Questions and Replies

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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO.: PQ 4079 QUESTION: 4079.

Ms R N Komane (EFF) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:

Who were the beneficiaries of the process of valuation of SA Airways assets, purchase price and distribution of the transaction risk? NO5090E

REPLY

An independent third party conducted the valuation of SAA Group using multiple valuation methodologies.
The purchase price was negotiated based on the disposal of 51% of the shareholding in SAA. Therefore, the outcomes of the valuation process formed the basis for determining the purchase price.
The transaction risk was based on accounting for the following factors:
o Executability of the transaction with the SEP;
o Certainty of the transaction closing with the SEP;
o The ability of the SEP to raise the required funding
o The willingness of the SEP to support matters of national interest; and
o The appropriate protective mechanism for the Government to exercise strategic direction.

Reply:

Sound governance happens only when leaders lead with integrity, when directors act in the in the interest of the of the company, and when major organizations are held to the highest standards of accountability by vigilant stakeholders and informed individuals. Corporate governance regulates the exercise of power (that is, authority, direction, and control) within a company to ensure that the company’s purpose is achieved by:
a) ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory obligations;
b) implementing processes to minimise risk and to ensure the sustainability of business; and
c) the development of policies and practices to ensure accountability.

SOEs are governed collectively, and to the extent applicable by
a. their founding legislation;
b. The Companies Act, 2008;
c. The PFMA and the Treasury Regulations;
d. The King Code of 2016 (King IV); and
e. The Protocol on Corporate Governance for State-Owned Enterprises, in addition to being subject to overarching duties in terms of the Constitution of South Africa.

The governance and operation of SOEs must comply with the requirements set out in section 195(1) of the Constitution, 1996. The standards and requirements for directors are regulated in section 76 of the Companies Act and requires, amongst other qualities that, a director of a company, when acting in that capacity, must exercise the powers and perform the functions of director:
a. in good faith and for a proper purpose;
b. in the best interests of the company; and
c. with the degree of care, skill and diligence that may reasonably be expected of a person.

Despite this inherent obligation, the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture (the Commission) specifically highlighted shortcomings in the governance and performance of State-Owned Enterprises, which are directly linked to noncompliance with prescripts regulating SOEs.

The Commission confirmed state capture concerning the affairs of Eskom, Transnet, Denel, SAA and Alexkor. To date, all these SOEs are still dealing with the negative effect of the systematic looting that was led by board members and senior executives that were installed to perpetuate state capture. The Commission found that the appointment and removal of members of the board and other senior executives in SOEs as one of the key causes of state capture. The appointments of board members and executives were mostly done on an irrational manner and in conflict with legislative requirements. Across DPE’s SOEs, the pattern suggested a disjuncture between the fiduciary duties of State-owned enterprises board members and the profile, skills and expertise of incumbents, pointing to inadequate criteria for appointment and dismissal or inadequate application of these. The lack of compliance, transparency and accountability in the appointment of Board members seems to have flaunted the standards required for their appointments as directors and failure to comply with fiduciary obligations. The President published govern-wide state capture response plan, which also details the work the department is currently seized concerning implementation of the Commission’s recommendations. The work is meant to ensure that there is no repeat of state capture.

Remarks:
Jacky Molisane
Acting Director-General
Date:


Reply: Approved / Not approved
PJ Gordhan, MP
Minister
Date:

Reply:

(a)(b) The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) did not deal with any cases, regarding the assault on the elderly and theft and/or embezzlement of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grant money of the elderly in 2021.However, the DPCI is investigating number of other cases pertaining to the SASSA.

(a) The cases that are related to assault on elderly persons, for the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021, are categorised into two groups, as reflected in the table below:

Provinces	Elderly: Male (65 years and above)	Elderly: Female (65 years and above)
Eastern Cape	503	987
Free State	219	404
Gauteng	712	1105
KwaZulu-Natal	485	783
Limpopo	308	452
Mpumanlanga	177	271
North West	176	272
Northern Cape	122	210
Western Cape	564	1070
Total Per Province	3266	5554

(b) The South AfricanPolice Service (SAPS) is not able to source data related to the theft and/or embezzlement of SASSA grant money specifically, as the Crime Administration System/Investigation Case Docket Management System (CAS/ICDMS) does not reflect this information. The sourcing of this information will required every police station to physically analyse the relevant case dockets to determine the information. This will be a very deployment of personnel, is not practical, as it will divert critical resources away from planned operations.
 

Reply:

Honourable Member, Nursing Education is still the competency of Department of Health. Kindly redirect this question to the Department of Health and the Department of Social Development.

Reply:

I certainly empathise with the impact of load shedding on small businesses. The shortage of energy in South Africa is a long-standing problem which the present administration is addressing, together with the recovery from State Capture. Eskom will continue to endeavor to reduce load shedding and its impact on small businesses.

Reply:

(a) The Labour Court case in question is in relation to the employees that were employed on a fixed-term contract by the College Council and were not on the persal system of Department of Higher Education and Training. The renewal of such contracts is subject to the extension of the specific project/programme that they were contracted for. In other instances, employees could be contracted to offer Ministerial approved programmes (Report190/191 or NCV) due to increased enrollment numbers.

This category of employees could be offered permanent employment should the enrollment numbers justify such growth. However, if enrollment numbers drop as it happened during the COVID-19 pandemic where several colleges experienced a drastic decline in their enrollments and as such it would have been impossible to offer any fixedterm contract during that period. Upon receiving this correspondence, I delegated senior officials in my department to investigate the matter with the college and the response is as follows:

1. The college confirmed officials mentioned in the Tshabile and 12 others case were indeed appointed by the Council of Northern Cape Urban TVET college on a fixedterm contracts basis.

2. The officials mentioned in the Tshabile and 12 others case decided to split into two (2) groups (one group led by Tshabile which is called Tshabile - Represented by Webber Wenzel Attorneys and the other group is led by Sibongile Madondo/ Khumalo - Represented by Gqadushe Attorneys).

3. Tshabile (Case No. JR388/22) filed in the Labour Court at Johannesburg on the 25 February 2022 - was reviewing and setting aside the Arbitration Award issued by ELRC (ELRC 623 - 20/21NC) dated 27 August 2021. 4. The group of Khumalo and others then approached the Labour Court in Gqebhera for the enforcement of the Award - Represented by Gqadushe Attorneys (Case No. P80/2022).

5. On the 09 November 2022 the College informed Gqadushe Attorneys of its intention to defend its position in this case through Mokhele Attorneys.

6. The College will be submitting the application to set aside the award at the Labour Court through Mokhele Attorneys. (b) The Department will await the outcome of the application that the college has lodged with the Labour Court before taking any further steps in relation to the court ruling.

Reply:

(1) I did attend a meeting of the deployment committee of the ANC at the end of 2019 to brief them on the process I was going to follow in the appointment of the Director General of the Department and the CEO of Government Printing Works. I did not go there to receive any recommendations about who to appoint.

(2) As I said I briefed them on my processes and they agreed with me (a) I discussed the appointment of the Director General and the CEO of Government Printing works. I never received any recommendations as the Committee agreed with what I had outlined to them. From there I followed all the public service prescripts on the appointment of such positions until the Cabinet made the final decision on whom to appoint.

(b) No other Government matters were discussed.

Reply:

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has acknowledged the need to increase employment in agriculture. In general, growth in agriculture is two to three times more effective at reducing poverty than an equivalent amount of growth generated outside agriculture.

As the President stated in his 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA) speech, the agricultural sector has significant potential for job creation in crops such as citrus, table and dried grapes, subtropical fruit, avocadoes, berries and nuts. Masterplans in the Agriculture and Agro-processing Sector; Cannabis; Sugar and Poultry Industries are contributing significantly to increased investment, improved production and transformation.

The Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP) forms part of Government’s strategy to revitalise key sectors or our economy stimulate growth and job creation. The AAMP seeks to create 71 000 new jobs, impacting 6 500 small business and an estimated 300 000 livelihoods; further shifting black business participation in the sector from an average of 4% to 19% of market participation by 2030.

The Cannabis Master Plan prescribes a comprehensive plan of action which seeks to fully industrialise the Cannabis sector towards increase economic growth, creation of jobs and for poverty alleviation. The potential size of the Cannabis industry is estimated at approximately R 28 billion with the potential to create up to 25 000 jobs across its value chain.

The Sugar Master Plan was announced in the SONA in June 2019 and developed to guide the future growth of the sector; address a number of serious challenges faced by the sugar industry; stabilize the industry and also to ensure its long-term sustainability. Since the signing of the Master Plan, some progress has been made including the support to small-scale growers (SSGs) and industry transformation interventions. The MAFISA Loan scheme disbursed R4,032,217 to 96 farmers comprising of 1,153 beneficiaries in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal to support farming in the 2022/3 season. There is also additional support which is directly offered by the Department through the implementing agents in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. Before the intervention of the DALRRD, Mpumalanga had 673 seasonal jobs. With the DALRRD intervention, the number of new 2 jobs were increased to 1 260 seasonal jobs in Mpumalanga. In KwaZulu-Natal, 52 955 jobs have been stabilised.

In 2021, the Department completed the Poultry Master Plan which was aimed at supporting chicken farmers and processors with better production techniques and training is provided to the farmers. Through the implementation of the Poultry Master Plan, the industry has invested R800 million to upgrade production. South Africa now produces an additional one million chickens every week. A total of 1888 new jobs were created in the poultry industry to date and it is envisaged that 2600 new jobs will be created by the end of 2024

Reply:

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has not been involved in any joint military exercise with the Russian Federation recently. The last joint exercise by the two nations was conducted over the period 25-29 November 2019.

Reply:

Monies made available in terms of the Black Industrialist programme are largely in the form of loans made by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) based on its balance-sheet. Additional sums are made available as loans by the National Empowerment Fund (NEF). The contribution of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has been in the form of grants based on monies voted by Parliament for the specific purpose. These three sources and forms of funding are distinct and separate.

Details of projects can be obtained from the dtic, including at the following links:

http://www.thedtic.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/BIE-PROFILES-DIRECTORY2022.pdf 2 http://www.thedtic.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/Black-Industrialist-Report2021.pdf http://www.thedtic.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/Black-Industrialist-Presentation.pdf http://www.thedtic.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/PC-dtic-Black-IndustrialistPresentation.pdf

Information is also available on the websites of the IDC and NEF.

Reply:

According to the information received from Transnet

(a) The role of ports in South Africa as transport nodes is of strategic regional and economic importance. TNPA operates eight (8) commercial ports spread across different provinces in South Africa as outlined below:
Western Ports: Saldanha Bay, Cape Town, Mossel Bay
Central Ports: Port Elizabeth, Ngqura, East London
Eastern Ports: Durban, Richards Bay

Ports serve their hinterland and neighbouring landlocked countries, thus fulfilling an important role within the economy of the local and hinterland region along South Africa’s coastline to accommodate major economic zones served by adjacent ports. Complementary ports such as the Port of Cape Town must work in unison with the entire port system to reduce the cost of doing business.

In line with the Transnet Segment Strategy, the Port of Cape Town will continue its existing role as primary container and general cargo port for the Western Cape region, with the Port of Saldanha Bay playing a complementary role as the region’s primary dry bulk and liquid bulk port. The port system’s complementary and regional integration results in integrated development with the following benefits: Connected and efficient logistics corridors that are economically active which support regional communities;
A vibrant, borderless regional economy;
Encouraged regional specialisation;
Stimulated economic activity; and
Catalyst for growth.

(b) Not applicable.

Reply:

According to information received from Eskom:

NB – The responses are based on Eskom records and exclude municipalities that provide Free Basic Electricity (FBE) directly to their areas of supply.

(a) Municipalities that
(i) have applied to provide FBE for indigent households? According to Eskom’s records, there are 248. Some municipalities may have merged and are yet to update their records with Eskom.
(ii) are currently providing FBE for indigent households? The number of municipalities serviced by Eskom and providing FBE is 233.

(b) The total number of municipalities that are providing such FBE. If not, why not, and if so, what are the relevant details? The total number is 233, and of the 233, 15 municipalities have been de-configured for reasons indicated below:

Find here: Name of municipality

Reply:

In the light of the pending and imminent announcement of matric results on January 19, 2023, this question can only be responded to in full once the matric exam results are announced and the department will convene a press conference to announce spaces available in universities and TVET colleges for the academic year 2023.

Reply:

(a) SETAs, as schedule 3A entities are not exempted from the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, Act No 1 of 1999 (the PFMA) and other related prescripts. Consequently, where non-compliance with the PFMA is brought to the Department, such matters are attended to, in compliance with the provisions of the PFMA and other applicable legislation. Amongst other things, intervention measures that are implemented by the Department entail directing all SETAs to develop and submit audit action plans to the Department in cases where the Auditor-General South Africa has made audit findings. The Department’s intervention in addressing non-compliance is not limited to the above as each case of non-compliance is handled based on its merit. Additionally, to strengthen governance and improve compliance with the PFMA by the entities, the Department also organises regular meetings with the Chief Financial Officers of the entities (including the SETA’s) to discuss, among other things, PFMA compliance issues. The last meeting was held on 18 November 2022 with the Chief Financial Officers from all entities.

(b) All SETAs develop Sector Skills Plans, which amongst others identify scarce or critical skills or occupations in high demand in their sectors; to address the required skills or occupations, in their sectors, SETAs would identify the required learning programmes, which includes amongst others: providing the bursaries, subsequently Memorandum of Agreements will be entered with the institutions of higher learning. SETAs allocate funding to students in accordance to their grant regulations

Reply:

According to the information received from Transnet

(1) The settlement agreement, dated 11 December 2019, was approved in terms of a court order of 22 June 2020, and became unconditional in July 2020. It provided for members of the PRASA sub fund to receive certain lumpsums (unconditionally) and to receive certain special pension increases subject to certain rule amendments.

The pension increases have not been paid yet, but the agreement (and court order) contemplates a possible delay and provides that if the increases are made later for Transnet and SAA sub fund members, they will still be made with effect from the same date and may be made as additional lumpsums. Since the agreement does indeed contemplate a delay, it is incorrect to say that the agreement or court order have not been implemented – it is more correct to say that they are being implemented but the delay in passing the PRASA sub fund rule amendments is taking longer than the members anticipated.

This expected delay was also set out explicitly in the Class Notice that was issued in terms of the court order to educate members of the Fund about the terms of the settlement. Accordingly, the rule amendment process is part of the process of implementing the court order. For as long as it is underway there is no disregard of the court order. The process is receiving the necessary urgent attention

(2) It is noted that the Minister of Public Enterprises’ and the Minister of Finance are currently assessing the rule amendments and that once all the government processes have been adhered to and finalised, the Departments of Public Enterprises will revert to Parliament to provide a final response.

Reply:

Find here: Reply

Reply:

(1) No funding is provided to private companies as the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development does not do work with private companies with regards to provision of technical support to emerging farmers. However, the following Commodity Organisations are being used to provide technical support to emerging farmers:

- National Emergent Red Meat Producers Organisation (NERPO)
- South African Grain Farmers Association (SAGRA)
- Grain SA - South African Poultry Association (SAPA)
- South African Pork Producers’ Organisation
- Deciduous Fruit Development Chamber (DFDC)
- Citrus Growers Association (CGA)
- South African Farmers Development Association (SAFDA)
- South African Wine Industry Transformation Unit (SAWITU)

(2) (a), (b) and (c) Falls away.

Reply:

SASSA has engaged Postbank as its service provider, to ascertain the risk related to the media article on the possibilities of Telkom ditching its communication services with the South Africa Post Office (SAPO). SAPO has assured Post Bank that there is no official development or notice served by Telkom indicating their intention to withdraw from the communication’s services contract.

To further reduce this risk, Postbank is currently implementing an IT modernisation project which will enable the migration of Postbank’s banking platforms and other key applications from SAPO’s data center to a new Postbank compliant data center.

The financial position of SAPO continues to be a risk to grant payments both for Postbank and SASSA. However, it is important to note that all grants are paid directly into individuals’ bank accounts which are integrated to the National Payment System (NPS), therefore, if any channel is compromised, clients have the ability to withdrawn or transact at any Point Of Sale (POS) service at merchants and ATM’s using their cards.

We continually encourage SAPO/SASSA card holders and grant recipients using this card to use these other options, and would be grateful if members of Parliament can also educate and actively encourage their different constituents to do so. The use of cash is not only risky but also very expensive to beneficiaries.

Reply:

a) Below is the total amount of funds returned to the National Treasury, which were originally intended to fund non-profit organisations (NPOs) in the past five years.

PROV	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21	2021/22
EC
FS	R 1 184 935	R 7 394 312	R 7 231 186	R 46 172 865	R 20 322 839
GP
KZN
LP	R 1 028 000	R 20 027 000	R 4 082 000	R 70 919 000	R 64 265 000

PROV	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21	2021/22
MP	R 6 896 000	R 76 000 000	R 12 605 000	R 45 448 000	R 37 830 000
NW
NC
WC	R 380 067	R 1 054 841	R 3 222.00	R 5 067 000	R 10 290 527

At the time of submission, the above Provinces have only responded.

b) Refer to NAPQ 3228.

Reply:

Social Assistance is provided to individuals based on their income and asset status that they declare upon application, or when there is a change in their circumstances. SASSA does not check employment status, or director status of applicants, other than to confirm income levels.

a) Therefore, no records are kept of individuals based on their employment status or directorships.

b) SASSA does not have a record of funds recouped from directors of companies and who are also social grant beneficiaries.

It is important to note that being employed and/ or a director of a company (for profit or not- for- profit) does not disqualify a person from receiving a grant. Eligibility is determined by the income they receive from these activities; thus income needs to be assessed.

SASSA undergoes continuous reviews of social grants and investigates cases where fraud may have occurred. On the 4th of December 2021, 10 company directors were arrested on other matters, which were not social grant related fraud. Recovery of loss in relation to the aforementioned case will be done in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act, which goes concurrently with criminal prosecution. The case in question is at the criminal prosecution stage.

Reply:

The total number of children who have been adopted in the past two years is 1840. Breakdown of adopted children per province in the past two years is as follows:

Province	2020-2021	2021-2022
Gauteng	268	363
Western Cape	292	309
KwaZulu-Natal	111	88
Free State	47	42
Limpopo	22	36
North West	26	27
Eastern Cape	37	82
Northern Cape	8	17
Mpumalanga	38	27
Total	849	991

1

Reply:

It is important to note that the Ministry support staff in the Office of the Minister and Deputy Minister are appointed in terms of the provision of the Guide for Members of the Executive (Ministerial Handbook). Their employment contract is linked to the term of office of the Minister and Deputy Minister.

(a)(i) Currently, the Ministry support staff is as follows:

(b)(i) job title	(b)(ii) annual remuneration
Private Office (Handbook)
Chief of Staff	R1,388,331.00
Community Outreach Officer	R1,121,979.00
Media Liaison Officer	R1,121,979.00
Private & Appointment Secretary	R978,726.00
Assistant Appointment & Administrative Secretary	R766,584.00
Receptionist	R277,362.00
Household Aide	R128,166.00
Household Aide	R128,166.00
Departmental Support (Handbook)
Parliamentary and Cabinet Support	R1,138,800.00
Administrative Support & Coordination	R1,105,383.00

(b)(i) job title	(b)(ii) annual remuneration
Registry Clerk	R399,609.00
Driver/Messenger	R234,918.00
Food Aid Service	R195,621.00
Food Aid Service	R181,599.00
Departmental Support

Deputy Minister

(a)(ii) The Ministerial Handbook makes provision for Deputy Minister to appoint additional support in consultation with the Minister of Public Service and Administration due to her special needs.

(b)(i) job title	(b)(ii) annual remuneration
Private Office (Handbook)
Technical Specialist	R1,138,800.00
Administrative Secretary	R949,992.00
Community Outreach Officer	R801,615.00
Household Aide	R128,166.00
Household Aide	R128,166.00
Departmental Support (Handbook)
Chief Registry Clerk	R269,214.00
Driver/Messenger	R181,599.00
Food Aide Service	R107,196.00
Departmental Support
Special Needs Coordinator	R789,750.00
Senior Guide	R393,711.00
Senior Guide	R411,681.00
Chief Registry Clerk	R269,214.00
Chief Registry Clerk	R269,214.00
Driver/Messenger	R181,599.00
Senior Administration Officer	R336,012.00

Reply:

a) All South Africa Social Security Agency (SASSA) offices have contactable telephone lines.

b) SASSA has a national toll free number for the public to contact the agency for queries. The toll-free helpline number is 0800 60 1011.

Reply:

Kindly be advised that the Chief Financial Officer(CFO) has not been held accountable for the irregular expenditure;because in terms of the assessments and determinations undertaken in line with the Irregular Expenditure Framework,versions 2015 and 2018 it was other officials who were held liable for permitting/promoting irregular expenditure;and thus violating section 57 of the PFMA,1999.The identified officials have been subjected to the disciplinary processes in line with applicable labour laws.

Kindly also take note that the processes of dealing with irregular expenditure is not yet finalized; and should the assessment and determination currently underway happen to identify/implicate the CFO to have contributed or failed to prevent the irregular expenditure,the Agency will not hesitate to holding him accountable for his actions;

The current processes of dealing with the irregular expenditure and disciplinary proceedings are by nature very protracted; hence, the Agency has projected to finalize them on or before 31 March 2023.

Reply:

The Department of Social Development is part of a tripartite agreement with the Departments of Health and Basic Education for the implementation of the Integrated School Health Programme which amongst other functions also identify learners from dysfunctional homes for intervention by social workers.

The Department already implements the 365 days child protection programme of action that mobilises all government departments, non-governmental organisations, communities, families, religious and traditional leaders in the identification and reporting of cases of vulnerable children so that such children are referred and linked to available services.

The Department also implements RISIHA, a community-based child protection initiative that is aimed at orphans and vulnerable children within their families and communities. Through this initiative, the Department and community-based organisations employ child and youth care workers who identify children in need of care. Through this initiative, there are continued education and awareness programmes as well as provision of community-based prevention and early intervention programmes to cushion vulnerable children. This is complemented by the National Child Care and Protection Forum, which is an intersectoral forum represented by all key departments, NGOs, religious and traditional leaders to ensure collaborative efforts in identification and responding to the needs of vulnerable children.

At the time of responding to this question, the following provinces have shared province-specific interventions to deal with vulnerable children:

Province

Response

Gauteng

Working with other stakeholders to introduce safety ambassadors at schools is the mandate of the Gauteng Department of Community Safety. However, the Department of Social Development in collaboration with GDCS and stakeholders regarding safety ambassadors at schools and identification of learners from dysfunctional homes; continues School Social Work services and interventions through our School Social Workers and brings about a safer, secure and functional society. The aspect of safety ambassadors has been discussed and is in the evaluation and assessment of such learners in partnership with the Department of Community Safety. It follows that the noted Department already has safety ambassadors visa vie the safety patrollers programme with young adults who work in their respective communities and schools. The Plan is to utilise/ enjoin the safety patrollers towards the mentoring of teenagers in schools and thus institute learner- based safety ambassadors. These safety patrollers cum ambassadors will be shaped to mentor teenagers in schools in the strive to groom them towards learner-based safety ambassadors. This will serve a dual role in having positive pro- active mentoring between the young adults and the school-based learners. The Gauteng Department of Education has established an SLA program which serves as a student-led safety protocol program. This is currently under consideration for development and change evaluation. Due to GDSD being in partnership with GDE; it is

	subject to consideration within the SLA between the 2 Departments. These programs and Departments could ‘piggy - back’ and partner with each other in dealing with learners, school safety and the other young adults and school/community safety programmes. Aspects/ of Plans to work with Stakeholders: The provincial office in consultation & evaluation with the School Social Work team / School S/ W Managers & Supervisors at the Regional offices in the 5 Regions has instituted the creation of Regional School Social Work forums. These forums will have participating bodies of all stakeholders that work within the school social work ambit; and host relevant regional stakeholders in child protection, as well as other government departments that are pertinent to school and learner safety. The envisioned aim is to work coherently for stakeholders within government and civil society to aptly identify learners, families and communities that need care and through networking, partnerships have been able to meet and refer affected learners for psycho-social support and the accompanying social service delivery.
Mpumalanga	Yes. The Mpumalanga Social Development Department is working closely with NPOs in providing prevention and Early intervention services to schools. These include NPOs that the department is funding. The department further funds 51 Prevention and Early Intervention Community Based organizations that are having 456 Child and Youth Care Workers who are working within the community. They identify children and families with challenges and link them with relevant stakeholders. Local schools also refer cases to them and they refer them to local Social Development Offices for further management. These organizations are funded by the department. The department also funds NPOs that reach out to schools to provide support and early intervention programmes.
Western Cape	The department currently works with the Western Cape Education Department to identity children and youth at risk. When children are identified at the school, they are referred to DSD for the most appropriate support/interventions to address their needs. This also enables DSD to identify issues within the family context that

	must be addressed. The Department of Education has a Safe School Directorate with safety ambassadors who also refer children and youth risk to the Department of Social Development when required.
Eastern Cape	There are no plans to introduce safety ambassadors at schools. The Department of Social Development participates in the multi- disciplinary team to deal with social ills in school when invited. Interventions in schools are rendered by social workers who are deployed in each ward, for intervention on social ills and prevention programmes.
Northern Cape	Identification of learners from dysfunctional homes, provision of psycho social support and general welfare services are rendered by the Department of Social Development and partners at schools. RISIHA programme is implemented by the Risiha Child and Youth Care Workers rendering support services at Schools in the Province and NACCW implements the Esikolweni programme – which involves trained Child and Youth Care Workers, who are placed full time at Schools in Daniëlskuil and Postmasburg. Trained behaviour change facilitators also render social behaviour change programmes at schools in the Frances Baard and Pixley Ka Seme Districts. Trained coaches implement the Ke Moja Programmes – “No thanks I am fine without drugs” at Secondary Schools. Trained volunteers, Social Auxiliary Workers and Social Workers implement programmes at schools. The Northern Cape Department of Social Development and Basic Education entered into a partnership to support priority schools in the Province. DSD is working on a plan to recruit learner Child and Youth Care Workers to be placed on a full-time basis in these schools from 2023 to render support services to learners, implement and /or coordinate the implementation of relevant programmes e.g. bullying, Ke Moja, Social Behaviour Change and to refer learners and their families for Social Work Intervention and psycho-social support services.
Limpopo	The department is collaborating with the Department of Education in terms of child protection services. This is done in the form of capacity building for teachers and learners on child protection services. The department also conducts outreach services in the form of awareness campaigns, dialogues and life skills programmes at schools.
KwaZulu Natal	The Department have plans in place to work with all relevant stakeholders including the Department of Education to introduce safety ambassadors at schools to identify learners from

dysfunctional homes, in order to intervene through social workers and bring about a safer, secure and functional society. Currently there are Provincial and Districts Inter-sectoral Child Care and Protection Forums which are functional in the Province. The purpose of the forum is to facilitate and coordinate the process of ensuring that all organs of the state and civil society organisations involved with care, protection and wellbeing of children cooperate in the development of a uniform approach aimed at the coordination and integration of services to children. The Department will strengthen partnership with the Department of Education and relevant stakeholders with the aim of establishing Task Team that will look at introducing Safety Ambassadors at schools to identify learners from dysfunctional homes in order render psychosocial support services and other relevant services to the affected children.

Free State

The Free State Department of Social Development does not have any plans to introduce safety ambassadors at Schools. However, the Department currently works with the Child and Youth Care Workers in the employ of NPO’s through the Isibindi Ezikolweni program as well as the RISIHA program to implement the early intervention program. These programs are aimed at identifying learners from dysfunctional homes and refer to Social Workers.

Reply:

a) (i) By 31 October 2022, there was a total of 20,688 orphans in the care of their relatives in receipt of the Child Support Grant (CSG) Top- Up.

(ii) There are no backlogs for processing of CSG Top-Up applications. Processing is a daily action which happens as applications are submitted.

b) (i) There is no specific budget allocation for the Child Support Grant Top- Up in the 2022/23 financial year. In preparation for implementation of the CSG Top-Up, National Treasury identified savings from the existing social grants, which was deemed sufficient to fund the implementation of the grant.

(ii) As with any new grant or change in benefits that requires applications, up take is normally slow as awareness of the benefits steadily grows. The Department and SASSA have been conducting awareness sessions in Provinces to increase awareness of the provision to both beneficiaries and officials.

c) At this stage, there has not been much impact on reducing the foster care backlog. This may be due to the disjuncture between the Social Assistance Act, which was passed by Parliament and the Children’s Amendment Bill [B18D – 2020] that was passed by both houses of Parliament on 06 December 2022. It has been sent to the President for assent. Determining the impact of Top Up Grant will be more appropriate once both pieces of legislation have been implemented. However, it must be noted that even if the Children’s Amendment Act is implemented, the foster children who are already in the system will not be automatically excluded. The impact will be tracked only from the new cases.

Reply:

In line with international standards, South Africa’s Constitution states that everyone has a human right to access to social security.

The Department is proposing a Basic Income Support (BIS) for adults aged 18- 59 as part of the social wage guarantee. This is viewed as key to alleviate poverty and promote development. The grant is likely to start small in value and will need to be complemented by programmes to create growth and jobs, as well as other parts of the social protection package. Ongoing consultations are being held on the draft policy options on Basic Income Support (BIS) with key stakeholders. Among others, these include social grant beneficiaries, DSD and SASSA, International Labour Organisation (ILO), civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, research institutions, government departments such as Department of Home Affairs (DHA), the National Treasury, and the Presidency.

This proposed programme builds on the highly successful Covid-19 R350 SRD grant. Research findings show that households receiving support enable

individuals to actively seek for work opportunities. Additionally, the research revealed that 93% of beneficiaries use the grant for food. 80% reported that even though the grant was small, it made a positive difference in their lives as well as their households. Therefore, the main idea is that government should continue with the BIS policy is being finalised.

Government is also refining the green paper on comprehensive social security and retirement reform, which would provide income security for individuals, both formal and informal sector workers, in old age inclusive of survivors’ benefits. A comprehensive social security system is critical in ensuring that non- contributory and contributory measures are available to provide cover to members and beneficiaries against life cycle risks.

Reply:

Please note at the time of submission the following Provinces have not yet responded:

1. North West
2. Northern Cape Summary sheet:

Province	(a)(i) the total amount paid	(ii)returned to NT
	Phase 1	Phase 2	Phase 1	Phase 2
EC	R 59 792 000	R 26 000 000	R 38 308 513	R 26 000 000
FS	R 25 291 842	No Stimulus Relief Fund batches were received in respect of Phase 2	R 18 258 000	No Stimulus Relief Fund batches were received in respect of Phase 2

Province	(a)(i) the total amount paid	(ii)returned to NT
	Phase 1	Phase 2	Phase 1	Phase 2
GP	R 77 763 000	R 25 623 000	R 38 430 000	R 25 623 000
KZN	R 89 898 000	R 38 24 5000	R 44 170 000	*Refer to notes below under KZN
LP	R 58 241 000	R 24 164 000	R 54 454 000	R 24 164 000
MP	R 6 199 000	R 0	R 36 173 000	R 16 214 000
WC	R 53 252 680	R 17 200 000	R 0 (ii)refer to notes under WC	R 0 (ii)refer to notes under WC

Please find the reasons for the unspent funds below:

EASTERN CAPE

b) the reasons that funds were unspent are stated below Phase 1

• Sourcing of bank accounts
• Incorrect bank accounts and non-availability of signatories.
• Lack of capacity building and proper handing over by Data Innovators and National DSD.

Phase 2

The second phase allocation (R 26 million) was not disbursed to ECD centers due to the following reasons:

• • The allocation letter was received in November 2021, and the province projected to disburse funds in January 2022. Upon submission to the National Office, the Province was informed that the funds will be available beginning in February 2022. Considering the above, the province was left with only 2 months before the end of the Financial Year and therefore foresees a risk of underspending which would lead to accruals.
  • The funds were appropriated only during March 2022 by the treasury, which was very late for the Department to process it, considering the procurement processes that need to be followed.
  • A request for rollover was done and the Department of Education follow-up function was shifted on the 1st of April 2022.

FREE STATE

b) The reasons for the unspent relief funds in the Free state Province were due to the following reasons:

• Late receipt of payment batches.
• Some NPOs did not submit complete information, and this hampered payment processes.
• Some of the unregistered ECDs were not on the Central Supplier Database (CSD).

KWAZULU NATAL

*An amount of R 44,170 million was returned to Treasury at the end of the 2021/22 financial year and a rollover application of R 38,245 million was submitted to Provincial Treasury in respect of the Phase 2 balance, which was to be allocated to DOE upon approval due to function shift.

(b)The reason for unspent funds or underspending against Presidential Employment Initiative Grant is attributable to the fact that this grant was centrally managed at national Level in terms of beneficiary applications, verification of beneficiary banking details, and all other processes required to authenticate the payment. The Department only received the batches of certified beneficiaries to process the payment.

This Task was outsourced to a firm of consultants whose contract expired before the project was completed and had to be renewed which also caused delays during November 2021, as there was no service provider to generate batches for payment, and some of the beneficiaries could not be traced.

As means to try and expedite the spending on the grant, the Department issued an advert that took one month via KZN Radio stations calling for the beneficiaries who applied for the Presidential Stimulus Package to visit the Social Development offices for assistance. The Department also submitted a proposal to National Department requesting to utilize funds otherwise but could not succeed due to conditions attached to the Grant.

LIMPOPO

a) Bank, staff, and site verifications had to be conducted for the unfunded and unregistered ECD centers, and the challenges encountered are as follows:

Bank verifications:

• • Incorrect ID number or company registration number,
  • Incorrect company name,
  • Incorrect bank account number, and
  • Incorrect names and surnames.

Staff verifications:

• • Duplicates (one staff member registered in more than one ECD centre.

Site verifications:

• • Untraceable,
  • Some closed,
  • Some not registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD),
  • Some do not have bank accounts,
  • Some have savings accounts,
  • Some were not from the province,
  • Some organisations which have been approved are not ECD centres,

GAUTENG

a) (i) Amounts paid for Gauteng province in phase 1 and phase 2 are illustrated in the table below:

Phase 1	Phase 2
Received R ’000	Received R ’000
77 763	25 623

Amounts returned to the National Treasury by Gauteng province in Phase 1 and Phase 2 is illustrated in the table below:

Phase 1	Phase 2
Spent R ’000	Returned R ’000	Spent R ’000	Returned R ’000
39 333	38 430	0	25 623

Gauteng province spent R 39 333 million of the total allocation of R 103 386 million for the ECD Employment Stimulus Relief Fund in phases 1 and 2 by end of the 2021/22 financial year.

An amount of R 64 053 million not spent in 2021/22 was rolled over to the 2022/23 financial year and was allocated to the Gauteng Department of Education in the adjustment budget period following the function shift from the department of Social Development.

b) In the 2020/21 financial the allocated budget of

R 77.7 million for the ECD Employment Stimulus Relief Fund was not spent because the verification process for qualifying non-profit organisations was finalised late in the financial year.

The allocation of R 25.6 million received in the 2021/22 financial year for the ECD Employment Stimulus Relief Fund was not spent due to rejections caused by unverified bank accounts, ECD centres registered as Companies, Partnerships, and other forms of businesses other than non-profit organisations. In the 2020/21 financial the allocated budget of R 77.7 million for the ECD Employment Stimulus Relief Fund was not spent due to the:

• The appointment and verification of Non-Profit Organisations were done by the National Department of Social Development and the Provinces were only responsible for effecting payments to the appointed NPOs.

• Verification process for qualifying non-profit organisations was finalised late in the financial year by National Social Development.
• The first finalised batch for qualifying non-profit organisations was received in March 2021 two weeks before the Gauteng Provincial Treasury's last payment run to date.
• The summary of batches received from the National Department during phase 1 and phase 2 are enlisted in the table below amounting to

R 56 653 324. Two subsequent batched 24 & 25 were received also two weeks before Gauteng provincial treasury last payment run for the 2021/2022 financial year.

• The budget allocation of R 103 300 000 compared to the summary batches received amounting to R 56 653 324 makes 54,8% of batches received to be paid

MPUMALANGA

a) (i)The total amount allocated to the province is reflected in the table below Table 12.1: budget allocation of phase 1 and 2

Phase 1	Budget allocated	Amount Spent	Unspent funds
	R'000
Presidential Employment Stimulus package ECD	42 372	16 214	58 586

(ii)The tables below reflect the budget allocated and expenditure for both phases 1 and 2

Table 12.2: budget and expenditure of phase 1 for the period ended 31 March 2021

Phase 1	Budget allocated	Amount Spent	Unspent funds
	R'000
Presidential Employment Stimulus package ECD	16 214	-	16 214

Table 12.3 budget and expenditure of phase 2 for the period ended 31 March 2022

Phase 1	Budget allocated	Amount Spent	Unspent funds
	R'000
Presidential Employment Stimulus package ECD	42 372	6 199	36 173

An application was made to roll over the unspent funds amounting to R

30.495 million which was subsequently approved during the budget adjustment of 2021/22 financial year. Expenditure amounting to R 15. 938 million was incurred for the period ended 31 March 2022. In total, the expenditure incurred from the allocation of phase 1 amounts to R 22.137 million

Phase 2

There was no expenditure incurred from the allocation of phase 2 which was appropriated as additional funding during the budget adjustment of the 2021/22 financial year. An application was made to roll over the unspent funds amounting to R 23.320 million which has been subsequently approved during the budget adjustment of 2022/23 financial year. The rollover funds were appropriated to the Education Vote as the ECD function shifted to the Department of Education with effect from 01 April 2022.

Under-expenditure recorded from the phase 1 allocation is attributed to the fact that the processing of batches of claims commenced late in the last week of March 2021. This is due to the fact that batches were received late from National Department, thus other claims were carried to the 2021/22 financial year for payment processing.

The under-expenditure on the phase 2 allocation was due to the fact that by the financial year ending 31 March 2022, the National Department was still finalising a list of NPOs to benefit from the allocation. An application of rollover was also made to fund the NPOs migrated to the Department of Education with effect from 01 April 2022.

WESTERN CAPE

With reference to the early childhood development (ECD) Employment Stimulus Relief Fund, supported by the Presidential Employment Stimulus,

(ii) no funds were returned to National Treasury since a service provider has been appointed until March 2023 to assist with the verification and validation of remaining sites and practitioners and

(b) Any unspent funds will only be declared by the end of March 2023.

Reply:

a) There are no safe havens for abandoned children in the Republic as that category is not known and registered with Social Development.

However the Department has records of temporary safe care persons and places where children in need of care and protection including abandoned children requiring alternative care are kept whilst awaiting finalisation of court proceedings for placement into foster care, Child and Youth Care Centres, as well as family permanency option such as adoption.

According to provincial submissions by provinces who responded to the question on safe haven; provinces also responded that there are no safe havens for abandoned children, but temporary safe care and places regulated in accordance with the provisions of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. The provincial response from KwaZulu Natal did not provide statistics of temporary safe care persons and place.

The provincial breakdown for temporary safe persons and places is as follows:

Province	Temporary safe care persons	Temporary safe care places (Child and Youth Care Centre)
Free State	67	9

Northern Cape	26	10
Eastern Cape	80	30
Mpumalanga	58	29
Limpopo	0	15
GP	126	6
WC	800	53
TOTAL	1 157	152

b) There are no funded safe havens as they are not registered with the department.

Reply:

(a) The expenditure that has been ascribed to National Health Insurance (NHI) money has been used to fund efforts to strengthen the health system’s performance in preparation for NHI and not on the actual functions of the NHI Fund. This funding has been allocated through the NHI Grant and has been used to develop and test provider payment mechanisms, expanding the national insurance beneficiary registry, and purchasing and providing a prioritised set of health services. The funding has also been allocated for quality improvement initiatives within the non-personal services component of the NHI indirect grant with the aim of helping facilities meet the envisaged standards required for NHI accreditation.

(b) The breakdown of the NHI Grant allocation is based on both the Direct and Indirect Grants allocated as follows:

Find here: National Health Insurance Direct Grant

Reply:

The department has no evidence that adolescents are more likely to stop TB treatment compared to youth and adults. Given that this speculation is not backed by any scientific evidence, the department does not have specific programmes that are focused at preventing TB treatment interruption among adolescents, instead, the National TB Programme, through TB recovery plan, is aimed at essentially finding people with TB, linking them to care and retaining them in care until they finish their treatment, irrespective of age.

(1) Considering data at our disposal, there is no justification for such a programme, as we have a comprehensive programme.

(2) There are no research findings to share with Ms. H Ismail, because no research has been conducted by the National Department of health regarding prevention of treatment interruption among adolescents. END.

Reply:

(1) (a) The National Health Insurance (NHI) will fund health care for 60m people. The Fund will be established once the Bill is enacted. The current spending on healthcare in the country is R554bn, which is split as follows:
 

FY21/22
Rand (bn)	%
Total public sector health	265 844	48,9%
Total private sector health	277 402	51,1%
543 246

Donors contribute R11 095bn, bringing total spend to R554 341bn

The NHI Bill provides that the bulk of the public sector health spend will be allocated to the NHI Fund by the normal appropriation route through Parliament.

(b) There is a provision in section 49 of the Bill for progressive introduction of taxes to move voluntary contributions into the Fund. In 2021/22 financial terms around R500bn is the equivalent funding of the present health system and it is these funds that will constitute the resource available to the NHI. This is in the order of 8,5% of GDP. Funds for non-personal health services, and capital for infrastructure development, will remain with the provincial departments.

(2) (a) The sources of funds that are presently spent in the health care system are as follows:

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT AND ENTITY	R (millions)
National Department of Health core	12 947
National Department of Health Indirect Conditional Grants	85
National Department of Health Direct Conditional Grants	60 000
Provincial Departments of Health Provincial Equitable Share	175 892
Defence (SAMHS)	5 474
Correctional Services	1 216
Local government (own revenue)	5 138
Workmen's Compensation contributions	* 3 502
Road Accident Fund levies	** 1 675
Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases (COIDA)	***?????
Medical schemes (Employer contribution public service)	230 618
Medical schemes (Employer contribution private employer)
Medical schemes (Employee contribution)
Out of pocket	38 653
Medical insurance	5 501
Employer private (including Occupational Health)	2 630
Donors	11 95

* Unclear what portion is for medical expenses as opposed to other benefits
** Unclear what portion is for medical expenses as opposed to other benefits
*** Unclear what portion is for medical expenses as opposed to other benefits

(b) The public health system will continue to receive the present budget allocation but once the NHI is established the route of funding will change from te current route of Provincial Equitable Shares (PES) via block allocations to provincial governments and managed by provincial treasuries, through the National Vote to the Fund (as the South African Medical Research Council, Council for Medial Schemes and other entities are funded presently). The Fund will pay for the benefits and services provided. The leverage of the monopsony will obviate the challenges of patients moving between provinces and will allow for national interventions to communities that are under-funded (through strategic purchasing). By setting prices nationally the Fund will be able to control excessive pricing and purchase more care with the same funds.

(c) The Fund will also purchase benefits (patient care) from private providers who are presently not accessible to people who do not have medical scheme cover. This will increase the footprint of available services and improve accessibility.

END.

Reply:

The Department of Health provides bursaries that are administered by Provinces for students in the medical field to ensure supply of these professionals for the sector. In addition, funding of undergraduate training in the health sciences is subsidized by the Department of Higher Education through allocations to higher education institutions.

Admission to an undergraduate medical training programme is the prerogative of a medical school where the student has applied. Each provincial Department of Health would then evaluate its ability to support such students. The Minister encourages the provincial Departments of Health to provide funding assistance to undergraduate students in the medical field as much as possible.

END.

Reply:

(a) Total number of cancer awareness campaigns:

1. Nine (9) provincial cancer awareness programs were conducted for Traditional Health Practitioners on identifying and referring the most common cancers in collaboration with CANSA.

2. One (1) cancer awareness campaign on breast, cervical and prostate cancer was conducted in Upington in Northern Cape in collaboration with Pink Drive.

3. Five (5) lung cancer awareness programs were conducted in collaboration with CANSA in KwaZulu-Natal.

(b) Cancer centres:

1. Three (3) Regional Breast Units were established.

2. There are twelve national oncology centers in the public health sector which provide access to cancer care for all citizens nationally. One of these has been established the last two years. This is the Mpumalanga medical oncology center. There are an additional eight centers across the country that are in various stages of being built. This will bring the total number of national oncology centers to 21 throughout the country.

END.

Reply:

a) How much geological mapping has the Council for Geoscience conducted in each of the past three years,
20/21: 15 maps published to attain off-shore coverage of 8.9%, 21/22: 35 maps published, reaching 10.75% coverage, and 22/23 (Q2) 7 maps published to achieve 11.12% coverage.

b) What are the details of the:
precise area and maps published in each province since 20/21:
Limpopo: 6, Mpumalanga: 0, North West: 0, Gauteng: 0, Northern Cape: 23, KZN: 12, Free State: 0, Eastern Cape: 10, Western Cape: 6
Type of mapping that was completed
integrated geological mapping, meaning a combination of geology, geophysics, hydrogeological and geotechnical

c) (i) Where is the data published?
All data are on the CGS data portal, i.e., maps.geoscience.org.za

(ii) On what dates were the results of each type of mapping published
The bulk of CGS data, maps and publications were released via the portal in June 2021.
Thereafter the 1:50 000 data and maps will only be released a year after the publication

d) On what terms have the results been made available?
Most of the data are free to download and some are available at cost

Reply:

The responsibility and process for receiving and reviewing requests and granting permission for new clinics to be developed is with provincial and district health management.

(a) In the case of a private health facility, applications for new facilities are made to the district management. District management then makes a recommendation to a provincial committee and the provincial committee will make a decision based on documentation received from the district. The provincial committee will make a recommendation to the accounting officer of the provincial health department to approve or not. The district recommendation will be based on the following:

(i) A detailed explanation of why the facility is required
(ii) Is an existing building considered or is a new building required
(iii) Size of population to be served
(iv) Proximity and utilisation rate of facilities in the same catchment area.
(v) Human Resource Plan
(vi) Stakeholder inputs

In the case of a public health facility, a decision will be made based on the size of the community to be served and the proximity and utilization rate at the nearest existing health facilities. If after considering the above factors, it is found that the community does need a new clinic, the construction of the clinic will be planned for in terms of the availability of land, and human and material resources.

(b) In the case of a private facility, it can take up to 90 days since provincial review meetings generally take place once a quarter. In the case of a public facility, the community will be involved in discussions through local community leaders and the district health council. Through these structures continual feedback is provided with regard to progress.

(c) In the case of a private facility communication will be in writing. In the case of a public facility, the community will be informed through community and district structures, whether the building of a clinic has been approved or not, and if approved for which year its planning has been entered into the provincial department’s infrastructure plan. Should community members engage Department’s in writing they should receive responses in writing as well.

Reply:

All budget related matters including increases to social grants will only be announced by the Minister of Finance in the February 2023 Budget Speech. The National Treasury does not make budgetary announcements before Budget Day

Reply:

The department of Health, in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education provides integrated school health program (ISHP) to learners in schools, to among others prevent barriers to teaching and learning. Some of the service include provision of spectacles to learners who are visually impaired. The service provided through this programme include visual assessment which may result in referral of the learner to the next level of care for possible provision of spectables.

(a) the number of learners who have been provided with glasses through the specified programmes and

The actual number of learners who were provided with spectacles are in provinces and Districts as the programme implementerand are reflected here below:

 

Province	Data Element	Apr 2020 to Mar 2021	Apr 2021 to Mar 2022	Apr 2021 to Sep 2022	Totals to date
Eastern Cape	Spectacles issued to child - total	160	362	264	366
Free State	Spectacles issued to child - total	33	401	23	142
Gauteng	Spectacles issued to child - total	1 284	3 405	2 109	3 091
KwaZulu-Natal	Spectacles issued to child - total	3 374	4 620	3 466	3 912
Limpopo	Spectacles issued to child - total	329	494	590	732
Mpumalanga	Spectacles issued to child - total	213	659	469	703
Northern Cape	Spectacles issued to child - total	28	56	27	36
North West	Spectacles issued to child - total	21	188	127	218
Western Cape	Spectacles issued to child - total	384	3 511	1 702	3 184
South Africa	Spectacles issued to child - total	5 826	13 696	8 777	12 384

 

(b) The programme is a school health-based intervention, which is tailor-made for the learners only, due to limited number of school health nurses, hence the modality is delivered for specific grades and not all learners in a school. Citizens can still visit their nearest health care facilitities, where they can be screened for vision and referred to Optometrist for further diagnosis and provision of spectacles if indicated.

 

END.

Reply:

The Honourable Member is requested to indicate the levels of the positions she is referring to. The manner in which the question is phrased is very broad as there are many categories and levels.

END.

Reply:

The Department is not implementing the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill in a rushed manner. The Department is following the provisions outlined in the approved 2017 NHI White Paper that provides for the NHI to be implemented in a phased manner. Section 309 of the White Paper provides for Health Systems Strengthening initiatives to continue being undertaken concurrently as the finalisation of the legislative process and the establishment of institutional arrangements for the NHI Fund are undertaken.

Furthermore, Clause 57 in the NHI Bill makes provision in the Transitional Arrangements where-in Clause 57 (1)(a) states that despite anything to the contrary the NHI must be implemented over two phases. Clause 57 (1)(b) states that National Health Insurance must be gradually phased in using a progressive and programmatic approach based on financial resource availability. Clause 57 (2) further provides health system’s strengthening initiatives such as addressing of infrastructure challenges to be undertaken during the transitional period.

It is indisputable that public hospitals do need infrastructure maintenance and investment. The Department quantified the anticipated cost at close to R200bn, which is clearly not going to be available in the short to medium term. There are nonetheless projects that are being attended to within the limits of available budget.

END.

Reply:

Mental health facilities are being renovated as part of the Health Facilities Revitalisation Grant (HFRG) projects. Provinces also make renovations to health facilities including mental health facilities utilising their equitable share. Furthermore, mental health units are being built in general hospitals in compliance with the Mental Health Care Act, 2002 (Act No 17 of 2002) which prescribes integration of mental health into the general health services environment. Attaching mental health units to general hospitals is also relieving pressure on specialised psychiatric hospitals as these units provide mental health care, treatment and rehabilitation services and only refer to specialised psychiatric hospitals, those persons who require specialised and complex mental health interventions. The table below shows mental health infrastructure projects that are currently underway and funded through the HFRG.
 

Province	Facility	Project	Stage
Gauteng	Weskopies Specialised Psychiatric Hospital	Forensic mental observation unit	Tender stage
	Sebokeng Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
Limpopo	Hayani Specialised Psychiatric Hospital	Forensic mental observation unit	Tender stage
	Evuxakeni Specialised Psychiatric Hospital	Hospital revitalisation	Clinical brief stage
	Thaba Moopo Specialised Psychiatric Hospital	Forensic mental observation unit	Design stage
Mpumalanga	KwaMhlanga Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Tender stage
	Witbank Hospital	Revitalisation of the mental health unit	Design stage
	New facility	Building a new mental health hospital	Clinical brief stage
KwaZuluNatal	Benedictine Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
	Bethesda Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
	Estcourt Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
	Ladysmith Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
	Murchison Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
	Northdale Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
	Port Shepstone Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Tender stage
	Prince Mshiyeni Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
	RK Khan Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
	Stanger Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Tender stage
	Umphumulo Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
	Umzimkhulu Hospital	Forensic mental observation unit	Design stage
North West	Bophelong Specialised Psychiatric Hospital	Building the general psychiatry section	Tender stage
	General De La Ray Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
	Itsoseng Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
Western Cape	Swartland Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage
	Belhar Hospital	Attaching a new mental health unit	Design stage

END.

Reply:

(1) Since 2006, there has been 4 lead poisoning cases that were notified to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) nationally. Two (2) cases were reported in 2017, one from Free State Province and the other one from Mpumalanga province. The other two (2) cases were reported in 2022, one from Eastern Cape province and the second one from Western Cape province.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), clinical diagnosis of lead poisoning is difficult, as a result, it can be misdiagnosed. The reason being most lead poisoned individuals are often asymptomatic and even when signs and symptoms are present, they are difficult to differentiate and relatively non-specific poisoning symptoms such as anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, poor concentration, headache, fatigue, language and speech delay, behavioral problems, etc. Lack of clear history of exposure, also contributes to difficulty in making a clinical diagnosis. Laboratory investigation which can only happen based on the clinician/medical practitioner`s perception of the need for it, is the only reliable way to diagnose leadexposed individuals (WHO. 2011.Brief Guide to Analytical Methods for Measuring Lead in Blood; WHO.2010. Childhood Lead Poisoning).

(2) (a) Education and training on lead poisoning is part of doctors and nurses undergraduate education and training and there are continual in service initiatives that are ongoing to raise awareness and improve the knowledge on lead poisoning and other related matters.

(b) The fact that nurses and doctors receive under-graduate training plus the continuous awareness programmes that are currently underway, means that all health facilities should be able to act (get patients tested/refer for tests) on suspicion. Tests from health facilities are done at the National Health laboratory Services.

(3) (a) The 0.009% lead content limit in paint is not yet in force. The relevant government Gazette Notice where this 0.009% lead content limit was legislated was published for public comments and comments are in the process of being incorporated. Therefore, the current lead in paint declaration as a hazardous substance law, Gazette Notice No. 801 of July 2009, is still applicable until repealed by the new law. The lead paint law is monitored by Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) at national, provincial and at municipal level. Chemical safety and hazardous substances control functions fall within the work scope of EHPs in terms of the Scope of Profession for Environmental Health, R888 of 26 June 1991. Monitoring is done through inspections, sampling, seizure and detaining paint products and subjecting suspected or randomly selected sampled paint product to laboratory analysis and taking any further necessary legal action.

(b) The consequences of contravening the Hazardous Substances Act, Act 15 of 1973; range from a fine to imprisonment for a period between 6 months and 10 years depending on the offence or to both a fine and such imprisonment.

(4) The Department does not remove lead from buildings. According to WHO, as long as the paint on painted wall surfaces remains intact, the lead content is not a hazard unless it deteriorates or ages showing peeling, chipping, chalking or cracking as it releases lead into dust (WHO. 2020. Global elimination of lead paint: Policy brief). It is the responsibility of each building owner to ensure that its building paint is in intact condition.

(5) (a) The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) started its education campaign on lead in 2004.

(b) The campaign has developed a number of lead hazards awareness raising materials, including training toolkit in collaboration with the Department of Health. The leaflets embraced various lead exposure sources and pathways such as paint, painted surfaces, toys, cookware, lead bullet ammunition, and melting fishing sinkers. It has also shared information on lead exposure, research findings and recommended intervention measures for government and communities in various government events and academic platforms through presentations, exhibitions, and lectures, targeting various health and education professionals and students.

END.

Reply:

(1) None. The Department has not appointed any transaction advisors.

(2) No. The Department has not appointed any transaction advisors

Reply:

Yes, the department does have an oversight mechanism for all healthcare clinics in the country irrespective of the area of location. The district health system of the country has been set up to take supervision of health facilities closer to where they are, and to ensure a fair and realistic management workload. The provinces have gone a step further in ensuring responsive supervision and support to all clinics and community health centers including rural clinics by dividing the 52 health districts into subdistricts. In addition, the clinics committees comprising members from the communities play a vital oversight role for service delivery in each primary health care facility.

END.

Reply:

The National Department of Health can confirm that from the total of 3 510 posts for porters, 3 193 are filled. The 148 posts were filled during the current financial year 2022/2023 in the nine (9) Provincial Health Departments, respectively, as recorded in the PERSAL date set of 31 October 2022.

Due to financial constraints, Provinces have implemented a systematic process of approving funding and advertisements of both health related and administrative posts by accounting officers in consultation with Provincial Treasuries. This process, supersedes filling of vacant posts to avoid exceeding Cost of Employment (COE) budgets. END.

Reply:

(1) The Department of Social Development is responsible for the hiring and bidding for funds for social workers. Since the 2018 Cabinet resolution allocations for the employment of social workers within the social development sector were as follows:

In Budget 2019, an average of R226.3 million per annum was shifted to provinces through the Provincial Equitable Share to sustain the employment of over 600 social worker graduates that were employed through the Social Worker Employment Conditional Grant.
In the 2019 Adjusted Budget the National Department of Social Development shifted R93.0 million from other programmes towards Social Crime Prevention and Victim Empowerment subprogramme for the employment of 200 social workers in areas of high prevalence of gender-based violence.
In Budget 2020, an average of R132.7 million per annum was shifted to provinces to sustain the employment of the 200 social workers in areas where they were most needed.
In the 2020 Supplementary Budget, the National Department of Social Development shifted R33.0 million from other programmes for the temporary employment of 1809 social workers.
In the 2020 Adjusted Budget, the Department received a further R92.5 million as unforeseeable and unavoidable expenditure to sustain employment of these social workers.
Most recently, in the 2021 Adjusted Budget, R120 million was added to the Provincial Equitable Share as part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus for the employment of 2000 social workers over a period of 10 months.

(2) Any announcement on additional funds will be made in the Budget Speech in February 2023. We do not announce such allocation decisions before the Budget.

Reply:

There are no current systems-wide shortages of medication in health facilities although facilities do run out from time to time owing to operational reasons.

It is the Departments of Health’s policy to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare through availability of safe, effective and cost-effective medicines at the appropriate level of care. The National Department of Health manages contracts of approximately 1 200 essential medicine items. Contracts are awarded to suppliers (manufacturers) following an open tender process in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act. Provinces procure medicines directly from contacted suppliers. Note that the public sector services the healthcare needs of 84% of South Africa’s population.

The NDOH continuously engages with the contracted suppliers to identify any possible supply challenges, to adjust the demand forecast (where necessary) and to work together to mitigate the risks. Furthermore, the NDOH established a decision-making forum where all provinces are represented; to identify interventions aimed at addressing any medicine supply challenges, to improve medicine availability and to reduce the potential impact of stock outs.

Where supply constraints are identified, the NDOH works with the provinces to identify and implement interventions to minimize stock outs and impact on patients. These interventions are informed by the cause of the supply challenge:

Where the supply constraint is due to operational matters e.g., machine breakdown, labor unrest, theft, post importation testing, etc. the NDOH would source products from alternative local suppliers with registered products using the quotation process.

Should the supply constraint result in a longer term supply challenge, such as regulatory matters including amendments to the dossier that requires approval from South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), including a change/addition of an active pharmaceutical ingredient source and/or manufacturing site, the transfer of ownership of dossiers which results in a change of marketing authorization, delays in the issuing of the permits for imported medicines, manufactured products requiring additional quality checks by SAHPRA, etc. and no alternative local suppliers with registered products are available; an application would be made to SAHPRA for the acquisition of unregistered medicines for human use in terms of Section 21 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act.

With regard to antiretroviral medication, there are no wide-spread supply challenges. As on 05th December 2022,

Overall medicine availability across all facilities is 87.1%
Availability of antiretrovirals is 91.1% Availability of 1st line antiretrovirals is 97.4%

END.

Reply:

In line with the Primary Health Care Package Norms and standards, clinics operates 8 hours a day and 5 days a week and a Community Health Centres (CHC) operates 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. For the PHC facility to qualify to operate for 24 hours, the following criteria need to be met:

• Annual facility head count should be ± 120 000
• Monthly average headcount of 10 000.

According to the District Health Information System (DHIS) Annual Report 2021/2022, the head count for the Clinic in Extension is 22 779 which is far below the required head count, whilst monthly average headcount was 1898. For the current year, the monthly average headcount is 2170. In addition, acceptable travelling distance to the nearest facility is 5 km. The Clinic in question is within 3.8 km radius to the Khutsong CHC which is open for 24 hours and 7 days a week. The Clinic in Extension 3 therefore does not meet the criteria to operate for 24 hours and 7 days a week.

END.

Reply:

(a) (i) As on 02 December 2022 a total of 48 claims were received.
(ii)(aa)-(bb) To date none of the claims were assessed.

(b) (i) The adjudication panel has been appointed and assessments of claims will be conducted.
 

(b)(ii)	Types of vaccines administered	Age groups of people affected
	(aa)	(bb)
	Johnson & Johnson	Pfizer	Age group	Number
	21	27	80+	3
			70-79	2
			60-69	11
			50-59	8
			40-49	9
			30-39	2
			20-29	7
			12-19	6