Questions & Replies No 276 to 300

2010-03-11

THIS FILE CONTAINS 25 REPLIES.

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QUESTION NO 276

DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: 5 MARCH 2010

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 2010 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: NO 2 – 2010)

Ms A M Dreyer (DA) asked the Minister of Transport:

(1) (a) How often are regulated and required inspections conducted on SA Airlink aircrafts, (b) who conducts the inspections and (c) what are the consequences for the SA Airlink aircrafts that (i) do not comply with regulations or (ii) fail inspections;

(2) whether SA Airlink has a Board of Directors/Trustees; if not; (a) why not and (b) who (i) manages and (ii) controls SA Airlink; if so, what are the relevant details of each member of the board/trustee?

NW292E

REPLY:

The Minister of Transport:

(1) (a)

SA Airlink aircraft and the maintenance organisation(s) responsible for their maintenance are audited at least once annually, with unannounced ad hoc audits carried out periodically. This arrangement applies equally to all licensed South African airlines and the number of ad hoc audits carried out will be determined by the results of the annual audit, incidents and/or accidents that aircraft of the relevant airline may be involved in, and the implementation of a corrective action plan to address findings.

(b)

Inspections are conducted by qualified Airworthiness Inspectors who are trained in all aspects of airworthiness auditing.

(c)

Aircraft that (i) do not comply with the regulations or (ii) that fail inspections are immediately grounded. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) issues a daily list of grounded aircraft to the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) and any flight plan filed for these aircraft is rejected, until such time as the grounding is lifted.

(2) (a) and (b) (i) and (ii)

SA Airlink has a Board of Directors and is governed via its Board where shareholders are represented. Details are reflected below:-

Members of the SA Airlink Board:

Chairman	Peter Paul Ngwenya	Non Executive
Managing Director	Rodger Foster	Executive
Financial Director	Owen Price	Executive
Director	Duke Moorosi	Non Executive
Director	James Geldenhuys	Non Executive
Director	Barrie Webb	Non Executive
Director	Rudolph van Schalkwyk	Non Executive
Director	Jan Blake	Non Executive

Shareholding:

Ultimate:	Direct:	% shareholding:

RA Foster		22.32%
	RA Foster (7.17%)
	SA Airlink Investments (Pty) Ltd. (15.15%)

BJ Webb	BJ Webb	9.70%

South African Airways	South African Airways (Pty) Ltd.	2.95%

Coronation Group	Coronation Capital (Pty) Ltd.	32.51%

Nedbank Group	FBCF Nominees No 1 (Pty) Ltd.	32.51%

		100.00%

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

QUESTION 276

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY

276. Mr T D Harris (DA-WC) to ask the Minister of Energy:

Whether, with reference to the comments by the Deputy President at the Oil and Gas Indaba in Bloemfontein on 10 August 2010, the Government has any plans to enhance the quality of fuel to South African consumers in order to reduce the level of harmful vehicle emissions; if not, why not; if so, what (a) are the relevant steps of this plan and (b) is the timeframe for its implementation? CW355E

Response:

a) Government is planning to enhance the quality of fuels by tightening fuel specifications and standards in response to the health and environmental challenges as well as new developments in vehicle engine technology. As alluded to in my Budget Vote Speech and the Department's Strategic Plan we are on course with the development of a Road Map that will spell out the envisaged future specifications and standards. Among key stakeholders already consulted are the South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA) and the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA).

b) The said Road Map will soon (within two months, October 2010) be published in the Government Gazette for public comment. The exact details of the technical specifications proposed are being deliberated upon by the involved technical teams from Government and the industry. The Road Map envisages a phased approach, which will culminate in a cut-off period for a total change. This will also take into account the time that will be needed to make the requisite changes to manufacturing units to produce fuels that are in compliance with what would be the new specifications and standards.

QUESTION 277

DATE OF PUBLICATION: Friday, 19 February 2010

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 of 2010

Mrs J F Terblanche (DA) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:

(a) How many arrests have been made by immigration officers at the (i) departure and
(ii) arrival halls of the Cape Town International Airport in (aa) 2007, (bb) 2008 and
(cc) 2009 and (b) what was the reason for each arrest?

NW293E

REPLY

(a) & (b) The information is specified in the table:click

NCOP

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NUMBER 277

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 AUGUST 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NUMBER 21)

277. Mr T D Harris (DA-WC) to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources:

(1) Whether the Government has calculated the cost of mining policy uncertainty on the slow growth of the mining industry in South Africa in comparison with the mining industry of the developing nations; if not, why not; if so, what is the cost;

(2) Whether the proposals that the mines should be nationalised will have a material effect on the growth in the industry; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? CW356E

REPLY

(1) No while other regulatory regimes are considered and referred to during legislation drafting, the need has not arisen to conduct such a comparison study.

(2) This has not been investigated or researched since nationalisation of mines falls outside of our legislative framework.

QUESTION 278

DATE OF PUBLICATION: Friday, 19 February 2010

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 of 2010

Mrs J F Terblanche (DA) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:

(1) Whether the layout of the new Cape Town International Airport Building allows for immigration officers to do profiling of passengers; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) which officials in her department were responsible for approving of and signing off the planning documents for those areas that her department would require;

(3) whether the problem that arose after the completion of the building was brought to her attention; if so, what are the relevant details;

(4) whether any action will be taken to rectify the situation; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(5) whether any additional security measures will be implemented at Cape Town International Airport until the section has been changed; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW294E

REPLY

(1) No. The current layout is in a temporary structure.

(2) The Deputy Director-General: Immigration Services.

(3) No. The current layout is a temporary arrangement.

(4) Yes. The Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) has new development programmes for the Cape Town International Airport within the next three years. The final layout of the International Departures, and Arrival Terminals will be discussed with ACSA, during this period. As an interim measure, the following shortcomings were discussed with ACSA, and it is attending to the following requests:

· A dedicated lane for staff, and assisted passengers to avoid overcrowding in the clearance area.

· Access control to the entrance of the clearance area.

· Dedicated security cameras to monitor officials, as well as, passengers in the clearance area.

· The installation of one way glass in the cubicles to give immigration officers the assurance that persons moving around in their perimeters have been cleared by Immigration.

· The installation of self closing gates between cubicles to allow only passengers who have been cleared access to the transit area.

(5) Yes. The following measures are currently being addressed:

· The access control door in the staff passage will be replaced with a card retention system. This will ensure that only designated card holders have access to the clearance area. The door will close automatically once the card holder has entered, and the card holder will only receive his or her access card back after the door has closed.

· The cameras fitted in the departure area will be channelled to the observation room to allow for supervisors to monitor the entire clearance area, as well as, cubicles for possible corrupt activities.

· The cubicles will also be fitted with monitors to allow immigrations officers to view passengers waiting in the queue, and to do profiling.

QUESTION 279

DATE OF PUBLICATION: Friday, 19 February 2010

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 of 2010

Mrs J F Terblanche (DA) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:

(1) Whether an inspectorate is currently based at Cape Town International Airport; if not, (a) why not, (b) when will the posts be advertised and (c) how many posts will be advertised; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether the applicants will be undergoing any vetting process; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details and (b) by when will the inspectorate be appointed and fully functional at the airport; if so, (i) how many staff members are employed in the inspectorate, (ii) how many posts still need to be filled and (iii) when will these posts be advertised;

(3) whether the current incumbents and/or new applicants will undergo any vetting procedures; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW295E

REPLY

(1)(a) No. There is, currently, no office space available for the officials. A standby team is available around the clock to attend to incidents at the Cape Town International Airport.

(1)(b) It is intended that Inspectorate officials, from our existing Unit at Barrack Street office in Cape Town, will be deployed to the Cape Town International Airport, during April 2010, as the necessary office space has been acquired, and the plans to set up this Unit have been set in place.

(1)(c) A total of 10 posts will be advertised. That is, 2 Chief Control Immigration Officers, and 8 Immigration Officers. The posts for 1 Chief Control Immigration Officer, and 3 Immigration Officers have been prioritised, and will take up their positions in May 2010.

(2)(a) Yes. All candidates who are recommended for appointment to Immigration positions are subjected to criminal record checks, and security clearance before appointment. Further, all new officials undergo the vetting process as it is a Departmental policy to vet all recommended employees.

(2)(b) The posts will be advertised in the 2010/11 financial year.

(2)(b)(i) The total of staff members employed in the Inspectorate, nationally, is 638.

(2)(b)(ii)(iii) The approved structure which is intended to be over the period of three (3)

to four (4) years requires, approximately, another 548 positions.

(3) Yes. All candidates appointed in Immigration Services are subjected to vetting procedures in terms of criminal record checks, and security clearance.

QUESTION NO.: 280

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 February 2010

280. Dr S M van Dyk (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:†

(1)(a)(i) How many and (ii) which coal-powered power stations fall under Eskom's management, (b) how old is each power station, (c) what is the remaining production lifetime of each power station, (d) how will their capacity be replaced, (e) how many megawatts are locally generated by way of nuclear power, coal and other sources of energy, (f) what is the required norm for electricity reserves against available reserves, (g)(i) how many and (ii) which coal-powered power stations are operating at a higher capacity than what they were designed for and (h) why are coal-powered power stations operating at a higher capacity than what they were designed for;

(2) whether sufficient maintenance takes place to keep the power stations inproduction; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether Eskom has the potential, after the 2010 Soccer World Cup Tournament, to supply South Africa with enough electricity without having to apply load shedding; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(4) when will the Medupe coal-powered power station be ready to produce electricity;

(5) whether there were long delays (a) through construction strikes and/or (b) because the soil was not suitable for the foundations of the structure; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details in each case? NW296E

REPLY

(1)(a)(i-ii)(b)(c)(-e) There are 22 power stations that fall under Eskom management; the table below indicates the life span and capacity of each station.

	Power Station Type (Number of power stations) (1a)(i)	Power Station (ii)	Average Age (Years) (b)	Remaining Life (Years) (c)	Sent Out Capacity (MW) (e)
Existing Eskom fleet	Coal (13) - base load(60% of the total generating capacity & 67% of the base load capacity)	Arnot	37	13	2180
		Duvha	28	22	3450
		Hendrina	37	13	1865
		Kendal	18	32	3840
		Kriel	32	18	2850
		Lethabo	22	28	3558
		Majuba	11	39	3843
		Matimba	21	29	3690
		Matla	28	22	3450
		Tutuka	23	27	3510
		Camden	42	13	1440
		Grootvlei	38	19	1140
		Komati	46	14	882
	Nuclear (1) - Base load	Koeberg	25	25	1800
	Diesel-powered Gas Turbine (4)	Ankerlig	3	27	1327
		Gourikwa	3	27	740
		Port Rex	33	17	171
		Acacia	34	16	171
	Hydro (2)	Gariep	36	44	360
	Hydro (2)	Vanderkloof	33	47	240
	Pumped-Storage (2)	Drakensberg	28	32	1000
	Pumped-Storage (2)	Palmiet	22	38	400

(1)(d) Eskom has a capacity expansion plan to bring on-line new generation plant in the long-term. This includes the construction of two clean-coal-fired power plants (Medupi and Kusile), one pumped storage plant (Ingula), a wind power plant (Sere) and the return-to-service of previously mothballed power stations (Grootvlei and Komati).

In addition, the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which is the responsibility of the Department of Energy, will outline other technologies, pricing, as well as which entity would be accountable for building the next range of power stations such as nuclear, renewable, hydro and clean-coal-fired stations. A range of Demand Side and Energy Efficiency programmes including solar water heating amongst others is also part of the IRP.

For the medium term, the renewable feed-in tariff programme (REFIT), the introduction of IPPs through the medium term power purchase programme (MTPPP) and the open-cycle gas turbines (OCGT) will contribute to an increase in capacity.

(1)(f) South Africa is currently below the industry norm which is between 15 to 20%.

(1)(g) (i-ii) The original intended production from the coal-fired power stations averages approximately 68% of the installed generating capacity. Seven base load and mid-merit power stations namely Matimba, Lethabo, Matla, Duvha,

Hendrina, Kendal and Arnot are currently operating above this load factor at between 72% to 80%.

(1)(h) This is due to the under investment in generating capacity leading to the tight reserve margin and changes in demand patterns.

(2) Yes. The maintenance program across all Eskom power stations is well defined and executed with the maintenance comparable to the best generating plants internationally.

The amount of planned maintenance scheduled on the system at any given time is based on the customer consumption patterns and forecasts so that adequate plant is available to meet national energy requirements.

Various criteria are used to prioritise outages such as surveillance, scope reviews and risk assessments.

(3) The electricity supply-demand balance during and after the winter 2010 period will be finely balanced. The risks of interruptions will increase as Eskom enters its summer maintenance season for the Eskom Generation fleet. If demand management initiatives are not successful in reducing demand and if industrial co-generation projects do not come on line, the risk of interruptions increases. This risk progressively worsens through 2011 to 2013 until the capacity from Medupi Power Station comes on line. It is therefore imperative that the demand management initiatives and co-generation options succeed.

(4) The first of six 800MW generating units at Medupi is planned to be commissioned in 2012, with the subsequent five units planned to be commissioned at 8-month intervals thereafter.

(5)(a-b) Although geo-technical problems such as poor bedrock conditions and strike action caused some delay to the Medupi project, the project is on track to commission its first unit in 2012.

QUESTION NO : 281

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 FEBRUARY 2010 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 -2010)

"Mrs D van der Walt (DA) to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture:

Whether she is taking any steps to transfer the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to her Department; if not, why not: if so, what steps?

(NW297E)

REPLY:

(1) The South African Cabinet has not had a discussion on the transfer of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities from the Department of Cooperation Governance and Traditional Affairs to the Department of Arts and Culture.

QUESTION NO 281

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 20 AUGUST 2010: INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO21-2010

"Ms E C van Lingen (DA-EC) to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture:

(1) Whether the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) held any meetings with (a) members of non-governmental organisations, (b) religious organisations and/or (c) the Government, (d) political parties, (e) any other persons and/or (f) organisations from civil society; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the names of the persons and/or organisations that the MRM that the MRM met with in the past two years;

(2) whether any initiatives have been implemented as a result of these meetings; if not, why not; if so, what initiatives;

(3) whether the chief executive officer (CEO) and members of the board of the MRM (a) presented any reports to the relevant Committee(s) of Parliament and/or (b) have been present at any meetings of such Committee (s) to answer questions; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details

(4) whether any action will be taken against the CEO and/or members of the board of the MRM who fail to attend meetings of the relevant committee(s) when requested to do so; if not why not; if so, what action?

CW360E

REPLY:

(1). Yes, from the information received from MRM, they have interacted and met with various groups in South Africa. They have met with government at all levels; Chapter 9 Institutions; media; non-governmental organisations; foundations; labour movement and civil society groups. Details to the above, are enclosed at Annexure A.

(2) The MRM stated that some of the initiative led to closer partnerships, networking opportunities and greater dissemination of moral regeneration on media platforms and special events where they (MRM) were invited. They further state that this created and broadened their stakeholder basis and strengthened their advocacy campaigns, as they have limited resources. They say through these initiatives the MRM has founded the Charter of Positive Values and declared July month as Moral Regeneration Month. An example of Activities of MRM Month 2010, received from MRM is attached at Annexure B.

(3). The MRM was requested to and did make a presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture on 19 May 2010. The report ensuing from this meeting is available. On 18 August 2010 the MRM was invited to and did make a presentation to the Select Committee on Sports and Recreation Parliament, in Cape Town.

(4) The CEO and members of the Board of the MRM respect the Parliamentary Committees, they have and will always avail themselves when such a request arises.

QUESTION NO: 282

PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 02 OF 19 February 2010

Mrs D van der Walt (DA) to ask the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:

Whether his department is taking any steps to transfer the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and linguistic Communities to the Department of Arts and Culture; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW298E

Replies

There are no steps to transfer the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities to the Department of Arts and Culture.

QUESTION NO 283

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 FEBRUARY 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 2)

283. Mrs D van der Walt (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

Whether she authorised the building of the Klipwerfdam in the Phalala River in the Limpopo province; if not, (a) why not and (b) who granted permission; if so, what are the relevant details? NW299E

---00O00---

REPLY:

(a) No, the owner of the dam has not applied for authorisation to build a dam from My Department under both the Water Act, 1956 (Act No. 54 of 1956) and the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 108 of 1998), and the dam was therefore illegally constructed. A directive to stop the construction work has been issued to the dam owner. The owner has since appealed to My Department and the matter has been referred to the Water Tribunal.

(b) Falls away.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN REPLY

FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 2010

283. Mr M P Sibande (ANC-MP) to ask the Deputy President:

Whether South Africa is considering pulling out from the SA Customs Union; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, when? CW363E

REPLY

South Africa is not pulling out of the Southern African Customs Union. Indeed, if South Africa were to withdraw from the Customs Union, SACU's future existence would be gravely endangered.

Earlier this year President Zuma participated in the centenary celebrations for SACU which were held in Windhoek, Namibia. SACU was created during the colonial era to allow for the free flow of goods across the borders of several Southern African countries that were "protectorates" of Great Britain, and South Africa which was then a British colony. Namibia formally joined SACU after its independence.

The revenue sharing formula in SACU has led to a situation in which smaller economies receive a much greater proportion of tariff and excise duties collected than they contribute to the common revenue pool. This is essentially a transfer from revenue generated by South Africa to its neighbours in SACU. The transfers are allocated according to a revenue sharing formula as agreed to through the 2002 SACU Agreement.

In some member countries SACU's redistributed revenue makes up more than half of their national budget. None of this revenue at present supports any cross border development project. South Africa would like a review of the revenue sharing system to allow a portion of the SACU revenue to be allocated to a regional development fund to strengthen regional integration, rather than all of the SACU funds going to direct budget support.

South Africa's vision for SACU is a need for developmental integration that results in identification of industrial complementarities and the development of a work programme to promote industrial value-chains thus contributing to employment creation in these Member States, including an ability to broaden their tax base so they can be sustainable in the long run.

This will have to be supported by infrastructure development and trade facilitation and a trade policy agenda that supports industrial development. Hence the review of the revenue sharing formula becomes an important element to support these initiatives.

This is why President Zuma, as the current chairperson of SACU, invited his fellow heads of State to a SACU Summit in Pretoria in July, and plans to follow that meeting with another SACU summit later this year.

The purpose of the meetings is to enlist support for the modernization of SACU so that it is better able to meet the challenges of regional integration in the 21^st Century.

Our objective agreed to by all SACU members is for SACU to transform itself into an instrument of developmental integration, and we are certain that the positive note on which the July summit ended, embodied in a constructive and substantial joint communiqué, augurs well for the further discussions on the future of SACU, and for the future of SACU itself.

QUESTION 284 WRITTEN REPLY 19 FEBRUARY 2010

284. Mr S.J. Masango (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Works:

(1) Whether he or his department has identified areas and/or industries where there is a skills shortage and incorporated this into its Extended Public Works Programme job opportunity creation programme; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) Whether any appropriate training is provided by the identified areas and/or industries; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW300E

1. The EPWP has identified skills shortages in the building artisan fields.

2. The National Youth Service Programme has recruited and trained over 8,037 youth in artisan fields such as bricklaying; carpentry, construction, electricity, plastering, painting, plumbing, and tiling as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme since the start of the programme in April 2007. The NYS Programme absorbs unemployed youth (18 – 35) with a minimum of grade 10-qualification and train them for a period of about a year which comprises of a maximum 6 months non-accredited theoretical training and 6 months practical skills. Approximately 50 are in further education and training (FET) colleges throughout the country studying for various artisan related fields. Over 350 beneficiaries have received full-time and contract employment in the construction industry.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO 284

DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: FRIDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2010

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 20 AUGUST 2010 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: NO 21 – 2010)

Prince M M M Zulu (IFP - KZN) asked the Minister of Transport:

(1) Whether he has taken any steps to rectify the very poor and deteriorating condition of our roads; if not why not; if so, what steps;

(2) whether particular attention will be given to the roads in the North West; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether any estimated timeframe for the roads to be repaired is in place; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? CW365E

REPLY:

The Minister of Transport:

1. The proclaimed national roads in the North West Province that fall under the jurisdiction of the South African National Roads Agency Ltd (SANRAL), which reports to the National Department of Transport (NDoT), are well maintained. Large parts of the N14 are currently under construction. However, the honorable Member should also be reminded that provincial roads do not fall under the jurisdiction of the NDoT.

2. The matter of fixing roads timeously has been brought to the attention of the province. Furthermore, my Department has offered its assistance to all the provinces, including the North West, with their asset management system.

3. When my Department receives any further information in this regard, it will be forwarded to the honorable Member. However, the Member is also free to communicate directly with the North West Provincial Department of Transport on this matter.

QUESTION 285 WRITTEN REPLY 19 FEBRUARY 2010

285. Mr S J Masango (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Works:

1) Whether his department has developed an asset register to keep track of all buildings owned by the Government; if not, (a) why not, (b) how are assets being tracked, (c) how is proper maintenance planning on all assets done; if so, how is this asset register assisting with the planning of proper maintenance of assets;

2) Whether such asset register will be developed; if not, why not; if so, (a) when and (b) what are the further relevant details? NW301E

Reply:

1) In 1995 the Department of Public Works (DPW) commenced with the compilation of a comprehensive computer-based inventory of immovable assets under the control of both National and Provincial Governments. The project was completed on 31 March 1999. DPW, subsequently, conducted gap analysis on what was achieved in order to develop a plan to address outstanding information. The following were the outcome of this gap analysis:

· Not all improvements were linked to land parcels;

· Extents of some improvements were not captured; and

· The ownership of certain properties was not clarified.

The number of building units under the control of DPW located in all nine (9) provinces which required to be updated was 33 555.

DPW's Asset Register Enhancement Project (AREP) was therefore instituted in 2005 to update 33 555 building units not included in the 1996 – 1999 data gathering exercise;

The scope of the project was limited to:

· Enhancing existing information with the required details to facilitate effective asset and property management; and

· Linking all structures to the underlying land parcels,

which was successfully completed in 2008.

However, the lack of information on the condition of structures under DPW's custodianship necessitated a further information gathering exercise. Service providers (Intersite and Servcon) were, as a result, appointed in December 2007 with a contract period of two (2) years. The verification of the information collected by the service providers is currently under way, to further enhance the Asset Register and inform compensation payable to them.

In 2005, the Department developed a framework for information fields to be contained in immovable asset registers. These requirements were subsequently incorporated into National Treasury's Asset Management Guidelines.

In 2009, the Department engaged OAG and other stakeholders in reviewing the 2005 framework for information fields to be contained in immovable asset registers. This resulted in a number of new information fields being included. The document will then be published as the asset register guidelines, as stipulated in GIAMA.

To further enhance the system, in November 2009, the Department signed off iE – Works as the preferred platform for DPW's Immovable Asset Register.

The Department, in conjunction with Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) and Provincial custodians, is continuing on a process of vesting state land parcels under rightful owner. During this process, asset registers will be continuously updated to keep track of all properties owned by Government.

Continuous enhancement of the Asset Register is necessary to meet the requirements of full life-cycle asset management, as envisaged in the Government Immovable Asset Management Act, 2007 (GIAMA).

Maintenance planning is done as follows;

· Conditions assessment or status quo analysis is executed;

· Maintenance defects are then costed and prioritised in terms of impact the defect will have on the structure as well as health and safety issues receiving priority. This is then matched against available funds;

· Custodian Asset Management Plans (C-AMPs) are then developed to indicate maintenance plans and funds needed as per MTEF cycle and a building programme is developed accordingly; and

· Maintenance implementation plan is then rolled-out as per available budget that is in line with building programme.

The Department is constantly faced with the following challenges:

· Lack of budget to conduct condition surveys, which are crucial for the compilation of C-AMPs, and

· Insufficient maintenance budget

2) In view of the above, the Department has the preferred platform that serves as the asset register for immovable assets.

QUESTION NO: 286

PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 OF 19 FEBRUARY 2010

Mr S Mokgalapa (DA) to ask the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation:

(1) Whether the Government provides any assistance to its qualified citizens who are appointed to positions of responsibility in multilateral organisations of which South Africa is a member;

(2) If not, why not;

(3) If so, what are the relevant details? NW302E

REPLY:

(1) No.

(2) Article 101 of the Charter of the United Nations states the following :

"1. The staff shall be appointed by the Secretary General under regulations established by the General Assembly;

2. The appropriate staff shall be permanently assigned to the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, and, as required, to other organs of the United Nations. These staff shall form a part of the Secretariat.

3. The paramount consideration in the employment of the staff and in the determination of the conditions of service shall be the necessity of securing the highest of efficiency, competence, and integrity."

Employment by the United Nations is furthermore regulated by the UN Staff Regulations, which apply to all staff at all levels, including staff of the separately funded organs and specialised agencies brought into relationship with the United Nations, in which matters of remuneration and related allowances, as approved by the General Assembly, are spelled out.

Staff regulations in regional organisations such as the SADC, AU and NEPAD or organisations such the Commonwealth are in general based on a similar approach than that followed by the UN system.

In the case of experts, elected by the General Assembly to serve on an expert subsidiary committee, air tickets and a daily subsistence allowance are paid by the United Nations in order to attend the meetings as per the arranged schedule of meetings.

(3) Not applicable

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO.: 286

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 20 AUGUST 2010

Mr Z Mlenzana (COPE-EC) to ask the Minister of Economic Development:

(1) Whether his department has further explored the feasibility of creating 300 000 jobs in the (a) solar and (b) bio-fuels field in the next five years; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether any international experience supported such a conjecture; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? CW367E

REPLY

(1) The IDC has completed a preliminary study on the job creation potential of the Green Economy in South Africa, as part of work for the new growth path. More detailed work is being undertaken, and once completed, the results will be made public. The job creation potential includes among others construction, operation, maintenance of renewable electricity generation, manufacturing of components, new materials development, waste management and eco-tourism. It is clear that there is significant job creation potential in this sector, not just in terms of local energy supply, but also in the manufacturing for export of various components.

South Africa has confirmed its commitment to increasing the percentage of renewable energy in its grid, and the details are due to be clarified in the long-term electricity plan for South Africa, namely the IRP2. The establishment, operation and maintenance of the green energy plants will create large numbers of jobs.

Job creation in bio-fuels also has significant job creation potential as the agricultural component and transport components are labour intensive. In addition to this, the Green Economy emphasises recycling of waste materials. This is labour intensive work. Government has established public works programmes, namely the Working for Water and Working for Electricity, that have created job opportunities. EDD is in the process of developing sector strategies to realise the job creation potential of the Green Economy.

(2) The green economy is at the centre of a number of industrial policy interventions across the world, as countries seek to establish an economic base in a fast-growing industry. China is reported to have 1,12 million green jobs with an expected growth of 100 000 additional green jobs annually. In Brazil, a leader in bio-fuel production, the sector employs more than 500 000 people. Germany employs about 280 000 people in renewable energy and France expects to employ about 500 000 people in the sector by 2020.

QUESTION NO: 287

PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 OF 19 FEBRUARY 2010

MR S MOKGALAPA (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION:

What is the total value of the property portfolio owned through her department in (a) Africa, (b) Europe, (c) America, (d) Middle East, (e) Asia and (f) Australasia?

In respect of parts (a) to (f)

A property valuation of all state owned properties outside of the borders of the RSA, performed in 2007, reflects the following portfolio value:

(a)	Africa	R 146,708,760.95
(b)	Europe	R 3,343,678,190.00
(c)	Americas	R 244,088,475.90
(d)	Middle East	R 162,153,180.00
(e)	Asia	R 434,538,133.00
(f)	Australasia	R 24,881,897.00

In terms of the Department's asset management policy, the properties will be valued at 5 yearly intervals, with the next valuation to be performed in 2012.

QUESTION NO: 287

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 20 August 2010

QUESTION PAPER NO: 21

DATE OF REPLY: 2 September 2010

Mr Z Mlenzana (COPE-EC) to ask the Minister of Communications:

(1) Whether his department will follow the necessary tender processes in issuing out tenders for various departments; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) Whether his Director-General was unwilling to sign-off on tenders that were not tendered for properly; if so, what are the relevant details?

Responses

(1) The Department does not issue tenders to various departments.

(2) The question must be posed to the Director-General on whether she was unwilling to sign-off on tenders that were not tendered for properly.

QUESTION NO.: 288

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 February 2010

Mr P van Dalen (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:

(1)(a) From whom is Eskom procuring its coal stock, (b) how much coal is procured from each company for each power station and (c) what (i) was the total usage of Eskom in each of the past five years for each of its power stations, (ii) amount of money was spent on coal, (iii) was the total power contribution of each power station in each of the past five years and (iv) are the coal stock piles in each month in each of the past five years at each power stations;

(2) whether all of the suppliers are Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) compliant; if not, (a) which companies are not BEE compliant and (b) what is the value of the contracts that were given to each; if so, what is the value of the contracts given to each company in each of the past two financial years;

(3) whether any contracts have been extended to companies that (a) were BEE compliant and (b) companies that were not; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(4) whether there are any problems with the procuring of coal; if so, what are the relevat details;

(5) whether there is a plan of action to deal with the security of supply of coal for the next 40 years; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW304E

REPLY

1(a) Eskom procures its coal from the following companies:

§ Anglo Coal South Africa (Pty) Ltd

§ BHP Billiton Energy Coal South Africa (Pty) Ltd

§ Blackwattle Colliery (Pty) Ltd

§ Eyethu Coal (Pty) Ltd

§ Exxaro Coal (Pty) Ltd (Exxaro)

§ Imbabala Coal (Pty) Ltd

§ Ingcambu Investments (Pty) Ltd

§ Kuyasa Mining (Pty) Ltd

§ Liketh Investments (Pty) Ltd

§ Mashala Resources

§ Nu Coal Mining (Pty) Ltd

§ Optimum Coal Mine (Pty) Ltd

§ Shanduka Coal (Pty) Ltd

§ Sudor Coal (Pty) Ltd

§ Umcebo Mining (Pty) Ltd

§ Xtsrata/Zingisa Joint Venture

(1)(b) Eskom has a portfolio of contracts with each of the suppliers which meets its requirements of 121,2 million tons per annum (2009) for the Eskom system. All coal requirements in excess of those supplied by the long-term agreements are procured through short to medium term contracts. The detail in this regard is confidential and its disclosure could be prejudicial to Eskom's commercial negotiations in support of security of supply.

(1)(c)(i)The table below indicates the amount of electricity produced by coal-fired power stations, and the quantities of coal burnt in the past 5 years. The detail per power station is confidential and its disclosure could be prejudicial to Eskom's commercial negotiations in support of security of supply.

Financial Year	Electricity produced by coal-fired power stations (GWh)	Coal Burnt (Mt)
2005*	251,914	136,4
2006	206,606	112,1
2007	215,211	119,1
2008	222,908	125,3
2009	211,941	121,2

*2005 -change from calendar to financial year; reflects 15 months data

1(c)(ii)The following table indicates the expenditure on coal in each of the past 5 years:

Financial Year	Expenditure on coal (R million)
2005*	8 885
2006	8 337
2007	9 920
2008	12 205
2009	20 198

*2005 -change from calendar to financial year; reflects 15 months data

(1)(c)(iii) The response to question 1(c)(i) reflects the electricity generated by coal fired power stations over the five year period since 2005. The detail per power station is confidential and its disclosure could be prejudicial to Eskom's commercial negotiations in support of security of supply.

(1)(c)(iv)The system average coal stock pile (days) over the past 5 years is shown in the following table. The detail per month and per power station is confidential and its disclosure could be prejudicial to Eskom Eskom's commercial negotiations in support of security of supply.

Financial Year	System average coal stock pile (Days)
2005*	36
2006	35
2007	29
2008	13
2009	41

*2005 -change from calendar to financial year; reflects 15 months data

(2)(a-b) All Eskom's suppliers meet the requirements of the Mining Charter and the BBB-EE Codes. The total value of contracted coal to BEE Suppliers in the financial year 2007/08 was approximately R 7.4 billion and in 2008/09 was approximately R11.3 billion. The BBB-EE figures for 2009/10 are unavailable as the financial year closes on 31 March 2010. The detail per supplier is commercially sensitive and confidential and its disclosure could be prejudicial to Eskom's commercial negotiations in support of security of supply.

(3)(a-b) All suppliers are contracted to either long-term, medium-term or short-term contracts with specific expiry dates.

(4) The key procurement risks relate to the availability of the volume of coal required by Eskom, the quality of the available coal and the cost. Eskom has established a strategy to mitigate the risks and has engaged with the mining companies to deal with challenges, which include:

· the geographic location of coal and the associated logistical arrangements to transport the coal to the power stations,

· the availability and accessibility of coal resources for the preferred long term contracts sought by Eskom,

· competition with export markets and the associated impacts on cost and quality.

The establishment of longer-term green fields coal mines is hampered by escalating development costs and more complex geology (in particular in Mpumalanga where augmentation of supply to Eskom's existing power stations is required), and competition for scarce resources, most notably capital, human resource skills and water. Transportation infrastructure (for example general freight rail in the Mpumalanga area, a heavy haul line linking the Waterberg coal field to the Mpumalanga area) is also a limiting factor.

Securing coal for domestic energy needs must be a national priority. The current regulatory environment may not sufficiently protect South Africa from the international market for steam coal and aggressive interest shown by India and China to secure access to imported coal.

(5) Eskom has developed a long term coal supply strategy which aims to secure coal for electricity production for at least the next 10 years. The strategy will continuously be reviewed and updated for extension into the future to ensure future security of coal supply. Some of the key elements of the strategy are as follows:

· optimal portfolio of long, medium and short term coal sources: The Eskom portfolio of contracts will consist of long, medium and a small portion of short term coal sources to meet electricity demand requirements. All three types of contracts are included as there is no single 'best' contract type.

· prices based on efficient costs plus a fair return: Prices of future coal contracts will be based on efficient costs, appropriate risk sharing and fair returns. This is to ensure sustainable coal procurement.

· investment in low cost, flexible coal transport infrastructure: Where possible, Eskom and its suppliers will invest in rail infrastructure and conveyors.

· quality management and selective beneficiation to reduce total cost of ownership: This is required to address the impact of the deteriorating resource base, which has resulted in many stations receiving coal below the design quality levels.

· risk based stock management: Power station stock levels will be based on coal supply risks and will be periodically re-evaluated as risks change.

· investment in long term infrastructure: For example, water infrastructure and underground coal gasification.

· improve co-operation with major stakeholders: Eskom will continuously engage with all stakeholders to ensure security of coal supply from a national perspective.

QUESTION NO.: 289

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 February 2010

Mr P van Dalen (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:

(1)(a) What is the current cost of transiting a reefer container in the port of (i) Cape Town, (ii) Durban, (iii) Port Elizabeth and (iv) Ngqura and (b) how does the cost compare with the cost of other countries;

(2)whether any plan of action is in place to advance the turnaround time and efficiency in our ports in order to become more globally competitive; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW305E

REPLY

1(a)(i-iv) The tables below indicates the current cost of transiting containers in the ports. The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) charges and Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) charges are set out separately. TNPA levies a charge on all containers handled in the port in the form of a "Cargo Due" and TPT charges a fee for loading and discharge.

Ports

Container size

Amount

Coast wise cargo

Imports

Exports

Transnet National Ports Authority

(i) Cape Town

12m

R 65.61

R131.19

R 1 942.23

R 3 884.44

R 964.68

R1 929.37

(ii) Durban

12m

R 65.61

R131.19

R 1 942.23

R 3 884.44

R 964.68

R1929.37

(iii) Port Elizabeth

12m

R 65.61

R131.19

R 1 942.23

R 3 884.44

R 964.68

R1929.37

(iv) Ngqura

12m

R 65.61

R131.19

R 1 942.23

R 3 884.44

R 964.68

R1929.37

Empty containers (all sizes)

R 65.61

R 64.31

Ports

Container size

Amount

*Inwards leg

*Outwards leg

Transnet Port Terminals

(i) Cape Town

12m

R 1 339.00

R 1 988.00

R 1 339.00

R 1 988.00

(ii) Durban

12m

R 1 339.00

R 1 988.00

R 1 339.00

R 1 988.00

(iii) Port Elizabeth

12m

R 1 339.00

R 1 988.00

R 1 339.00

R 1 988.00

(iv) Ngqura

12m

R 1 339.00

R 1 988.00

R 1 339.00

R 1 988.00

*The above charges exclude VAT.

1(b)(i) TNPA Cargo Dues are levied to recover the investment and upkeep of the port infrastructure. Given that revenue, ownership and operating models differ from port to port internationally, cost comparisons with other ports in the context of a single mode such as containers poses quite a challenge.

1(b)(ii) The graphs below indicate TPT's comparison with other countries.

TPT REEFER SURCHARGE BENCHMARKING

381

1057

532

636

583

752

123

689

530

1292

321

572

1057

539

636

583

779

430

689

530

1292

647

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

TPT

AUSTRALIA EXPORTS

AUSTRALIA IMPORTS

BELGIUM

GERMANY

NETHERLANDS

NEW ZEALAND EXPORTS

FRANCE ATLANTIC

FRANCE MED.

USA

WALVIS BAY

RAND

6 M REEFER

12 M REEFER

(2) Yes, plans are in place to advance the turnaround time and efficiency at ports in order to become more globally competitive. The plans include the following:

Port Planning

A Port Framework Development Plan is compiled by Transnet on an annual basis and submitted to the Department for approval. This enables the Port to plan and implement capacity ahead of demand and forms the basis for the immediate, short term and long term capital programme.

Efficiency improvement initiatives

Various initiatives have been implemented or are underway to improve ship turnaround time and gross crane moves per hour. These include:

· the formal performance management of the reduction of shipping cycle times (e.g. turnaround, vessel changeover, etc).

· the upgrade of container terminals through, amongst others, capital investment for the expansion of, for example, the Cape Town Container Terminal, the purchase of new equipment, upskilling of operators, introduction of new operating systems and increasing reefer plug points.

Marine operations resource improvements including, amongst others:

· the successful delivery of a new pilotage helicopter and two new pilot boats. The Port of Durban, for example, expects to take delivery of two 70ton bollard pull tugs in the 2010/11 financial year and a third in the following year.

· the Shareholder's Compact between Transnet and the Department of Public Enterprises provides specific Key Performance Indicators defining significant productivity improvement at the Ports.

· development pipeline for critical and scarce marine operating skills including pilots, tug masters and marine engineers. A formal training programme with the Shipping and Transport College in Rotterdam coupled with local on-the-job and simulator training is used as an effective measure for dealing with scarce skills supply.

· the marine operations' function is migrating from a triple shift to a quad shift system to improve service coverage.

· fora for co-operation with the industry, e.g. Container Lines Operators Forum.

Port capacity improvements

· Key infrastructure projects include the entrance channel deepening and widening of container berths and channels, the rehabilitation of Island View (petrochemical cluster) berths, the rehabilitation of the Maydon Wharf berths, the upgrade of port rail infrastructure and the upgrade of port road infrastructure and traffic buffering areas in the port.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO 289

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 20 AUGUST 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 21)

289. Mr D B Feldman (COPE-Gauteng) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

Whether any figures are available to indicate the quantity of water that will be used by (a) Medupi and (b) Kusile power stations per annum; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case? CW371E

---00O00---

REPLY:

(a) At Medupi Power Station the progressive commissioning of the first unit will start from 2012. This Power Station will initially require a volume of six million m³/annum by about 2015 for the conventional dry cooling process when the six generating units are operational. Further emission abatement technology will be progressively implemented from about 2018 to 2022 in each of the six generation units. This will utilize the Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) technology and will require an additional allocation of water. Thus the water requirements will increase gradually from six million m³/annum to 14 million m³/annum at about 2022.

(b) Kusile Power Station will be commissioned with the emission abatement technology, called the Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD), in place from the beginning. The first unit is planned for commercial operation by 2014 with the last unit expected to be operational by 2018. The water requirements of Kusile will increase gradually from approximately 2.33 million m³/annum in 2014 to 14 million m³/annum in 2018.

QUESTION 290

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19/02/2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 2/2010)

Mr G G Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:

Whether his department intends establishing in-service training centres in each province to provide educators with refresher courses: if not, why not: if so, what are the relevant details? NW306E

Reply:

Such in-service training centres already exist in all provinces, and most provinces have more than one centre. The department is currently undertaking audit of all provincially and district run teacher development and education resource centres through which in-service training is provided. The department, as part of a national planning process, is analyzing this data to establish if sufficient centres exist to provide for the needs of practicing teachers, and to develop systems to better coordinate the planning, quality and delivery of teacher development programmes through the centres (including workshops, refresher courses, and in depth development courses).

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO.: 290

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 20 AUGUST 2010

Mr K A Sinclair (COPE-NC) to ask the Minister of Economic Development:

Whether any progress has been made by a certain company (name furnished) to advance economic development of the bottom end of the market, especially the informal business sector where less than R50 000 was needed by a business; if not, why not; if so, (a) how many entrepreneurs who needed less than R50 000 were supported in the past three years up to the latest specified date for which information is available and (b) what steps will his department take to ensure that the bottom end of the market is adequately catered for? CW372E

REPLY

The development of small enterprises and cooperatives is critical to economic development in South Africa. Khula was established in 1996 to provide financial support in the form of guarantees for loans that commercial banks and other financial intermediaries provide to small businesses. Two of Khula's clients are retail financial intermediaries (RFIs) who specialise in short-term, small-scale loans. These loans are made predominantly to group borrowers, often groups of women in the community, who serve as guarantor of loans to individuals in the group. Typically in this model individual borrowers will rapidly repay the loan and take out further loans and in this way thousands of small-scale loans are made each year.

Figures provided by the RFIs to Khula, which have not been independently verified by the Economic Development Department (EDD), indicate that 412,565 loans have been made over the past three years, 497 to individuals and the balance to groups.

Khula and the South African Micro-Finance Apex Fund have been transferred to EDD with effect 1 April 2010. The Department together with the Department of Trade and Industry has established a task team on Micro-Finance to review the agencies' support for borrowers at the lower end of the market.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

(For written reply)

QUESTION NO. 292. INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 21 CW374E

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 20 August 2010

Mr K A Sinclair (COPE-NC) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

Whether her department has been informed of a media report (details furnished) that refuse and waste of an abattoir on the Correctional Services facility at Groenpunt Prison next to the Vaal River near Parys is alleged to being dumped in the river; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what steps have been taken to remedy the situation?

Mr K A Sinclair (COPE-NC) SECRETARY TO PARLIAMENT

HANSARD

PAPERS OFFICE

PRESS

292. THE MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANSWERS:

The Department has not been informed of the media reports that refuse and waste of an abattoir on the Correctional Services facility at Groenpunt Prison is being dumped in the river. The Department is unable to indicate its position at this stage as there was no investigation conducted to verify the media reports.

QUESTION NO: 293

PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 02 OF 19 February 2010

Mr N Singh (lFP) to ask the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:

(1) Whether disaster management funds were transferred to the Umdoni Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal (a) in the (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10 calendar years and (b) during the period 1 January 2010 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (aa) how much money was transferred from the 2008 calendar year up to the latest specified date for which information is available and (bb) who is the accounting officer;

(2) Whether the money was transferred in a lump sum; if not, how was it transferred; if SO, how is the accrued interest being utilised;

(3) Whether a management company has been appointed to manage the funds; if not, why not; if so, (a) which company, (b) what are the terms of reference in this regard and (c) for which rehabilitation projects were funds sought and amounts granted? NW309E

Reply

(1) (a)Yes, funds were transferred to Umdoni Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal in the 2008-9 and 2009-10 calendar years. (b) A total of R389 million has been transferred to date, (bb) The Municipal Manager of Umdoni Municipality, Mr. DO Naidoo is the accounting officer.

(2)The money was transferred in two tranches of R 189 million. The Municipal Council has a policy on interest accrued on grant funding approved by the Auditor General in place. The Municipal Council decides how the interest accrued will be utilized within the project parameters; however it cannot be used for municipal operational projects,

(3) (a) Yes, Liquid Platinum was appointed to manage the funds. (b) A service

level agreement audited by the Auditor General is in place regarding their

appointment. (c) The list of projects which funds were sought and amount granted is attached as annexure A.

QUESTION 294

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

Question 294 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Mr. R N Cebekhulu (IFP) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) What progress has been made with the Makhathini Development Plan initiated by the KwaZulu-Natal Cabinet in 2007;

(2) whether this area's growth potential has been realised; if not, why not; if so, how;

(3) whether this area has deteriorated into a state of (a) poverty, (b) unemployment,

(4) whether the plan for the re-establishment of the foot and mouth red-line control has been implemented; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW310E

REPLY

(1) The Makhathini Integrated Master Development Plan was approved in November 2008 by the KZN Legislator. An Implementation Steering Committee has been formed covering all the departments who participated the development of the plan and work has already started. The progress to date is as follows:

a. Aquaculture: The Terms of Reference for the development of a Tilapia hatchery was advertised and a site briefing was held on 17 February 2010. The tenders will close on 01 April 2010

b. Cotton: A business plan for the turnaround of the industry was developed with the farmers and a proposal to buy the Gin with a Black Economic Empowerment Company is far in the negotiation stage.

c. Dry land crop production: Farmers are identifying the high priority areas that should be fenced off to allow them to farm their crops along the Pongola flood plain. Ground nuts have been identified as the first pilot project to be implemented in the new growing season.

d. Horticulture: The vegetable pack house has been refurbished and is now ready for use by the farmers producing vegetable on the irrigation scheme. The second phase of rehabilitation, the development of an ablution facility has already started and would be completed later this year.

e. Irrigation: All the transformer yards have been cleaned and electrical works upgraded. Central Pump Station switch gear upgraded and replaced where required. 6 pumps and butterfly valves replaced and another 6 pumps refurbished. Broken pump line pipe under the main canal replace with one across the canal. All the boundary fencing of the whole scheme replace with the farmers being sub- contractors (193 jobs created). 200km of infield roads graded. One of the four main drainage canals surveyed and initial earth work to start shortly.

f. Livestock: Livestock Support Centre plans completed and site identified for both Jozini and Umhlabuyalingana. Building to start shortly and will take approximately 6 months to complete. Livestock watering points have been identified and will be developed and repairs in the new financial year.

g. Sugar cane for ethanol: The feasibility study under the leadership of IDC/DBSA/Tongaat Hulette Sugar and the Farmers will be complete by Jul 2010. The farmers have already indicated an area of approximately 8500ha that would be used for the project

(2) Yes.

The potential of the area has been identified and through the process of implementation the development the potential will be realized.

(3) Yes.

The area is currently in a state of poverty partly due to the geographical position of the area being far away from development. With this development the situation of the community will change over time.

(4) Yes.

Preparation for the resuscitation of the foot and mouth control red line to be implemented in the 2010/11 financial year is on course.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO: 294
PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 21 OF 20 August 2010
Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:

(1) Whether any municipalities in the Free State have abused any specific grants, such as municipal infrastructure grants; if so, (a) which (i) municipalities and (ii) grants and (b) what are the further relevant details;

(2) Whether these abuses will and/or have any effect on the basic service delivery and infrastructure; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) Whether any steps will and/or were taken in view of these abuses; if not, why not; if so, what steps? CW376E

Reply

(1) During the 2009/2010 financial year, a few municipalities in the Free State province had spent MIG funds on unregistered projects. At a later stage these projects were registered on the MIG Management Information System (MIS) and thereafter, expenditure that was incurred on the projects was reported to the department of Cooperative Governance. Municipalities reported that the challenge was caused by escalation of costs due to geotechnical issues such as underlying rock conditions that was not expected.

(a)(i) Setsoto Local Municipality, Mohokare Local Municipality, Masilonyana Local Municipality

(ii) The challenges were observed with the Municipal Infrastructure Grant

(b) Municipalities indicated that they had to continue with implementation since contractors were already on site and in other instances such as in Mohokare municipality, the sewerage was overflowing which was causing health risks to communities

(2) It is not expected that the non-compliance referred to in answer (1) will have a negative impact on basic service delivery apart from the late reporting on expenditure that had already been incurred.

(3)The DCoG has engaged the Auditor-General on the issue of the unauthorised expenditure so that municipalities may register all planned projects before any payments are effected on the projects.

QUESTION 295

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

Question 295 for Written Reply, National Assembly: Mr. R N Cebekhulu (IFP) to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:

(1) Whether her department has assisted emerging farmers of the Uthungulu District Municipality who have received about 15 farms; if not, why not, if so, how;

(2) whether her department has any plans to revive these farms for effective production and job creation; if not, why not; if so, how

(3) how many are employed on these farms;

(4) whether her department intends assisting workers who were once employed on these farms and are now unemployed; if not, why not; if so, how? NW311E

REPLY

(1) Yes.

The National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries together with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Development is supporting 26 sugar-cane farms in the District through the Sugar-cane Agreement with Tongaat Hulett Mill, providing production inputs, such as fertilizers and chemicals, to these farmers as well as production infrastructure. Besides sugar-cane farms, the Department also assists 4 citrus producing projects with inputs and infrastructure. We are uncertain if the 30 farms mentioned above include the 15 in question since there are no details of those.

(2) Yes.

The farms mentioned in 1 above have been fully revamped and have shown signs of sustainability. Some of these farms were amongst those which were about to be repossessed by the Land Bank.

(3) For the farms mentioned in 1 above 326 permanent and 448 casual employment opportunities were created.

(4) Yes.

The farms mentioned in 1 above have been purchased through land reform processes and some of these were bought for the farm labourers who were working on these farms before by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO: 295
PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 21 OF 20 August 2010
Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:

Whether there are any municipalities in the Free State which do not comply with Section 41 of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act. Act 32 of 2000, in which a municipality must set key performance indicators as a yardstick for measuring performance and performance targets of each development priority and objective; if so, (a) which municipalities do not comply and (b) what steps are being taken to ensure compliance by municipalities? CW377E

Reply

The following municipalities have got PMS that comply with See 41 of MSA, Act 32 of 2000:

· Xhariep DM,

· Letsemeng LM,

· Motheo DM.

· Mangaung LM,

· Mantsopa LM.

· Tswelopele LM.

· Matjhabeng LM,

· Maluti-a-Phofung LM,

· Dihlabeng LM,

· Fezile Dabi DM.

· Phumelela LM

· Masilonyana LM

· Thabo Mofutsanyana DM

· Metsimaholo LM

· Nala LM

· Lejweleputswa DM

· Ngwathe I. M

· .

· Nketoana LM

(a) The following municipalities do not comply with Sec 41 of MSA, Act 32 of 2000

· Kopanong LM

· Naledi LM

· Tokologo LM

· Mohokare LM

· Setsoto LM

QUESTION NO: 296

PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 02 OF 19 February 2010

Mr N Singh (IFP) to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:

(1) (a) How many community development workers have been engaged by municipalities countrywide and (b) Provincial CoGTA. who is responsible for the salaries of these community workers;

(2) Whether his department is involved in successfully engaging these community workers; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) Whether he will make a statement on the matter? NW312E

Reply

(1) According to the information received from the Department of Public Service and Administration there are 3153 community development workers engaged at ward level (b) The Provincial Departments of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs or premier's offices are paying the salaries of the CDWs.

(2) The provinces as employers are dealing with the daily operations of the CDWs.

(3) No.

NCOP

FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NUMBER 296
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 AUGUST 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NUMBER 21)

296. Mrs E C van Lingen (DA-EC) to ask the Minister of Mineral Resources:

(1) (a) What progress has been made with. regard to the Richtersveld Settlement agreement concerning the (i) sea mining and (ii) land mining rights and (iii) what contractual obligations (0 have been and (ii) are still to be fulfilled by the respective parties;

(2) whether (a) a certain committee (name furnished) and (b) the terms of reference for this committee were established by the deadline of 31 July 2007; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (i) who are the members representing a certain company and a certain community (names furnished), (ii) how are the community representatives elected to this committee, (iii) what measures are In place to ensure that due process and the intension of the settlement agreement is implemented. and (vi) what options does the community have to ensure that their affairs are managed in an advantageous manner; .

(3) whether financial statements and annual reports concerning the said committee have been compiled since its inaugural sitting; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; .

(4) whether such financial statements and reports will be made available to the public; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(5) whether a mining development plan has been implemented during the period 31 July 2007 up to 20 August 2010; if not, what is the position in: this regard; if so, (a) what contractual obligations have been fulfilled by the respective parties which have the effect of securing the benefits for the said community and '(b) what are the further relevant details?CW378E

REPLY

(1) The old order mining rights have been converted into new order mining rights. These rights have been issued (executed). The Minister of Mineral Resources granted consent to cede the land mining rights from Alexkor Limited to the Richtersveld Mining Company (Pty) Ltd. The pulling and sharing joint venture agreement (PSJV) between Alexkor Limited and the Richtersveld Mining Company (Pty) Ltd still needs to be concluded.

(2) The Department of Public Enterprises facilitates this process.

(3) The Department of Public Enterprises should have detail on financial statements

(4) The Department of Public Enterprises should decide whether such financial statements and reports will be made available.

(5) .Once the PSJV is in place. a mining development plan can be compiled and implemented.

QUESTION NUMBER 297

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 FEBRUARY 2010

Mr N Singh (IFP) to ask the Minister of Finance:

(1) What criteria were used to select customs officials from the Oliver Tambo International Airport to attend the World Customs Organisation's training in Brussels in January 2010;

(2) whether it was an open and transparent process; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW313E

REPLY:

(1) No officers from the Oliver Tambo International Airport attended any training hosted by the World Customs Organization in Brussels in January 2010. The Chief Officer: Customs and Border Management (CBM) and the Group Executive: Customs Strategy and Policy were the only Customs and Border Management officials to visit the WCO in January to attend the second meeting of the WCO ad hoc group on Globally Networked Customs (GNC).

(2) The process in selecting appropriate candidates for international training opportunities is transparent. Final recommendations emanate from a CBM Talent Board. Nominations that meet the specified requirements are sought on a national basis and are evaluated according to agreed criteria including work performance. All nominations for international travel are approved by the head of the relevant business division in SARS, the head of International Relations and the Commissioner before being submitted for final approval by the Minister of Finance.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 297

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 23-2010]
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27 August 2010

297. Mr Z Mlenzana (COPE-EC) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:

Whether his department has undertaken any studies to determine the extent of proportion of the rural African households living below the minimum subsistence level that has lessened from 68% in 1990; if not, why not; if so, what is the percentage of rural African households still living below the minimum subsistence level during the period 1 January 2010 up to the latest specified date for which information is available? CW370E

THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:

No. The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has not undertaken any such study. However a study undertaken by the Department of Social Development in 2008 examined, amongst others, trends on rural and urban poverty between 1996 and 2008 in the 18 Presidential Poverty Nodes. Another study was the Ten Year Review of 2004 by The Presidency that examined the performance of Government on, amongst others, poverty trends between 1994 and 2004.

Statistics are mentioned in many studies and publications but none of these are official figures. Part of the work that Cabinet sanctioned under the draft Anti-Poverty Strategy is to produce official measurements of poverty such as national poverty and hunger levels in the country and the monetary measurement of the poverty line. The draft Anti-Poverty Strategy is currently before the National Economic Development and Labour Council, with the poverty line being the key factor awaiting discussion.

QUESTION NO.: 298

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 February 2010

Mr P J Groenewald (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:†

(1) Whether Eskom provides electricity to all local authorities at the same tariff; if not, (a) why not, (b) what criteria are applied in determining the different tariffs and (c) what are the various tariffs; if so, what is the tariff;

(2) whether she will make a statement on the matter? NW315E

REPLY

(1) Although the methodology to calculate tariffs for all customers is exactly the same, not all local authorities will have the same tariff as this will depend on tariff choice, their location, voltage and size of supply.

(1)(a) The reason for this is the fact that Eskom's tariffs are based on the cost of supply in accordance with the requirements of NERSA and the Electricity Pricing Policy. The factors that influence the cost of supply include tariff choice, location (urban, rural and geographic zone), voltage and size of supply. Consequently, the particular tariffs may vary depending on these variables. All tariffs, however, are approved by Nersa.

All local authorities on the same voltage and same geographic area that choose the same tariff, will have exactly the same tariff rates from Eskom. However, depending on the local authority's usage profile, the average price paid may differ. If the demand is managed well and the local authority also offers time of use tariffs, its average price paid to Eskom may be less than where the usage is not efficiently managed, even if the tariff rates are the same.

(1)(b) Eskom's tariffs are designed based on the cost of supply, so similar customers are allocated similar costs. Costs are allocated based on energy,

network and retail cost. The sum of all costs must equal the NERSA approved revenue requirement. These are based on network, energy and retail costs.

From a network perspective, the voltage of the supply is the most important driver of costs. The higher the voltage of the network that the supply is connected to, the lower the cost per unit and vice versa. For low voltage supplies, many more pieces of network have to be built to get the energy delivered from the power station to the end-user. Also from a network perspective, it costs more to supply a rural customer than an urban customer, due to distance between customers.

From an energy perspective, the costs differ by the way a customer consumes energy throughout the day and the voltage of the supply. The more peak energy that is used, the more expensive the energy costs are. The lower the voltage, the higher the electrical losses (due to the distance the energy has to travel).

From a retail perspective, the larger the customer the more it costs to serve this customer.

Based on the above, all customers are allocated costs based on their usage profile, voltage, location and size of supply and then after taking into account approved tariff cross-subsidies, tariffs are derived.

A larger local authority may have a bigger demand than a smaller municipality, but because it's supplied at a high voltage, the cost per unit is much less than the cost for a smaller municipality supplied on a medium voltage rural network. This principle is applied to all Eskom tariffs. It is to be noted that rural tariffs even though their rates are higher than the urban tariffs, receive an inter-tariff subsidy from the Miniflex, Megaflex and Nightsave Urban tariffs as their tariff recovers revenue lower than their cost of supply.

(1)(c) It is not possible to directly compare rates between each tariff as some tariffs have higher fixed charges and lower energy rates. Some tariffs have time-of-use energy rates, while others do not. The most appropriate way to compare different tariffs is to calculate an account based on the full usage and demand of the customer.

(2) No statement will be made.

QUESTION 299

DATE OF PUBLICATION: Friday, 19 February 2010

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 of 2010

Dr C P Mulder (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:†

(1) Whether her Department has paid any performance bonuses to the current Director-General during his contract period; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what did the various amounts run into, (b) when they were paid out and
(c) what criteria were applied in determining his performance;

(2) whether the Director-General has solved her Department's ongoing problems and improved the Department; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so,

(3) whether she will extend his contract for another period; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW316E

REPLY

(1)(a) No. The Director-General has completed two performance cycles since his appointment in May 2007. The outcome of his performance assessment for the 2007/08 cycle is, currently, under review, while his performance assessment for the 2008/09 performance cycle is, still, in process.

(1)(b) The performance incentives (if any) will be effected upon moderation by the Moderating Committee.

(1)(c) The granting of Performance Incentives (if any) will be determined by the Director-General's achievements of the deliverables as indicated in the Strategic Plan for each performance cycle.

(2) Work is ongoing to address the many challenges facing the Department of Home Affairs. The turnaround times for key products as specified in the Strategic Plan were, largely, achieved, and maintained. Reports from the Government Communication Information System (GCIS), based on their tracker research, indicate that this is noticed, and appreciated, particularly, by rural and poor communities. The majority of callers to talk shows, also, register their satisfaction with the services of the Department. Among the more important achievements, are the following:

§ On average, it, now, takes 43 days to issue an Identity Document, versus the target of 60 days.

§ Live capture for passports is implemented at 40 offices.

§ At the end of January 2010, it took 27 days from the capturing of a passport application to the issuance of the passport, versus the average of 56 days it took in April 2009.

§ The Department moved from a disclaimer in the 2007/08 financial year to a qualified audit in the 2008/09 financial year.

Corruption, most, unfortunately, continues to blemish the efforts of many who work tirelessly to provide a service that is efficient, accessible, and corruption free to the citizens, and other important customers. However, the Department has implemented a counter corruption strategy that is beginning to show positive results.

(3) No. The Director-General is leaving on retirement, and will, therefore, not ask for the renewal of his contract.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO 299

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 27 AUGUST 2010

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 23- 2010)

Date reply submitted: 13 September 2010

299. Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister of Police:

Whether any overtime was paid to the SA Police Service (SAPS) members in the Free State who were deployed during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer tournament; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what is the total (a) expenditure incurred by his department in paying overtime to SAPS members during the specified period and (b) value of outstanding claims for overtime pay to members of the SAPS?

CW393E

REPLY:

(a) R28,081 million was paid for allowances to members in the Free State who were deployed during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer tournament.

(b) All claims have been paid to members in the Free State who were called up for deployment for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament.

QUESTION 300

DATE OF PUBLICATION: Friday, 19 February 2010

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 of 2010

Dr C P Mulder (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:

(1) Whether her department has made use of consultants in the (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06, (c) 2006-07, (d) 2007-08, (e) 2008-09 financial years and (f) during the period
1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if so, (i)(aa) how many and (bb) which consultants and consultancies were used in each of these financial years, (ii) what amounts were paid to each consultant or consultancy in each of these financial years and (iii) who are the directors of each of the consultancies that her department used in each of these financial years;

(2) whether any of the directors and shareholders of the consultancies have any links with the ruling party; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are these links;

(3) whether any persons who are currently consultants or owners of consultancies were formerly in the employ of her department; if so, (a) who are they, (b) why did they leave the employ of her department, and (c) what is the total financial value that has been paid out to each one of these consultants?

NW317E

REPLY

(1)(2)(3) This Question's required response, will take a long time, because the research

that is required to be undertaken, has to cover a period of, just, over six (6)

years. For this reason, the Honourable Member is, kindly, advised to source out

the required information from the previous Department's Annual Reports of the

years under question.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

(For written reply)

QUESTION NO. 300. INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 23 CW394E

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 27 August 2010

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

(1) Whether the Green Scorpions will take any action against persons and/or companies for failing to fulfil their obligations regarding the cleaning up of medical waste which was dumped in the Matjhabeng Municipality, in the Welkom area, in the Free State; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether any penalties will be imposed upon the guilty parties for their failure to comply with the deadlines set for the removal and disposal of this waste; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) SECRETARY TO PARLIAMENT

HANSARD

PAPERS OFFICE

PRESS

292. THE MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANSWERS:

(1) In response to the discovery of the unlawfully buried waste the Department initiated administrative enforcement against Wasteman in order to ensure the proper clean up of the medical waste unlawfully disposed of on 4 (four) properties situated in the Matjabeng municipal area. Criminal proceedings were also instituted against a number of individuals involved in the unlawful disposal of this waste.

The deadline for the removal of the waste and the remediation of all of the affected properties is 28^th October 2010. In a feedback report by the independent specialist dated 20 October 2010, it was confirmed that the cleanup and remediation of all the affected properties will be completed by 28^th of October 2010. The Department will conduct a final site inspection with the waste management contractor and the specialist early next week in order to close this matter. Therefore, although the criminal prosecution deals with the initial offences involved in the unlawful burying of the waste, this prosecution will not, at this stage, relate to the failure to clean up within the required timeframes.

(2) As indicated above, it appears as if the cleanup and remediation of the affected properties will be completed by the 28th of October 2010. In the event that this is not completed on or before 28^th of October 2010, the Department will approach the High Court to compel Wasteman to finalise the clean up and would then simultaneously initiate criminal proceedings for failing to comply with an instruction of the administrative enforcement notice that was issued.

Non-compliance with this administrative enforcement notice, upon conviction, carries a penalty of up to a maximum of R5 000 000.00 (five million rand) fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years or to both such fine and imprisonment.

2010-03-11

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