Questions & Replies: Questions & Replies No 226 to 250

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2010-03-05

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QUESTION NO 226

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 FEBRUARY 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 2)

226. Mr M Swart (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

Whether approval will be granted for (a) licencing the erection of a dam wall in the Malgas River in George and (b) increasing the height of the Garden Route Dam wall in George: if not, why not: if so, (i) when will approval be given and (ii) what are the relevant details? NW240E

---00O00---

REPLY:

(a) My Department has not received an application to erect a dam wall in the Malgas River near George. However, a licence application to abstract water from the Malgas River was submitted by the George Municipality. In order to make a decision on the issuing of a license, the following aspects must still be considered:

· The water that is needed to sustain the environment as well as basic human needs in the river catchment (the reserve).

· The needs of existing water users in the river catchment.

(b) My Department has received a licence application to raise the Garden Route Dam from George Municipality. The reserve determination must still be completed and the same aspects as in (a) above must be considered.

(b)(i) As soon as the reserve determinations for both applications are officially completed, it will be possible to determine the availability of water for other users. Provision will be made for the needs of existing users and the issuing of a licence can be considered if surplus water is available. The reserve determinations are due for conclusion by the end of May 2010 and thereafter a consideration of the licence approval will be made.

(b)(ii) Falls away.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NUMBER: 226

DATE FOR PUBLICATION: 4 JUNE 2010

DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: 1 SEPTEMBER 2010

MR D B FELDMAN (COPE-GAUTENG) TO ASK THE MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY: PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND EVALUATION AS WELL AS ADMINISTRATION:

(1) Whether any audit report has been done during the merging of the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and the nine provincial youth commissions into the National Youth Development Agency; if not, why not; if so, what was the status of the report;

(2) Whether the report will be made available; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

CW296E

REPLY:

(1) The NYDA Act stipulates that the merger is between the National Youth Commission (NYC) and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund (UYF); it does not include the nine Provincial Youth Commissions as those are provincial government structures. The effective date of the merger is 1 October 2009.

A take on balance audit as at 30 September 2009 was conducted on UYF prior to the merger with the NYC. This audit was required as part of the merger process pursuant to Section 21(2) of the National Youth Development Agency Act (NYDA Act). The auditors have issued a clean audit report in respect of the take on balance audit for UYF.

In respect of the NYC, a statutory audit was conducted by Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) as at 31 March 2010 as per agreement with the AGSA. The audit report will be included in the NYDA Annual Report.

(2) The UYF audit report is available on request. In respect of NYC the audit report is in the stage of being finalised by the AGSA.

QUESTION 227

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 2-2010]

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 February 2010


227. Mr M M Swathe (DA) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:

(1) Whether his departments Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) has been rolled out in all provinces; if not, (a) why not and (b) in which provinces was it rolled out; if so,


(2) whether the programme is still active in all provinces; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;


(3) whether he has consulted with any persons and/or stakeholders before identifying sites for the pilot projects; if not, why not; if so, when did consultation take place in each province;


(4) (a) how many and (b) which wards in each of the provinces were identified and chosen for pilot projects under the CRDP;


(5) whether any of the neighbouring wards will be utilised for these projects; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW241E

THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:

(1) Yes, the CRDP has been rolled out in all provinces except Gauteng, where a site is currently being identified.

(a) and (b) Fall away.

(2) Yes. The programme is still active in all provinces and details are reflected in the table below.

(3) Yes. Consultation was undertaken with Premiers of the respective provinces, as well as with the heads of provincial departments. The consultations have taken place over the past nine months and are ongoing.

(4) (a) and (b) Please refer to the table below.

Table 1

PROVINCE

COMMUNITIES

(a) HOW MANY

(b) WHICH WARDS

Limpopo

Muyexe, Thomo, Gonono, and Dingamazi

4

Wards 18, 17, 3, and 4

Northern Cape

Riemvasmaak

1

Siyanda District Municipality Area

Mpumalanga

Mkhondo

2

Wards 1 and 2

North West

Mokgalwaneng, Disake and Matlametlong

1

Ward 29

Free State

Diyatalawa/Makgolokwe and Jacobsdal

3

Wards 1 and 4 Diyatalawa/Makgolokwe and Ward 1 Jacobsdal

KwaZulu-Natal

Msinga and Vryheid

6

Wards 6, 7, 8, 9 of Msinga and Wards 5 and 7 Vryheid

Western Cape

Dysselsdorp and Mamre

3

Wards 10 and 12 of Dysselsdorp and Ward 29 Mamre**

Eastern Cape

Mhlontlo

2

Wards 2 and 13

TOTAL

22

** Mamre Ward 29 was identified in March 2010

(5) Projects identified by these villages may be located in adjacent wards in order to create economies of scale. One such example is the Thusong Centre that will serve the entire ward and not only Muyexe Village. The table above also depicts the extent to which the CRDP programme is affecting multiple wards as it is rolled out and implemented.

QUESTION NUMBER 228

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 February 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NUMBER 02)

228. Dr D T George (DA) to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources:

Whether the her department has conducted any research on (a) how nationalisation of mines would impact on investor confidence and (b) the risk assessment of the economy; if not, how nationalisation of mines would be funded in each case?

(a) No, since nationalisation of mines is outside our legislative framework.

(b) No, no risk assessment has been done and funding of nationalisation of mines has also not been worked on due to the reasons provided in (a) above.

QUESTION NUMBER 229

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 FEBRUARY 2010

Mr D T George (DA) to ask the Minister of Finance:

(1) Whether the joint committee of the Banking Association of South Africa and the Reserve Bank of South Africa has been established to investigate interest rates charged by commercial banks; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will it be established; if so,

(2) when will the report of the joint committee be made available? NW243E

REPLY

(1) No, the South African Reserve Bank has indicated to the National Treasury that there is no investigation on interest rates charged by commercial banks. Instead, there is a joint committee to discuss the spread between the repurchase rate and the prime lending rates, which was established in May 2009 between the SARB and the Banking Association of SA.

(2) The South African Reserve Bank has indicated to the National Treasury that they are finalizing the report with BASA, and their report will be made public very shortly, within one or two months.

QUESTION NO 230

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 FEBRUARY 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2- 2010)

Date reply submitted : 24 March 2010

230. Mrs DA Schäfer (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:

(a) What was the (i) name, (ii) rank and (iii) amount spent on (aa) economy class, (bb) business class, (cc) first class travel and (dd) accommodation for each person in his department, including members of the SA Police Service (aaa) in the 2007-08 and (bbb) 2008-09 financial years and (ccc) during the period 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available, (b) what was the reason for each trip, (c) where was each person accommodated, (d) at what cost and (e) what was the total amount spent on each of the abovementioned categories during the said years?

NW244E

REPLY:

Due to the number of employees and various documentation to be analysed, it would be extremely time consuming and place an unreasonable burden on the resources of the Department to obtain the information in the categories as requested, given the lengthy period in question.

QUESTION NO 230
Question
Mr K A Sinclair, MP (COPE) to asked the Minister of Human Settlements:

"Whether, in view of the alleged extensive corruption in the building of government sponsored block and/or brick houses, the Government will abandon shoddily built houses for Soviet style pre-fabricated panel housing which would allow for pre-framing of walls, quick construction, durability, aesthetics, modularity and cost effectiveness; if not, why not; if so, (a) when and (b) how will the Government implement the new mode of corruption free construction?"

Reply

The use of specific building technologies or products is not prescribed by the National Housing Programmes. However, the Department is investigating on an ongoing basis the use of alternative technology and where it is found to yield more benefits it shall be considered.

To date, the Department has a successful record of arresting corrupt officials, contractors and legal practitioners. These occurred in less than twelve months after we assumed office. We are committed to good governance and fighting corruption.

The construction of dwellings through the National Housing Programmes is regulated by the National Building Regulations and the Ministerial National Norms and Standards in respect of Permanent Residential Structures. The building products to be used in the construction of the subsidy financed dwellings are therefore subject to the technical performance standards prescribed in the National Building Regulations.
All the building bricks to be used in the construction of the subsidy financed houses must be approved by the South Africa Bureau of Standards (SASS) and carry the SABS mark of approval. In addition the building materials must also be acceptable and approved by the National Home Builders Registration Council.

QUESTION NO 231

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 FEBRUARY 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2- 2010)

Date reply submitted: 23 March 2010

231. Ms D A Schäfer (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:

(1) How much money has been spent on the Victim Empowerment Programme (a) since its inception and (b) in the 2008-09 financial year;

(2) how many SA Police Service (SAPS) stations (a) have and (b) do not have victim support rooms;

(3) what is the timeframe for ensuring that all SAPS stations have victim support rooms?

NW245E

REPLY:

(1) (a) It is not possible to provide an accurate figure for the amount spent on the VEP programme since its inception. Funding was allocated from different budgets and according to different standard items.

(b) During the 2008/2009 financial year a specific allocation was made for establishing Victim friendly facilities and an amount of R 6,098,366.54 was spent during the 2008-09 financial year.

(2) (a) 762 Police Stations, 17 Satellite Police Stations and 23 Police Contact Points have Victim Support Rooms.

(b) 355 Police Stations do not have victim support rooms.

(3) The time frame to ensure that all SAPS stations (not satellite or contact points) have victim support rooms is 5 years (2010-2014).

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 231

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04/06/2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 15-2010)

Mr K A Sinclair (COPE-NC) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:

Whether any scientific investigation has taken place or will take place this year to determine whether language deficiency among school learners, in respect of home language as well as English, was constituting a fundamental failure in education; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? CW302E

Reply

The Systemic Evaluation of 2006, showed language to be one of the key predictors of performance- where learners whose home language is the same as the Language of Teaching and Learning (LoLT), learners have a 49% chance of performing better.

International research studies further confirm that learning in the home language yields cognitive advantages for school learners, especially in the early years of schooling. It affirms their self-worth and identity, they demonstrate increased lively participation in classroom processes; their levels of self- assurance are raised as is their critical engagement with their teacher. Conversely, children all over the world who are submerged in an education system through an additional language demonstrate loss of self- confidence and low esteem.

It has been a practice in the majority of schools to use home languages as the (LoLT) in the Foundation Phase (Grades R-3) and switch to English as the LoLT from Grade 4 onwards. This abrupt transition to English as LoLT has not been without its challenges. Hence the Minister of Basic Education has recommended that English be taught as a subject from Grade 1. This will ease learners into using English as LoLT in Grade 4.

The DBE will continue to strengthen the teaching and learning of home languages and English as a First Additional Language through a variety of support programmes.

QUESTION 232

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

Date of publication on internal question paper: 19 February 2010

Internal question paper no: 2

Mrs N W A Michael (DA) to ask the Minister Social Development:

(1) Whether there are any backlogs in the awarding of (a) disability, (b) old age, (c) child-care, (d) war veterans, (e) care dependency and (f) foster care grants in each province; if so, (i) for how long has each category of grants been outstanding and (b) what are the relevant details for each type of grant in each province;

(2) whether any back pay has been paid out to beneficiaries of each category of grant in each province; if not, why not; if so, (a) in how many cases for each category in each province and (b) how much has been paid out in each case;

(3) whether there are any current litigation procedures regarding any type of grant in any province; if so, (a) how many in each (i) case and (ii) province and (b) what are the relevant details in each case? NW246E

REPLY:

(1)

Yes, there are backlogs in respect of social grants as indicative per grant type, per province, in the attached Annexure.

Backlogs in terms of social grants are defined in the Social Assistance Act, 2004, whereby an applicant for a grant must be advised of the outcome of his/her application within 90 days from the date of application. However, despite this, SASSA has adopted an internal measure of backlogs as being any application which has not been finalized within 21 days from the date of application. While the current average turn around time for grant applications is 12 days, there are still some regions which do experience backlogs.

(1) (a – f) The attached annexure indicates the numbers of applications per grant type, older than 21 days for each respective region.

(1) (i) Refer to attached annexure.

(1) (b) SASSA identified a number of potential problem areas contributing to backlogs which are in the process of being addressed. The major factors contributing to the occurrence of the application backlogs in respect of all grants are:

· Staff shortages, which impact on the region's ability to finalise all applications received in that specific month.

· A lack of connectivity at some satellite points resulting in applications being transported to another venue for finalization; and

· Delays in the transfer of records which impact on the finalization of applications for applicants transferring from one region to another.

(2) Yes, back pay was paid to beneficiaries and is categorized per grant, per province in the attached annexure. SASSA embarked on a special project to trace application backlogs and ensure that all outstanding cases are finalized. In addition, we are also in the planning process of automating grant applications, which will assist regions to reduce the turnaround time for grant applications, while not compromising on the quality.

(a) The amount of cases per province is categorized in the attached annexure.

(b) The monetary value for back pay paid is disclosed in the attached annexure.

(3) Yes, there are litigation procedures against the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), as stated in the annexure attached. The number of cases where SASSA is litigated has reduced drastically over the past two years. Previously, most cases where applicants resorted to legal action related to applications which had been delayed. This has, to a large extent been addressed through improved administrative processes, although there are still cases lodged where applicants claim not to have received their letter of outcome or been informed of the results of their application. These administrative failings are being addressed through the roll out of the automated business processes and continuous staff training.

Many of the outstanding litigation cases are cases which were inherited by SASSA (arose before the establishment of SASSA), but which have not yet been finalized as indicative in the attached annexure.

(a) (i) (ii) Litigation cases are categorized per grant type in each region/province in the attached annexure.

(b) Relevant details pertaining to the litigation cases are cited in the attached annexure in respect of each province / region.

End: Source: South African Social Security Agency

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO: 232
PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 15 OF 04 June 2010
Mr K A Sinclair (COPE-NC) to ask the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:


Whether, with reference to the third-quarter for local government budget statement released by the National Treasury, any steps were being taken to ensure the collection of the R30.6 billion owed to metropolitan municipalities as at 31 March 2010; if not, why not; if so, (a) what steps in each municipality and (b) what amount was expected to be (i) collected and (ii) written off by each metropolitan municipality? CW303E

Reply

The Department is currently in a process of coordinating an appropriate response from all six metropolitan municipalities across the country. An appropriate reply will be packaged once the process has been finalised.

QUESTION 233

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

Date of publication on internal question paper: 19 February 2010

Internal question paper no: 2

Mrs N W A Michael (DA) to ask the Minister of Social Development:

(a) How many persons have received (i) old age pensions, (ii) disability grants, (iii) child-care grants, (iv) war veteran grants, (v) care dependency grants, (vi) foster care grants and (vii) other grants (aa) in the 2006-07, (bb) in the 2007-08 and (cc) in the 2008-09 financial years and (dd) during the period 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available and (b) how many applications have been received for each grant in each province (i) in the 2008-09 financial year and (ii) during the period 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available? NW247E

REPLY

(a) The attached Annexure A details the number of the different grant types per province/region in payment as at the last day of each financial year for the 2006/07; 2007/08; and 2008/09 financial years. The numbers for the 2009/10 financial year are reflected as at 28 February 2010.

The drivers for the growth in the grant numbers include the age equalisation for men for the grant for older persons, where the qualifying age for men has been progressively reduced from 65 years to 63 years in 2008, and to 61 years in 2009; the extension of the child support grant to include all qualifying children under the age of 15 years as from January 2009; as well as the changes to the means test introduced as from August 2008.

The numbers for disability grants have generally decreased over time as a result of the improved management of disability grants, particularly the lapsing of temporary disability grants when the period of award has ended, in line with requirements of the Social Assistance Act, 2004.

(b) Detailed on the attached Annexure B is the number of applications captured on the Socpen, a system used countrywide for the registration and payment of social grant beneficiaries, for the different grant types per region for the 2008/09 financial year and the number of applications captured in the 2009/10 financial year from 1 April 2009 to 31 December 2009.

End: Source: South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 233

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04/06/2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 15-2010)

Mr M J R de Villiers (DA-WC) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:

(1) Whether any schools were found to be dysfunctional in 2009; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) how many in each province, (b) which schools and (c) what were the reasons for this in each case;

(2) whether the district managers informed her department in this regard; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether any action has been taken against district managers who failed to inform her department; if not, why not; if so, (a) what action, (b) against whom was the action taken and (c) what steps were taken to address the problems in each case? CW304E

RESPONSE

(1) The Department of Basic Education assessed the performance of schools in the 2009 National Senior Certificate Examinations. The findings indicated that there were 506 schools that achieved between 0 -20% in the NSC. Of these 19 schools achieved 0%. In response to this investigation the DBE developed the Rapid Assessment and Remediation Initiative to decisively respond to schools that have dramatically underperformed. This was with a view to diagnosing the challenges that have contributed to the underperformance in schools and introduce short term interventions that address these problems. The assessment indicates that these schools are dysfuntional and require major interventions in terms of infrastructure, management, human resource development and teacher development.

(a) The following table shows the number of schools in each province.

PROVINCE NAME

CENTRE NAME

EASTERN CAPE

108

FREE STATE

4

GAUTENG

11

KWAZULU-NATAL

119

LIMPOPO

186

MPUMALANGA

70

NORTH WEST

5

NORTHERN CAPE

2

WESTERN CAPE

1

TOTAL

506

(b) The list of schools per province is attached at ANNEXURE A.

(c) The provincial reports have identified the following factors to have contributed to the reported underperformance of the schools.

1.1 The lack of leadership by principals at schools demonstrated by the lack of management competences and the lack of supervision of the work of teachers and learners.

1.2 School management teams which do not understand their roles and responsibilities and are unable to monitor curriculum delivery in schools.

1.3 Vacant and unfilled teacher posts which hamper curriculum delivery in schools.

1.4 The prevalence of teacher absenteeism, limited teaching and contact time and late coming, all of which compromise curriculum delivery.

1.5 Learners' problems associated with absenteeism and truancy, drug and alcohol abuse, ill discipline, and teenage pregnancy and in places habitual late coming of learners to school.

1.6 Curriculum planning at the level of the school which results in inappropriate subject offerings and combinations, as well as ineffective time tabling

1.7 Teachers subject knowledge gaps have also contributed to the underperformance.

1.8 Lack and/or shortage of textbooks and relevant learning and teaching support materials.

1.9 Lack of support to schools from the School Governing Bodies and parents

Although not mentioned by provinces, the Department of Basic Education has also noted that there are instances where district support of schools is inadequate. Schools have been left to implement school improvement plans yet they do not have the necessary capacity to do so.

QUESTION 234

PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 OF 19 FEBRUARY 2010

Mr KS Mubu (DA) to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation:

1. Whether any former leader and / or their families of any (a) government and / or (b) political party have been (i) granted asylum in and / or (ii) exiled to South Africa since 1994: if so, (aa) who are these persons, (bb) from which country, (cc) what is the reason in each case and (dd) from what date are each of these persons in South Africa; (2) whether the Government provides any (a) security and / or (b) financial support to any of the persons listed above; if not, why not; if so, what are the (i) cost involved, (ii) duration and (iii) details in each case?

REPLY:

HAITI:

1. Yes

(a) Haiti.

(aa) Former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his family.

(bb) Haiti

(cc) The South African Government, at the behest of the African Union (AU) and the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), continues to provide accommodation and services to former President Aristide until conditions in Haiti permit the return of the former President and his family.

(dd) 2004.

2. Yes

(aa) Yes

(bb) Yes

(i) The monthly costs related to Mr Aristide and his family's accommodation, transport, office support staff and security are similar to the cost associated to a South Africa Cabinet Minister.

(ii) Until conditions in Haiti permit the return of the former President and his family.

MADAGASCAR:

1. Former President Marc Ravalomanana and his family are presently exiled in

South Africa (without asylum having been requested or granted).

(a) Republic of Madagascar.

(aa) Former President Marc Ravalomanana and his family.

(bb) Republic of Madagascar.

(cc) South Africa, at the request of the SADC, agreed to host former President Ravalomanana until the situation permits him to return to Madagascar.

(dd) March 2009.

2.

(a) Yes. Security provided by the South African Police Services.

(b) No financial support has been provided by the South African Government to

any of the persons listed above.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 234

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04/06/2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 15-2010)

Mr M J R de Villiers (DA-WC) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:

(a) What are the details of the Teacher Performance Appraisal System (TPAS) of her department, (b) what role-players are involved in the development of the system, (c) when will the system be completed and (d) what process will be followed to implement the system? CW305E

Answer:

(a) The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has been implementing the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) since 2003. The system is used to identify needs for teacher development purposes as well as evaluate educators for payment of rewards for good performance.

Due to the challenges that have been experienced in implementing the system, a decision was taken at the Teacher Development Summit held in June 2009, that the IQMS be revised through delinking instruments for Performance Measurement(PM) from that of Developmental Appraisal (DA). A simplified and streamlined instrument for both DA and PM needs to be developed.

In line with the above decision, a new Teacher Performance Appraisal system (TPAS) is being developed. The system will have the following components:

1. Purpose

The purpose of the TPAS, amongst others, is to assess the levels of competence of educators, to enhance good performance and to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools.

2. Roles and responsibilities

The principal will be responsible for assessing teachers with the assistance of the School Management Team (SMT).

3. Performance Appraisal Instrument

The performance standards in the current IQMS instrument for educators will be streamlined and simplified.

4. Implementation process

It is proposed that the performance appraisal of educators will be conducted annually by the principal during the 1st quarter of the subsequent school year. There will also be informal quarterly assessments. This will allow for the appraisal to be holistic and be based on the educator's overall performance over the previous 12 months.

5. Moderation

The moderation process will form an integral part of the system in order to validate and ensure consistency in the application of the TPAS. The moderation of the educators' scores will be conducted by the district office, under the supervision of the District Director.

(b) The DBE will be responsible for developing the system in consultation with the unions represented in the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).

(c) It is expected that the system will be finalize in the ELRC by the end of 2010, for implementation in 2011.

(d) Once the system has been finalized, the DBE will be responsible for the training of all principals and circuit managers. This will be followed by an advocacy campaign for all educators.

QUESTION NO. 235

DATE PUBLISHED: 19 February 2010

DATE SUBMITTED: 5 March 2010

235. Mr K S Mubu (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:

1) What was the purpose of his recent state visit to Zambia;

2) Whether any agreements were signed between the Government and the Zambian Government; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) are the relevant details and (b) is the current volume of trade between the said countries;

3) Whether he was accompanied by any (a) ministers, (b) officials, (c) spouses/relatives and/or (d) any other persons; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (i) who are the persons in each case, (ii) what was the reason for accompanying him in each case;

4) What was the cost of (a) flights, (b) accommodation and/or (c) other items for (i) him and (ii) each specified person who accompanied him?

NW249E

REPLY:

1. The State Visit was aimed at enhancing political, economical and social cooperation that exist between South Africa and Zambia.

2. Yes, two agreements and 4 Memoranda of Understanding were signed.

They are as follows:

· Agreement on Cooperation in the fields of Geology, Mining and Mineral Beneficiation

· Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Energy

· Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation in the field of Health

· Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Livestock Farming

· Memorandum of Understanding on Regular Diplomatic Consultations

· Memorandum of Understanding on Trade and Industrial Development Cooperation

South Africa-Zambia trade statistics (Rand'000)

2007

2008

2009

SA exports

10 084 381

16 346 595

5 907 553

SA imports

2 490 076

2 388 079

645 774

Trade balance

7 594 306

13 958 516

5 261 780

Zambia is currently South Africa's number one trading partner on the continent surpassing Zimbabwe and Mozambique which both occupy the number two and three spots respectively.

`

3. Yes, the President was accompanied Mrs Zuma, 6 ministers, 2 deputy

ministers and officials from various departments.

President and Mrs Zuma was accompanied by:

Ms M Nkoana-Mashabane Minister of International Relations and Cooperation

Mr MM Chikane High Commissioner to the Republic of Zambia

Mr C Chabane Minister in The Presidency: Performance, Monitoring,

Evaluation and Administration

Ms T Joemat-Pettersson Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Dr A Motsoaledi Minister of Health

Ms D Peters Minister of Energy

Ms S Shabangu Minister of Mining

Ms R Mabudafhasi Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs

Ms B Ntuli Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry

Mr MV Mavimbela Director-General: The Presidency

Dr A Ntsaluba Director-General: Department of International Relations

and Cooperation

Adv B Makhene Legal Adviser to the President

Ms L Kaunda Deputy Director-General: President's Private Office

In attendance to President and Mrs Zuma:

Amb LM Makhubela Chief of State Protocol

Mr H Hoyana Chief Director: Protocol and Ceremonial: The Presidency

Mr V Magwenya Spokesperson to the President

Mr X Makaya Acting Chief Director: Southern Africa

Ms D Sithole Private Secretary to the President

Mr J Vilakazi Deputy Director: Southern Africa

Mr R Ngobeni Deputy Director: Administration, President's Private Office

Ms R Moeng Personal Assistant to the Director-General: The Presidency

Ms G Themba Personal Assistant to the Director-General: Department of International Relations and Cooperation

Mr J Mashigo Media Liaison Officer

Mr E Jiyane Photographer: Government Communication and

Information System

Mr J Mthethwa Videographer: Government Communication and

Information System

Mr K Moodley Deputy Director: State Protocol

Ms P Edah Protocol Officer

Ms Z Simani Protocol Officer

Ms N Tindleni Protocol Officer

Ms T Tanana Protocol Officer

Ms M Oliphant Assistant Director: Southern Africa

Mr R Stroebel Assistant Director: Southern Africa

Ms N Mnguni Assistant Director: Southern Africa

Dr R Tshivhase Physician

Ms M Bosoga Assistant Private Secretary to the President

Ms K Kgamedi Spousal Support

Mr T Sithole Presidential Aide

Mr Z Mdoda Medical Support Officer

Mr VE Maphasa Environmental Health Officer

Mr C Timmerman Medical Support Officer

In attendance: Minister Nkoana-Mashabane

Mr SK Molobi Chief Director: Public Diplomacy

Mr AG Neswiswi Director: Product Development, Radio

Mr M Mogale Deputy Director, Media Liaison

Mr U Ngamntwini Assistant Director: Product Development, Photography

Mr SA Lentsoane Assistant Director: Product Development, Video

Ms P Mtshali Personal Assistant to the Minister

Ms S Mangope Protocol Officer

Insp G Greeff Close Protector

In attendance: Minister Joemat-Pettersson

Mr P Thabethe Adviser

Dr B Modisane Chief Director: Food and Veterinary Services

Mr M Mankazana Chief Director: Sector Services and Research

Ms K Nagiah Head: Legal Services

Ms A Baxter Director: Plant Health

Ms M Mogoane Assistant Director: International Relations

In attendance: Minister Chabane

Ms M Maloba Personal Assistant

In attendance: Minister Motsoaledi

Ms SM Modisenyane Director: Africa and Middle East

Ms D Masuku Personal Assistant

In attendance: Minister Peters

Mr O Aphane Deputy Director-General

Ms S Mathebula Director

Ms N Direro Personal Assistant

In attendance: Minister Shabangu

Ms F Nzimande Chief Director: Beneficiation

Mr M Koma Acting Director: International Coordination

Mr P Mwape Deputy Director: Special Studies

Ms N Zulu Personal Assistant

In attendance: Deputy Minister Mabudafhasi

Mr V Mbengwa Chief of Staff

Mr S Gwala Policy Analyst for Africa

Ms N Vuso Personal Assistant

In attendance: Deputy Minister Ntuli

Mr IM Sharma Deputy Director-General: Trade and Investment

Mr S Jaffer Chief Director: Investment Promotion

Mr G Monyemangene Chief Director: Africa Bilateral Economic Relations

Ms P Ncapayi Director: Export Promotion

Mr Y Hoosen Director: Investment Promotion

Mr C Phume Director: Southern Africa Bilateral Relations

Ms L Buthelezi Deputy Director: Southern Africa Bilateral Relations

Ms M Mthethwa Assistant Director: Investment Promotion

Ms C Hendricks Personal Assistant

4.

A Flights Awaiting inputs

B Accommodation US$ 127 864.60 R 965 373.20

C Transport US$ 33 279.64 R 251 261.28

D Beverages US$ 695.65 R 5 252.16

E Airtime & sim cards US$ 809.82 R 6 114.14

F Boardroom US$ 28 842.39 R 217 760.04

G Equipment US$ 21 846.52 R 164 941.23

Total US$ 213 338.60 R1 610 702.05

*US$1 = R7.55

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO 235

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04 JUNE 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 15)

235. Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

(1) whether, in view of the closure of mines in the Matjhabeng area, any tests for acid mine water will be carried out in the near future; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) who will be held responsible for any future rehabilitation costs in case acid mine water is found after the transfer of ownership has taken place? CW306E

---00O00---

REPLY:

(1) Yes, the license conditions of the mines stipulate that monitoring of water must take place at all times i.e. during and post operating phases. Harmony Gold and Goldfields as the gold mines operating in the Free State Province conduct their ground and surface water monitoring on a monthly basis and pollution (if any) will be detected with the sampling methods utilised.

It should be noted as per licence conditions, the mines have a responsibility to conduct monitoring and forward the results to my Department on a quarterly basis. From time to time, my Department also conducts spot monitoring.

(2) The responsibility with regards to closure of mine lies with the mine owners. Trust funds are placed with the Department Mineral Resources (DMR) to ensure that rehabilitation takes place and that monitoring of surface and ground water takes place after closure of transfer of the mine. Inspections and audits are conducted to ensure compliance by my Department and DMR.

QUESTION 236

Mr K.S. Mubu (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:

1. Whether all members of the SA Military contingent have been withdrawn from Burundi, if not, why not, if so when did the withdrawal (a) start and (b) and,

2. Whether it achieved its objectives in Burundi, if not, why not, if so, what are the relevant details,

3. What was the total cost to the Government since the first deployment of a military contingent in Burundi up to and until the final withdrawal of the contingent,

4. Whether the Government has any plans to deploy troops in Burundi again should the peace efforts break down, if not, why not, if so what are the relavant details.NW250E

REPLY

1. The SA Military Contingent has withdrawn from Burundi with all its equipment. The first group withdrew from Burundi in August 2009 with the last group comprising of the VIP Protection Team having withdrawn in Dec 2009.

2. The RSA Military contingent did achieve its objectives in terms of Safety, security and stability under the auspices of Regional security and stability. The RSA military Contingent provided the environment conducive for the democratic processes to have taken place in Burundi that is due to hold its second democratic elections over the period April to June 2010.

3. The total cost since the first deployment up to the final withdrawal of the RSA Military Contingent in Dec 09 was RM 1, 848, 1.

4. It is the prerogative of the President and National Assembly whether the SA National Defence Force will again deploy to Burundi. This is the procedure for all deployments, as prescribed by the Constitution.

QUESTION NO 236

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04 JUNE 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 15)

236. Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

(1) Whether any investigation will be made with regard to water which enters the Free State river system at the Ash River outlet from the Highlands Water Scheme; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether the water is polluted by the towns along the rivers before entering the Vaal Dam system; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether any municipalities along the river system have violated the regulations with regard to sewage into the river systems as at latest date for which information is available; if not; what is the position in this regard; if so, what systems are in place to prevent such pollution of this water? CW307E

REPLY:

(1) No, at present my Department does not deem it necessary to conduct an investigation with regard to the water which enters the Ash River system. My Department is however conducting monthly water quality monitoring and the results do not indicate the presence of pollution.

(2) None of the towns, with the exception of Bethlehem, are discharging inferior quality effluent into the Vaal River system. The Bethlehem wastewater treatment works which has capacity challenges discharges into the Liebenbergsvlei and ultimately into the Vaal River.

(3) All the municipalities with the exception of Dihlabeng, which includes Bethlehem, are complying with acceptable effluent discharge standards. The Dihlabeng Municipality has informed my Department that they have budgeted an amount of R 8 million to upgrade the infrastructure associated with the wastewater treatment works.

QUESTION NO: 237

MR J SELFE (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES

(1) (a) How many offenders who were released on parole committed crimes whilst on parole in each Province in the (i) 2007-08 financial year, and (b) for what crimes were the offenders serving a prison sentence in each case;

(2) What is the total number of repeat offenders that were re-admitted to correctional facilities in each Province in the (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 financial years? NW251E

REPLY

(1) (a) The number of offenders who were released on parole and committed crimes whilst on parole during 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years are as follows:

REGION

(i) 2007-08

(ii)2008-09

Eastern Cape

55

105

Gauteng

83

139

KwaZuluNatal

47

90

Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West

61

120

Northern Cape & Free State

93

142

Western Cape

283

691

TOTAL

622

1287

(b) Offenders served imprisonment term for, inter alia, the following crimes;

ü Assaults

ü Armed robbery

ü Arson

ü Assault woman

ü Assault with intend to do grievous bodily harm

ü Attempted murder

ü Burglary

ü Child maintenance

ü Contempt of court

ü Crimen injuria

ü Culpable homicide

ü Domestic violence

ü Driving under the influence of liquor

ü Escape from lawful custody

ü Fraud and forgery

ü Hindering of police in the execution of their duties

ü Housebreaking with the intent to rob/ rape/ assault an theft

ü Illegal possession of gold

ü Indecent assault

ü Indecent exposure

ü Incest

ü Impersonating police officer

ü Intimidation

ü Kidnapping

ü Malicious damage to property

ü Murder

ü Non-possession of driver's licence

ü Parole break

ü Possession/ Trade/ Use of drugs

ü Possession of dangerous weapon and ammunition

ü Possession of stolen goods

ü Rape

ü Robbery

ü Reckless or negligent driving

ü Shoplifting

ü Stock theft

ü Theft

ü Trespassing

ü Vehicle use without permission

(2) (a) and (b)

Total number of repeat offenders re-admitted too correctional facilities during 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years

REGION

(i) 2007-08

(ii)2008-09

TOTAL

Eastern Cape

3569

2689

6258

Gauteng

2519

1385

3904

KwaZuluNatal

1921

1516

3437

Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West

2593

2159

4752

Northern Cape & Free State

3604

2509

6113

Western Cape

8263

5955

14218

TOTAL

22469

16213

38682

NCOP

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO. 237

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04 June 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 15)

Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister of Health:

(1) What are the qualifications of the chief executive officers (CEOs) at all state hospitals in the Free State;

(2) whether there are minimum criteria for CEOs at each of these hospitals; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether all persons occupying such posts comply with such minimum qualifications; if not, (a) why not, (b) who are these persons, (c) at which hospitals are they employed and (d) what corrective measures have been taken in each case; if so, what are the relevant details?

CW308E

REPLY:

In June 2009 Honourable Boinamo of the DA posed a question of this nature, to which I responded, with the help of the Free State Provincial Department of Health, later in August 2009. I therefore urge the Honourable Member to consult the hansards of Parliament, to obtain this information.

QUESTION 238

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 2-2010]

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 February 2010

238. Mrs A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:

(1) Whether an assessment of the Farm Equity Schemes (FES) was conducted; if not, why not; if so, (a) what process will be followed, (b) when will it be finalised, (c) what was the result, (d) who were the stakeholders involved and (e) how will the result be communicated to stakeholders;


(2) whether the report was made available to the public; if not, why not; if so, (a) when and (b) where? NW253E

THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:

(1) Yes. The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform did an in-house status report on all Farm Equity Scheme (FES) projects and an assessment on twelve FES projects in the Western Cape was conducted by Ernst & Young.

(a) The process involved a desk-top statistical performance and budget analysis in terms of the status report and a fact finding and agricultural assessment process on the twelve FES projects.

(b) The assessment has been finalised in respect of the twelve FES projects in the Western Cape.

(c)-(e) The results are presently being discussed within the Department with the relevant project officers and agricultural economist involved and will therafter be communicated to relevant stakeholders through a working session.

(2) No. The report will be made available to the public after approval by the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform.

(a) and (b) Fall away.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 238

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04/06/2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 15-2010)

Mrs E C van Lingen (DA-EC) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:

(1) Whether there is a policy in place with regard to the (a) maintenance of school hostels and (b) presenting of such an annual budget to each provincial department; if not, why not; if so, (i) what formula is used to calculate such maintenance budget, (ii) how does this calculation relate to the size of the hostel building, (iii) what percentage of the education budget should be utilised for such maintenance and (iv) what are the further relevant details;

(2) (a) what is the maintenance budget in the Eastern Cape for each school hostel, (b) in which towns are they located, (c) what is the total number of learners residing in each hostel and (d) how do school hostels feature in the school rationalisation programme of her department? CW309E

Reply

(1) (a) The Department of Basic Education is currently in the process of developing a Hostel policy to guide the building and maintenance of hostels. The policy will be finalised by March 2011.

(b) The Department of Basic Education currently does not have figures to indicate how much provinces have set aside for the maintenance of hostels specifically, as the maintenance budget is not aggregated per hostel. Provinces have only recently began to set aside a small percentage of their total infrastructure budget allocations for the maintenance of all facilities. This percentage is determined by the provinces based on their budget allocation and pressures. However, a request has been sent to provinces to provide information on what has been set aside for hostel maintenance and the information will be provided as soon as it is available.

(2) (a) There is currently no maintenance budget for each school hostel in the Eastern Cape due to a lack of funds. Each school however receives a day to day maintenance allocation and the schools with hostels are expected to use this allocation for minor maintenance on their schools and hostels. (see the attached spread sheet ) The major renovations at hostels are referred to the Infrastructure unit at the provincial office. In the current plan for the 2010/11 financial year the following hostels appear for renovations:

Jansenville HS – R19 000.00

Nyanga SSS – R 94 000.00

Spandau HS – R 104 000.00

A large amount of the infrastructure budget had to be spent on new hostels in the past two financial years. In total an amount of R 355 million was spent on schools with hostels; which includes a Youth Care Centre at a cost of R 255 million.

(b) On the attached spread sheet there is a field that indicates in which town a school with a hostel is situated.

(c) Only the enrolment of the pupils at the schools with hostels is available on the spread sheet

(d) The rationalization process of schools in the Eastern Cape is still in the consultation phase and when schools with hostels eventually merge, so will their hostels.

QUESTION 239

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: [No 2-2010]

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 February 2010

239. Mrs A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:

(1) Whether an investigation was conducted into less costly alternatives for land acquisition; if not, why not; if so, (a) what process will be followed, (b) when will it be finalised, (c) what was the result, (d) who were the stakeholders involved and (e) how will the result be communicated to stakeholders;

(2) whether the report was made available to the public; if not, why not; if so, (a) when and (b) where? NW254E

THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:

(1) Yes

(a) The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) is currently undertaking research into the further development of practical strategies to acquire land for land reform more quickly and inexpensively. Some of the methodologies being used to arrive at these strategies are:

- case studies of successful experiences locally and internationally;

- survey of high-delivery areas in the country;

- interviews with key informants in the property industry; and

- reviewing local and international jurisprudence on compensation paid in state land acquisition cases.

(b) and (c) The research is nearing completion and a report will be presented to the Cabinet in March 2010.

(d) Researchers from academic institutions both nationally and internationally, local consultants in the land and agricultural sector, farmers in selected case study areas, land reform beneficiaries in selected case study areas, professional valuers, estate agents and other experts involved in the agricultural property market.

(e) Consultations with stakeholders will form part of the general consultative process that will be followed once the report has been approved by Cabinet.

(2) No. Consultation will commence after Cabinet approves the report.

a) and (b) Fall away.

NCOP

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO. 239

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 04 June 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 15)

Mrs E C van Lingen (DA-EC) to ask the Minister of Health:

(1) What is the current debt of each state-aided hospital in the Eastern Cape as at the latest specified date for which information is available;

(2) whether his department will take over these debts once these hospitals are provincialised; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether any funds are available on the budget for this process; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(4) whether there is a contingency plan in place to prevent financial institutions to foreclose on the hospitals as a result of outstanding debts; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

CW310E

REPLY:

According to the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Health –

(1) The following table reflects the details in this regard:

Table 1.

STATE AIDED HOSPITAL

AMOUNT

New Haven

1,581,225.96

Stutterheim

Nil

Aberdeen

Nil

Jamestown

175,745.73

Willowmore

1,452,789.17

Sunday's Valley

594,602.13

St Francis

Nil

Komga

Nil

Maclear

2,034,96.07

Dodrecht

375,965.10

BJ Voster

2,851,783.54

(2) The Department expected these hospitals to pay their debts or accruals from the transfer payments that have all been processed and received by these hospitals during the first quarter of 2010. However, the Valuation Committee is in the process of calculating the debts, liabilities and assets so that a cut-off time is unanimously reached to get consolidated amounts of debts.

(3) Funds are not available on the budget. In terms of the Service Level Agreement signed between the Department and Provincially-Aided Hospital Boards, the Department has to contribute 90% of the funding annually, whilst the hospital boards are expected to raise 10%. The hospital boards have failed to raise this 10% which has accumulated over a period of years. It is this deficit that has resulted in the debt of the provincially-aided hospitals. The Department has addressed this negative situation by allocating to-up budget for these hospitals in two consecutive years i.e. 2008/09 and 2009/2010. Budget is not readily available to pay off the debts as these accruals were not declared before the beginning of the financial year so that the Department can budget for them.

The contingency plan is that the provincialised hospitals will discuss their debts and the plan on how each hospital was going to pay with its own generated revenue and if provincialised before settling the debt, the amount will be disclosed first, and, the Department will inform the provincial treasury thereof so as to assist the Department with funding in order to avoid fore closure which can compromise access of health services to the communities

QUESTION 240

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 2-2010]

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 February 2010

240. Mrs A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:

(1) Whether the consolidation of the land claims database has been completed; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will it be finalised; if so,

(2) whether this database will be accessible to stakeholders; if not, why not; if so, (a) how can they access it and (b) what are the further relevant details;

(3) whether his department has the capacity and resources to finalise all land investigations before 2014; if not, (a) why not and (b) what steps have been put in place to ensure that investigations are finalised; if so, what are the relevant details? NW255E

THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:

(1) Yes.

(a) and (b) Fall away.

(2) Yes.

(a) Accessibility to the database will be in accordance with the provisions of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (Act No 2 of 2000).

(b) .Please refer to 2(a) above.

.

(3) Yes. The Commission on Restitution of Land Rights will appoint skilled researchers to conduct research in provinces with complex and large numbers of outstanding land claims.

(a) and (b) Fall away.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO: 240

PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 15 OF 04 June 2010

Mrs E C van Lingen (DA-EC) to ask the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

What are the reasons for the provincial department to terminate all (a) road reconstructions and (b) tarring operations in the (i) Camdeboo and (ii) Ikwezj Municipalities, with specific reference to the (aa) R75 from Graaff-Reinet to Port Elizabeth, (bb) R337 of Jansenville-Klipplaat and (cc) R338 from Aberdeen to Jansenville-Klipplaat? CW311 E

Reply

Projects (R75, R337 and R338)

According to information received from Department of Roads and Public Works in the Eastern Cape, the above mentioned projects have been implemented as part of the training programme for our graduates. Implementation of R75 and R 337 has been happening for the past 4 years, with the change in training strategy through the Centre of Excellence. The department decided to pull all the resources from the two projects in order to complete R75 during the current financial year before moving to constructing R337 and R338 in the coming years. This decision was made in consideration of budgetary constraints as well as a measure to have projects that are under construction completed before new roads can be initiated.

We hope that the above explanation paints a. better picture of our plans with regards to our Gra.aff - Reinet Construction Unit.

QUESTION NO 241

QUESTION 241 FOR WRITTEN REPLY: INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 02-2010: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: DR A LOTREIT (DA): 2010 WORLD CUP PROJECT

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture:

Whether any funding is still available for the arts and culture project relating to the 2010 Fifa World cup Soccer tournament related: if not, why not: if so (a) what amounts are available and (b) to whom have the amounts been allocated?

NW256E

REPLY

Yes,

(a) Funding is still available for arts and culture projects

Projects will focus on arts and culture projects that will be launched during the 2010

World Cup and legacy projects that will continue even after the World Cup.

The projects to be supported by the National Department of Arts and Culture are:

(1) My 2010 School Adventure:

Our role is to lead, manage and activate the education pillar. Funds will be

spent in hosting the National finals held on the 1st May 2010.

(2) The Fly the Flag for Football campaign is another project to be supported by the Department. The Department will supply flags, initiate an education campaign on the protocols of the flag and the National Anthem.

(3) Government promised a truly African World Cup. To this end the Department

will host Artists from the Qualified African Countries at our Africa Day

celebrations, artists from these countries will also be seen at the opening

and Clothing ceremonies and the PVAs.

(4) The visits to these countries will help map out other avenues for

participation.

(5) A tourist guide that will help guide visitors on various arts and culture

activities taking place in the country, as well as in our heritage sites will be

developed. This will follow the format of a booklet, to be produced and

distributed by the Department.

(6) The Department's flagship project is undoubtedly the opening and closing ceremonies, expected to be an artistic and cultural extravaganza of note, African flair through music, song and dance.

(7) The Department will also support festivals, crafters, theatre productions and PVAs to further showcase our culture during the World Cup and to create jobs.

(8) It will be a missed opportunity if the Department did not leverage this tournament by using it to profile and promote arts and culture programmes. Amounts available for these programmes are as follows:

(a) National projects mentioned above - R35 million

(b) Opening and Closing Ceremony - R40 million

(c) Provincial and Local projects listed below - R60 million

PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL PROJECTS

1. TAP ROOTS

2. MZANSI SINGS TRIBUTE TO OLIVER TAMBO

3. THE RIVONIA TRIAL

4. DITSHABA PERFORMANCE AND CRAFT HUB

5. N.W. RURAL COMMUNITIES, TOWNSHIPS & SCHOOLS

6. CRAFT DEVELOPMENT – TSA SETSO

7. MAPUNGUBWE ARTS FESTIVAL

8. LIMPOPO RURAL COMMUNITIES, TOWNSHIPS AND SCHOOLS

9. BUSINESS OF CRAFT – 2010 AND BEYOND

10. KWA ZULU NATAL HERITAGE AND CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA

11. NORTHERN CAPE HERITAGE AND CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA

12. DIMBAZA CRAFT HUB

13. WILD COAST SDI FESTIVAL

14. IN CONVERSATION WITH LUTHULI & MANDELA MUSEUMS EXH

15. THE BLACK PHAROUGHS

16. THE WELCOME VILLAGE

17. TOURNAMENT PERIMETER CONCERTS

18. MABRRR – THE MUSICAL

19. THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE SOCCER LOUNGE

20. NEWTOWN MUSIC PROGRAMME

21. WINDYBROW THEATRE

TOTAL BUDGET: R60, 000 000.00

NCOP

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NUMBER 241

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23 JULY 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NUMBER 16)

Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources:

Whether any applications for prospecting permits have been issued to (a) individuals or (b) corporate entities in areas in the Free State; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (i) what are the names of these areas, (ii) how many applications have been issued in respect of (aa) each area and (bb) the province, (iii) how many permits have been issued to (aa) persons and (bb) corporate entities and (iv) what was the cost of each prospecting permit issued in the Free State in the past three years up to the latest specified date for which information is available? CW312E

REPLY

Magisterial District

1. Bothaville

14

2. Senekal

1

Individual

3. Boshof

18

Co.

4. Sasolburg

5

Co.

5. Welkom

5

Co.

6. Parys

6

CC.

7. Kroonstad

26

CC.

8. Ladybrand

6

Co.

9. Heilbron

8

Co.

10. Ventersburg

6

Co.

11. Ondendaalsrus

2

Co.

12. Edenburg

11

Co.

13. Fouriesburg

1

Co.

14. Koppies

14

Co.

15. Jacobsdaal

3

Co.

16. Various Districts

8

Co.

17. Rouxville

1

Co.

18. Marquard

8

Co.

19. Clocolan

3

Co.

20. Bloemfontein

1

Co.

21. Winburg

3

Co.

22. Ficksburg

1

Co.

23. Viljoenskroon

5

Co.

Prospecting rights issued in 2008 - 33

Entities – 32

Individuals – 1

Prospecting rights issued 2010 - 49

Entities – 49

Individuals – 0

QUESTION NO 242

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 2-2010: DATE OF PUBLICATION 19 FEBRUARY 2010 FOR A WRITTEN REPLY

242. Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture:

(1) Whether a forensic investigation has been instituted into missing funds earmarked for arts and culture projects related to the 2010 FIFA World ; if not , why not: if so, what are the relevant details?

NW257E

RESPONSE

Yes the DAC commissioned Price Waterhouse Coopers to institute a forensic investigation into the expenditure incurred by the 2010 Soccer World Cup projects in respect of the 2007/2008, 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 financial years.

The final report was received by the DAC on 8 February 2010. The report recommended that corrective measures be taken against the then 2010 Project manager for failure to monitor and take the necessary steps to ensure the projects were delivered, thus failing to account for the funds utilized.

At the time the report was received, the official concerned was already on precautionary suspension following the recommendations of another forensic report.

The official concerned has been charged and the disciplinary process is underway. The DAC will put additional charges to the official concerned following the recommendations of this PWC report.

As the disciplinary process is already underway, the matter is sub judice and the details of the report or the charges cannot be placed in the public domain to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the disciplinary process and to avoid violation of the accused official's legal rights.

The law must be allowed to take its course.

QUESTION 242/2010 Official reply: 30 August 2010

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

Date of publication on internal question paper: July 2010

Internal question paper no: 16

242. Mr. D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister of Social Development:

Whether any funds for food parcels were allocated by the (a) national, (b) provincial and (c) local government in the Free State in (i) 2009 or (ii) 2010; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (aa) when (aaa) did or (bbb) will the distribution take place, (bb) which municipalities received such parcels, (cc) what is the value of each food parcel in respect of each municipality, (dd) who identifies the beneficiaries, (ee) what process is used to distribute the food parcels and (ff) what criteria were used for the identification of such beneficiaries? CW313E

REPLY:

Whether any funds for food parcels were allocated (to Free Sate) by the:

2009

2010

(a) national

Yes, as part of the Department of Social Development's grants allocation budget as social relief to SASSA.

Yes, as part of the Department of Social Development's grants allocation budget as social relief to SASSA.

(b) provincial

No

No

(c) local government

No

No

aa) When

2009

2010

aaa) Did distribution took place

Yes

Yes

bb) Which municipalities received such parcels

Five district municipalities:

· Xhariep

· Motheo

· Lejweleputswa

· Thabo Mofutsanyane

· Fezile Dabi

Five district municipalities:

· Xhariep

· Motheo

· Lejweleputswa

· Thabo Mofutsanyane

· Fezile Dabi

bbb) Will the distribution take place

Yes

Yes

cc) What is the value of each food parcel in respect of each municipality

R1 010 maximum per food parcel in all municipalities

Spent during 2009/10

DISTRICT

%

TOTAL

R

XHARIEP

16

1,071,642

MOTHEO

21

1,568,542

LEJWELEPUTSWA

21

1,568,542

THABO MOFUTSANYANE

25

1,867,312

FEZILE DABI

17

1,393,210

DISTRICT TOTAL

100

7,469,247

REGIONAL RESERVE

N/A

1,735,990

FREE STATE TOTAL

9,205,237

R1 080 maximum per food parcel as from 01 April 2010 in all municipalities

To be spent during 2010/11

DISTRICT

%

TOTAL

R

XHARIEP

10

897,511

MOTHEO

26

2,333,528

LEJWELEPUTSWA

23

2,064,274

THABO MOFUTSANYANE

24

2,154,025

FEZILE DABI

17

1,525,768

DISTRICT TOTAL

100

8,975,106

REGIONAL RESERVE

N/A

997,234

FREE STATE TOTAL

9,972,340

dd) Who identifies the beneficiaries

Social workers, SASSA officials and designated officials.

Social workers, SASSA officials and designated officials.

ee)What process is used to distribute the food parcels

At collection points identified jointly by SASSA and Department of Social Development

At collection points identified jointly by SASSA and Department of Social Development

ff) What criteria were used for the identification of such beneficiaries.

Needy people experiencing undue hardship due to social and economic distress, and applicants awaiting approved grants.

Needy people experiencing undue hardship due to social and economic distress, and applicants awaiting approved grants.

QUESTION NO 243

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture:

Whether the 2010 Fifa World Cup soccer tournament task teal se up to deal with the arts and culture proposal was dissolved; if so why was id dissolved?

REPLY:

(i) Yes

The task team was appointed for the period starting in August to December 2009 which was further extended to the end of January 2010 to enable them to wrap up their work.

(ii) The task team had completed its mandate which was to assist the Department to evaluate 2010 project proposals.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO: 243
PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 16 OF 23 July 2010
Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:


In respect of the (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 financial years and (d) period from 1 April 2010 up to the latest specified date for which information is available, (i) what is the total amount of debt the municipalities of (aa) Mangaung and (bb) Matjhabeng have declared to be unrecoverable, (ii) what percentage of the unrecoverable debt was owed to these municipalities by consumers, (iii) what was the total amount of unrecoverable consumer debt and (iv) what was the percentage increase or decrease of the unrecoverable consumer debt? CW314E

Reply

The debt of consumers against municipalities is still being reconciled, after it has been presented to Cabinet, you will be informed.

QUESTION NO. 244 INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 NW259E

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 February 2010

Mrs A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

Whether she has taken any steps to encourage (a) environmental foot printing, including (i) carbon, (ii) water and (iii) waste foot printing within both the public and private sectors and (b) the incremental reduction in environmental footprints as a mechanism to encourage environmental self-regulation; if not, why not in each case; if so, what (i) sectors are currently being targeted, (ii) sectors will be targeted in the future and (iii) are the details of her department's involvement?

Mrs AT Lovemore (DA) SECRETARY TO PARLIAMENT

HANSARD

PAPERS OFFICE

PRESS

244. THE MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANSWERS:

(a) The Department of Environmental Affairs has conducted a full ecological footprint of the country as part of the development of the 2007 State of Environment report (SOER), the next report is due to be released in 2012 and will include an updated ecological footprint calculation (the state of environment report is accessible at http://soer.deat.gov.za .

(i) A carbon footprint for the country is also included in the SOER and secondly, the Department sourced donor funds to determine the carbon footprint of the 2010 FIFA World cup (footprint report is available on www.environment.gov.za ) and is currently in the process of developing and implementing emissions reduction strategies as well as offset projects; thirdly, the department undertook an initiative to calculate its own carbon footprint and the outcomes of which are to be presented to the portfolio committee during the Department's presentation of its strategic plan on Tuesday the 23rd February 2010.

(ii) Through the greening 2010 programme the department of environmental affairs has engaged with the Department of water affairs on water foot printing, efficiency and offset, it is our understanding that the Department of Water \Affairs is taking this work further and more details can be obtained from the department of water affairs.

(iii) Waste foot printing is integrated within the overall ecological foot printing work in the SOER and in addition to this, the department has a dedicated unit dealing with waste stream management and their role is to ensure that different types of waste are managed and regulated in an environmentally sustainable manner

(b) Reduction of environmental footprints: The different policies and regulations being developed and implemented are aimed at reducing the ecological footprint. Each component is handled on a standalone basis keeping in mind inter-linkages and cross cutting issues.

(I) All sectors of the economy are being targeted, with differing priority levels. For this financial year the department has prioritized cleaning ad greening initiatives at a local level, this focuses our concentration on waste reduction and management particularly impacting on the packaging industry as well as public behavior issues. The other issue will be the importance of local level biodiversity management and the main focus is on community awareness and participation.

(II) Sectors to be targeted in the future will be the manufacturing industry, The department is currently working worth economic cluster departments to develop a green economy strategy that will provide financial and growth incentives for environmental stewardship and by so doing we will begin to see self regulation through competitive practices between different businesses.

(III) The Department is involved I and leads all these footprint initiatives and documents to this effect can be presented if requires

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 244

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL PUBLICATION: 23/07/2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 16-2010)

244. Mr D B Feldman (COPE-Gauteng) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:

Whether her department will support the running of a school pilot project to determine whether vocabulary deficit is the fundamental problem underlying educational failure in South African schools; if not, why not; if so, (a) when and (b) where will this project be done with the help of those willing to contribute voluntarily to this effort? CW315E

REPLY

(a) No. The department will not consider running a pilot project to determine whether vocabulary deficit is the fundamental problem underlying educational failure. This is because vocabulary is one part of a broad spectrum of aspects to ensure that learners become literate.

(b) The department, has put in place various initiatives that address poor performance in Literacy. These include:

· the Foundations for Learning programme through which teachers have been given clear guidelines on the key aspects to be taught and learnt in each quarter and the minimum time allocation for each aspect; the necessary resources to support teaching and learning and assessment. In addition, the necessary resources such as lesson plans and teaching and learning materials such as charts; books and other manipulatives have also been provided. These are intended to develop literacy skills in young people.

· the Annual National Assessments, through which learner performance is measured each year. The literacy results for 2009, indicate an improvement in Grade 3 scores. In 2011, a full scale evaluation will be conducted to assess the impact of the various initiatives to improve literacy.

· the provision of age appropriate reading materials in relevant languages to learners in the early grades through the Drop All and Read project and are other initiatives to inculcate a love for reading in the early years. In 2011 the Department will also provide learners with workbooks to support literacy programmes.

QUESTION NO 245

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 FEBRUARY 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 2)

245. Mrs A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

Whether her Department has issued an instruction that no legal action should be taken against municipalities that are in contravention of requirements of any section of the National Water Act, Act 36 of 1998, and/or the Water Services Act, Act 108 of 1997; if not, what (a) are the details of the prohibition on action, (b) are the reasons for the prohibition and (c) alternative actions are being taken to ensure compliance with the Acts? NW260E

---00O00---

REPLY:

No, My Department has not issued an instruction that no legal action should be taken against municipalities that contravene the requirements of both the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998) and/or the Water Services Act, 1997 (Act No. 108 of 1997).

(a) Falls away.

(b) Falls away.

(c) Falls away.

QUESTION NO. 246 (NW261E) INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 February 2010

Mrs AT Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

(1) (a) What is the extent of the backlog of applications for licenses in terms of section 43(1) of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, Act 59 of 2008, awaiting processing and approval or otherwise, (b) what are the reasons for the backlogs existing and (c) what measures are being taken to eliminate the backlog;

(2) (a) what is the backlog in her office of applications submitted by the MECs of each province which require her concurrence in terms of sections 49(2) and 50(3) of the Act, (b) what are the reasons for the backlogs existing and (c) what measures are being taken to eliminate the backlog?

Mrs AT Lovemore (DA) SECRETARY TO PARLIAMENT

HANSARD

PAPERS OFFICE

PRESS

246. THE MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANSWERS:

(1) There is no backlog of applications for licenses in terms of section 43(1) of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, Act 59 of 2008.

(2) There is no backlog in the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs' office in terms of applications submitted by the MECs of each province which require her concurrence in terms of sections 49(2) and 50(3) of the Act.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES QUESTION

WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 246

Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:

(1) Whether the northern perimeter fence and asbestos wall at Tempe Military Base which are seriously damaged and open constitute a security risk for the military base; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether the perimeter fence and asbestos wall will be repaired; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY

1. The northern perimeter fence in question is damaged on a regular basis by civilian motorists who crash into or through the fence, causing damage to the fence and supporting structures. The total damage presently amounts to R183 785.10. Within Tempe every military base has its own perimeter fence, access control measures and guards that are intact.

2. A contractor has been appointed by the Department Public Works Regional Office Bloemfontein to repair the wall. The contractor commenced with the repairs on 5 July 2010 and has been given until the 30 September 2010 to complete the repairs.

QUESTION 247

DATE OF PUBLICATION: THURSDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2010 [IQP No 2 -2010] SECOND SESSION, FOURTH PARLIAMENT

Question 247 for written reply: National Assembly, Dr P J Rabie (DA) to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

1. Whether she intends implementing a broad-based strategy to (a) increase productivity, (b) encourage higher yields and (c) improve extension services for subsistence farmers: if not, why not: if so, what are the relevant details? NW262E

REPLY

Yes

(a) The Department of Agriculture is busy developing an Agricultural Production Strategy aimed at promoting production of both crops and livestock. In terms of crops, the Department has together with various industries developed several commodity strategies. DAFF together with the provinces are finalizing the National Policy on Plant Production.

All these policy instruments are geared towards increasing production and productivity of strategically important crops as illustrated below:

· Food crops which includes grain crops, vegetables and fruits.

· Raw materials for the manufacturing sector ( fibre crops, essential oils, medicinal plants)

· Fibre (cotton, sisal, Kenaf and jute)

· Feedstock for the biofuels industry ( oilseeds, starch and sugar crops)

(b) Increased production will be achieved through the following:

· Expansion of production areas

· Use of high yielding cultivars

· Provision of production inputs like seeds and fertilisers to resource poor farmers

· Promoting the adoption of intensive production systems

(C) Over the past years (post 1994), there had been a complaint that the extension service in the country is inefficient and incapable to provide support to the beneficiaries of land reform. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries conducted a study in 2007, to profile the state of extension in the country. The results of the study indeed indicated that there was a limited number of extension officers serving the larger number of farmers. The study also indicated that the extension personnel lacked necessary skills and infrastructure in order to efficiently serve or respond to the needs and demands of farmers.

The DAFF drew up an Extension Recovery Plan to address the challenges faced by the extension service in the country. The ERP was introduced in 2008/09 financial year to improve the capacity of extension service in the provinces. This recovery plan is made up of five pillars namely:

· Ensure visibility and accountability of extension – to ensure that the extension personnel reach all the farmers and that the extension personnel's service/ performance is measured.

· Promote professionalism and image of extension – to host provincial extension image promotion conferences, to ensure that the extension personnel are part of professional bodies and to reward the best performing extension personnel.

· Recruitment of extension personnel (1000 over MTEF 2008/09-2010/11) – to recruit extension personnel in order to ensure a good extension –to-farmer ratio. This pillar also looks at introducing Young professional development programme targeting graduates from Colleges of Agriculture

· Re-skilling and re-orientation of extension – to provide the extension personnel with necessary skills (generic soft skills, technical skills and ICT skills) to enable them to efficiently service farmers. The pillar also looks at providing a platform for the extension personnel to upgrade qualifications in order to match with the Norms and standards for extension and advisory service.

· Provision of ICT infrastructure and other resources – to provide the extension personnel with much needed technology in terms of infrastructure and information and to introduce an on-line information management tool known as Extension Suite Online which enables extension personnel on duty to access information on the spot required by the farmer.

As a result of Extension Recovery Plan, I am happy to report that over the MTEF period 2008/9-2010/11 an amount of R192 165 million has been invested in extension. To date, 478 extension officers have been recruited, 3 374 extension officers have been trained in different skills programmes (generic soft, technical and ICT). Nationally, total of 544 extension officers are upgrading qualifications, ranging from a Diploma to Masters Degree. A total number of 3 256 have been supported with ICT equipment in the form of laptops, 3G cards, memory sticks, cell phones, digital cameras, video cameras, GPS, and office equipment such as printers and projectors. In addition, a Decision Support system known as Extension Suite Online is being procured by provinces and its purpose is to provide information on the spot as needed by farmer the extension officer.

QUESTION 248

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

Date of publication on internal question paper: 19 February 2010

Internal question paper no 2

Mr G R Krumbock (DA) to ask the Minister of Social Development:

(1) Whether she has been informed that a certain (a) crèche (name furnished) and (b) pre-school in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal (names furnished), have applied for registration for support from her department more than five years ago; if so, what are the relevant details; if not,

(2) whether she will investigate this matter; if not, why not; is so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether her department or the provincial department gave any response to the crèche and pre-school; if not, (a) why not and (b) what are the relevant details; if so, what was the nature of the response? NW263E

(Mpumelelo Crèche and Pre-School of Mpophomeni in Howick)

REPLY:

It should be noted that the registration of ECD facilities is a provincial competency and this reply was sourced from the Office of the MEC for Social Development in KwaZulu Natal.

(1) No not directly, it should be noted the facilities referred to in (a) and (b) is one and the same facility.

(2) The matter has been investigated and the relevant details are as follows:

Mpumelelo Crèche and Pre-School of Mpophomeni in Howick is one and the same facility. The crèche is registered with the Provincial Department of Social Development as Mpumelelo Pre-School and Crèche in terms of Section 30 of the Child Care Act, No 74 of 1983, as amended.

The physical address is: 2693 Mandela Highway, Mpophomeni Township, Howick, 3291 and;

The postal address is: PO Box 10731, Merrivale 3291.

(3) Yes, the crèche is registered with the department in terms of the following details;

· Number of children registered for - 90 Children

· Number of children subsidized - 42 Children

· Date of registration - July 1997

· Date of re-registration - 11 March 2009

· Registration Number - 10/1/8/1-736

· NPO Registration Number - 067- 836

· Date of NPO registration - 20 March 2009

(a) and (b) falls away.

QUESTION NO. 248

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 17 CW319E

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 30 July 2010

Mr R A Lees (DA-KZN) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

(1) Whether her department has been informed of the operations that are being conducted at two new quarries alongside the N11 between Ladysmith and the N3 in KwaZulu-Natal, if not,

(2) whether she will acquaint herself with the situation; if so,

(3) whether the persons and/or companies responsible for these operations have (a) applied to her department for permission to excavate the land in question and (b) completed the prescribed studies and reports prior to commencing with the operations; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case;

(4) whether her department has issued the necessary licence for the operation under consideration; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(5) whether the Environmental Management Plan has been completed; if not, why not; if so, (a) what is the reference number for the plan and (b) what action has been taken to (i) stop illegal mining and (ii) prosecute the guilty parties?

Mr R A Lees (DA-KZN) SECRETARY TO PARLIAMENT

HANSARD

PAPERS OFFICE

PRESS

248. THE MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANSWERS:

(1) My department received a Basic Assessment Report (BAR) in terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations under the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) for the upgrade of the specific road. An Environmental Authorisation (EA) was issued for the upgrading of the road on 12 April 2010.

(2) N/A

(3) (a) The authorisation for the establishment of quarries is the responsibility of the Department of Mineral Resources, in this case the regional office of the Department of Mineral Resources in Durban,with the KwaZulu-Natal Province) acting as a commenting authority only.

(b) The relevant reports must be submitted to that department for authorisation. Neither me nor my department will have records of such reports.

(4) N/A

(5) (a) My department has established that the authorisation for the specific quarries was issued by the Durban office of the Department of Mineral Resources. My department will have no records of such reports.

(b) The regional office of the Department of Mineral Resources should be contacted to obtain further information regarding the specific matter and concerns should be addressed to the Minister of Mineral Resources.

QUESTION: NO 249

(Internal Question Paper No 2 – 2010)

Mr G R Krumbock (DA) to ask the Minister of Sport and Recreation:

Whether, in view of the reported problems with seating arrangements at the 2009 Confederations Cup and at the opening of the new stadia for the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament, any steps have been taken to prevent a repeat of such problems? If not, why not? If so, what steps?

NW264E

RESPONSE:

Yes, the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup provided lessons for the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Among these is smoothening of all our protocol arrangements such as seating of guests in the hospitality area and other parts of the stadium. One of the key recommendations post the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was that various key stakeholders such as Government, 2010 Local Organising Committee, and Host Cities have agreed that there should be a Shared Protocol Service.

The purpose of the Shared Protocol Service is to coordinate all protocol related activities including invitations, accommodation and transportation of guests during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The implementation of the provisions of the Shared Protocol Service saw a great improvement in the way invitation and seating arrangements were handled during the FIFA Final Draw held on 04 December 2010. A plan for the 2010 FIFA World Cup created by all relevant stakeholders has been developed and presented to the Organising Committee Board for ratification.

QUESTION NO 250

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 FEBRUARY 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2- 2010)

Date reply submitted: 16 April 2010

250. Mr G R Krumbock (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:

(1) Whether, in view of the reported robberies at various automated teller machines (ATMs) targeting foreign tourists, the SA Police Service has taken any special steps to increase security at ATMs, particularly during the 2010 Fifa World Cup Soccer tournament; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether the SAPS has taken any steps to provide tourists with the necessary information to better protect their persons and belongings; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW265E

REPLY:

(1) Aggravated robberies which include robberies at ATM=s is a high priority for the South African Police Service (SAPS) and SAPS is in partnership with the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) and Business Against Crime (BAC) to address the situation.

SAPS has stepped up patrols in the vicinity of the ATM=s to deter criminals. The physical security at the ATM=s is not the responsibility of SAPS but that of the banks or the owners of the malls or businesses where the ATM`s are situated.

Robberies at ATM=s and Shopping Malls are also one of the focus areas of Soccer World Cup Operations for which contingency plans are in place to deal with these crimes.

(2) Yes, SAPS has taken steps to provide tourists with necessary information to better protect themselves and their valuables in the following ways;

- Developed 200 000 ACT (Against Crime Together) A5, pocket sized booklets which specifically deal with Safety for Travellers and Tourists encompassing, At the Airport, At the Hotel, In the Street, On the Road, In the Car. This is over and above general safety tips for Citizens of South Africa which is also scribed in the booklet,

- Produced 200 000 Z-cards with perforated (with 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa) post cards specifically targeting tourists during the Confederation Cup. SAPS emergency numbers – 10111 and contact details of the police station closest to the stadium are provided as well as safety tips at the airport, at places of accommodation, on the street and in a vehicle.

The SAPS Website (www.saps.gov.za) contains safety hints for tourists under the banner of 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Approximately 450 000 Z-Cards and pamphlets particularly targeting tourists on various categories of safety tips is being developed specifically targeting tourists.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NUMBER 249

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 30 JULY 2010

Mr R A Lees (DA-KZN) to ask the Minister of Finance:

(1) Whether the National Treasury has been approached by the KwaZulu-Natal provincial

treasury for (a) guidance, (b) a directive or (c) any other request which regulates the

circumstances in which municipalities may grant (i) bursaries, (ii) scholarships or (iii)

study loans to (aa) municipal councillors or (bb) relatives of municipal councillors; if

so, what are the relevant details regarding the content and details of this document;

(2) whether the National Treasury has (a) formulated a reply and (b) sent its response to

the KwaZulu-Natal provincial treasury; if not, why not; if so, (i) what are the relevant

details regarding the content and details of this document and (ii) when was it sent;

(3) whether a copy of this document will be made available to the public; if not, why not; if

so, what are the relevant details?

CW320E

REPLY:

(1) Yes, the National Treasury has been approached by the Kwazulu-Natal provincial

treasury requesting guidance on whether municipalities can provide study loans or

bursaries to councillors in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA),

2003 (Act 56 of 2003). The National Treasury provides guidance to all municipalities

on the MFMA through issuing Circulars, conducting workshops and writing

correspondence.

(2) Yes, a response has been formulated and was forwarded to the Kwazulu-Natal

Provincial Treasury.

The assistance and guidance that was provided in this instance related to compliance

that is required in terms of section 167 of the MFMA. Section 167 regulates matters

relating to Councillors' remuneration, benefits and allowances.

In addition, guidance was also provided in terms of MFMA Circular 8. This Circular

provides detailed guidance and explanation on matters relating to loans, benefits and

allowances provided to councillors and municipal officials. Our response was further

guided by the Public Office-Bearers Act, 1998 (Act No. 20 of 1998) which provides for

the remuneration package of councillors including all benefits and allowances.

(3) No, the response to this specific question is treated as a confidential internal

communication between the National and Provincial Treasury and as such does not

warrant being made public. Furthermore, the MFMA and its supporting documents,

including circular 8, are located on the National Treasury's website and are therefore

already in the public domain. A copy of circular 8 is attached for your information.