Questions and Replies
06 December 2022 - NW4254
Ceza, Mr K to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
(1)What (a) impact has load shedding had on the proper functioning of water purification plants in the Republic and (b) is the extent of the impact on the ability to make water available to some drought-stricken areas in the Republic; (2) whether he has engaged with Eskom to ensure that critical water infrastructure is exempted from load shedding; if not, why not; if so, what are the further, relevant details?
Reply:
1 a) Severe load shedding affects the ability of Water Boards and Water Service Authorities (WSAs) to pump water into their reservoirs. This resulted in the water levels in the reservoirs being too low to gravity-feed water to high-lying areas. As a result, several high-lying areas have been without water for prolonged periods.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has not quantified the amount of production downtime across the country. However, most WSAs have a contingency plan to ensure continuity of water supply. Water Boards and WSAs experienced several electrical and mechanical failures, which also contributed to the difficulty in filling the reservoirs. Some of these failures may have been a result of damage to equipment caused by the frequent load shedding.
Using the Eskom schedule of loading shedding, Treatment Plants can be closed in phases to prevent sudden shutdown of processes at the start of loadshedding that damage infrastructure. It is also possible to store additional treated water in preparation to cater for downtime at the plant. The operating philosophy is to maintain the reservoir levels between 60-80%. This targeted range will enable the system to be resilient and respond to any challenges.
1 b) All treatment plants, rely on electricity in one way or another, and where affordable, WSAs are encouraged to ensure continuous water provision through additional storage such as reservoirs and static tanks or alternative energy supply to cater for loadshedding.
2 The Water Boards, as water service providers to various WSAs, have taken different approaches to manage the impact of ESKOM’s loadshedding on their ability to provide reliable bulk water supply services to users, including:
- Engaging with the provincial government leadership and ESKOM to negotiate and facilitate for exemption on water infrastructure from frequent load-shedding.
- Filing applications with ESKOM for exemption in terms of Eskom Regulation NRS048-9. Some applications for exemption have been successful while some have not been due to technical reasons advanced by ESKOM and some are still waiting for outcomes to the applications.
- Water Boards such as Bloem Water, Rand Water, Umngeni Water, Lepelle Water and Magalies Water are operating water infrastructure that is exempt from loadshedding and are mostly able to continue with operations during loadshedding.
- Entities such as Bloem Water, Rand Water, Umngeni Water, Lepelle Water and Magalies Water are operating water infrastructure that is exempt from loadshedding and are mostly able to continue with operations.
- Where affordable, some of the entities have procured back-up generators to continue with operations even when there is loadshedding.
Some municipalities have been able to exempt some of their water and sanitation facilities from load shedding, but this is often not possible because it would require exempting whole areas from load shedding, which in turn would result in Eskom’s load shedding requirements not being met.
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06 December 2022 - NW1589
Schreiber, Dr LA to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
Whether (a) her department and/or (b) entities reporting to her concluded any commercial contracts with (i) the government of the Russian Federation and/or (ii) any other entity based in the Russian Federation since 1 April 2017; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, for each commercial contract, what are the (aa) relevant details, (bb) values, (cc) time frames, (dd) goods contracted and (ee) reasons that the goods could not be contracted in the Republic?
Reply:
The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) and (b) the National School of Government, Centre for Public Service Innovation and the Office the Public Service Commission do not have any commercial contracts with the government of the Russian Federation or any other entities based in the Russian Federation since 1 April 2017.
(aa) N/A
(bb) N/A
(dd) N/A
(ee) N/A
End
06 December 2022 - NW3529
Schreiber, Dr LA to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises
(1)Whether he appeared before and/or met with the Deployment Committee of any political party, since the current administration took office in 30 May 2019; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details of (a) when the meetings occurred and (b) the discussions that took place at the specified meetings; (2) whether the Deployment Committee of a political party (a) played any role whatsoever in recommending candidates for appointment to the board of Eskom and other state-owned enterprises and (b) attempted to prevent, block and/or otherwise stifle the appointment of certain members to the board of Eskom or other state-owned enterprises over that period; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the further, relevant details
Reply:
- I have not appeared before or met with the Deployment Committee of any political party.
- Not applicable
Remarks: Approved / Not Approved
Jacky Molisane Pravin Gordhan, MP
Acting Director-General Minister
Date: Date:
06 December 2022 - NW3528
Essack, Mr F to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises
(1)(a) Which service provider was appointed to conduct a forensic investigation to determine which employee(s) in his department allegedly leaked information regarding the qualifications of the Chief of Staff, Ms Nthabiseng Borotho, to the media, (b) what was the outcome of the specified investigation, (c) what total amount did the investigation cost and (d) what were the terms of reference of the investigation; (2) whether any employees faced any form of disciplinary action for allegedly leaking information regarding the specified person’s qualifications to the media; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
a) The service provider that was appointed to conduct an investigation into DPE information and data leak on Ms Borotho’s recruitment process including matters of a personal matter to the media was Abacus Financial Crime Advisory (Pty) Ltd.
b) The report concluded that there was a concerted and intentional release and dissemination of confidential DPE information and documentation to the media.
c) R281 168.00
d) (i) Establish whether there was a concerted intentional release of secure or private/confidential information to an untrusted environment (the media);
(ii) Collect evidence to fully understand the scale and the impact of a breach;
(iii) Identify the source of the leak and identify where DPE can be assisted in respect of data and information leakage;
(iv) Whether or not any matter should be referred to the South African Police Services (SAPS) or any other law enforcement agents, and
(v) Provide recommendations on the outcome of the investigation.
2. It was recommended that disciplinary action be considered against the official who shared her password with the official who leaked the information.
The official who shared her password and against whom disciplinary action is recommended left the Department a while back and it is therefore impossible to act against her.
Remarks: Approved / Not Approved
Jacky Molisane Pravin Gordhan, MP
Acting Director-General Minister
Date: Date:
06 December 2022 - NW4135
Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(a) What are the relevant details regarding the (i) latest update on the Future of Work Ambassadors programme and (ii) selection process of the 33 graduates in the specified programme, (b) where have the graduates been placed and (c) what monitoring and evaluation plans have been put in place to track the progress and performance of the selected graduates?
Reply:
The Future of Work Ambassadors Programme is an initiative championed by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) in partnership with the Public Service Sector Education Authority (PSETA) and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA). This programme is envisioned to contribute positively towards building a leadership pipeline for realising a capable, ethical and developmental public service in line with Chapter 13 of the National Development Plan and Priority 1 of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework.
The programme is fully funded by the PSETA, with the NYDA responsible for the recruitment process; HR-related matters including administration of the stipend over the 24-month period. The DPSA is responsible for the coordination, content creation and capacity building/training activities and placement of the candidates.
(a)(i) In terms of the latest update on the Future of Work Ambassadors programme, 33 candidates were appointed for the programme, four (4) resignations were received, where 3 of them left for greener pastures and one for personal reasons. One (1) candidate is currently on maternity leave. The ambassadors are exposed to job seeking skills, effective writing of resumes and practical exposure to the workplace, which makes them effective at looking for jobs and being attractive job seekers. Additionally, the Ambassadors are currently being exposed to:
- Capacity building and training opportunities by the National School of Government (NSG);
- A 6-month digital and soft skills online course provided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP);
- Compulsory Induction Programmes for the Public Sector by the National School of Government (NSG); and
- A structured leadership coaching and mentorship programme for 12 months run and coordinated by the DPSA.
(a)(ii) The selection process of the 33 graduates in the specified programme included the following process:
-
- PSETA and DPSA defined the specific skills to be funded which were linked to the mandate of the Public Sector and PSETA;
- Provincial and National Departments were requested through FOSAD to indicate interest and readiness to host Ambassadors;
- All host departments were given an opportunity to select their qualification areas based on the prescribed list provided by PSETA, such as:
- Financial and Supply Chain Management
- Law
- Risk Management
- Human Resource Management
- Communications
- Marketing Management
- Public Management
- Public Administration
- Internal Audit
- The NYDA used the information to generate an advertisement which was posted on the SAYouth.mobi platform.
- The candidates were then shortlisted virtually and interviewed through the NYDA with the involvement of representatives from host departments on the panel.
- Candidates were appointed and placed based on the recommendations of the panel.
b) The 33 Future of Work Ambassadors were allocated as follows:
National and Provincial Departments |
No. of Candidates |
Department of Youth, Women and Persons with Disabilities |
3 |
Department of Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation |
2 |
Department of Cooperative Governance |
2 |
KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier |
2 |
National School of Government |
4 |
Public Service Commission |
1 |
Department of Public Service and Administration |
5 |
Justice and Constitutional Development |
3 |
Department of Public Enterprise |
2 |
Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment |
2 |
Mpumalanga Office of the Premier |
2 |
Limpopo Office of the Premier |
3 |
Western Cape Office of the Premier |
2 |
TOTAL |
33 |
(c) A number of monitoring and evaluation tools have been put in place, including the following:
-
- Regular meetings of the core partners (DPSA, NYDA and PSETA) to discuss progress of the project; key trends and emerging lessons;
- The establishment of an interactive WhatsApp group where Ambassadors can engage the DPSA, PSETA and NYDA on issues they would like to raise and they provide peer support to each other;
- The Ambassadors participate in bi-weekly virtual Live Learning Sessions on Fridays between 09h00 – 13h00. This allows them to receive immediate assistance should they be experiencing any challenges on the Digital Skills Platform.
- Mentors and/or supervisors are also able to log onto the platform to track the progress of their candidates.
- Monitored work plans guided by their Mentors and/or Supervisors that require a formal report and review every six months; and
- Conducting regular check-in sessions with the Ambassadors; their Supervisors and/or Mentors.
The Future of Work Ambassadors Programme also features in the department’s 2022/23 Annual Operational Plan. This further enhances monitoring; ensures that the project is aligned and contributes towards the greater strategic goals of the department.
End
06 December 2022 - NW4233
Buthelezi, Ms SA to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
(1)Whether his department has implemented plans to address the serious risks posed to the citizens by the failing water treatment plants in KwaZulu-Natal; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details. (2) whether his department will make funds available for the reconstruction of critical infrastructure which was damaged in the floods; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details:
Reply:
1. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) conducted the Green Drop assessment during 2021/22 which culminated in the release of the National Green Drop Report 2022. In KZN, 14 Water Services Authorities (WSAs) and 147 wastewater systems were audited with the following results
- 47 of the wastewater systems in KwaZulu Natal were found not to be measuring their wastewater inflows
- 7 wastewater systems were overloaded
- 76 wastewater systems received Green Drop Score of above 50% (meaning what?)
- 20 wastewater systems were found to be at critical state
- 3 wastewater systems received Green Drop certification (scored minimum of 90%).
To mitigate the risk, the DWS has implemented several interventions including the issuance of non-compliance letters, notices, and directives to minimize the pollution impacts on the water resources. In addition, corrective action plans and green drop improvement plan templates have been issued to the WSAs to ensure that their Councils commit funds to address the gaps identified in the assessments. The DWS is assisting the WSAs to compile corrective action plans and improvement plans which will need to be implemented within predetermined timeframe and monitored by the department.
The department has also implemented measures to address pollution of water resources in KwaZulu-Natal. These include:
- Undertaking routine inspections of sewerage infrastructure (wastewater treatment works, pumpstations and pipelines).
- The DWS also follows up on pollution issues reported by the public.
- In cases where pollution to water resources is observed, administrative processes are taken against the non-compliant municipalities in the form of Non-compliance Notices and/or Directives
- The Department has also established Water Resource Protection Technical Committee Meetings to address the issues of pollution in different districts
Following the floods in April 2022, the DWS has also implemented the following interventions to support affected municipalities in KZN:
- Availed the team of Engineers and Scientists to assist with the assessments of the damage to the water and sanitation infrastructure
- Officials of the department participate in WAR Room meetings where repairs of infrastructure and progress thereof are discussed
- Three (3) Directives were issued, on 13 May 2022, to the municipalities which were severely affected, namely: eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, ILembe District Municipality (DM) and Ugu DM
- Established the WAR Room through the Minister to address issues of water provisioning and sanitation, as well as to discuss challenges that the municipalities might be facing such as funding, human resources, amongst others
(2) The DWS assisted the Ethekwini, Ugu and Ilembe District Municipalities by reallocating R65 million funding to support immediate relief measures which included provision water tankers for 3 months. The DWS also conducted assessments of the damaged infrastructure and submitted a funding application for disaster relief funding to the National Disaster Management Centre. Damaged infrastructure can also be repaired through reprioritising of the DWS Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Grant (WSIG).
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06 December 2022 - NW3192
Spies, Ms ERJ to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises
(1)On what date did he attend the last meeting of any structure outside the Government in order to receive recommendations on the deployment of personnel in his department and/or entities reporting to him; (2) whether any appointments to his department and/or entities reporting to him were discussed during his attendance at any private forum and/or external structures to the Government; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) are the details of appointments that were discussed and recommendations received and (b) other Government matters were discussed during the last meeting of any such forum?
Reply:
All the appointments of personnel in public sector positions are made in accordance with relevant legislation. No structure outside of these prescribed in legislation can determine the deployment of personnel in public sector positions. Where the legislation requires me to make an appointment, I apply myself to the requirements of the entity concerned, the legislative prescripts and the merits of candidates for the positions.
As part of building a capable state, I make all reasonable efforts to strengthen the skills mix in those public sector appointments within my remit. I therefore carefully consider the suitability of candidates on the information available to me and the need to have a diverse set of skills and experiences on an entity’s board.
Remarks: Approved / Not Approved
Jacky Molisane Pravin Gordhan, MP
Acting Director-General Minister
Date: Date:
06 December 2022 - NW3750
Komane, Ms RN to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
What are the reasons that the toll-free number for reporting corruption to his department has gone unanswered for the past three months?
Reply:
The toll-free number for reporting corruption in Government as per Cabinet decision is 0800 701 701 and it operates from 08h00-04h30, five (5) days per week. According to the records, the toll-free number (0800 701 701) was in full service for the last three months. At least 324 complaints were registered in the past three months of the second quarter of 2022/23 financial year as indicated in the table below.
Table 1: Complaints reported through the NACH during the first and second quarter of 2022/2023 financial year
Q1 |
Q2 |
||||||
Provinces |
Apr-22 |
May-22 |
June-22 |
July-22 |
Aug-22 |
Sep-22 |
TOTAL |
Eastern Cape |
1 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
12 |
Free State |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
Gauteng |
9 |
13 |
9 |
5 |
6 |
18 |
60 |
KZN |
1 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
13 |
Limpopo |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
14 |
Mpumalanga |
5 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
North West |
5 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
15 |
Northern Cape |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
Western Cape |
5 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
Public Entity |
62 |
96 |
53 |
25 |
33 |
62 |
331 |
National Departments |
33 |
52 |
31 |
20 |
48 |
75 |
260 |
Grand Total |
125 |
179 |
111 |
60 |
95 |
169 |
739 |
End
06 December 2022 - NW4107
Msane, Ms TP to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
What steps has his department taken to intervene in the water crisis in the Nkowankowa area of the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality, where reservoirs have been left unmaintained with the homeless using tanks to relieve themselves?
Reply:
Water supply challenges in Nkowankowa are a result of tampering with valves on the outlet of the command reservoir and the bypass line to facilitate illegal connections. This caused low pressure on the bulk pipeline resulting in supply interruptions in some areas of Nkowankowa as water could not reach the furthest points of distribution.
The Mopani District Municipality together with the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality have identified all the valves that needed to be repaired to supply water at Nkowankowa Township and Dan village.
With the assistance of Mokgolobotho Cooperation, which is a community-led structure, all unauthorized connections to the rising main were identified and removed. Water supply to Mokgolobotho settlement has since been restored. Leakages caused by unauthorised connection were identified and repaired.
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06 December 2022 - NW4077
Maotwe, Ms OMC to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises
What were the reasons for the complete closure and collapse of SA Airways?
Reply:
SAA faced a myriad of challenges over the years resulting in the airline’s inability to generate enough revenue to sustain operations and relied on debt to fund operations.
SAA had been incurring losses for an extended period which resulted in the airline being placed under business rescue by the SAA Board in December 2019. The business rescue period coincided with the country being placed under lock down due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, resulting in all airlines’ suspension of commercial flights.
The airline successfully exited the business rescue in April 2021 and subsequently resumed operations in September 2021.
Remarks: Reply: Approved / Not Approved
Jacky Molisane P J Gordhan, MP
Acting Director-General Minister of Public Enterprises
Date: Date:
06 December 2022 - NW4015
Denner, Ms H to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
What are his department’s contingency plans to ensure continuous and uninterrupted service delivery to the public, in the event of prolonged strike action by Public Service employees?
Reply:
The Department of Public Service and Administration has developed a detailed Strike Management Plan, outlining the procedural requirements for a protected picket and strike. Picketing Rules have been concluded with organised labour. Measures to mitigate the impact of the strike have been put in place such as the establishment of the Strike Management Committees from National level and across all the departments. The Provincial Departments will be co-ordinated from the Offices of the Premiers. Reports pertaining to the strike will be collated on a daily basis and sent to the co-ordinating structure and then to the DPSA.
End
06 December 2022 - NW3935
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)With reference to his reply to question 2351 on 26 August 2022, what is the breakdown of the (a) positions and (b) salary levels of the 281 public servants who were identified as serving as councillors of municipal councils; (2) (a) how and (b) on what date will his department establish whether the 281 public servants who have been identified as serving as councillors have complied with the applicable legal prescripts; (3) what number of the identified public servants who were elected as full-time councillors resigned from the Public Service with effect from the date immediately before assuming the position of municipal councillor; (4) what number of the identified public servants who were elected as part-time councillor obtained written permission from the relevant executive authority before assuming the position of municipal councillor; (5) what (a) disciplinary steps will his department take against the public servants who did not comply with the applicable legal prescripts in this regard and (b) steps will his department take to recover the remuneration received by public servants who failed to comply with the applicable legal prescripts in this regard?
Reply:
- The following table shows the breakdown of (a) positions and (b) salary levels of the 281 public servants who were identified as serving as councillors of municipal councils:
a) Position |
b) Salary levels |
Total # |
Cleaner |
02 |
4 |
General Assistant School |
02 |
1 |
Child and Youth Care Worker Grade1 |
03 |
1 |
NA1 Nursing Assistant Grade 1 |
03 |
1 |
General Assistant |
03 |
1 |
Road worker |
03 |
2 |
Security guard Grade II |
03 |
1 |
Security officer |
03 |
6 |
Sports coordinator |
03 |
2 |
Court interpreter |
Not pacified |
1 |
Intern |
Not specified |
1 |
ECD Practitioner - Public School |
Not specified |
1 |
Driver/Messenger: Circuit Management |
04 |
1 |
Foreman: Ground services |
04 |
1 |
NA2 Nursing Assistant Grade 2 |
04 |
1 |
Nutrition Advisor |
04 |
1 |
Teacher |
04 |
1 |
Clerk |
05 |
1 |
Emergency Care Officer Grade 2 |
05 |
1 |
Forensic Pathology Officer Grade 1 |
05 |
1 |
Accounting clerk |
05 |
1 |
Administration clerk |
05 |
5 |
CB1Security Officer Grade 3 |
05 |
1 |
General Administration Clerk |
05 |
1 |
Personnel Officer Grade 1 Senior |
05 |
1 |
Provisioning Administration Clerk Senior |
05 |
1 |
Senior Administration Clerk Grade II |
05 |
7 |
Senior Personnel Officer Grade II |
05 |
1 |
SN1 Staff Nurse Grade |
05 |
2 |
CB 1 Security Officer Grade 1 |
06 |
1 |
Community Development Worker |
06 |
1 |
Emergency Care Officer Grade 4 |
06 |
3 |
Lecturer |
06 |
2 |
Malaria Surveillance Supervisor |
06 |
1 |
Provisioning Administration Clerk Grade III Senior |
06 |
1 |
Security Officer II Senior |
06 |
1 |
Senior Administration Clerk |
06 |
1 |
Teacher |
06 |
8 |
CB1 3 Security Officer |
07 |
1 |
Chief Admin Clerk Grade 1 |
07 |
1 |
Cultural Officer |
07 |
1 |
Labour Relations Officer |
07 |
1 |
Lecturer |
07 |
2 |
Logistic Support Officer |
07 |
1 |
PNA2 Professional Nurse Grade 1 |
07 |
4 |
Secretary Chief: MEC Support |
07v |
1 |
Supply Chain Management Practitioner |
07 |
1 |
Social Worker Grade 1 |
07 |
2 |
Teacher |
07 |
42 |
Asset Officer |
08 |
1 |
CD A6 Community Development Practitioner Grade 3 |
08 |
1 |
Departmental Head |
08 |
17 |
Employment Services Practitioner 2 |
08 |
1 |
Local Co-ordinator |
08 |
1 |
Personnel Officer: Chief |
08 |
1 |
Principal Road Safety Officer |
08 |
1 |
Project Officer IASP Environment Management |
08 |
1 |
Provincial Inspector Senior |
08 |
1 |
Registration Clerk |
08 |
1 |
Teacher |
08 |
18 |
CB1 3 Security Officer Grade 1 |
08 |
2 |
Departmental Head |
09 |
4 |
Deputy Principal |
09 |
7 |
Director: Administration Assistant |
09 |
1 |
Director: Assistant Gender (Siyanda) |
09 |
1 |
Education Specialist Senior (FETI) |
09 |
1 |
Principal P2 |
09 |
23 |
SW A8 Social Work Supervisor Grade |
09 |
1 |
Teacher |
09 |
4 |
Education Specialist (Office Based) |
10 |
1 |
Education Specialist Deputy Chief (Office Based) |
10 |
2 |
Education Specialist Senior (Office Based) |
10 |
1 |
PNB3 Operational Manager Nursing (Speciality Unit) |
10 |
1 |
Principal 2 |
10 |
11 |
Principal 3 |
10 |
17 |
Teacher Master |
10 |
1 |
Deputy Director: HEST & HPM |
11 |
1 |
Deputy Director: Parliamentary |
11 |
1 |
Director: Administration Deputy |
11 |
1 |
Portfolio Co-ordinator |
11 |
1 |
Principal P3 |
11 |
3 |
Principal P4 |
11 |
4 |
Dentist Grade 3 |
12 |
1 |
Deputy Director |
12 |
1 |
Deputy Director: Administration |
12 |
1 |
Manager Information Services |
12 |
1 |
Principal P4 |
12 |
2 |
Director: Logistics and Asset Management |
13 |
1 |
Part-Time Teacher |
Not specified |
15 |
TOTAL |
281 |
(2) (a)The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has written letters to departments with public servants employed as municipal councillors (b) in September 2022. These departments were requested to provide information by 14 October 2022 to the DPSA, through a standard reporting template, indicating the public servants in their employ who serve as municipal councillors.
(3) The DPSA has not established the number of identified public servants elected as full-time councillors who resigned from the Public Service with effect from the date immediately before assuming the position of municipal councillor. The reporting template that was shared with the affected departments did not include a request for this information.
(4) Only three departments with employees elected as municipal councillors provided information to the DPSA by the due date of 14 October 2022. The Department of Correctional Services and Gauteng Department of Human Settlements provided a nil report and the Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs disclosed that two employees requested permission before assuming the position of part-time municipal councillor. One of the employees passed on.
The DPSA is monitoring all the implicated departments. The Department of Correctional Services and Gauteng Department of Human Settlements were given name lists to verify their nil reports and name lists were also shared with the following departments: Free State Department of Education, and KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
The DPSA will make follow-ups with all the affected departments which have not yet provided information to the DPSA by the due date of 14 December 2022.
(5) (a) The DPSA cannot take disciplinary steps against the employees of other departments, but its own. Discipline management is a decentralised process and accordingly, each department has the responsibility to discipline its own employees. However, all relevant information was shared with the Accounting Officers of the identified employees, so that the departments can institute disciplinary action against their employees and report progress to the DPSA. The DPSA will monitor the situation and report on progress.
(b) The DPSA cannot take steps to recover the remuneration received by public servants from other departments who failed to comply with applicable legal prescripts. Disciplinary processes are invoked in terms of the provisions of the Disciplinary Code, Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council Resolution 1 of 2003. This Code does not provide for a sanction such as the recovery of monies or for punitive fines. The recovery of money can therefore only be done when departments are using permitting prescripts outside the Discipline Management process, such as to litigate.
End
06 December 2022 - NW3856
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)With reference to his reply to question 2349 on 25 August 2022 that as at 1 May 2022 a total of 2 349 senior managers within the Public Service do not have the qualifications for the positions that they currently occupy, what has he found are the reasons that the number of senior managers without qualifications is so high especially in critical national departments such as (a) Justice and (b) Police; (2) whether, the fact that senior managers are not adequately qualified, he has found that it has an impact on the public administration, more especially on its ability to deliver quality services to the citizens of the Republic; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether his department will request the Public Service Commission to investigate the issue; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. As of the end of September 2022, the number of SMS members whose requisite qualifications are not reflected in the PERSAL has gone down to 2188 from 2349 in May 2022. This is due to the fact that most departments are now updating this data onto the PERSAL since the Director-General issued a Circular HRD0301 in this regard. The fact that it is not yet mandatory to reflect the qualifications in the PERSAL when SMS members are appointed, could be one of the reasons why the numbers may seems high in certain departments, although that may not be the case.
2. The issue of poor service delivery in the public service is multidimensional and systemic and therefore, cannot be attributed to the less than 25% of the SMS members without the required qualifications within a staff complement of 1,3 million public servants. Most of them have acquired lots of workplace experience and knowledge that is contributing to service delivery improvement. There are continuous development initiatives that are mandated for senior managers to remain relevant in their scope of practice, thereby improving service delivery.
3. The Public Service Commission (PSC) is currently investigating this issue and has written to the Acting Minister for the Public Service and Administration, requesting some additional information on the subject matter and the department have responded accordingly. The PSC findings will therefore provide a clearer picture in this regard.
End
06 December 2022 - NW3341
Schreiber, Dr LA to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)On what date did he attend the last meeting of any structure outside the Government in order to receive recommendations on the deployment of personnel in his department and/or entities reporting to him; (2) whether any appointments to his department and/or entities reporting to him were discussed during his attendance at any private forum and/or external structures to the Government; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) are the details of appointments that were discussed and recommendations received and (b) other Government matters were discussed during the last meeting of any such forum?
Reply:
(1) The Acting Minister of Public Service and Administration was never part of any meeting that talks about any deployment in Public Service or any entity that is involved in recruitment or placement of employees in entire Public service or state owned enterprises.
(2) The recruitment of employees in public service is done through corporate service which reports to the Accounting Officer. (b)The Minister never attended any forum or any meetings that discussed any appointments in public service or any entities within state owned enterprises.
End
06 December 2022 - NW4147
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
What interventions has his department taken to (a) close existing gaps in the Public Service recruitment system and (b) prohibit government departments from appointing persons at a senior management level without the requisite qualifications, experience and competence?
Reply:
a) The Department of Public Service and Administration is currently consulting on the amendments to the Public Service Act, 1994 and the Public Service Regulations, 2016 to augment all challenges identified in different policy areas, not only limited to recruitment. Lessons learnt have been documented and will be applied in how the amendments are operationalised. Additionally, the DPSA continues to hold advocacy with departments on the implementation of policy.
b) The Public Service Act, 1994 and accompanying Regulations, is clear that any person, not only those in senior management must be fit and proper and meet the inherent requirements of a post to be appointed. The MPSA will continue writing to Executive Authorities of entities that are implicated to hold Accounting Officers accountable for any deviations that have not been authorised.
End
06 December 2022 - NW3548
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)With reference to the reply to question 1945 on 20 May 2022, (a) on what date were the Cuban doctors and engineers employed in the Republic and (b) where are the Cuban doctors and engineers employed and/or assigned to in the Republic; (2) (a) what type of employment contracts did the Cuban doctors and engineers conclude, (b) with which government departments have the Cuban doctors and engineers concluded employment contracts and (c) on what date do the employment contracts come to an end; (3) what (a) are the terms and conditions of the employment of the Cuban doctors and engineers and (b) benefits are they entitled to in terms of their employment in the Republic?
Reply:
Recruitment and appointments of public servants is a decentralised function in the public service. The appointments of these categories including employment contracts, terms and conditions of the employment which are processed by the immediate/relevant department as an employer. Therefore, the National Departments of Health and Public Works and Infrastructure are better suited to respond to the appointments.
End
05 December 2022 - NW4122
Buthelezi, Mr EM to ask the Minister of Finance
With reference to his speech during the tabling of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement on 26 October 2022, wherein he projected that the average economic growth would be 1,6% and would not be enough to support the developmental goals of the Republic and as a result structural reforms will be implemented, what are the full details of the (a) form of the specified structural reforms, (b) projected growth and results that his department envisages in the different sectors and (c) promotional and supportive assistance and/or investment that his department will offer (i) small, medium and micro enterprises, (ii) the agricultural sector and (iii) township and informal economies to ensure sustainability and that their growth is not stifled?
Reply:
(a) The Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan (ERRP) outlines the country’s near-term growth agenda. It includes a number of structural reforms aimed at supporting the economic recovery by unlocking investment and removing barriers to growth.
(b) The National Treasury provides forecasts from the expenditure side of GDP, details of which can be found in the Budget Review 2022 and Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) 2022.
With regard to the estimated impact of reform implementation, this was estimated to result in a 2.3 percentage point growth above the baseline over the next ten years. The details of this work can be found in the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan.
(c) The MTBPS does not make specific allocations to departments and programmes. Such allocations will be published in the 2013 Budget.
05 December 2022 - NW3940
Graham-Maré, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Finance
(1)With reference to his reply to question 2088 on 27 September 2021 regarding the non-payment of pension funds by the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, what (a) progress has been made on settling the arrears on the payment of pension funds owed by the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality to third parties and (b) is the status of the payments to medical aid contributions by the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality on behalf of officials and councilors where the monies have been deducted from their salaries; (2) whether the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality is up to date with payments to the SA Revenue Service; (3) whether the National Treasury has contemplated withholding equitable share to the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality until it complies with its fiduciary duties; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The information below is provided by the municipality to National Treasury. It is not audited and so cannot be verified by Treasury.
1. (a) The Municipality paid an amount of R18.6 million in the month of September to the Pension Funds. That reduced the total arrear debt to R20.9 million in terms of the narrative report submitted by the municipality to both Provincial and National Treasury. It should be noted that non-payment of pension fund contributions constitutes a criminal offence in terms of Section 13(A) of the Pension Fund Act.
b) The narrative report indicates that the Medical Aids are paid up to date and there is no arrear amount on the account.
2. According to the municipality, it owes the South African Revenue Service a total amount of R30.3 million. This information is obtained from a narrative report the municipality submitted to both Provincial and National Treasury. SARS are unable to confirm with the National Treasury as they do not discuss taxpayers’ affairs of a taxpayer with third parties.
3. The National Treasury does have the power to stop the transfer of the equitable share to the municipality in terms of Section 216(2) of the Constitution and other applicable legislation in the event of persistent failure by a municipality to honor its financial commitments. National Treasury does require municipalities to report on the non-payments of its commitment to South African Revenue Service, pension and other staff benefit deducted from municipal officials to be paid over the appropriate funds and/ or institutions. Failure for municipalities to provide this evidence may result in their equitable share being withheld to influence compliance.
The onus lies with the Executive Mayor to impose consequence management to the Accounting Officer. The Executive Mayor must recommend financial misconduct proceedings against the accounting officer in line with Municipal Regulations on Financial Misconduct Procedures and Criminal Proceedings.
The other option is also for the relevant Pension Fund to implement their credit control policies to collect the monies due to their institutions. Pension Fund Administrator must also lay criminal charges against the accounting officer in terms of their own legislation.
Eastern Cape Legislature must further exercise its oversight responsibility effectively. The matter must be directed to the Provincial Legislature for the relevant committee to summon the Mayor to the Legislature to provide responses on how the municipality is planning to address the matter.
05 December 2022 - NW4120
Buthelezi, Mr EM to ask the Minister of Finance
Whether the National Treasury has engaged with the Department of Home Affairs to address the processing of the backlog of skilled visa applications to boost human and finance resources and reduce the risk of foreign investment retracting their activities in the Republic; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the full, relevant details of the (a) engagements with Home Affairs and (b) type of assistance that National Treasury will provide in this regard?
Reply:
National Treasury works with departments to assist them with their budget requests and implementation of processes that will allow them to achieve their strategic plans. Departments mostly will, through the budget process, inform the National Treasury if funding is requested for a specific project. These funding requests will then be dealt with through the budget process.
In terms of the policy and implementation timelines, the Department of Home Affairs will have this information and should be requested to submit the plans and their timelines. The National Treasury has not yet received the specific funding request for this specific project.
05 December 2022 - NW4000
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)Whether his department has been monitoring the implementation of Regulation 13(c) of the Public Service Regulations and Regulation 8 of the Public Administration Management Act, Act 11 of 2014; if not, why not; if so, what has been the outcome of the specified monitoring; (2) what (a)(i) total number of public servants were found to be conducting business with the State as at 1 October 2022 and (ii) is the breakdown of the specified number for each national and provincial department and (b) is the salary level and position of each of the employees; (3) what (a) number of public servants have been subjected to disciplinary action for conducting business with the State to date and (b) has been the outcome of the disciplinary action taken in each case with regard to each of the national and provincial departments; (4) what (a) number of public servants are currently being investigated by the SA Police Service for conducting business with the State and (b) is the status of the investigations; (5) what number of public servants have been convicted for conducting business with the State as at the latest specified date for which information is available?
Reply:
1. The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has been monitoring the implementation of Regulation 13(c) of the Public Service Regulations and Regulation 8 of the Public Administration Management Act, Act 11 of 2014 since 2019. Since then, the DPSA is monitoring public service employees who are allegedly conducting business with the State, through the Central Supplier Database (CSD), on a monthly basis. The following were the outcomes of the monitoring process[1]:
- As at the end of March 2019, 1068 public service employees were flagged on the CSD to be allegedly conducting business with the State. Out of the 1068, 270 employees were from the national departments while 798 were from provincial departments.
- As at the end of April 2020, 1539 public service employees were flagged on the CSD to be allegedly conducting business with the State. Out of 1539, 428 were from national departments, whilst 1111 emanated from provincial departments.
- As at end of January 2021, 484 employees were flagged on the CSD to be allegedly conducting business with the State. Out of this number, 126 were from national departments, whilest 358 came from the provincial departments.
- As at the end of January 2022, 181 employee were flagged on the CSD to be allegedly conducting business with the State. A total of 44 employees were from national departments, whilst 137 were from provincial departments.
2. a.(i) As at 1 October 2022, a total number of 113 public servants were flagged to be allegedly conducting business with the State. When flagged by the DPSA, the information is shared with departments to verify if the identified employees are still in the Public Service and for departments to investigate if these employees are indeed conducting business with the State. As per the feedback received from departments, three (3) of these public servants are representing government in an official capacity in accordance to Regulation 13(c) of the Public Service Regulations, 2016 and one (1) individual was a part time political advisor (see Table with information obtained from PERSAL and the respective departments). Thus, only 109 public servants are considered to be allegedly conducting business with the State.
(ii) the breakdown of the specified number for each national and provincial department and salary level of each employee (position is not tracked on PERSAL) is shown on the table below:
.
National Department |
(b) SALARY LEVEL |
Total |
||||||||||||||
Department |
02 |
03 |
04 |
05 |
06 |
07 |
08 |
09 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
35 |
Trade Industry and Competition |
1 |
1 Status provided: The employee represents the department at the COEGA. |
||||||||||||||
Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development |
4 The employee’s salary levels are not specified. |
|||||||||||||||
Public Service and Administration |
1 |
2 Status provided: One (1) employee was part-time Special Adviser to the previous MPSA with the contract linked to the term of office. |
||||||||||||||
Water and Sanitation |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|||||||||||||
Higher Education and Training |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
8 The salary level of one (1) employee was not specified. |
|||||||||
Correctional Services |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
8 The salary level of one (1) employee was not specified. |
|||||||||||
Transport |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Sport Arts and Culture |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Justice and Constitutional Development |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Statistical South Africa |
1 The salary level of one (1) employee was not specified. |
|||||||||||||||
Basic Education |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Science and Innovation |
1 |
3 Status report: Two (2) of the employees were appointed as Board members of the Biological and Vaccines Institute of SA (BIOVAC). |
||||||||||||||
Government Communication and Information |
1 The salary level of one (1) employee was not specified. |
|||||||||||||||
Environment, Forestry and Fisheries |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Provincial Department |
SALARY LEVEL |
Total |
||||||||||||||
Department |
02 |
03 |
04 |
05 |
06 |
07 |
08 |
09 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
78 |
Eastern Cape (10) |
||||||||||||||||
Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|||||||||||||
Education |
1 |
2 The salary level of one (1) employee was not specified. |
||||||||||||||
Health |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|||||||||||||
Office of the Premier |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Provincial Treasury |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Roads and Public Works |
1 The salary level of one (1) employee was not specified. |
|||||||||||||||
Free State (4) |
||||||||||||||||
Health |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|||||||||||||
Provincial Treasury |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Education |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Gauteng (3) |
||||||||||||||||
Education |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|||||||||||||
Health |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
KwaZulu-Natal (17) |
||||||||||||||||
Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs |
1 |
2 The salary level of one (1) employee was not specified. |
||||||||||||||
Education |
1 |
1 |
4 The salary level of two (2) employees were not specified. |
|||||||||||||
Health |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
||||||||||||
Transport |
5 The salary level of five (5) employee were not specified. |
|||||||||||||||
Office of the Premier |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Social Development |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Western Cape (1) |
||||||||||||||||
Transport and Public Works |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Northern Cape (16) |
||||||||||||||||
Education |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
9 The salary level of five (5) employee were not specified. |
|||||||||||
Health |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|||||||||||||
Corporate Governance Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs |
2 |
1 |
4 The salary level of one (1) employee was not specified. |
|||||||||||||
Agriculture Environmental Affairs Rural Development and Rural Reform |
1 The salary level of one (1) employee was not specified. |
|||||||||||||||
Limpopo (7) |
||||||||||||||||
Education |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
||||||||||||
Corporate Governance Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs |
1 |
2 The salary level of one (1) employee was not specified. |
||||||||||||||
Health |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|||||||||||||
Mpumalanga (19) |
||||||||||||||||
Education |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
||||||||||
Health |
1 |
10 The salary level of nine (9) employees were not specified. |
||||||||||||||
Provincial Treasury |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
Public Works Roads and Transport |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
North West (1) |
||||||||||||||||
Health |
1 |
1 |
||||||||||||||
3. (a) 35 public servants from national departments and 126 from provincial departments were subjected to disciplinary action (based on information provided by departments to the DPSA).
b) The outcome of the disciplinary action taken in each case with regard to each of the national and provincial departments are as follows[2]:
Nationally:
- 18 final written warnings
- 4 one month suspension without pay
- 2 two months suspension without pay
- 1 deceased
- 4 under investigation
- 4 not guilty
- 1 awaiting the outcome of a hearing
- 1 hearing scheduled
Provinces:
- 1 written warning
- 5 final written warning
- 1 contract terminated
- 2 indicated as in another department
- 12 not charging
- 28 out of service
- 14 letters of intention to charge issued
- 2 deceased
- 4 not guilty
- 33 pending
- 8 withdrawn
- 4 resignations
- 1 dismissal
- 2 appointing chairpersons
- 8 under investigation
- 1 retirement
(4)(a) Six (06) public servants are currently being investigated by the South African Police Service (SAPS) for conducting business with the State[3].
(b) Status of investigations:
- One (1) case - 1st court appearance will be held on 24 November 2022.
- Two (2) cases were postponed to 18 November 2022 and 16 January 2023, respectively.
- One (1) case is with the Director for Public Prosecutions for decision.
- In two (2) cases, investigating officers were tasked to source more information as per the Court.
(5) A total of seven (07) public servants have been convicted for conducting business with the State as at the latest date. One of the employees were convicted on two separate cases[4].
05 December 2022 - NW3967
George, Dr DT to ask the Minister of Finance
With reference to the reply of the President of the Republic, Mr M C Ramaphosa, to question 2985 on 6 October 2022, how does the established interdepartmental committee measure and/or determine whether or not the Republic has credible risk assessments in place to address money laundering and terror financing, that its supervisory authorities have appropriate risk-based approaches, and that the Republic’s investigative and prosecuting authorities are able to speedily investigate, prosecute and seize assets related to financial crimes and corruption?
Reply:
Government is cognizant of the importance of having credible risk assessments as this enables the fight against money laundering, corruption and related financial crimes to be focused and targeted to high-risk areas and sectors. In this regard, to ensure the credibility of risk assessments, the government, including the supervisory authorities, takes into account the guidance that was issued by the Financial Action Task Force on the conducting of risk assessments, which rely on reasonably standardized methodologies that rely on analysis of existing data as well as in-depth engagement with relevant stakeholders and practitioners. The guidance can be accessed using the following link on the FATF website: https://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/content/images/National_ML_TF_Risk_Assessment.pdf.
Supervisory bodies are required to adopt a risk-based approach to supervision and effect these in line with their internally documented mechanisms. Additionally, supervisory bodies, including the Prudential Authority and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority have conducted money laundering and terrorist financing sector risk assessments. These methodologies are reasonably standardized. The second round sector risk assessments for the banking and life insurance sector have been issued by the Prudential Authority and are available at the following link: https://www.resbank.co.za/en/home/publications/publication-detail-pages/media-releases/2022/Banking-and-Insurance-sectors-assessment-reports.
The supervisory agencies have developed sectoral risk assessments for AML/CFT which have been submitted to the Interdepartmental Committee on Anti-Money Laundering and the Combating of the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) for consideration.
Although the IDC-AML/CFT also comprises the investigating and prosecuting authorities, the IDC-AML/CFT does not interfere with the work of the investigating and prosecuting authorities, as they operate independently in line with their investigating and prosecutorial policies. However, the IDC-AML/CFT guides the investigating and prosecuting authorities of the improvements that are required in the anti-money laundering and related offences policy framework, and also for them to address deficiencies identified in the Mutual Evaluation report. Government is strongly of the view that considerable progress has been made in the effective use by South Africa’s law enforcement agencies of the powers provided for combating financial crimes and money laundering. While much remains to be done, substantial progress is evident in relation to “state capture” cases, the policing of PPE-related corruption, and corporate frauds.
The IDC-AML/CFT considers reports on risk assessments at regular intervals when assessments are updated, and that these are included in the IDC-AML/CFT’s formulation of AML/CFT policies.
The IDC-AML/CFT is in the process of finalising a National Risk Assessment (NRA) for money laundering, terror financing and proliferation financing, and also a strategy for AML/CFT and the Countering of Proliferation Finance (CPF). The NRA document and the strategy document will be submitted to the FATF around end-November 2022 as part of the process of demonstrating progress in addressing deficiencies identified in the Mutual Evaluation report relating to Risk, Policy and Co-ordination (FATF Methodology for effectiveness relating to Immediate Outcome 1) (https://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/methodology/fatf%20methodology%2022%20feb%202013.pdf.)
The IDC-AML/CFT will publish summarised versions of the NRA and national strategy documents as soon as they are finalised.
05 December 2022 - NW4549
van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether, in view of the large number of rural residents who have to walk long distances and take multiple forms of transport to reach the offices of his department and the modernisation of the Home Affairs systems such as the Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS), his department has any practical alternatives to those in rural areas who do not have access to smartphones, technology and/or consistent and reliable internet connection to secure themselves slots online; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The Department of Home Affairs’ Access Model has identified 778 mobile service points and the majority of them are in rural areas to service citizens; hence in the next financial year we will be buying additional mobile units to add to the current fleet and expand the footprint to ensure that citizens receive the services in their localities.
Secondly, all offices with BABS have been given tablets to assist citizens with booking and the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) is working on zero rating data requirements for government websites to enable citizens to access BABS on our website for free.
END
05 December 2022 - NW3583
Buthelezi, Mr EM to ask the Minister of Finance
In view of reports that the current Chief Executive Officer of the Office of the Tax Ombud is currently the Acting Tax Ombud, what are the details of and update on the process of the appointment of a permanent Tax Ombud?
Reply:
The Minister of Finance has commenced with the recruitment process for the appointment of the Tax Ombud in terms of section 14 of the Tax Administration Act, 2011 (Act No 28 of 2011). The advert for the position was published in the Sunday Times on Sunday, 30 October 2022 and in the Business Day on Monday, 31 October 2022. It was also published on the following social media platforms, namely Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. The closing date for the advert was 14 November 2022. Following the closing date, the shortlisting process will commence and thereafter interviews will take place.
05 December 2022 - NW3166
George, Dr DT to ask the Minister of Finance
(1)Whether the Office of the Tax Ombud relies on any statutory provisions for its establishment; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? (2) whether a separate budget will be appropriated for the specified office; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. (a) There is enabling legislation which makes provision for the Minister of Finance to appoint a Tax Ombud in terms of Section 14 of the Tax Administration Act, 2011 (Act No 28 of 2011).
(b) Section 15 of the Tax Administration Act, 2011 is the enabling legislation which deals with the Office of the Tax Ombud and makes provision for the Tax Ombud to appoint the staff of the office of the Tax Ombud.
(c) The Office of the Tax Ombud has functional independence, in that the Minister of Finance and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) cannot interfere with the decision of the Tax Ombud.
2. The Office of the Tax Ombud is financed by a budget approved by the Minister of Finance, which is a ringfenced in the SARS budget.
05 December 2022 - NW4359
Van Minnen, Ms BM to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises
What (a) are the new and updated costs of the project to extend the life of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant and (b) is the updated schedule in this regard?
Reply:
According to Information Received from Eskom:
a) The total cost associated with the activities needed to support the licence application for long-term operation is projected to amount to an estimated R21 billion.
b) The installation schedule of the specific project to replace the steam generators has moved to coincide with the outage starting in December 2022 for Unit 1 and the outage for Unit 2 starting in October 2023. This change to the installation of the steam generators still aligns with the overall schedule and the milestones associated with the Eskom licence application to operate Koeberg for an additional 20 years. This schedule has not changed.
Remarks: Approved / Not Approved
Jacky Molisane Pravin Gordhan, MP
Acting Director-General Minister
Date: Date:
05 December 2022 - NW3959
Kruger, Mr HC to ask the Minister of Finance
What (a) is the total amount in Rand that has been outstanding by each (i) national department, (ii) provincial department and (iii) local government for more than 30 days for the services rendered by small, medium and micro enterprises and (b) has he found are the reasons for each department and municipality not honouring the 30-day regulation?
Reply:
The National Treasury cannot certify the data provided in respect to this question, as only the accounting officer at each national or provincial department or municipality can do so. The data provided is not verified.
National Treasury Instruction Note No. 34 requires departments to submit exception reports to the relevant treasuries by the 7th day of each month with details of the number and rand value of invoices paid after 30 days and those that remain unpaid from the date of receiving invoices. Provincial departments submit information on the late payment of invoices to their respective treasuries. Information at provincial government is collated by their respective treasuries, consolidated, and submitted to the National Treasury by the 15th day of every month with information on the preceding month. Therefore, statistical information for each provincial department can be obtained from the relevant treasuries. The treasury instruction further requires the accounting officers of departments to confirm the accuracy of information reported by signing off these reports prior to its submission to the relevant treasuries.
Since the inception of the National Treasury Instruction Note No.34, the National Treasury provides progress reports on this requirement to the relevant stakeholders and continues to monitor the level of compliance with the requirement to pay supplier’s invoices within the prescribed period. Such progress reports are shared with the relevant stakeholders on a quarterly and annual basis. The information collated from departments forms the basis of compiling the quarterly and annual reports which can be located on the link below:
http://www.treasury.gov.za/legislation/pfma/Compliance%20on%20Payment%20of%20Suppliers/default.aspx
The statistics provided below provides information collated from departments for quarter 1 of the 2022/2023 financial year. The tables below contain information owed by departments to all suppliers including SMME’s for quarter 1 of 2022/2023 financial year, but we do not have a more detailed breakdown on amounts owing to SMMEs.
(a)(i)
Table 1 below provides a list of national departments that reported invoices older than 30 days and not paid at the end of June 2022.
Table 1: Total number and rand value of invoices older than 30 days and not paid by national departments at the end of June 2022
Department |
Older than 30 days and not paid |
|
Number |
Rand Value |
|
Home Affairs |
2 |
R14 806 |
Public Works and Infrastructure (Main Account) |
1 |
R11 154 |
Water and Sanitation (Main Account) |
3 |
R19 647 |
Social Development |
4 |
R92 567 |
Statistics South Africa |
6 |
R599 146 |
Forestry, Fisheries and Environment |
7 |
R71 720 |
Public Works and Infrastructure (Trading Account) |
23 |
R3 010 |
Tourism |
149 |
R705 591 |
Water and Sanitation (Trading Account) |
764 |
R2 590 747 |
Total |
959 |
R4 108 387 |
(a) (ii)
Table 2 below provides statistics of provincial government on the number and rand value of invoices outstanding at the end June 2022.
Table 2: Total number and rand value of invoices older than 30 days and not paid by provincial departments at the end of June 2022
Provincial Departments Number and Rand Value of invoices older than 30 days and not paid per province |
||
Province |
Number of invoices |
Rand Value of invoices |
Mpumalanga |
3 |
R 3 033 218 |
Western Cape |
4 |
R31 293 |
Limpopo |
26 |
R3 533 130 |
Kwazulu-Natal |
669 |
R27 353 872 |
Free State |
967 |
R281 492 366 |
Northern Cape |
1 131 |
R233 665 843 |
Gauteng |
3 530 |
R1 334 443 888 |
North West |
3 769 |
R392 170 711 |
Eastern Cape |
14 143 |
R2 541 533 317 |
Total |
24 242 |
R4 817 257 638 |
(a)(iii)
The information below represents the first quarter reported to the local government data base by municipalities as per section 71 of the MFMA. It is aggregated per province for ease of reference. Unfortunately, the level of information that the question requires is not available from the reporting template and must be obtained from the municipality directly.
Information related to Municipalities may be obtained at those relevant Municipalities
(b)
The common reasons provided by national and provincial departments for late and/or non-payment of invoices during the first quarter of the 2022/2023 financial year are as follows –
- IT system issues (BAS, LOGiS, Safety web etc);
- Delay in submission of invoices for processing;
- Unresolved invoice discrepancies;
- Client departments not confirming Funds timeously;
- CSD information not updated timeously by suppliers;
- Inadequate budget; and
- Inadequate internal capacity
(b)
In addition to the response under a(iii) above, information on Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) can be obtained from individual municipalities as currently there is no process instituted by the National Treasury to collate and report on such information.
05 December 2022 - NW3761
Komane, Ms RN to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
Given that the Public Service Amendment Bill has been under consideration by his Ministry since 2018, (a) by what date does he envisage the specified Bill will be sent to Parliament and (b) what delays has he found in this regard?
Reply:
It is envisaged that the Public Service Amendment Bill will be tabled in Parliament in the 2022/2023 financial year.
The delay in processing the Public Service Amendment Bill was due to the fact that the Bill was extensively consulted, including consultations with organised Labour in the relevant bargaining councils. The Bill is currently at NEDLAC.
End
05 December 2022 - NW3392
Komane, Ms RN to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
In light of the fact that communication and/or circulars from his department to other departments are issued without time frames, what (a) are the reasons for communications without time frames and (b) has he found to be the impact of the specified practice on accountability and commitment to adhere to legislative prescripts?
Reply:
Circulars are issued based on the provisions of an Act for a number of purposes including issuing instructions’ providing clarifications; information; guidance; rules; and/or background information on legislative or procedural matters. As Circulars are issued under the statutory power, they are binding, usually from the date of issue. As Circulars serve different purposes, there will be those with timeframes and those without. In the event where it is a requirement for timeframes, the circular/communication does indicate for the purposes of accountability and commitment. Those without timeframes are often about clarifications or for information sharing.
As mentioned in (a) above Circulars serve different purposes, and sufficient measures are put in place to ensure adherence, accountability and commitment from all those that they are the target audience.
End
05 December 2022 - NW3785
Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)Whether he will furnish Inkosi R N Cebekhulu with an update on the investigation of the Public Service Commission, especially on the matter of the 2 364 senior managers who have reportedly been found not to possess the relevant qualifications for the jobs that they occupy, with 1 211 senior managers employed at the national level and 1 153 at the provincial level; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) Whether any of the specified managers have been red-flagged for corruption and fraudulent practices; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1) Whether he will furnish Inkosi R N Cebekhulu with an update on the investigation of the Public Service Commission, especially on the matter of the 2 364 senior managers who have reportedly been found not to possess the relevant qualifications for the jobs that they occupy, with 1 211 senior managers employed at the national level and 1 153 at the provincial level; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) The Public Service Commission (PSC) has to date, requested information from the Acting Minister for Public Service and Administration (AMPSA) in order to be able to deal with the issue of SMS qualifications properly. The PSC will communicate its findings once information is received from the AMPSA and the analysis thereof is concluded.
End
05 December 2022 - NW3748
Siwisa, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Police
What are the reasons that the SA Police Service failed to intercept the act of a women in Parow, who was on the verge of selling her 4 year –old child to paedophiles and which was only brought to the attention of the Government after the Federal Bureau of investigation intercepted the gruesome act of the mother?
Reply:
Find here: Reply
05 December 2022 - NW2350
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
What (a) was the backlog of disciplinary cases in the Public Service in the (i) 2020-21 and (ii) 2021-22 financial years, (b) total amount did the specified backlog cost the State and (c) is the breakdown of the backlog in each (i) national and (ii) provincial department?
Reply:
(a)The breakdown in the number of backlog of disciplinary cases are as follows:
(i) 2020-21
1st Quarter 1627
2nd Quarter 2188
3rd Quarter and 1722
4th Quarter 1583
(ii) 2021-22
1st Quarter 2199
2nd Quarter 2614
3rd Quarter and 2428
4th Quarter 2986
Please note the backlog is calculated as cases that are taking more than 90 days to conclude which is the standard to finalise disciplinary cases in the Public Service.
(b) Backlogs on disciplinary cases do not necessarily cost the state money except showing the failure of departments in meeting the required standard of 90 day to finalise disciplinary cases.
(c) The breakdown of the backlog in each
(i) National
2020-21
1st Quarter 165
2nd Quarter 535
3rd Quarter 195
4th Quarter 196
2021-22
1st Quarter 619
2nd Quarter 978
3rd Quarter and 917
4th Quarter 1263
(ii) Provincial departments
2020-21
1st Quarter 1462
2nd Quarter 1653
3rd Quarter and 1527
4th Quarter 1387
2021-22
1st Quarter 1580
2nd Quarter 1636
3rd Quarter and 1511
4th Quarter 1723
End
05 December 2022 - NW4137
Cebekhulu, Inkosi RN to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
With reference to the statement of his Deputy Minister at the Africa Public Service Day in which he acknowledged the uneven public service delivery to citizens across the Public Service, especially for almost forgotten remote rural areas in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape as a matter of priority, what are the full details of (a) the particular areas in Limpopo, KZN and Eastern Cape that were referred to and (b) how the prioritisation of service delivery to citizens in the identified areas is being actioned through specific interventions?
Reply:
a) Africa Public Service Day (APSD) event was celebrated under the stewardship of the African Union with the theme: “Building resilience in nutrition and food security on the African continent: Accelerate the human capital, social and economic development”.
The comment made by the Deputy Minister during APSD was referring in general to uneven public service delivery in remote rural areas in provinces compared to service delivery in urban and more populated areas of the country. There was thus no specific reference made to any specific service delivery area.
b) The District Development Model (DDM) is one of the initiatives that is used to ensure that public service delivery is prioritised in the areas that are lagging behind in public service delivery. The DDM is an intergovernmental and cooperative governance model, launched by the President in September 2019. The DDM is anchored in the development of a “One Plan” which aims to translate development priorities and objectives into spatial locations (district & metropolitan areas). The plan aims to provide synchronisation and alignment of strategic projects across all spheres of government, organs of state and the private sector, by prioritizing catalytic projects. Through this initiative plus the application of many other service delivery mechanisms (such as the Batho Pele standards, specific support interventions and operations management initiatives) the “almost forgotten” areas of service delivery will be prioritised.
End
05 December 2022 - NW4442
Mthenjane, Mr DF to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Which steps of intervention have been taken to combat the long lines of freight trucks waiting to cross the Republic’s ports of entry?
Reply:
Border Management have identified the management of trucks along the highways, national roads and corridors towards the ports of entry as one of the factors affecting the operational dynamics in the legitimate facilitation of persons and goods.
The following planned responses as contingences were developed:
- The establishment of the integrated traffic management plan with all transport and traffic authorities in the respective corridors to ease traffic movements;
- Collaborating with stakeholders in the freight industry regarding the utilisation of truck holding areas and the diversion of trucks to these areas;
- The utilization of single lane processes towards the weighbridges for some controlled movements; and
- The deployment of dedicated traffic officers along the routes and corridors by Provincial and Local traffic authorities to ensure compliance and enforcement of traffic laws.
END
05 December 2022 - NW4363
Lees, Mr RA to ask the Minister of Finance
Whether the Government has decided to cancel the proposed tax incentive scheme to catalyse private rooftop solar installations that the President, Mr M C Ramaphosa, mentioned when he was presenting his Energy Response Plan in June 2022; if not, what are the reasons that he did not mention the tax incentive when he tabled the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement; if so, what are the (a) relevant details and (b) reasons?
Reply:
The Minister of Finance does not generally make tax announcements in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS). However, the 2022 MTBPS did state that efforts to expand generation capacity would include “facilitating investments in rooftop solar by developing a feed-in tariff for small-scale embedded generation projects, and investigating the expansion of tax incentives for commercial installations”.
This is in line with what the President stated in the July 2022 announcement that a feed-in tariff would be developed by Eskom to incentivise greater use of rooftop solar.
To quote the President:
“Fourth, we intend to enable businesses and households to invest in rooftop solar. South Africa has a great abundance of sun which we should use to generate electricity. There is significant potential for households and businesses to install rooftop solar and connect this power to the grid.
To incentivise greater uptake of rooftop solar, Eskom will develop rules and a pricing structure – known as a feed-in tariff – for all commercial and residential installations on its network. This means that those who can and have installed solar panels in their homes or businesses will be able to sell surplus power they don’t need to Eskom.”
05 December 2022 - NW3762
Komane, Ms RN to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
Whether a Senior Management Service (SMS) Pre-entry certificate (Nyukela) is an entry requirement for employment in the Public Service; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) who must ensure compliance and (b) what are the reasons that government departments are advertising SMS positions without the Nyukela requirement?
Reply:
The Nyukela is a requirement prior to a person being appointed into a SMS post. This is as directed by the Minister for the Public Service and Administration.
a) Heads of Department are required to ensure compliance. This includes ensuring that departments indicate Nyukela on the advert as a requirement prior to the appointment of a person to a SMS post.
b) Departments are required to include the Nyukela as a requirement for appointment when advertising an SMS post. When the DPSA notes that the matter is not addressed in an advertisement that is to be placed in the Public Service Vacancy Circular, it is duly referred back to the Department to correct.
End
05 December 2022 - NW4270
Motsepe, Ms CCS to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
With reference to the toll-free numbers of the Public Service Commission for the public to report corruption, which often rings with no answer and has a recording machine for all calls, what are the reasons that (a) calls are not answered and (b) potential whistle-blowers are not called back as a response to the recorded calls?
Reply:
The National Anti-Corruption Hotline (NACH) is operating from 08h00-16h30 from Monday to Friday. The NACH has a day shift due to capacity constraints as the call centre is manned by only five (5) call centre agents. When all the agents are busy, the other calls will be in the queue are automatically directed to the recording facility. In the month of October 2022, 4093 incoming calls were received by the NACH and 4033 were answered. This is indication that a large volume of calls are answered.
In addition, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has installed a recording facility to allow whistle-blowers to leave messages after hours and over weekends as viable alternative. The call centre agents process the messages and make a follow up where the whistle-blowers provide contact details.
Recorded messages are downloaded from the recording facility and processed accordingly. In cases where whistle-blowers provided contact details, the PSC calls back. However, many whistle-blowers are reluctant to leave their contact details.
End
05 December 2022 - NW3973
Lees, Mr RA to ask the Minister of Finance
Whether, with regard to the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999, that provides for the relevant treasury and/or executive authority to institute disciplinary action against an accounting officer charged with financial misconduct, the National Treasury has ever triggered the provisions against accounting officers in government departments in view of the perennial problem of fruitless, irregular and wasteful expenditure showing no signs of improvement; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The disciplinary process is governed by the Public Service Act and not the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). The PFMA in its current form does not provide the National Treasury with powers to institute disciplinary action against accounting officers. Information related to disciplinary action instituted in departments can be found in annual reports of those departments. The Frameworks issued by the National Treasury on unauthorised, irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure prescribes the process and requirements that should be followed by departments, constitutional institutions, trading entities and public entities when dealing with matters of financial misconduct linked to these expenditures.
Section 85(1)(a) of the PFMA provides that, the Minister must make regulations prescribing the manner, form and circumstances in which allegations and disciplinary and criminal charges of financial misconduct must be reported to the National Treasury, the relevant provincial treasury and the Auditor-General including (i) particulars of the alleged financial misconduct; and (ii) the steps taken in connection with such financial misconduct.
Treasury Regulation 4.1.3 states that, if an accounting officer is alleged to have committed financial misconduct, the relevant treasury, as soon as it becomes aware of the alleged misconduct, must ensure that the relevant executive authority initiates an investigation into the matter and if the allegations are confirmed, holds disciplinary hearing in accordance with the prescripts appliable and agreement applicable in the public service. The relevant treasury may also direct that (a) an official other than the employee of the department conducts the investigation or (b) issues reasonable requirement regarding the way in which the investigation should be performed as provided in Treasury Regulations 4.1.4.
Therefore, The Frameworks can be found on the National Treasury website at the following links:
05 December 2022 - NW4148
Winkler-Lidgett, Ms HS to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
Whether his department plans to implement a digital nomad e-visa like the other 40 countries that have done so globally, including Namibia, in order to promote tourism; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
- The current visa categories are legislated by the Immigration Act No. 13 of 2002. In its current form the Immigration Act does not make provision for digital nomad e-Visa. Therefore, there are no plans to implement a digital nomad e-visa.
- The department has to date launched and piloted e-Visa System in 14 countries in line with the Government’s plans to streamline and modernize the visa application process to make it easier to travel to South Africa for tourism and short term business and work visits. The e-Visa System enables the prospective visitors to apply for a Visa online, while in their home countries without visiting the Mission.
END
05 December 2022 - NW4392
Faber, Mr WF to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
What is the (a) total number of staff employed and/or provided as departmental support in (i) her and (ii) the Deputy Minister’s private offices and (b)(i) job title and (ii) annual remuneration package of each specified person?
Reply:
(a)(i) Total Nr = 11 |
(b)(i) Job Titles: |
(b)(ii) Annual Remuneration Package: |
1 |
Household Aid |
R130,092.00 |
2 |
Household Aid |
R130,092.00 |
3 |
Food Services Aid II |
R128,166.00 |
4 |
Chief Registry Clerk |
R285,735.00 |
5 |
Assistant Appointment and Administrative Secretary |
R578,841.00 |
6 |
Parliamentary and Cabinet Officer |
R922,137.00 |
7 |
Administrative Support and Coordinator |
R978,726.00 |
8 |
Private and Appointment Secretary |
R1,054,356.00 |
9 |
Portfolio Coordinator |
R1,070,169.00 |
10 |
Media Liaison Officer |
R1,173,231.00 |
11 |
Chief of Staff |
R1,308,051.00 |
|
||
(a)(ii) Total Nr = 9 |
|
|
1 |
Household Aid |
R128,166.00 |
2 |
Household Aid |
R130,092.00 |
3 |
Receptionist |
R181,599.00 |
4 |
Driver/Messenger |
R184,308.00 |
5 |
Chief Registry Clerk |
R277,362.00 |
6 |
Parliamentary and Cabinet Support |
R336,171.00 |
7 |
Community Outreach Officer |
R766,584.00 |
8 |
Private and Appointment Secretary |
R908,502.00 |
9 |
Head of Office |
R1,105,383.00 |
05 December 2022 - NW2995
Hunsinger, Dr CH to ask the Minister of Finance
Whether he and/or the National Treasury submitted a policy review document and/or any other government policy document to structures outside of the Government, either to private and/or external structures or structures of any political affiliation during the past five years; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) will he furnish Mr C H H Hunsinger with copies of all such documents and (b) what are the reasons that the Government documents were provided to each structure?
Reply:
This question is very general, and it is not very clear what specific information the Honourable Member is requesting. It is generally the policy of the Government and the National Treasury to seek public comments on policy and legislative proposals. Such policy and legislation proposals are generally published on the National Treasury website for public comment, and once finalised, made public once again on our website.
I refer the Honourable Member to the National Treasury website (www.treasury.gov.za)
05 December 2022 - NW4403
Mabika, Mr M to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
What is the (a) total number of staff employed and/or provided as departmental support in (i) her and (ii) each of the Deputy Minister’s private offices and (b) (i) job title and (ii) annual remuneration package of each specified person?
Reply:
(a) total number of staff employed and/or provided as departmental support in
(i) Office of the Minister : 14 employees
(ii) Office of Deputy Minister 1: 9 employees
(ii) Office of Deputy Minister 2: 11 employees
(b) (i) job title and (ii) annual remuneration package of each specified person
Office of the Minister:
i) Job title |
ii) Annual remuneration package |
Chief of Staff |
(SL14) R1 473 537 pa |
Senior Secretary |
(SL7) R269 214 pa |
Administrative Secretary |
(SL13) R1 302 102 pa |
Private Secretary |
(SL12) R1 070 169 |
Director: Media Liaison |
(SL13) R1 302 102 pa |
Parliamentary Liaison Officer |
(SL13) R1 208 691 pa |
Personal Assistant to the Chief of Staff |
(SL8) R367 575 pa |
Assistant Appointment Secretary |
(SL10) R578 841 pa |
Assistant Stakeholder Relations Officer |
(SL9) R417 858 pa |
Chief Registry Clerk |
(SL7) R 281 514 pa |
Driver/ Messenger |
(SL5) R201 537 pa |
Domestic Worker |
(SL3) R128 166 pa |
Domestic Worker |
(SL3) R128 166 pa |
Food Service Aid |
(SL3) R128 166 pa |
Office of Deputy Minister 1
|
|
Head of Office |
(SL13) R1 302 102 pa |
Technical Specialist |
(SL13) R1 105 383 pa |
Private Secretary |
(SL12) R964 257 pa |
Parliamentary & Cabinet Coordination |
(SL12) R1 070 169 pa |
Community Outreach Officer |
(SL11) R766 584 pa |
Secretary |
(SL7) R317 127 pa |
Driver |
(SL5) R207 639 pa |
Domestic Worker |
(SL3) R128 166 pa |
Domestic Worker |
(SL3) R128 166 pa |
Office of Deputy Minister 2
i) Job title |
ii) Annual remuneration package |
Head of Office |
(SL14) R1 347 606 pa |
Technical Specialist |
(SL13) R1 121 979 pa |
Personal Assistant |
(SL7) R269 214 pa |
Private Secretary |
(SL12) R908 502 pa |
Parliamentary & Cabinet Coordination |
(SL11) R766 584 pa |
Community Outreach Officer |
(SL11) R778 080 pa |
Chief Registry Clerk |
(SL7) R269 214 pa |
Driver |
(SL5) R181 599 pa |
Domestic Worker |
(SL3) R130 092 pa |
Domestic Worker |
(SL3) R128 166 pa |
Food Service Aid |
(SL2) R107 196 pa |
05 December 2022 - NW4194
George, Dr DT to ask the Minister of Finance
Whether, with regard to the Agri-Parks Initiative, where 44 Agri-parks were established by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, the National Treasury will undertake a (a) policy review and (b) financial cost benefit analysis of the specified initiative; if not, (i) why not and (ii) what action will be taken to hold those responsible for the initiative accountable; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The Agri-Parks Initiative falls under the domain of the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and not the Minister of Finance. I will, however, deal with some of your queries as related to the National Treasury.
a) According to the Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development, Agri-Parks entails the creation of a nexus of rural agricultural businesses across South Africa to serve as primary vehicles of agrarian transformation and comprehensive rural development in order to:
-
- Enhance agricultural production and efficiency;
- Promote household food security and national food sovereignty;
- Engender agrarian transformation through rural enterprise development and employment creation; and
b) The AgriParks therefore aims to grow rural economies by facilitating the efficient movement of rural produce to markets. They support smallholder farmers by providing capacity building, mentorship, farm infrastructure, extension services, and the production and mechanisation inputs.
At conception the department has committed R2 billion per annum (this was part of the existing budget and no specific budget line was established for Agri Parks), for establishing and operationalising the Agri-Parks in all 44 Municipal Districts. However, this has been scaled down to 9 Agri-Parks.
Agri-Parks programme does not have a specific dedicated programme and budget item in the department, but is implemented through all the departmental programmes.
To maximise value for money and address inefficiencies in departmental spending, the department is embarking on the review of programmes, with Rural Infrastructure Programme as the first programme to be selected.
National Treasury does not intend to do a policy review. The programme falls under the oversight of Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, the department is therefore mandated to undertake a policy review and financial cost benefit.
05 December 2022 - NW4290
Tshwaku, Mr M to ask the Minister of Finance
With reference to the recently published financial statements of the Land Bank, which show that the bank is turning the corner and making profit again, this is against the backdrop of the bank writing off soured loans from farmers who cannot pay, what (a) is the demographic representation of the farmers whose loans have been written off by the Land Bank and (b) adjustments is the bank making to ensure that it provides more development finance to emerging black farmers and beneficiaries of land reform?
Reply:
a) The demographic representation of the farmers whose loans have been written off by Land Bank.
In the past 3 Financial Years, there were approximately 116 matters written off. Whilst both types of write-offs were considered (i.e. full write-offs of outstanding amount and partial write-offs of outstanding amount), the bulk of the written off matters were partial write-offs (i.e. being matters written-off subsequent to Land Bank having received the maximum achievable recovery amount and thus writing off the irrecoverable remaining balance).
Of the 116 written-off matters, the demographic representation is as follows:-
46% - White Farmers
42% - Black Farmers
12% - Colored Farmers
0% - Indian Farmers
b) What adjustments is the Bank making to ensure that it provides more development finance to emerging Black farmers and beneficiaries of land reform.
The Bank has adopted a new strategy and an operating model tailored to make it more developmentally focused and financially sustainable.
A key component of the strategy is the adoption of the Blended Finance Model in which the Bank has partnered with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) through a 10-year Memorandum of Agreement which is effective from the current financial year (FY2023) to FY2033. DALRRD has committed a grant allocation of R325m per annum for the first three years of the agreement. Land Bank will provide an equivalent amount of funds which will be advanced as loans to the clients. The Bank is in the process to partner with provincial governments of agriculture, land reform and rural development, as well as other strategic partners to complement the grant funding from DALRRD.
The targeted clients and beneficiaries of the Bank’s Blended Finance Model are black persons and majority black-owned small and medium-scale farmers and/or entities.
The Bank will be utilising a significant part of the equity allocation from National Treasury for the next five years (FY2023 to FY2027) towards the Blended Finance Programme which will be complemented by grant allocations from DALRRD and other strategic partners. The equity allocations to the Bank will be preserved for recycling into the sector through the collection of loan repayments from clients, as well as the recovery of notional cost of funds from clients which will assist to cover for expected credit losses from non-performing loans, whilst still offering affordable financing to clients.
Resultant from this state support the bank projects that the development and transformation portfolio will shift from the current 30% of its total loan book to above 50% by FY2027.
The utilisation of equity and grant allocations is important to ensure affordable financing to the clients as the use of blended funds reduces the cost of funding and enables pricing subsidisation. The use of blended funds also enables the Bank to provide pre- and post-finance support to farmers to increase their chances of success and reduce entrepreneurial failures. The Bank would be unable to afford these pre- and post-finance support services were it not for the deployment of state allocated equity and grants from DALRRD and other strategic partners. The magnitude of the grants need to sufficiently cover for both the beneficiaries’ equity contribution and these pre- and post-finance services, which is not yet fully catered for.
It is important to note that for the Bank to meaningfully support development at affordable financing levels and still be financially sustainable beyond the five-year period its current funding model will have to change such that in the long term the Bank has an increased portion of its funding mix coming from equity, patient funds, and grants. It is for this reason that the Board has prioritized the need for a review of the Bank’s Funding Model which is a critical prerequisite for the Bank to accelerate development and transformation on a financially sustainable basis.
Note: For further details on the Blended Finance Model please see the attached brochure (Annexure A).
05 December 2022 - NW4320
van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1)What interventions has his department undertaken in Hillbrow and other communities to ensure that all who live and work within the borders of the Republic are legally permitted to do so; (2) what is the position of his department on estimates by some that the Republic is home to approximately 15 million illegal and/or undocumented migrants; (3) how does his department intend to address the prevalence of undocumented and/or illegal migrants within communities; (4) whether he has found that the daily growing numbers of illegal and/or undocumented migrants is a national crisis as his department is unable to implement its immigration legislation; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
Reply:
(1) The department’s inspectorate is fully engaged in immigration operations and inspections. Areas such as Hillbrow and other communities are regularly visited by immigration officials who conduct compliance. The Inspectorate unit deployed a dedicated team to Diepsloot from 6th April 2022 to 8th July 2022 where 1910 arrests were made for illegal migration. The department also conducts its own multi-stakeholder operation called “Operation Siyasibenta” on a monthly basis. On 11 November 2022 Siyasibenta operations were focused on farming areas around country with a total of 111 foreign nationals arrested for being undocumented.
(2) The department does not believe that figure is accurate as we have not been provided scientific evidence that it is so. The most credible source the department is aware of is the figures given by the Statistician General Risenga Maluleke where a figure of 3.95 million foreign nationals are said to be in South Africa according to their mid-year population estimates in 2021.
(3) The department will continue with its enforcement activities within the country as well as the deployment of the newly formed Border Guard of the Border Management Authority to the borders.
(4) The prevalence of undocumented migrants is a global due to push factors relating to either economic and environmental. The department is able to implement its legislation and has been doing so. In addition to this the department co-operates with other departments and foreign governments to tackle the problem.
END
05 December 2022 - NW3934
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)With reference to his reply to question 2159 on 26 August 2022, what are the implications of the Public Service Regulations of 2016 for the over 2 000 senior managers in the Public Service who do not have qualifications for the senior management positions that they currently occupy; (2) what is the reason that the capturing of qualifications on PERSAL is not mandatory or compulsory for all public servants as this will assist his department in rooting out qualifications fraud in the Public Service; (3) what steps has his department, which is meant to be at the heart of the Republic’s administration, taken in order to (a) root out qualifications fraud in the Public Service and (b) ensure it gets a clear and concise picture of the qualifications of public servants?
Reply:
1. It should be noted that majority of senior managers were appointed prior to the implementation of the Public Service Regulations, 2016. As of 30 September 2022, the number of SMS members who were appointed on or after 1 August 2016 and who do not have the requisite qualifications for the positions that they are occupying is 599. Whilst qualifications are critical to the recruitment and selection of senior managers, these alone are insufficient because they cannot be used to infer competence
2. PERSAL is specifically designed for payment of employees’ salaries. It should be noted that although qualifications are captured on PERSAL system, this system does not verify the authenticity of the qualifications.
3. (a) In terms of Regulation 67 (9) (a and b) of the Public Service Regulations, before making a decision on an appointment or the filling of a post, an executive authority shall satisfy herself or himself that the candidate qualifies in all respects for the post and that his or her claims in his or her application for the post have been verified as directed by the Minister, and record that verification in writing.
b) Verification of qualifications is one of the selection process which is done before finalising the appointment. The National Qualification Framework Act imposes a duty on employers to verify any qualifications by submitting to SAQA before appointing prospective employees. It is therefore, the responsibility of Accounting Officers in the departments to verify, through the National Learner Database if the qualifications of SMS members they are appointing are authentic as PERSAL is not the system that verify the authenticity of the qualifications.
End
05 December 2022 - NW4027
Gondwe, Dr M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1)What (a) measures has his department put in place to strengthen the implementation of the Batho Pele principles in the Public Service and (b) has been the impact of the non-implementation of the Batho Pele principles on the state of the Public Service in the Republic; (2)How often does his department monitor the implementation of and the adherence to the Batho Pele principles in the Public Service?
Reply:
1 Strengthening the implementation of Batho Pele principles remains a key priority for the government in building a citizen-centric society.
(a) To ensure that the Batho Pele principles remain valid and relevant, the DPSA has developed a revised Batho Pele revitalisation strategy that Cabinet endorsed in March 2022. The strategy requires the development and implementation of context-specific Batho Pele standards. These standards will ensure that public services are rendered in a specific, effective and efficient manner
(b) Reports from the Office of the Public Service Commission, which monitors adherence to Batho Pele Policy as per its Constitutional mandate to monitor, non-implementation of the Batho Pele principles and Constitutional Values and Principles, non-implementation can impact negatively on service delivery and citizen satisfaction.
2) Quarterly reports on the implementation of Batho Pele principles across the public service are prepared internally within the Department. The Department also uses the Batho Pele Forum which meets on a quarterly basis, to monitor and report on the implementation of Batho Pele with the public service. All these culminate in an annual status report on the implementation of Batho Pele and the level of adherence to the Batho Pele principles.
02 December 2022 - NW4563
Madokwe, Ms P to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy
Whether he has thought about investing in alternative energy sources like wind, solar energy production and battery storage, especially for government buildings and educational facilities that do not use much electricity, with the intention of feeding leftover energy to the Eskom energy grid; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy is investing in energy efficiency in public buildings and infrastructure, and this covers high-energy efficient lights, heating, ventilation and cooling systems, and alternative energy such as hydrogen fuel cells. The energy efficiency measures are being implemented in various buildings of the municipalities, provincial and State-Owned Buildings with projects underway at the Lahae La SARS 9n Brooklyn, Tshwane Market, and in 45 municipalities. These energy efficiency measures are meant to reduce energy demand, thus ensure more energy is available for the productive sectors of our economy. We do also encourage all consumers of electricity to reduce consumption where possible as the first fuel before embarking on other interventions.
02 December 2022 - NW4531
Ngcobo, Mr SL to ask the Minister of Employment and Labour
Whether, with reference to community health workers who have been working as volunteers within the structures of the Department of Health for a long time, his department intends to engage with the specified department to action the possibility of paying the volunteers a stipend or salary to ensure social security; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
In response to your question, I think it is important that I firstly indicate that the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and the National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA) regulate basic conditions of employment and minimum wages for employees and workers respectively.
An employee is defined in the BCEA as any person, excluding an independent contractor, who works for another person or for the state and who receives or is entitled to receive, any remuneration and includes any other person who in any manner assists in carrying on or conducting the business of an employer. The NMWA on the other hand, defines a worker as any person who works for another person and who receives or is entitled to receive any payment for that work whether in money or in kind.
Both these Acts however do not apply to a volunteer, which is defined in the Act as a person who performs work for another person or for an organisation serving a charitable purpose, who does not receive any remuneration.
Be that as it may, I have received a request from Dr MJ Phaahla, MP and Minister of Health, for my department to conduct an investigation into the conditions of employment of Community Health Workers so as to explore a sectoral determination as a way to regulate the conditions of employment for these workers.
This request is necessitated by the fact that there is currently no coherent dispensation for the employment of Community Health Workers and most of these workers are employed on conditional grant funded programmes, the Expanded Public Works (EPWP) and donor funded programmes, all of which have limited time terms and no sustainable funding.
Upon receiving this request, I have as per section 52(4) of BCEA directed the National Minimum Wage Commission to conduct an investigation into the conditions of employment in the sector concerned in order to establish the feasibility of introducing a sectoral determination that will regulate the conditions of employment for these workers
On completion of the investigation and after considering representations made by members of the public, the NMW Commission will prepare a report containing its recommendations on the matters which should be included in the sectoral determination for my consideration as per section 54 of the BCEA.
02 December 2022 - NW4584
Langa, Mr TM to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy
Whether he has been informed that Sasol has been trying to sell Natref; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, is the Central Energy Fund as it is the main entity on energy involved in this?
Reply:
The Department has not received any communication regarding the matter under question, we therefore cannot comment on Sasol’s intention to sell its stake at Natref.
02 December 2022 - NW4583
Langa, Mr TM to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy
What are the reasons that (a)(i) Engen and (ii) Sapref are issued a licence to import fuels when they are no longer manufacturing and/or refining and (b) the Government on its own capacity cannot take over?
Reply:
a) In terms of guidelines governing the import and export of crude oil, petroleum products and blending components every licensed manufacturer and wholesalers are allowed to import and export petroleum products.
South Africa is a net importer of petroleum product, meaning that even when these refineries were operating, they were expected to import certain portion of petroleum product.
b) There is nothing stopping state owned companies from importing petroleum products.