Questions & Replies: Questions & Replies No 351 to 375
2010-03-16
THIS FILE CONTAINS 25 REPLIES.
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NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES FOR WRITTEN REPLYQUESTION NO 351
DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: FRIDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2010
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2010 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 26 – 2010)
Mr D B Feldman (Cope – Gauteng) asked the Minister of Transport:
Whether his department has any plans in place to develop (a) practices and (b) norms that will increase access to (i) appropriate and (ii) quality public transport to long distance train travellers between Cape Town and East London; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? CW447E
THE REPLY:
The Minister of Transport
(a) and (b) (i) and (ii)
A long-term need for a dedicated coastal rail passenger service, linking the coastal cities to Cape Town, has been identified through the National Rail Plan. The planning process is done in partnership with the respective cities and the provinces. Norms and guidelines aimed at improving access and quality of services are contained in the National Rail Plan, including those initiatives that must be undertaken to improve access and the service quality.
A number of rail services are serving the Eastern Cape, i.e.:
§ Intercity service: Cape Town via De Aar/Colesberg to East London.
§ Intercity service: Cape Town via Colesberg/Grahamstown to Port Elizabeth.
Intercity service: Direct tourist coastal service between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
QUESTION NO 352
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 02 MARCH 2010 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 4-2010)
"352.Prof A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture:
- Whether the chief executive officer of PanSALB is still suspended, if not, why not: if so, (a) why and (b) what are the financial implications as a result of her suspension?
NW424E
REPLY:
(1) Yes. The CEO of the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) is still suspended. She was due to attend a hearing on the 4th of March 2010. The hearing was postponed to 19 April 2010: (a) the Board of PanSALB as the Executive Authority is considering the matter and will take a decision on how it will proceed to ensure a speedy resolution. I will be informed of the outcome. (b) As the Minister of Arts and Culture, I am not privy to the expenditure of the Board on the suspended CEO and the broader financial implications. The Board of PanSALB will declare this information in its annual financial statement.
Question No 353
"Dr. A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture:
(a) What (i) vehicles, (ii) aircraft and (iii) properties are currently owned by her department and
(b) With regard to each item, (i) when was it purchased, (ii) how much did it cost and (iii) for what reason was it purchased?...................................................................................NW425E
REPLY:
Vehicle for the Minister only, the Deputy Minister make use of leased vehicles.
(a)(i) Mercedes Benz: S350; XYR 096 GP
(a)(ii) N/a
(a)(iii) Dutch Reformed Church, 338 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg
(b)(i) Vehicle purchased on 24 March 2009
(b)(ii) Cost price of R 746 276.00
(b)(iii) The vehicle was purchased for Ministerial duties
Properties
(b)(i) 15 December 2009
(b)(ii) R 4 500 000.00
(b)(iii) The Church was built in 1912 as a vow that the Voortrekker made on the eve of the Battle of the Blood River/ Ncome in December 1938. The Church was then called "The Church of the Vow" which then became a Museum since 1912.The new Church was built in 1962 to accommodate the increase in the church members. It was built in the Voortrekker Museum Complex. The Voortrekker Museum shares an integral space with the church properties e.g. the church and the hall are important to keep as one unit. The church gave the museum the first option to acquire the property purely because of the historical link between the Museum and the Church.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO.: 353 DATE OF QUESTION: 17 SEPTEMBER 2010353. Mr M W Makhubela (COPE-Limpopo) to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development:
Whether the Master's Office will embark on an advertising campaign in order to increase its visibility and ability to provide service to the public; if not, how does his department intend increasing its visibility; if so, what are the relevant details?
CW449E
REPLY:-
I wish to inform the Honourable Member that my Department is indeed communicating all the services it offers to members of the public, including that of the Master's Office. Currently, the Regional Offices are co-ordinating these communication activities. Community outreach campaigns, local radio station broadcasts, pamphlets and information sessions are held in the various Regions. With the recent "Access to Justice Week" hosted by my Department, the Master's Office services were promoted through Jamborees held in various towns.
I would like to draw the Honourable Member's attention to the role played by the Master's Office-Cape Town in assisting the families of the Faure train accident. To this end, this office administers the funds collected by the community and businesses for the victims.
In addition, this office also held an Open Day which was attended by the Department of Social Development, Caretakers/Guardians of the minors, Departmental officials and members of the Faure Community. The Master's Office and Guardian's Fund procedures were explained and the Caretakers and Guardians were assisted with the initial claim procedures. This interaction will continue until the final benefits of the monies collected, are finally paid.
My Department is currently in the process of finalising a Communication Strategy and Campaign for the Master's Office in order to further improve its communication activities.
QUESTION NO 354
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26 FEBRUARY 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 4)
354. Mrs A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:
(1) Whether her department (a) determines the skills and capacity requirements in the water sector, (b) develops a database of such requirements and;(c) maintains the database; if not, what is the position in each regard; if so, what are the relevant details in each case;
(2) whether her department is kept informed of the results of the determination conducted; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the details of the system used by her department to determine, record and update a database;
(3) whether the database allows determination of skills available per water service institution; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) whether her department submits recommendations to the Departments of Basic Education and/or Higher Education and Training to ensure (a) the development and availability of appropriate training courses and (b) the training of appropriate numbers of learners; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(5) whether her department interacts with the Department of Higher Education and Training to ensure the functional support of water sector training needs by the Energy Sector Education and Training Authority; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW426E
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REPLY:
(1)(a) No, the Water Sector needs are determined by both the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority as well as the Energy Sector Education and Training Authority (ESETA) through the analysis of Workplace skills plans of Municipalities and all institutions in the Water Sector, including my department. The Workplace skills plans are submitted annually to SETAs. This is a requirement in line with the Skills Development Act of 1997. The SETAs generate consolidated sector skills plans and engage all affected stakeholders in terms of implementation and monitoring. It is important to note that the Water Research Commission conducted a study on skills gap analysis for the water services discipline and this information informs the skills development process. The study done by Allyson Lawless from SAICE on Engineering Shortages "Needs and Numbers" has also been used to inform the skills development process.
In pursuance of our Sector Leadership role and in line with the Water for Growth and Development Framework My Department will embark on a skills analysis project to gather information and intelligence around the required and available skills both for water services and water resources. This process will culminate into a skills gap analysis and capability statement for the Water Sector. This will ensure that the Department is able to intervene in an integrated and impactful way.
(1)(b) Falls away
(1)© Falls away
(2) Yes, My Department is expected to sign off the consolidated Sector Skills Plan which is generated by the ESETA and is also participating at both strategic and operational levels of ESETA
(3) Yes, all water institutions submit their Workplace Skills Plans to the SETAs, which is the basis on which the Sector Skills Plans are developed. The Water Sector Skills Plan is available at the Energy and Local Government SETAs
(4)(a)
and
(4)(b) No, My department has not formally submitted recommendations to the Department of Education. However there have been very strong collaboration, particularly with the Department of Basic Education in ensuring water literacy is mainstreamed through the following activities;
· Implementation of schools based competitions – My Department has been running competitions since 2003 among learners to promote the value of water, health and hygiene; and water sector careers and opportunities, research and innovation on appropriate technology. The latter has created a platform for international participation where South African learners, from the Higher Education and Training (HET) band, have to date won two Global Youth Water Prize awards in Stockholm in 2003 and 2005 respectively. Memorandums of Agreement (MoAs) have been signed around these engagements with Provincial Departments of Education and the (MoAs) and with some Higher Education Academic Institutions are being revised to accommodate the new changes in Administration.
· Curriculum support Material for Grades R to 9. Curriculum support materials have been developed and were piloted in ninety (90) schools across the country. Feedback was received and the inputs are being addressed.
· Finalising the development of the resource materials for the General Education and Training Band (Grades R to 9) which will include additional climate change chapters. The Department of Basic Education will then review and authorise these materials for introduction into the General Education and Training band
· Ensure development of curriculum aligned resource materials for the Further Education and Training Band (Grade 10-12 and FET Colleges) to ensure that water issues are at the centre of all education and training, My Department has planned to develop these materials in 2010 and should be ready for use by January 2011
· Strengthen Workplace Education and Training programmes
(5) Yes, My Department interacts with the Institutes of Higher Learning directly and a Memorandums of Understanding with 14 (Fourteen) Institutes of Higher Learning to supports its professional development and staff development programmes has been signed. The support include accredited training courses (technical and non-technical), postgraduate support, and administrative support for the Department's external bursary scheme.
§ In addition, My Department is actively involved with the FET Water project aimed at development of training programmes for the water sector.
§ My Department is also serving on curriculum committees of the relevant IHLs (Institutions of higher learning).
§ My Department has recently been requested to assist with preparing a proposal for the development of a training programme in Integrated Water Resource Management at Tshwane University of Technology funded by Nuffic.
QUESTION: 354
DATE OF QUESTION: 17 SEPTEMBER 2010
354. Mr M W Makhubela (COPE-Limpopo) to ask the Minister of Justice
and Constitutional Development:
Whether, with regard to the Guardian's Fund and Master's Office
presentation on 7 September 2010 to the Portfolio Committee on Justice
and Constitutional Development, any measures have been put in place to
protect beneficiaries for low value category estates; if not, why not;
if so, what are the relevant details?
CW450E
REPLY:-
I am pleased to advise the Honourable Member that my Department, through
the Guardian's Fund and Master's Office, has introduced free assistance
for the administration of deceased estates for minor heirs. This is in
terms of a Service Level Agreement signed between Legal Aid South Africa
(LASA) and the Master's Office. The Service Level Agreement describes
the services, service levels and procedures that will be delivered by
LASA on behalf of minor heirs who qualify for assistance in
administering the estates of their deceased parent/s.
The following services will be provided by LASA in this regard:-
* Administration of deceased estates where minors are heirs and
qualify for assistance, provided that where, in an estate in which there
are minor heirs and there are also adult heirs who might not otherwise
qualify for assistance, the provision of assistance to the minor(s) may
dictate that assistance is provided to the adults in the same process;
* Assisting minors in lodging maintenance claims against estates
of deceased parents;
* Assistance with the appointment of legal guardians for minors
whose legal guardians have passed away as well as assisting with the
appointment of guardians to enable a minor to access money that is in
the Guardian's Fund;
* Providing legal representation for qualifying minors in estates
where an executor/estate administrator, other than LASA, has been
appointed;
* The institution and defence of litigation in connection with any
benefit that may be claimable by an applicant against an estate as well
as the appointment or removal of an executor; and
* Legal services incidental to or arising out of the aforegoing.
It should be noted that one of the provisions of receiving this
assistance is that the income of the household must not exceed R5 500
per month (after deductions of income tax). The Master can also refer a
matter to the LASA if the minor heir owns immovable property with a
value less than R300 000, or in some cases, where the minor heir owns
movable property with the value less than R75 000.
In conclusion, I would like to inform the Honourable Member of the
reduced turnaround time in respect of the finalisation of small estates
by the Master's Office. This means that where the assets of the estate
is less than R125 000, the matters would be finalised within 4 months.
I would like to report that during the first quarter of this financial
year (2010/2011), the Master's Office has finalised estates in this
category, well within the prescribed time-frames.
QUESTION NO. 355 (NW427E) INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 4DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 February 2010
Mrs A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:
(1) Whether her department considers e-waste to be a hazardous waste; if not, why not; if so, what measures are in place to ensure the control of disposal of e-waste;
(2) (a) what measures are being taken to (i) prevent uncontrolled e-waste recycling and (ii) encourage and regulate controlled e-waste recycling and (b) what measures are in place to prevent e-waste shipments from abroad from entering our ports?
Mrs AT Lovemore (DA) SECRETARY TO PARLIAMENTHANSARD
PAPERS OFFICE
PRESS355. THE MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANSWERS:
(1) Not all components of e-waste are hazardous; however e-waste contains many hazardous materials. Therefore, in terms of the definition of waste in South Africa e-waste is regarded as being hazardous.
(2) (a) Hazardous waste recycling is an activity which is identified in the "List of waste management activities that have or likely to have a detrimental effect on the environment" promulgated under the National Environment Waste Act, (NEM: WA). As such any e-waste recycling activity is required to be in the position of a waste management licence issued either by the national Department of Environmental Affairs or the provincial department responsible for the environment. Failure to comply with this provision is an offence. The NEM: WA applies the principle of the waste hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle, recovery and then only disposal of waste) to the management of all waste in the country. This applies equally to e-waste.
(b) South Africa is a signatory to the Basel convention on transboundary movement of hazardous waste and implements the Basel procedures. This procedure requires that there is prior informed consent to receiving waste before any waste is shipped to the country. The export country will request approval from the Department to allow the shipment of waste to proceed. In addition ITAC requires an import and export permit for the import or export of all waste.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 335
Mr C.J. de Beer (ANC-NC) D.C. to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:
(1) Whether, with regard to the 93 ammunition depot at Jan Kempdorp, in the Northern Cape, the SA National defence Force (SANDF) has any plans in place regarding the unused ammunition; if not, why not; if so, what plan;
(2) Is the building of a demolition plant in the Northern Cape still part of the SANDF future plans? CW430E
REPLY:
(1) 93 Ammunition depot at Jan Kempdorp has a detailed plan in place to demolish all obsolete and redundant ammunition at the unit's demolition range by means of detonation. Currently the obsolete High Capacity Bombs are being destroyed. Denel PMP in Pretoria is in the process of disposing of the obsolete small arms ammunition.
(2) the building of the demolition plant is a project that is currently being undertaken through a feasibility study; depending on the outcome of the feasibility studies the best mechanism to dispose of ammunition will be determined i.e. a fixed plant or mobile satellite facilities or what the study will determine it to be.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO.: 355 DATE OF QUESTION: 17 SEPTEMBER 2010355. Mr M W Makhubela (COPE-Limpopo) to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development:
Whether his department is adequately staffed and funded in order to fulfil its mandate and deliver on its commitments; if not, how will the (a) shortage of staff and (b) problem of funding be addressed by his department; if so, how many (i)(aa) junior, (bb) middle and (cc) senior positions are vacant and (ii) of these positions have been vacated in the past year?
CW451E
REPLY:-
(a)(b) I wish to inform the Honourable Member that my Department is adequately staffed at the Executive level to carry out its mandate and deliver on its commitment.
It is at the middle to senior management level that my Department has vacancies in critical areas like Risk Management, Internal Audit, Finance and Strategy. We have also found that there is a mismatch in some units between 'warm bodies' or officials employed in positions and the skills that they have. Addressing this problem is a medium to long-term issue. I can assure the Honourable Member that my Department is working flat out to address and rectify this problem.
(i)(aa)(bb)(cc) Vacancies in the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
| LEVEL | APPROVED | FILLED | VACANT | VAC. RATE |
| 1-8 (aa) | 14454 | 13395 | 1059 | 7.33% |
| 9-12 (bb) | 2479 | 2218 | 261 | 10.53% |
| 13-16 (cc) | 246 | 210 | 37 | 15.04% |
| TOTAL | 17179 | 15823 | 1356 | 7.90% |
(ii) Vacancies that occurred in the past year (January – August 2010)
| Salary level | Total |
| Level 1 – 8 | 383 |
| Level 9 – 12 | 82 |
| Level 13 – 16 | 8 |
| Total | 473 |
QUESTION NO 356
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26 FEBRUARY 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 4)
356. Mrs A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:
(1) What is her department's acceptable level for water loss by a municipality between the point of water purification and the points of delivery to customers;
(2) whether municipalities incur losses in excess of the acceptable level; if so, (a) what are the details of the losses for each water service authority and (b) what action her department has taken, is taking or will be taking to ensure that the excessive losses are curbed? NW428E
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REPLY:
(1) Acceptable losses are in the order of 15%. This is also an international level of water loss between Water Treatment Facility and consumers.
(2)(a) Yes, a Water Research Commission study entitled "An Assessment of Non-Revenue Water in South Africa, report number TT 300/07" was conducted to determine amongst others the water losses in Municipal water distribution systems. The study found that of the 62 systems investigated, the water losses were in the order of 31%. The details of the individual systems investigated as part of the study and the relevant detail is available within the study.
(2)(b) My Department has been supporting municipalities through the development of business plans, project implementation plans, the installation of meters to enable metering, active leakage control, retrofitting, etc. A total of thirty four (34) municipalities have been supported. My Department has also supported Metros with the implementation of jointly funded projects, of which the Department's contribution is R 83 million for this financial year. My Department will also support the implementation of Local Government turnaround strategy to ensure that water losses are minimized.
QUESTION: 357
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 4-2010]
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 February 2010
357. Mrs A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:
(1) Whether his department received any judicial criticism in the land claims courts concerning investigations into the validity of claims; if so, in how many cases;
(2) whether any of these farms were degazetted; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) whether any steps have been put in place to avoid such situations in future; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) whether any steps were taken against any officials for non-compliance of the Restitution of Land Rights Act, Act 22 of 1994; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(5) whether his department was ordered to pay costs; if so, (a) in how many cases and (b) what were the costs in each case? NW429E
THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:
(1) Yes. 19 cases.
(2) Yes. 10 properties were de-gazetted as ordered by the court.
(3) Yes. Continuous training and skilling of staff and the appointment of skilled researchers by April 2010.
(4) No. The officials had acted bona fide.
(5) Yes.
(a) 19 cases.
(b) The amounts are not known at this stage because taxed bills of costs have not been submitted to the Department as yet.
QUESTION 358
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 4-2010]
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 February 2010
358. Mrs A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:
(1) With reference to his reply to Question 1356 on 23 October 2009, (a) how many contracts have still not been honoured and (b) what is the amount involved;
(2) whether interest has been charged in any of the cases; if not, why not; if so, what (a) amount and (b) are the further relevant details;
(3) whether any cases are currently in the courts as a result of non-payment by his department; if so, (a) how many cases and (b) what is the amount involved;
(4) whether his department was ordered to pay costs; if so, what is the total amount;
(5) whether any progress has been made by his department in funding these commitments; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will it be done; if so, what are the relevant details? NW430E
THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:
(1) (a) 100.
(b) R580 187 166.68 is the amount payable for land acquisition.
(2) Yes. Interest has been charged in instances where the seller has approached the courts for an order of specific performance in terms of signed sale agreements.
(a) and (b) Interest is payable from the date determined by the courts to the date of payment. The amount of interest will be determined on the date of payment.
(3) Yes.
(a) 21.
(b) R493 782 870.00.
(4) Yes. The amount is unknown at this stage as the bills of costs are yet to be taxed.
(5) Yes. A reprioritisation process has taken place leading to the payment of R343 987 569.80 by 1 April 2010.
(a) and (b) Fall away.
QUESTION 359
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [No 4-2010]
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 February 2010
359. Mrs A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:
Whether any permanent job opportunities were created thus far by the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme: if not, why not: if so, how many in each province? NW431E
MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:
The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has, through its Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP), created 1 559 long-term employment opportunities involving two year employment contracts in line with the CRDP principles.
The breakdown per province is as follows:
| PROVINCE | NUMBER OF JOBS |
| EASTERN CAPE | 160 |
| FREE STATE | 628 |
| KWAZULU-NATAL | 143 |
| LIMPOPO | 528 |
| NORTHERN CAPE | 100 |
| TOTAL | 1559 |
QUESTION NO 360
360. Mr A C Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:
(1) Whether the chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Housing Building Regulations Council was suspended prior to his dismissal; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, under which conditions his service was terminated:
(2) whether there was any internal disciplinary case against the CEO; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
RESPONSE
(1) Yes, the previous Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC), Mr P. Makgathe was suspended on the 10th of December 2008 until the date of termination. The NHBRC Council and Mr. Makgathe reached a settlement agreement to terminate his services. The total settlement was 12 months salary amounting to a gross of Total Cost to Company (TCT) per annum or R 2,243, 743, 32. The offer was an all inclusive offer.
Noting that Mr Makgathe had a 5 year contract dated 1st April 2007 terminating on the 31st March 2012.
(2) Yes, there was an internal disciplinary case against the previous CEO Mr Makgathe. But council opted for a settlement agreement in view of the projected draw - out case with escalating and exorbitant legal fees which could have outstripped payments to Mr Mokgathe had he won the case.
QUESTIONS: 361 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
Mr A C Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Human Settlements:
(a) What (i) vehicles, (ii) aircraft and (Hi) properties are currently owned by his department and (b) with regard to each item, (i) when was it purchased, (ii) how much did it cost and (iii) for what reason was it purchased? NW433E
REPLY:
(A) (i) The Department of Human Settlement currently owns two (2) vehicles;
1 x Audi A8 3.0 TDI, Reg. No. TZM 876 GP operating in Pretoria, and
1 x BMW 530 d, Reg. No. YRW 665 GP operating in Cape Town.
The two (2) are official vehicles for the Deputy Minister.
The Minister does not have official vehicles, and uses his private vehicles for official visits.
(ii) The Department of Human Settlements does not own aircraft.
(iii) The Department of Human Settlements does not own properties.
(B) (i) The vehicles were bought on the following years;
Audi A8 TOlan February 2007, and BMW 530 d on December 2009.
(ii) The costs of the vehicles are as follows;
Audi A8 TDI was bought for R 619 000.00, and BMW 530 d was bought for R 576 444.14
(Hi) Audi A8 TDI which was taken over by the Deputy Minister of Human Settlements in mid-2009 is an official vehicle that was bought for the former Minister of the Department of Housing. BMW 530 d is also an official vehicle bought for the Deputy Minister of Human Settlements.
QUESTION 362
Mr D.J. Maynier (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:
1.(a) How many soldiers have been deployed for the landward borderline security, (b) how many kilometres of borderline are soldiers responsible for patrolling, (c) at what cost have soldiers been deployed on the (i) South Africa/Namibia, (ii) South Africa/Botswana, (iii) South Africa/Zimbabwe, (iv) South Africa/Mozambique and (v) South Africa/Lesotho land borders.NW434E
REPLY
The Honourable Member is advised to raise this request with the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Military Veterans. The information is restricted because it is the subject of a possible court action, which the Honourable Member was informed about at my meeting with the Portfolio Committee on 13 April 2010.
QUESTION 363
Mr D.J. Maynier (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:
What (i) vehicles, (ii) aircraft and (iii) properties are currently owned by the SA National Defence Force and (b) with regard to each item, (i) when was it purchased, (ii) how much did it cost and (iii) for what reason was it purchased? NW435E
REPLY
1. a.i.ii.iii. The SANDF own 46 729 vehicles with a total purchase price of R26 593 013.19. This includes trailers.
Aircraft. The SANDF own 425 aircrafts with a total purchase price of R32 883 703 56.00
Properties. In terms of Government legislation, the only properties owned by the SANDF are endowment property. All other properties are held by the Department of Public Works on behalf of Government.
QUESTION NO.:364
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 February 2010
Mr D C Ross (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprise:
Whether the proposed 35% increase in electricity tariff will mainly be used to fund the Eskom capital expenditure program; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW436E
REPLY
Eskom's price request of 35% to Nersa was to cover operational costs, primary energy for production costs, earning return on existing assets and to cover the interest costs on the construction of new assets. This request is aligned to the regulatory mechanism of Nersa. On 24 February 2010, Nersa awarded Eskom price increases of 24.8% (2010/11), 25.8% (2011/12) and 25.9% (2012/13). The decision comprises recovery of operating costs and primary energy costs for production of energy, contributing on average 19% to the price increases and the balance of 6,5% be returned on existing assets and interest on the construction of new assets.
A major portion of the capital programme will be funded through debt and equity as already provided for by National Treasury.
QUESTION NO 365
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26 FEBRUARY 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 4- 2010)
Date reply submitted : 24 March 2010
365. Mrs D A Schäfer (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:
(a) What is the total number of bomb disposal activities recorded by the SA Police Service (i) for the 2006-07, (ii) for the 2007-08, (iii) for the 2008-09 financial years and (iv) during the period 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available, (b) what are the reasons for high levels of explosive activities in civilian society and (c) where does the majority of explosive devices or materials originate from?
NW437E
REPLY:
(a) (i) 2006-2007 - 19276
(ii) 2007-2008 - 17839
(iii) 2008-2009 - 21391
(iv) 2009-2010 - 16750 till end of December 2009
(b) Explosives incidents amongst the civilian population is high due to the following factors-:
* School children experimenting with home-made explosives;
* Illegal storage and unauthorized use of explosives by registered users (ie, blasters);
* Curiosity of members of the public that find abandoned or discarded explosives and ordnance. This usually leads to the person being injured;
* Hoax calls, a large number of bomb incidents are false calls or hoax incidents (eg, bomb threats). However each of these incidents is treated as an actual incident.
* Criminal use of explosives (ATM & Safe Bombings) – has escalated during the past 5 years; Although it needs to be pointed out that over the last 9 months the number of ATM bombings has decreased dramatically.
* Discovery of explosive ordnance by the public (eg, during dredging operations at harbors, a large number of World War 2 ordnance was found);
* Illegal storage and use of fireworks and pyrotechnics leads to injuries and damages.
(c) The majority of explosive devices partially those used ATM and other criminal attacks originate from the mines and are commercial explosives used in blasting.
QUESTION NO 366
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26 FEBRUARY 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 4- 2010)
Date reply submitted: 23 March 2010
366. Mrs D A Schäfer (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:
(a) What (i) vehicles, (ii) aircraft and (iii) properties are currently owned by the SA Police Service and (b) with regard to each item, (i) when was it purchased, (ii) how much did it cost and (iii) for what reason was it purchased?
NW438E
REPLY:
(a)(i) A total number of 41 816 active vehicles are currently in the South African Police Service.
(a)(ii) A total number of 55 aircraft are currently owned by the South African Police Service.
(a)(iii) The SAPS does not own any fixed properties.
(b)(i) The vehicles were purchased from 1984 to date.
The aircraft were purchased from April 1978 to date.
(b)(ii) The total purchasing cost of the 41 816 vehicles is R5,756,652,728-06.
The total purchasing cost of the 55 aircraft is R674,061,974-58.
(b)(iii) All these vehicles and aircraft were purchased to be utilized by SAPS employees in accordance with the powers, duties and functions as prescribed in the Police Service Act 68 of 1995.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES FOR WRITTEN REPLYQUESTION NO 366
DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: FRIDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2010
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: THURSDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER 2010 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 27 – 2010)
Mr D B Feldman (COPE - Gauteng) asked the Minister of Transport:
(1) Whether a new high speed rail passenger service is in the process of being implemented between Durban and Johannesburg; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether any plans are in place to introduce such a service in the future; if not, why not; if so, what plans;
(3) whether it is a priority of the Government to ensure that South African professionals are employed in light of the current brain drain that the country is experiencing; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
CW462E
REPLY:
The Minister of Transport:
(1) A feasibility study is in the process of being conducted by the Department of Transport (DoT) for the development of a high speed rail link between Johannesburg and Durban as confirmed by the DoT's Strategic Plan for 2010/2011. R1 million has been allocated for this financial year to initiate the feasibility study. The implementation of the process is in strict compliance of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Treasury Regulations. Cabinet will be informed of every stage of progress.
(2) The plans to introduce the service in the future will be determined by the results of the feasibility study (as stated in the DoT's 2010/2011 Strategic Plan).
(3) It is a cardinal principle that the Department of Transport adheres to the employment of professionals in line with the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) initiative, to comply with Government procurement policies. In this project, the Gautrain professionals can be utilised, but it must, however, be noted that South Africa does not have a pool of highly skilled professionals to undertake a high technology project such as high speed rail.
QUESTION NO.: 367 DATE OF QUESTION: 25 FEBRUARY 2010Ms M Smuts (DA) to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development:
(1) Whether a certain advocate (name furnished) has resigned from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA); if so, on what date and (b) on what date did or will salary payments seize;
(2) whether the resignation complied with the notice period required (a) from employees of the NPA and (b) under any applicable contract between the said advocate and the NPA or him, if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW439E
Name referred to: Adv Mokotedi MpsheREPLY:-
(1) Adv Mpshe applied to the President to vacate his office in terms of section 12(8)(a)(ii) of the National Prosecuting Authority Act, 1998 (Act No. 32 of 1998) (NPA Act). The effective date of the termination of Adv Mpshe's service and salary was 17 February 2010.
(2)(a) The NPA Act requires that six months' notice be given to the President when a Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions requests permission to vacate their office. However, depending on the motivation provided, the President has the discretion to grant either a shorter or longer notice period and may even grant immediate approval to vacate the office.
(2)(b) There is no applicable contract.
Annexure document
NCOP
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO.:367
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 23 September 2010
367. Mr D B Feldman (COPE-Gauteng) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:
Whether Transnet has made an initiative to allow private partnerships on certain sections of its rail infrastructure; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? CW463E
REPLY
Transnet Limited has approval from the Minister of Public Enterprises in terms of section 54 of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act No. 1 of 1999) for the involvement of the private sector in branch line operations. The branch lines comprise approximately 7 300 km (or 35 percent) of the total rail network of 20 953 km. One hundred and fifteen (115) registrations of interest in the branch lines concession process were received by 30 June 2010. A non-binding call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) was published on 12 September 2010, and the closing date was 25 October 2010. The purpose of the EOI is to get clarity on the interested parties' business propositions, after which it will be possible for Transnet to determine the clustering, sequencing and final terms and conditions of a competitive bidding process to award concession rights. The concessioning process aims to encourage private entrepreneurship in the revitalisation of branch lines in support of rural development, local economic development and the increased transportation of cargo by rail. The finalisation of this process will depend on the outcome of consultations with the policy department, namely, the Department of Transport. (Further details are available from Transnet's website - www.transnet/branchlines.aspx).
QUESTION NO.: 369 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 February 2010441. Ms M Smuts (DA) to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development:
(1) Whether a certain advocate (name furnished) has been appointed to the bench in the North West division of the High Court in an acting capacity; if so, on what date (a) did the appointment take effect and (b) will it cease;
(2) whether the duration of the appointment is in accordance with the norm; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW441E
Name referred to: Adv Mokotedi MpsheREPLY:-
I refer the Honourable Member to my reply to parliamentary question no 263 and the media statement, dated 18 February 2010, which discusses and answers the above issue. The parliamentary question and media statement is attached for the Honourable Member's information.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO: 369
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15 October
QUESTION PAPER NO: 28
DATE OF REPLY: 28 October 2010
Prince M M M Zulu (IFP-KZN) to ask the Minister of Communications:
Whether he is engaging the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Board in discussions regarding the failure to meet its performance targets as stipulated in the SABC's 2009-10 Annual Report; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? CW466E
Reply
Yes
QUESTINO NUMBER: 370
DATE FOR PUBLICATION: 26 FEBRUARY 2010
DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: 12 APRIL 2010
Mrs D Robinson (DA) to ask the Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities:
(1) Whether any MinMEC meetings have been held since 1 May 2009; if not, why not; if so, (a) on what date(s) and (b) who attended these meetings;
(2) Whether she was present at each of these meetings; if not, (a) why not and (b) which meetings she did not attend?
NW442E
REPLY
1) No, there are no MEC's dedicated to the work of the portfolio. Therefore the Ministry does not have MinMEC meetings.
2) Not Applicable.
END
QUESTION NUMBER: 371
DATE FOR PUBLICATION: 26 FEBRUARY 2010
DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: 12 APRIL 2010
Mrs D Robinson (DA) to ask the Minister of Women, Children and People withDisabilities:
(a) What (i) vehicles, (ii) aircraft and (iii) properties are currently owned by her department and (b) with regard to each item, (i) when was it purchased, (ii) how much did it cost and (iii) for what reason was it purchased?
NW443E
REPLY
(a) The department currently does not have any (i) vehicles, (ii), aircraft and (iii) properties as it is operating under the Presidency and will only operate as an independent vote on April 1 2010.
END
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO.: 371 DATE OF QUESTION: 15 OCTOBER 2010371. Mr O de Beer (COPE-WC) to ask the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development:
(1) Whether any mechanisms will be put in place to deal with the current backlog in court cases as a result of the recent Public Service strike; if not, why not; if so, what mechanisms;
(2) whether he is considering to follow the approach that was used during the 2010 Fifa World Cup Soccer tournament to deal with the backlog; if not, why not; if so, how much is this going to cost the taxpayer?
CW468E
REPLY:-
(1) I would like to inform the Honourable Member that the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD) has, in conjunction with the other Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster role players, such as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), assessed the overall impact of the recent public service industrial action upon the country-wide court rolls. During the industrial action, approximately 193 DOJ&CD courts were totally closed on some days as a result of intimidation and threats. This gives an average of 13.28% of DoJ&CD offices which were totally closed during the industrial action per day. The public service industrial action led to a slight decrease in the number of cases finalised. In this regard, if we compare the statistics of the number of cases finalised, including diversions in all courts for 2009/10 (for the six month period, April to September, namely 234 770 cases) with that of the same period for 2010/11 (April to September) (233 659 cases) there is only a -0,5% change. If we only look at cases finalised without diversions, the impact is -3% (namely from 175 455 to 170 477). If the statistics for the two financial years 2009/10 and 2010/11 (for the periods April – September of each financial year) are compared, we see that there were 37 459 backlog cases (18%) on the outstanding court roll of 211 262 at the end of September 2009, and 37 967 (19%) backlog cases on the outstanding roll of 204 454 at the end of September 2010. There were thus 3% less outstanding cases and a very slight increase in backlog cases, namely 1%.
At the same time it should be noted that, notwithstanding the 2-week public service industrial action, a positive clearance ratio of 1.2% was still managed by all courts during Quarter 2 of 2010/11. In this regard, a total of 78 812 new cases were enrolled and 79 757 cases were disposed of. A very small number of only 33 strike related matters were enrolled (with 247 accused).
The DOJ&CD has already been in contact with the NPA to assist with actions aimed at dealing with the increased case backlogs. In the main, we will be dealing with the backlogs through the JCPS integrated Case Backlog Reduction Project which assists Regional and District Court Centres in dealing with case backlogs by adding additional capacity through additional courts and staff to deal with all backlog cases. There are currently 16 District Backlog Courts and 51 Regional Backlog Courts in operation. The existing Backlog Courts will be used to assist in absorbing the impact of the additional cases and long-outstanding cases will be prioritised. In addition, the increased use of alternative dispute resolution methods will be promoted and this will help in reducing the trial cases. The promotion of improved scheduling of court cases will hopefully also lead to the improved use of court hours.
At the end of September 2010, a total of 28 182 backlog cases had been removed from the court rolls since November 2006 through the backlog reduction initiative. For the current financial year, from April to September 2010, 4 151 cases were removed from the Regional Court rolls and 4 083 cases from the District Court rolls. (During the 2009/2010 financial year, 6 830 cases were removed in the Regional Courts.)
(2) With regard to the re-institutionalisation of the special 2010 FIFA World Cup Courts, the Honourable Member should note that my Department is currently considering the roll-out of best practices arising from the functioning of these courts. It should, however, be noted that dealing with backlog cases is different to dealing with the cases these special courts dealt with during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. These special courts were created in certain centres only and dealt with relatively minor cases. Due to the nature of these cases, little investigation was required and cases could be dealt with speedily. Backlog cases (especially in Regional Courts) relate to more complex matters which require proper attention and extensive investigation. These special courts were also run at a considerable cost, with additional staff appointed and entailed sessions running after hours, for which the various role players had to be remunerated.
QUESTION NO 372
DATE OF PUBLICATION 26 FEBRUARY 2010 INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: OF 2010 QUESTION PAPER NO 372
"Mrs D van der Walt (DA) to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture:
(a) With regards to her reply on written question 372 of 2010, what procurement process was followed in purchasing the Robben island ferry, Sikhululekile?
(b) Which company was awarded the tender?
(c) Who awarded the tender to the company?
(d) Who are the directors or shareholders of the company to which the tender was awarded and?
(e) What are the percentages of shares held by each director or shareholder?
REPLY:
(a) An open tender process was held where interested service providers were invited to submit proposals for the manufacture of the catamaran ferry. Advertisements were placed in local and national newspapers and the tender closing date was Friday, 09 December 2005 at 11H00.
(b) Presentations were made by six (6) companies i.e. Sabre Catamaran, NMBS, Veecraft Marine, Austel Image, RVH Damen and Farocean Marine. The contract was awarded to Farocean Marine.
(c) The RIM Council awarded the tender/contract to Farocean Marine.
(d) The following table lists the company's shareholders and the number of shares they hold:
| FAROCEAN MARINE (PROPRIETARY) LIMITED Registration No.: 1994/01406/07 | ||
| Name of Shareholder | Class of Shares | No. of shares |
| The Koena Trust Represented by: Mr Sam Montsi Mrs Fazila Montsi Mr Henricus Van Noort | Ordinary | 50 |
| The Padjoy Trust Represented by: Mr Edmond Kuttel John Levin Peter Kuttel Joy Kuttel | Ordinary | 50 |
QUESTION 373
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26/02/2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 4 – 2010)
Mrs D van der Walt (DA) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
(1) Whether she has confirmed the names of the schools which had a zero percent pass rate in the 2009 exam in Limpopo to the MEC for Education; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether she discussed this with the MEC of the province; if not, why not; if so, which are the schools? NW445E
Reply
1. The Department of Basic Education introduced a Rapid Assessment and Remediation Initiative with a view to embark on a decisive response to schools that have dramatically underperformed. The names of the schools that performed under 20% in the 2009 National Senior Certificate examinations were targeted by this intervention and were made available to affected provinces for appropriate diagnosis and intervention.
2. The affected schools in Limpopo with a 0% pass rate are:
| SETOTOLWANE SECONDARY |
| HLABIRWA COMMERCIAL |
| EXCELSUS ACADEMY |
| KABELA SECONDARY |
| VHUDZANI SECONDARY |
| MATOKANE HIGH SCHOOL |
| NALETSANA PRIMARY |
| KULANI LEARNING CENTRE |
| ITIRELENG SECONDARY SCHOOL |
QUESTION NUMBER 374
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 FEBRUARY 2010Dr D T George (DA) to ask the Minister of Finance:
(1) Whether the SA Reserve Bank has reported on the system failure that occurred on 3 November 2009; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether a risk assessment (a) of the system and (b) on the physical location of the system has been conducted by the bank; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW446E
REPLY
(1) The system failure the Honourable Member is referring to is presumably with regard to the payment system and the software problem at Bankserv (which is the largest of the three central clearing operators, the other two Visa and MasterCard). The Honourable Member is no doubt aware that the SARB functions independently of the executive in terms of its primary objective in terms of section 224 of the Constitution, and does not report to the National Treasury on most functions, unless it is an agency function delegated to it. The SARB does, however, communicate regularly with the National Treasury.
In response to this question, the SARB has indicated that Bankserv and the Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) did report to the SARB the system failure experience at Bankserv on 3 November 2009. Bankserv, the largest of the three central clearing operators, is a company owned by the major banks and not government, monitors its clearing system on a 24 hour basis, and hence became aware of the problem almost immediately. It then notified PASA within 15 minutes, and PASA in turn notified the SARB within 30 minutes of the problem occurring. Within 30 minutes, the banks were requested to switch to an alternate Bankserv site, and this was implemented within 55 minutes of the incident occurring. Whilst most of the problem was resolved, some intermittent problems were experienced at the alternate site. Within 3 hours of the problem, the initial problems at the primary site were stabilised, and banks were requested to switch back to the primary site. Thereafter, total reconciliation of customer accounts was completed by all banks within 5 days.
The incident referred to in this question affected two payment systems, namely debit cards and credit cards. Due to the high volumes and potentially high impact on citizens, these are regarded as systemically important by the SARB despite the fact that the total retail payment environment represents less than 7% of total settlements at the SARB. As a matter of routine, after the problem was resolved, the SARB initiated a review to address weaknesses that were identified during this breakdown, and has taken corrective steps including the need to improve communication with retailers affected by Bankserv.
(2) In answering this question, the SARB has indicated that the National Payment System (NPS) is not a single system, but consists of 19 different systems (e.g. Real Time Gross Settlement, Electronic funds transfer, Debit and Credit Card, cheques etc). All of the 19 systems in the NPS are constantly monitored, and participation and access regulated according to very strict criteria. Each system has its own set of participants, transactions, legal foundation, rules and technology components. Depending on the values and/or volumes of transactions, some of the systems are designated as systemically important and receive even greater attention from the SARB.
The risk management plan is referred to as the Disaster Recovery Procedures (DRP) and Business Continuity Processes (BCP) plans, and all participants, operators and providers of services are subject in each system to the DRP and BCP, which are also tested at regular intervals to ensure that the processes work in practice.
The SARB has indicated that a risk assessment was therefore in place before the system failure, for the system including its physical location.
Since the incident, the SARB met with the major banks and PASA to ensure that every effort is made to ensure that such incidents do not re-occur. A project has been launched to thoroughly review, implement and test all existing and proposed new DRP/BCP measures. The intention is to, as far as is humanly possible, exclude any possibility of a similar occurrence in future by mitigating against possible component failures or, in case of failure, have alternative or back-up services immediately available.
NCOP
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO.:374
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15 October 2010
374. Mr D B Feldman (COPE-Gauteng) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:
(1) Whether any contracts (a) were concluded or (b) are in the process of being negotiated between his department and a company that was formed by his predecessor and his associates; if not, what is his department's position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether any cooling-off period applies in this regard; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? CW471E
REPLY
(1)(a) No contracts were concluded with the former Minister and his associates.
(b) No contracts are in the process of being negotiated between the department and the company formed by the former Minister.
(2) No prescripts or policy on a cooling off period currently exist within the public sector for Ministers and public servants.
QUESTION NUMBER 375
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 FEBRUARY 2010
Dr D T George (DA) to ask the Minister of Finance:
(1) Whether any money from the general fuel levy was transferred to municipal councils
in the 2009-10 financial year for transport and road infrastructure development; if so, what amount was transferred to each specified municipal council;
(2) whether he will consider conditional transfers to the provinces for transport and road
infrastructure development; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW447E
REPL Y:
(1) No. The sharing of the general fuel levy with metropolitan municipalities was
introduced from the 2009/10 financial year as the primary replacement for the former regional council levies (RSC) and joint services board (JSB) levies that were abolished from 1 July 2006. Although this revenue source forms part of the general revenue pool of municipalities, Government has advised metropolitan municipalities to use such income towards road and transport expenditure, where possible.
(2) Conditional grants are already in place that support transport and road infrastructure
development in provinces and municipalities.
At a provincial level, various conditional grants are allocated to the Department of Transport that support transport and roads infrastructure development. The Public Transport Operations Grant subsidises commuter bus services. This grant amounts to R12.4 billion over the MTEF. A final contribution of R438.4 million is allocated in 2010/11 to the construction of the Gautrain Rapid Rail link with an additional R5.3 million in 2011/12 to cover the cost of any foreign exchange losses. The Overload Control Grant funds initiatives to ensure the preservation of road infrastructure through the reduction of overloading practices receives R11 million in 2010/11. In addition, the infrastructure grants to provinces allocated through the National Treasury augment provincial funding to support the expansion of provincial infrastructure, which includes transport and roads infrastructure. The Infrastructure Grant to Provinces amounts to R38A billion over the MTEF. Provinces plan to augment this by R 108 billion over the next three years. Of this R47.1 billion is earmarked over the next three years for roads infrastructure.
At a municipal level, the Public Transport Infrastructure and Systems Grant aims to provide passenger transport networks in the major cities of South Africa, with a focus on public and non-motorised transport infrastructure and systems including Bus Rapid Transport Systems. R12.2 billion has been allocated to this grant over the next three years. A Rural Transport Services and Infrastructure Grant, established in 2009/10, also supports the strengthening of transport services in rural areas in order to improve accessibility to essential services. This grant amounts to R10A million in 2010/11, R11.1 million in 2011/12 and R11.6 million in 2012/13.
NCOP
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO.:352
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17 September 2010
352. Mr D B Feldman (COPE-Gauteng) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:
Whether the Government and Eskom have disclosed to the public all the relevant information regarding certain onerous conditions in securing the World Bank loan for the completion of the Kusile and Medupi power plants; if not, why has the Government been so secretive regarding the conditions; if so, what are the relevant details? CW448E
REPLY
All relevant information has been disclosed at various forums. The World Bank Project Appraisal Document is also available on the Bank's website, as well as on Eskom's website. There are no onerous conditions contained in the World Bank loan. On the contrary the World Bank is effectively concessionary in terms of tenor (final maturity 28½ years) and pricing (Libor, plus 0.5% and a variable spread).
As with all responsible lenders, the World Bank conditions require Eskom to comply with good corporate governance and live within international norms of best practice and hence require information to be provided regularly.
Eskom has to comply with the International Accounting Standards in its annual financial statements wherein Eskom has to disclose all relevant information (especially onerous conditions, if any exist) on this and all its other borrowings.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO: 368
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15 October
QUESTION PAPER NO: 28
DATE OF REPLY: 28 October 2010
Prince M M M Zulu (IFP-KZN) to ask the Minister of Communications:
Whether he is engaging the SA Broadcasting Corporation Board in discussions regarding the accuracy of its cost estimate to the Government for the R600 million which it currently requires to meet its 2015 deadline for migration to digital terrestrial television (details furnished); if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? CW465E
REPLY
The SABC has commenced discussions with the Department of Communications in the MTEF submission for the 2010/11 financial year. The estimate has been developed with Siemens a global technology solution provider.