authority (TETA);
2. Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA);
3. Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Services SETA);
4. Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP & M SETA);
5. Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA); and
6. Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA).

(2)  The National Treasury published the Disaster Management Tax Relief Bill, 2020 on 1 May 2020, which deals with the Covid-19 relief.

Reply:

The data for the 2019 academic year is currently not available. Preliminary (unaudited) student enrolment data and data required for calculating success rates is due from universities on 30 April 2020. Some universities have indicated that they may require an extension due to the lockdown period. The final submission date for data is 31 July 2020. A process of verifying this data will thereafter commence and the full set of audited data is normally available in October each year.  

Reply:

The total enrolment in public higher education institutions (universities) is just over one million students (1 085 568 students). There are 11 official spoken languages in South Africa. Universities need to ensure that language is not used as a barrier to access higher education. Language has been used to exclude the majority of South Africans from accessing some universities in the past. Government supports the initiatives taken by universities to remove barriers, linguistic or otherwise, to ensure that universities across the country remain truly national entities and are accessible to all South Africans. In the democratic South Africa, there are no exclusively IsiZulu, IsiXhosa or Afrikaans language universities, but rather, South African universities that uphold the values of the Constitution and are mindful of the legacies of the past, and play their part in creating a fully transformed united South Africa that is at peace with itself and the rest of the world. Students of all linguistic backgrounds can enter any university to study, and must be supported to succeed. Therefore, students whose home language is Afrikaans or any other South African language may choose to study at any university in the country. We certainly cannot go back to a past where some of universities were earmarked for exclusive cultural and linguistic communities. Moreover, while English is utilised as the main language of teaching and learning, there is no official South African language that is excluded by universities as all universities have multilingual language policies. Universities determine their language policies and plans in terms of the Higher Education Act (No. 101 of 1997 as amended). These policies and plans must be in line with the Higher Education Language Policy Framework determined by the Minister as well as the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

 

Reply:

1) (a) Not all universities structure their faculties in the same way as some have colleges or schools. They determine within those faculties/colleges/schools their departments as deemed appropriate by each university. Data provided to the Department’s Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) is at a high-level according to qualification registrations and by CESM (Classification of Educational Subject Material), and not by faculty.

The Department is able to provide high-level enrolment and graduate data per CESM level. Enrolment data per university is provided in Table 1 (Annexure A) by qualification type and major field of study. In addition, data is provided per university by qualification type in Table 2 (Annexure A).

(b) HEMIS data only reflects a pass or fail result for the course completion at a full-time equivalent level to determine the overall success rate of the sector or by institution. Data on supplementary examinations are not collected. Table 3 (Annexure A) gives the success rates of students across all public universities by attendance mode (contact/distance) and by demographic population group.

(2) Marks are specific to a particular student and held by universities. This information would be subject to the universities’ confidentiality agreements with their students. The Department does not collect this level of detailed information per student, and is unable to provide it.

Reply:

The Department and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will not be able to provide the information in the requested format, as this level of detail is only available at an institutional level, and would take considerable time to collate. There would also be limits to the level of detail that could practically be provided per institution.

In terms of the data exchange between NSFAS and institutions, institutions provide information to NSFAS on whether students meet the criteria for continuation. The level of detail requested in terms of examinations, supplementary examinations, subjects passed and failed, marks, etc. is not provided to NSFAS.

The Department's Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) collects information on enrolments and completion of qualifications. This enables cohort reporting to be done according to a breakdown of qualification types, i.e. 3-year degrees, 3-year diplomas and 4-year degrees. Specific cohort information is also collected on the MBChB programme, engineering programmes, life and physical sciences and teacher education. In addition, data is broken down according to population group and gender. This is in line with the requirement to focus on specific Medium Term Strategic Framework targets. It is possible to provide an overview of the breakdown according to fields of study, i.e. Science, Engineering and Technology; Business and Commerce; Education and the Humanities.

NSFAS recipient data is also brought into the cohort study to show the overall performance of NSFAS recipients, and the study is also able to look at students enrolled for foundation programmes. The attached cohort study was based on data up to the 2017 academic year and provides the throughput and dropout rates of NSFAS funded students.

It is only possible to provide a global picture of throughput rates for particular cohorts. Data provided to HEMIS is at a high level according to qualification registrations and by CESM (Classification of Educational Subject Material), and not by faculty. The names of qualifications reported from different institutions are not consistent, as they are reported according to their accredited names. HEMIS only reflects pass or fail results for the course completion at a full-time equivalent level to determine the overall success rates of the sector or by institution. This data is required at a high level for funding and planning purposes.

Reply:

The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology is currently appraising the draft Terms of Reference and composition of the Ministerial Committee of Inquiry to conduct a formal independent review of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. Once approved, a notice will be published in the Government Gazette outlining the date of appointment, committee members, scope and timelines for the inquiry.

Reply:

The two Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges located in Ekurhuleni (Ekurhuleni East TVET College and Ekurhuleni West TVET College) have informed the Department of Higher Education and Training that no students were prevented from registering for the 2020 academic year due to being blocked by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) from applying.

The colleges have indicated that in cases where payments were outstanding from NSFAS, students were allowed to register and the colleges have followed up with NSFAS on their behalf.

Reply:

1. In terms of section 20(4) of the Higher Education Act No.101 of 1997, public universities are established as autonomous institutions governed by a Council appointed in terms of the Act.

1.1 In the case number 24537/2015, the court’s ruling was with regard to the conduct of certain Council members. This is a matter that must be regulated in terms of the Code of Conduct of a Council, which has been adopted by a Council. The Minister is not authorized by the Act to interfere in the matters within the jurisdiction of Council, as this would be ultra vires and invalid. The circumstances under which the Minister may issue a directive to a university Council or intervene in the affairs of a public higher education institution are articulated under section 42 of the Act.

1.2 In the context of case numbers 1153/02/2019 and 23182/17, the matters are currently pending. Council as the employer has the authority to take action upon the finalisation of the matters in court, if any. The South African Constitution contains an important democratic principle of the separation of powers, which means that the power of the state is divided between three different but interdependent components or arms, i.e. the executive, legislature and judiciary. The Minister cannot interfere with the court proceedings.

2. The University, under the authority of its Council, has a duty to ensure that appropriate action is taken where there is a legal transgression.

Reply:

a) There are multiple reasons for the protests at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The University has reported that it is implementing the Minister’s announcement that the National Student Financial Scheme (NSFAS) would remain open for first time entry students accepted at the University who had for some reason or other not applied to NSFAS, and for NSFAS qualifying returning students who qualify for debt relief in terms of the 2018 due diligence process. These students can register without payment as long as they sign the Acknowledgement of Debt form.

One of the aspects that underlie the protests relates to students who do not fall into the NSFAS qualifying categories.

b) On 15 January 2020, UKZN communicated the financial clearance concessions for the 2020 academic year to all students. The key student demands following the communique are as follows and summarised in Table 1 below:

• All students whose annual family income is below R350 000 be registered without making payments for registration fees and towards their student debt.
• Significantly reduced payments towards historic debt for students above R350 000 and R600 000.
• The University to provide an additional 2 500 beds by leasing buildings from various property owners in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
• Review cases of academically excluded students.

Table 1

Category of students	Payments required to obtain financial clearance (UKZN APPROVED CONCESSIONS)	Payments required to obtain financial clearance (SRC PROPOSED CONCESSIONS) Revised 24 February 2020
Below R350 000	If self-funded, i.e. do not qualify for NSFAS funding/debt relief, registration fee and 15% of debt capped at R10 000 or R15 000	No payment
Above R350 000 and below R600 000	Registration fee (if self-funded) and 30% of debt capped at R20 000 or R25 000	Registration fee (if self-funded) and 15% of debt capped at R5 000 or R10 000
Above R600 000	Registration fee (if self-funded) and 50% of debt capped at R25 000 or R45 000	No additional concessions proposed

The University has reported that the financial clearance concessions for all students already in place has a cash flow implication in excess of R1 billion. The financial clearance concessions demanded by the SRC would have a total cost of R2.26 billion taking into consideration the provisioning of allowances and fees.

The University continues to implement the concessions to ensure that students of the University are not required to pay 100% of their debt before registration. Registration data provided by the University as at 24 February 2020 shows that 95% of undergraduates and 63% of postgraduates are registered as follows:

Registration data as 24 February 2020          Planned          Actual %

• Undergraduate – First time entry 10       938 9 911            91%
• Undergraduate – Returning students      23 359 22 588      97%

Undergraduate Total                                   34 297 32 499      95%

Postgraduate Total                                     12 741 8 019         63%

All students                                                47 038 40 518        86%

The University has identified 1 435 unregistered students owing R72 million who are funded by NSFAS in 2020, but owe the University for previous year’s fees that do not qualify for NSFAS debt relief. A further analysis of the debt in this cohort is currently being performed to raise the funds required to immediately assist these students with payments required for registration and also the funds required to settle their historic debt during the course of the academic year.

The University currently provides 23 028 beds (8 135 owned and 14 893 leased), amounting to the provisioning of 49% beds of the planned enrolment. This is in line with the Norms and Standards for Student Housing, which indicates that 50% of the student population in urban-based universities should be in university-managed student housing. The University has indicated that the registration period is open until 6 March 2020, which will determine the extent of additional accommodation required.

The University reported that the academic exclusion processes of the University, which resulted in the exclusion of 31 students, have been adequately followed through the relevant committees of Senate. Notwithstanding the above, it has been resolved that Senate will be requested to consider whether the cases of the 31 excluded students could be re-considered by Senate through the appropriate Senate committee.

Reply:

a) Effective from 2018 for first time entering university students (FTENS) that qualify for the DHET Bursary (combined gross family income of R350 000 per annum), the learning materials allowance (sometimes referred to as a book allowance) was standardised and capped as follows:

2018 – R5 000

2019 – R5 000

For the DHET Grant continuing students (combined gross family income of R122 000 per annum and capped funding), the allowance amount was set at the institutional allowance in 2017 with an inflation linked increase annually, provided that the learning materials allowance does not exceed the DHET Bursary allowance amount of R5 000 for FTENS.

The above pertains to contact institutions. Allowances for students in distance education programmes are calculated based on the number of courses registered, up to a maximum of R5 000.

It should be noted that the learning materials allowance could be used for a range of learning support materials and not only traditional textbooks.

b) The table below outlines the total amount paid as learning support materials in each academic year.

Funding Year	Disbursements: Books
2016	R 108 981 929.00
2017	R 911 995 140.87
2018	R 1 501 759 167.00
2019	R 1 688 649 464.00
Grand Total	R 4 211 385 700.87

The proposed learning materials allowance for 2020 is still under consideration and will be communicated once this decision is finalised.

Reply:

a) Effective from 2018 for first time entering university students (FTENS) that qualify for the DHET Bursary (combined gross family income of R350 000 per annum), the learning materials allowance (sometimes referred to as a book allowance) was standardised and capped as follows:

2018 – R5 000

2019 – R5 000

For the DHET Grant continuing students (combined gross family income of R122 000 per annum and capped funding), the allowance amount was set at the institutional allowance in 2017 with an inflation linked increase annually, provided that the learning materials allowance does not exceed the DHET Bursary allowance amount of R5 000 for FTENS.

The above pertains to contact institutions. Allowances for students in distance education programmes are calculated based on the number of courses registered, up to a maximum of R5 000.

It should be noted that the learning materials allowance could be used for a range of learning support materials and not only traditional textbooks.

b) The table below outlines the total amount paid as learning support materials in each academic year.

Funding Year	Disbursements: Books
2016	R 108 981 929.00
2017	R 911 995 140.87
2018	R 1 501 759 167.00
2019	R 1 688 649 464.00
Grand Total	R 4 211 385 700.87

The proposed learning materials allowance for 2020 is still under consideration and will be communicated once this decision is finalised.

Reply:

a) The Department of Higher Education and Training allocated an amount of R100 million to Walter Sisulu University (WSU) during the fourth Infrastructure and Efficiency Grant funding cycle (2015/16 to 2017/18). Allocations were given for infrastructure projects on the Queenstown, Ibika-Butterworth and Nelson Mandela Drive Campuses. R82 million was budgeted for the construction of a new 200-bed student residence at the Ibika Campus. However, due to the dire shortage of student beds at the Ibika Campus, WSU made the decision to utilise the available funds as equity to raise additional funding through a loan from the Development Bank of Southern Africa to support the development of a 500-bed student residence. The new 500-bed student residence project is currently in the planning stage and will commence once the funds have been confirmed, and all processes have been finalised.

b) The total student population at the Ibika Campus is 6 586 students. The University has 898 beds on the campus and 1 976 accredited off campus private accommodation beds. Most of the unaccredited private accommodation in the area does not meet the Department’s Minimum Norms and Standards for student housing at public universities.

 

Reply:

(1)(a) The Department has constantly upon request by industry partners’ revised curricula over the years in the National Certificate (Vocational) [NC (V)] and lately in the National Accredited Technical Diploma/Report 191 programmes. In the NC (V) programmes, e.g. Electrical Infrastructure and Construction (EIC) and Information Technology and Computer Science (IT&CS), revisions have been conducted and implemented on a phase-in by phase-out process. Other reviewed programmes and subjects include Safety in Society, Mathematics and Office Data Processing (ODP), which were revised on request from the security cluster, especially the South African Police Service with which the Department has a Memorandum of Understanding.

Through the Quality Council for Trades and Occupation, six subjects in finance and accounting, public administration, municipal administration, labour relations, travel office procedure and mercantile law where revised in the Report 191/NATED programmes. This was followed in 2018 by a review of Management Communication and Communication N4 curriculum. The review of a curriculum will naturally prompt the review of student textbooks, which results in the screening of textbooks and annual updating of the Department’s national textbook catalogue.

(b) In 2018, the Department identified and prioritised Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college programmes that required immediate curriculum review and update, in line with the current needs of industry and the changing digital skills needs of the economy. Curriculum Support Teams, which comprise of lecturers who are subject experts and industry stakeholders, were established to undertake reviews of specific programmes in the following fields, i.e. Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science (National Certificate (Vocational)), Business Studies (NATED), Mechanical Engineering (NATED), Mechano-Technics (NATED) and Hospitality and Tourism (NATED). In some instances, partnerships were established with industry role players such as the Cisco Networking Academy to enhance the quality of the new curricula.

The Department has also worked with the IT Faculty at the Tshwane University of Technology to develop a Robotics specialisation in the IT and Computer Science National Certificate (Vocational) programme. The reviews and updates are complete and the textbooks on the revised curricula have been commissioned and evaluated. The revised curricula will be implemented in 2021.

Of the 38 subjects that were prioritised in the NATED curricula, 22 have been reviewed and updated, and are currently undergoing a quality assurance process. The remaining 16 are in the final stages of curriculum review with Curriculum Support Teams. The revised curricula of the 38 NATED subjects are envisaged to be phased in during 2021 and 2022.

The opening of 26 Centres of Specialisation at 19 TVET colleges have ensured that TVET colleges are starting to address the demand for priority trades required by the economy and needed for implementation of government’s National Development Plan in general and national infrastructure plan more in particular. There are 797 apprentices currently being trained as artisans in 13 selected priority trades.

The Department has also commissioned research in the areas of curriculum relevance and responsiveness, as well as partnerships between TVET colleges and the world of work. These studies will provide data that will assist in enhancing the responsiveness of TVET programmes to the needs of industry and the South African economy.

(2) The Department and Cisco have a partnership to collaborate in reviewing and updating the ICT related TVET curricula through the Cisco Networking Academy. Life Orientation in the NC (V) programme has two components, i.e. Life Skills and ICT (Computer) Skills. In partnership with Cisco, the Department has mapped and matched the ICT Skills curriculum with the Cisco Network Academy curriculum. From 2020, the mapped curriculum, which has been aligned with latest ICT developments required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, will be offered at TVET colleges as part of Life Orientation with lecturer training starting in January/February 2020. Students completing an NC (V) Level 2 certificate with Life Orientation will also receive a Cisco Networking Academy accredited certificate on the latest ICT developments in areas such as Get Connected, Introduction to Internet of Things, and Introduction to Cybersecurity. Furthermore, TVET colleges are currently registering as Cisco Network Academy Centres for the purpose of lecturer training and the implementation of the programme.

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

The Department is currently not funding any research projects related to HIV/Aids vaccines.  However, the Department through Higher Health (previously known as HEAIDS) is implementing HIV mitigation programmes at public Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges and universities.

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION:

The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) has a flagship programme that coordinates and manages innovation projects focused on the development of prevention, treatment and diagnostics tools for HIV/AIDS. There are currently five projects within the HIV prevention portfolio that deal with different aspects of HIV vaccine research and development.

Reply:

All universities pay student allowances directly. The Department followed up with the University of the Western Cape (UWC) on receipt of the Parliamentary Question. UWC is not aware of 400 students that are alleged not to have received book allowances. According to the information provided by UWC and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, the only students that have not received book allowances are students who are registered for one or two modules and repeating from the 2018 academic year. These students do not qualify for a book allowance for these repeated modules.

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

The Department did not do business with any of the said companies in the last five financial years. With regards to the listed names, the Department is not in a position to establish such, as the Department does not have the names of individuals serving on boards or companies on its database.

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION:

As depicted below the Department of Science and Innovation has not done business with the persons, companies and trusts in the question.

Name of institution	(a) Persons	(b) Companies	(c) Trusts
	(i) Past 5 Years	(ii) Since April 2019	(i) Past 5 Years	(ii) Since April 2019	(i) Past 5 Years	(ii) Since April 2019
Department of Science and Innovation (DSI)	None	None	None	None	None	None

Reply:

(a) Against the strategic goal of building institutional capacity in the Community Education and Training (CET) system, the Department took a decision to rationalize the CET institutional landscape in the interest of efficiency, effective service delivery and economic use of the limited resources. In order to guide the process of rationalization, the CET College System: National Plan for the Implementation of the White Paper on Post-School Education and Training was developed. The Councils of the CET colleges took resolutions in support of the proposal in the plan to rationalize the Community Learning Centres (CLCs) nationally from 3 276 to 200. For the Northern Cape CET College, the Council approved 7 CLCs and 80 satellite centres for accessibility.

The four CLCs in the Hantam Local Municipality were affected due to extremely low student headcount enrolments, which impacted on the provision of quality education and training. In the 2018 examination cycle, the four centres combined had 21 candidates, i.e. Williston with five candidates, Loerisfontein with five candidates, Niewoudtville with seven candidates and Brandvlei with four candidates.

In quality, planning and resource terms, there must be a lecturer for each subject and examination procedures in place, i.e. appointment of invigilators and markers. In the context of limited resources matched with the uptake of the CET opportunities by the communities, the situation was unsustainable.

(b) In terms of the Policy and Procedures for Regulating the Opening, Merging and Closing of CET Colleges’ learning sites, the rationalization process does not preclude the Council from opening and merging centres where there is a need. If the demand increases the college Council can be approached to open a satellite centre and deploy lecturers accordingly.

Reply:

1. A letter dated 27 September 2019 was received from Solidarity requesting a meeting to discuss matters relating to the Sol-Tech College.
2. I am looking forward to meeting and engaging with them and any other institution on matters relating to higher education and training.

I welcome the explanation and clarity provided in their letter that Sol-Tech as a private college is fully committed to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and all legislative frameworks pertaining to education and training in the country, and as such, rejects all forms of discrimination based on race. My Ministry will engage with them further as we have an obligation to make sure that no South African is denied access to any educational institution in the country based on race, language or culture.

3. The Department acknowledges and upholds Afrikaans as one of the 11 official languages of the Republic of South Africa, which is duly protected by the Constitution. However, any form of discrimination or exclusionary practice based on language will not be tolerated as it goes against the spirit of the Constitution and the imperatives of social cohesion and nation building.

4. The Department’s position is very clear and consistent over the years that in post-apartheid South Africa we will no longer have exclusive Afrikaans, Zulu or Xhosa institutions, but rather institutions, which are open to all South Africans that upholds the values of our Constitution.

Reply:

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

The Department did not incur costs related to the inauguration of the President and State of the Nation Address.

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION:

(1) Yes, the Director-General Dr P Mjwara, of the Department of Science and Innovation attended the events as follows:

Event	(a) Inauguration of the President of the Republic, Mr M C Ramaphosa, held in Pretoria on 25 May 2019	(b) State of the Nation Address held in Cape Town on 20 June 2019
Attended Flights Accommodation	R0 R0	R10 015.00 R 1 828.12
Total	R0	R11 843.12

Reply:

1. The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology is aware that SARAO – (formerly the South African Square Kilometre Array Project Office), hosts regular public information sessions and stakeholder meetings in various towns surrounding the SKA project in the Northern Cape. I can confirm that SARAO attended the meeting in Carnarvon on 18 September 2019 and they have given me the attendance register and minutes of this meeting.

2. The Minister will not be making a statement on this matter.

Reply:

1. All South African universities are currently public higher education instiutions. Public higher education institutions must be accessible to a wide range of diverse students. Within the South African context universities have developed language policies, in line with the Policy on Languages in Higher Education, and have moved away from Afrikaans only language institutions/ campuses toward utilising English as the main language of instruction, and at the same time fostering multilingual environments that include a range of other languages, in terms of, for example, campus signage, social usage and formal usage at university arranged events. This move has been tested in the consitutional court and has been found to be in line with the Constitution. Government supports these language policy movements, however it does not set the policy at the institutional level. An institution may implement a language policy that allows for dual mediums of instruction in terms of the policy. However, they may not implement policy that results in language being a barrier to access and success for students.

Private higher education institutions must also uphold the constitution and implement language policies that do not act as barriers to access and success.

2. No, the Minister will not be making a statement on this matter.

Reply:

1. Significant changes and improvements have been undertaken by the Administrator in keeping to the gazetted terms of reference of the administration period up to August 2019. This has resulted in a more stable 2019 student funding cycle in the sector.

This can be seen most clearly in the improvements in the disbursement of student allowances in 2019, resulting in significantly less disruption to the academic programme than what occurred in 2018, where students were confirmed late in the academic year and received allowances late. In 2019, the majority of students where funding was confirmed, registration took place, and students signed their bursary agreements, received their allowances early in the academic year.

Data exchange between institutions and NSFAS has significantly improved and resulted in a smoother funding cycle, and many errors from the 2017 and 2018 academic years have been corrected. This has a direct effect on students receiving funding at the appropriate time. Appeals are being processed efficiently and data exceptions have been reduced significantly.

There have also been improvements regarding the support provided to institutions by NSFAS to resolve problems timeously, including more direct support to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. Compliance with bursary rules has improved and this has resulted in low error numbers and outstanding or incorrect payments.

As reported in Parliament on 28 August 2019, NSFAS, while under Administration has paid significant attention to issues of organisational governance and management, including identifying high-risk areas in the business processes of NSFAS. This has included significant attention to areas of information technology (IT), governance and risk, and the management of data at the entity. Controls that are more effective have been put in place to ensure effective management and administration of IT systems.

Issues of data integrity and cyber security were identified as critical areas of work, and many challenges remain within the entity that are being addressed. Challenges with the IT systems, which regularly crashed in 2018 were urgently addressed, and IT operational systems are currently operating at 98% uptime, in contrast to daily system crashes in 2018. Disbursements are processed more effectively in 2019 on a monthly rather than a daily basis.

NSFAS has undertaken a number of forensic investigations to uncover and act in areas of fraud and maladministration. An overview of this work has been presented to Parliament and the work continues.

NSFAS has opened the 2020 applications cycle at the beginning of September 2019.

The new Administration term, together with new Terms of Reference, have been published in the Government Gazette. This is to allow for continued work to improve the operations of the entity. The Administrator and his team will also work closely with the Ministerial team that will be appointed soon to conduct a review of NSFAS business processes with a view to making decisions about NSFAS going forward.

NSFAS has a critical mandate to support funding for students from poor and working-class backgrounds in the university and TVET college sectors, and a more efficient and effective NSFAS is an absolute priority of the Administrator, supported by the Department of Higher Education and Training, and the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology.

2. Those who are found responsible for wrongdoing at NSFAS will face consequences. The Administrator reported in Parliament on 28 August 2019 on a number of forensic investigations underway at the entity. In some cases, disciplinary processes have already been initiated where evidence is available. In other cases, investigations are continuing. NSFAS will work with the necessary authorities, where necessary, to lay charges in cases where evidence of illegal activity is uncovered.