Questions & Replies: Questions & Replies No 551 to 575
2010-04-08
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[PMG note: Replies are inserted as soon as they are provided by the Minister]
QUESTION NO 551
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 05 MARCH 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 6)
551. Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:
(1) Whether the 1mgˉ¹ ortho-phosphate standard promulgated by her department for determination of eutrophication in dams remains relevant today; if not, what will be done to review this measure; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) when were these measures (a) initially introduced and (b) last reviewed;
(3) (a) what are the (i) names and (ii) locations of all dams that are deemed (aa) eutrophic and (bb) incipient eutrophic and (b)(i) what is the acceptable phosphorous loading threshold and (ii) by how much is the acceptable loading standard exceeded in each case;
(4) whether any action is being taken to remedy the situation in each case; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW665E
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REPLY:
(1) Yes, any relevant means to reduce effectively nutrient (phosphorus and nitrogen compounds) enrichment in dams is highly recommended that include the 1 mg/l orthophosphate standard promulgated by My Department about (twenty two) 22 years ago.
(2)(a) My Department promulgated the standard on the 1 August 1980 as the first step in a long term eutrophication management. The implementation of the standard started in 1988 following a request by local authorities for more time to upgrade effluent treatment plants to comply with the standard.
(2)(b) My Department is currently reviewing Water Quality Guidelines that include phosphate standard.
(3)(a)(i)
and
(3)(a)(ii)(aa)
and
(3)(a)(ii)(bb)
Crocodile West-Marico Water Management Area: most of the dams are hyper-eutrophic
Hartebeespoort dam (eutrophic)
Roodeplaat dam (eutrophic)
Bospoort dam (incipient)
Bon Accord dam (incipient)
Rietvlei dam (eutrophic)
Klipvoor dam (eutrophic)
Moroka dam (incipient)
Middle Vaal water management area
Erfenis dam (incipient)
Allemanskraal dam (incipient)
Koppies dam (incipient)
Lower Vaal water management area
Spitskop dam (eutrophic)
Krugersdrift dam (Incipient)
Mvoti to Umzimkulu water management area
Nagle dam (incipient)
Inanda dam (incipient)
Shongweni dam (eutrophic)
Mzimvubu to Keiskamma water management area
Laing dam (incipient)
Kariver dam (incipient)
Nahoon dam (incipient)
Bridledrift dam (incipient)
(3)(b)(i) Phosphorus Management Objective (PMO) or end-point of maintaining mean total phosphorus in dams is 130µg/l (0.130mg/l) P or lower. The PMO was suggested to maintain mean chlorophyll concentrations in the dams at such levels to inhibit occurrence of severe nuisance conditions for more than 20% of the time.
(3)(b)(ii) Most of the hypertrophic dams have their PMO relatively higher by several magnitudes.
(4) Yes, a number of initiatives are in place to develop management of in-lake eutrophication / nutrient enrichment such as:
· My Department is already investigating and researching the possibilities to implement in-lake management options with the Harties Metsi-a Me Project (Hartebeespoort dam).
In the Rietvlei Dam the installation of Solar-Bee's, a long distance circulation pump system, by Tshwane Metropolitan Council is a step towards finding solutions to in-lake eutrophication.
· The DWA/WRC projects provide with insight in the latest research techniques and methods, namely:
1. Biomanipulation Project to determine the potential impact of fish-harvesting on improving eutrophication conditions
2. Removal of Phosphorus from Soaps, investigating the positive and negative consequences of the introduction of low-phosphate detergents
3. The WRC is financing several cyanobacterial-focused projects. The aim of these projects is to generate information on the extent to which cyanobacteria and their toxins affect biodiversity.
QUESTION NO 552
DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: 30 MARCH 2010
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2010 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: NO 6 – 2010)
Mr M S F de Freitas (DA) asked the Minister of Transport:
(1) Whether an investigation has been undertaken into Metrorail's financial and cash-flow problems, resulting in its inability to pay its suppliers and service providers; if not, why not; if so, (a) what was the outcome of the investigation, (b) what will be done to resolve this issue, (c) who is responsible for the cause of these problems and (d) what steps will be taken against the persons concerned;
(2) (a) what plan is being implemented to meet Metrorail's financial obligations and (b) what processes, procedures and mechanisms are in place to ensure (i) that these obligations are met and (ii) that this situation does not re-occur;
(3) (a) whether an audit has been undertaken to look into what has been spent in the 2008-09 financial year and (b) what were the reasons for such expenditures; if not, why not; if so, what are the results of the audit;
(4) whether these expenses were found to be fruitless; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW666E
______________________________________________________________________
REPLY:
The Minister of Transport:
(1) The Department of Transport has not undertaken an investigation into the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), the parent company of Metrorail, or Metrorail itself. The PRASA Board and Management continuously manage the factors contributing to PRASA's financial position. PRASA has incurred increased input costs in factors such as materials (steel, copper, et cetera), labour, energy and general goods and services and also has had to contend with an unplanned energy cost increase of 31% in the 2009 year.
In addition PRSA has undertaken massive capital investments in order to:
§ address ageing infrastructure and the rolling stock fleet;
§ address legacy challenges; and
§ accelerate preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
PRASA adheres to the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and its prescripts, and proper sanctions are meted out against those employees found guilty of PMFA violations.
(a), (b), (c) and (d) fall away.
(2) (a) and (b) (i) and (ii)
PRASA has been implementing a cost-containment strategy, cash management and tight supplier payment plan across the Group. These are aimed at managing cash on hand, reducing operational costs, introducing operational efficiencies and preventing wasteful expenditure. These measures are normal business practice, especially during difficult economic periods.
In addition to these short-term measures, PRASA is integrating all strategic functions to unlock efficiencies, and is negotiating new and modern conditions of service with organized labour for long term sustainable business performance.
PRASA is nevertheless meeting its obligations to its suppliers and service providers.
(3) (a) and (b)
PRASA tabled its Annual Report, with Audited Financial Statements, to Parliament in September 2009. The Auditor General issued an unqualified audit opinion on PRASA's financials for the 2008/09 Financial Year, the third unqualified audit opinion in a row.
(4) It will be noted from PRASA's Annual Report for the 2008/09 Financial Year, wherein the Auditor-General reports that fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R1.96 million was incurred due to interest paid on overdue municipal accounts.
QUESTION NO 553
DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: 30 MARCH 2010
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2010 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: NO 6 – 2010)
Mr M S F de Freitas (DA) asked the Minister of Transport:
(1) How many times in the past three financial years has the provincial road agency of each province conducted an inspection of the condition of roads in the province;
(2) (a) how many of the roads inspected in each province were classified as being in a "poor" or "very poor" condition, (b) of these roads (i) have been repaired and (ii) still need to be repaired and (c) what criteria did each agency use to classify the condition of the roads;
(3) whether any of the provincial road agencies adopted any measures in conjunction with (a) his Ministry and (b) the SA National Road Agency Limited (Sanral) to establish a uniform set of guidelines to classify the condition of the roads in each province; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW667E
______________________________________________________________________
REPLY:
The Minister of Transport: 1 The table below summarizes the year of the last inspection per province:
| Province | Latest: Visual Condition Assessment conducted in Year |
| EASTERN CAPE | 2008 |
| FREESTATE | 2008 |
| GAUTENG | 2008 |
| KWAZULU NATAL | 2008 |
| LIMPOPO | 2007 |
| MPUMALANGA | 2004 |
| NORTH WEST | 2008 |
| NORTHERN CAPE | 2007 |
| WESTERN CAPE | 2007 |
Only Limpopo has a Roads Agency and all other provincial authorities have an in-house roads division responsible for their provincial roads.
Mpumalanga has updated their visuals and this data is busy being uploaded into the South African National Road Agency's Management Information System (MIS)
2 (a) The table below indicates the summary of Visual Condition for our roads
(b) (i), (ii) & (c) There is no centralized road asset management information system in place at this stage.
(3) (a) & (b) The following national guidelines for the classification of the condition of roads in South Africa were utilized:
(i) TMH 9: Visual Assessments for Surfaced Roads
(ii) TMH12: Visual Assessments for Gravel Roads
These are a uniform set of guidelines to classify the condition of roads in South Africa and have been in existence since 1992. This series of guidelines referred to as Technical Recommendation for Highways and Technical Methods for Highways are updated by technical workgroups of the Committee of Transport Officials (COTO) on which technical representative of all spheres of government are represented.
QUESTION NO 554
DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: 30 MARCH 2010
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2010 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: NO 6 – 2010)
Mr M S F de Freitas (DA) asked the Minister of Transport:
Whether, in light of the submissions by the SA Roads Federations regarding the condition of the road network and with reference to the recommendations by the Financial and Fiscal Commissions regarding road management and infrastructure, his department has formulated a policy to reduce the estimated annual excess road user costs of R20 billion; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NW668E
______________________________________________________________________
REPLY:
The Minister of Transport:
The estimated annual excess road user costs is a function of the condition of the road network, since a poor road will inevitably lead to negative externalities such as higher vehicle operating costs, increased travel times, lower average speeds, risk of accidents, etc. The Department of Transport (DoT) initiated a project, along with all the other roads authorities in South Africa, to collate all available road condition data in a central database to enable us to validate the actual condition of the South African Road Network. By using the data gathered, an optimum maintenance budget allocation procedure was developed and presented to the National Treasury. A joint task team is currently refining the procedure with the objective of a phased implementation approach during the next Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) budget cycle. The DoT continues to urge all Roads Authorities to implement the principles of the Road Infrastructure Strategic Framework of South Africa (RISFSA), which was approved by Cabinet in 2006, and is a framework to guide roads development in the country by addressing the challenges within the sector.
QUESTION NO 555
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 05 MARCH 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 6)
555. Ms L D Mazibuko (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:
(1) Whether, with reference to the Industrial Policy Action Plan's identification of forestry as a key sector for job creation, efforts are being made to speed up the process of granting water licences to forestry operations; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) what is the (a) name of each forestry operation that has been granted a water licence and (b) location of the operation since 1 January 2009;
(3) as at the latest specified date for which information is available (a) how many applications for water licences from forestry operations are awaiting finalisation in each province and (b) in the case of each of these applications, what was the date that the application was first lodged with the department? NW669E
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REPLY:
(1) Yes. In an effort to streamline and speed up water use licence application process, my Department has established the Stream Flow reduction Activity Licence Assessment Committees (SFRA-LAACs) that enhance the co-operative governance needed to meet the authorisation requirements of three major Acts (National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998)(NEMA), the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998) (NWA) and the Conservation Agricultural Resource Act, 1983 (Act No. 43 of 1983) (CARA).
Furthermore, several studies have been undertaken, e.g. the Strategic Environmental Assessment which led to the development of Systematic Conservation Plan in the Eastern Cape, and the development of forestry potential maps in both Kwazulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. My Department is also busy with the eradication of water use licence backlog through the Letsema project.
(2)(a) The name of each forestry operation that has been granted a water licence is given in column A in table 1 of Annexure A.
(2)(b) The location of the operation since 1 January 2009 appears in Columns B and C in table 1 of Annexure A.
(3)(a) The following table provides a summary of applications for water licences for forestry operations that are awaiting finalisation in each province.
-2-
| Province | KwaZulu-Natal | Eastern Cape | Western Cape | Mpumalanga | Limpopo |
| Number of Applications | 198 | 187 | 6 | 2 | 5 |
(3)(b) The Annexure B "List of SFRA per province" provides detail information in the case of each of these applications including the date that the application was first lodged with the department
QUESTION NO: 556
Mr J Selfe (DA) to ask the Minister of Correctional Services:
Whether educator employed by or attached to her department have received payments in terms of the Occupational Specific Dispensation (OSD); if not (a) why not and (b) when will they received payments; if so, (a) when did they receive them and (b) how many educators received such payments? NW671E
REPLY
(a) No educators in DCS received their payments in terms of the Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD). The process of effecting payment is dependent on actions to be carried out by Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) and National Treasury (eg translation keys, salary scale and implementation directive).
As soon as the process in (a) has been finalised.
QUESTION NO: 558
Mr J Selfe (DA) to ask the Minister of Correctional Services:
(1) (a) What amount was spent by her department from 1 January to 31 December 2009 on the recruitment of new employees in terms of (i) advertising, (ii) tenders for recruitment agencies and (iii)(aa) accommodation and (bb) travel for shortlisted applicants and (b) how many posts were (i) advertised, (ii) placed on hold due to a moratorium on recruitment and (iii) filled;
(2) whether any posts were filled after the moratorium had been put in place; if so, (a) which posts, (b) how many positions, (c) for what reasons were these posts filled and (d) what are the annual salary implications for each of these posts?
NW673E
REPLY
(1) The total number of advertisements for the period 01 January 2009 to 31 December 2009 :
(a)(i) and (ii) Number of posts advertised = 1168
(i) and (ii) Advertisements/ Tender costs = R2 670 434-92
(a)(iii)(aa) Accommodation = R44 601-00
(a) (iii) (bb) Travelling = R500 383-00
(b) (i) Number of posts advertised = 1 168
(ii) Number on posts held on moratorium = 230
(iii) Number of posts filled = 828
(2) (a)Yes, 828 positions were filled. The following post were filled;
- Risks associated with the non-filling of the vacancy;
- Impact on managerial responsibility;
- Public Service responsibilities; and
- Legislative and policy implications
- Custodian and Support
[Note table underneath]
| DESCRIPTION OF POST | (b) TOTAL POSTS | (c) REASON FOR FILLING | (d) ANNUAL SALARY IMPLICATIONS |
| SMS | 9 | Managerial posts | 6,841,815 |
| Management and Support | 5 | Finance posts | 696,615 |
| Chaplains | 4 | Chaplain posts | 1,562,652 |
| Social Services | 14 | Social Service posts | 1,946,490 |
| IT | 3 | IT posts | 327,582 |
| Medical Science | 17 | Medical Science posts | 3,237,807 |
| Custodian and Support | 745 | Control Rooms and Support | 65,675,586 |
| Nurses | 31 | Nurse posts | 6,074,016 |
| TOTAL | 828 | 86,362,563 |
Question no: 559
Mr J. Selfe (DA) to ask the Minister of Correctional Services:
Whether any offenders have been released without participating in the pre-release programme; if not, why not; if so, (a) how many inmates per correctional centre for the past three years and (b) what are the relevant details?
NW 674 E
REPLY
The department endeavor at all cost to adhere to Sec 45(1) of the Correctional Services Act that states "A sentenced offender must be prepared for placement, release and reintegration into society by participating in a pre-release prograrnme. However; challenges such as shortage of Social Workers, short term offenders, inadequate training of officials influence non-participation in the pre-release programme.
NB: The table attached indicates the participation rate of offenders in the various correctional centres over three (3) years.
QUESTION NO 560
DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: 30 MARCH 2010
Mr E J Marais (DA) asked the Minister of Transport:
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2010 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: NO 6 – 2010)
(1) Whether any bilateral agreements have been signed with international airline carriers landing at La Mercy Airport; if not, why not; if so, (a) how many, (b) with which carriers and (c) what are the further relevant details;
(2) whether any bilateral agreements are in place at present for (a) Oliver Tambo International Airport, (b) Cape Town International Airport and (c) Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport; if not, why not; if so, (i) how many, (ii) with which carriers and (iii) what are the further relevant details? NW675E
REPLY:
The Minister of Transport:
(1) Bilateral agreements are not entered into or signed between airlines and airports. Such agreements are signed between governments of countries, specifying the number of slots available on a route between two countries.
(2) South Africa has to date concluded one-hundred and eight (108) bilateral air services agreements. Of these agreements, forty-three (43) are very active. The Department of Transport, in consultation with other foreign governments (who have trade or commercial interest with South Africa) designate all International Airports as entry points into South Africa to allow airlines the flexibility to choose the points where airlines have their commercial interests.
QUESTION NO 561
DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: 7 MAY 2010
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2010 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: NO 6 – 2010)
Mr E J Marais (DA) asked the Minister of Transport:
(1) Whether he has been informed of proposals by Transnet to develop the Durban International Airport Site for the purpose of an additional container port for the Port of Durban; if so,
(2) whether his department has had any discussions with the Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) regarding the disposal of this site; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) whether this site will be offered for sale on the open market in order to achieve the best market-related price; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) how will this site be sold and its market value be determined?
NW676E
REPLY:
The Minister of Transport:
(1) Yes, we are aware of the Transnet proposal. Government has appointed a Task Team, including senior officials from the Department of Transport, the Province of KwaZulu-Natal and Airports Company South Africa Limited (ACSA), to review and assess the best land use options of the site.
(2), (3) and (4)
The DoT has engaged ACSA through the workings of the Task Team. The Task Team has compiled a report on the land use options of the Durban International Airport site. This report will be ready at the end of April 2010. A Request for Proposal will then be issued, which will take into consideration all the proposals brought forward by all parties.
QUESTION NO 562
(1) Whether the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) undertakes oversight over privately-owned airports; if not, why not; if so, which airports have been covered during the 12-month period ending March 2009;
(2) whether these airports were compliant in terms of (a) (i) lighting and (ii) navigational aids and (b) their repair and maintenance programmes; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so,
(3) Whether any of these airports' certifications were (a) withdrawn or (b) put on terms; if so, (i) which airports and (ii) what compliance issues were not met?
NW677E
REPLY:
The Minister of Transport:
(1) The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) conducts oversight on all licensed airfields, which includes privately owned airfields. The list of privately owned airfields is attached with the dates of when the inspections were conducted.
(2) (a) (i) and (ii) and (b)
Except for two privately owned airfields, all the other airports were compliant in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and SACAA regulations, Part 139.
(3) The aerodrome license for Dendron private airfield was withdrawn due to non-conformance to the regulations and ICAO minimum requirements, ICAO Annex 14 paragraph 9.10. This includes lack of perimeter fence and construction on the runway being carried out without proper markings and notice to the users.
The aerodrome license for Carolina private airfield was suspended due to non- compliance with ICAO Annex 14 paragraph 9.10. This is because it has an inadequate perimeter fence, which is supposed to deter stray of animals and unauthorized persons from entering the manoeuvring area. This is an aviation safety and security violation as contained in the SACAA regulations and ICAO minimum requirements.
The Bothaville aerodrome license was also suspended due to ICAO Annex 14 paragraph 9.10. This is due to failure to attend and rectify repeated non-compliant items.
With efforts to improve safety, the Commissioner has issued an Aeronautical Information Publication - AIC 50.5, effective from 06-05-2010 which states: "Criteria to be used by the Commissioner to determine the safety of unlicensed aerodromes, not used for aviation training"
| No | Licence Expiry date. | AERODROME | Cust Code | Muncipality Name / Licence Holder | Cat | Municipality/ Private | Insp. Conducted |
| 3 | 31-Oct | PIETERSBURG CIVIL (FAPI) | FAPI | PIETERSBURG CIVIL (FAPI) | 1 | Aug-09 | |
| 12 | 31-Oct | NELSPRUIT (FANS) | FANS | Nelspruit | 2 | Aug-09 | |
| 13 | 31-Oct | KMIA | FAKN | Primkop Airport Management (Pty) LTD. | 8 | Aug-09 | |
| 14 | 31-Oct | MALELANE (FAMN) | FAMN | TSB - Sukramark PTY LTD | 2 | Aug-09 | |
| 16 | 31-Oct | SKUKUZA (FASZ) | FASZ | South African National Parks | 2 | Aug-09 | |
| 17 | 31-Oct | VENETIA (FAVM) | FAVM | De Beers Consolidated Mines | 3 | Private /Mine | Aug-09 |
| 19 | 31-Oct | PILGRIMS REST (FAPO) | FAPO | Pilgrims Rest | 3 | Aug-09 | |
| 20 | 31-Oct | MALAMALA (FAMD) | FAMD | Mala Mala Game Reserve | 4 | Aug-09 | |
| 21 | 36830 | PHALABORWA (FAPH) | FAPH | Kruger Park Gateway (Phlaborwa) Airport (PTY) LTD | 4 | Municipality | Aug-09 |
| 24 | 31-Aug | SABI SABI (FASE) | (FASE) | African Cultural Tours (Pty) Ltd | 2 | Aug-09 |
QUESTION 563
DAT OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER:
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER -
Mr J R B Lorimer (DA) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
Whether all (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each of the provinces have (i) libraries and (ii) media/computer centres; if not, (aa) why not, (bb) which schools are they, (cc) how many learners are there at each school and (dd) when will they obtain these facilities; if so, how many teachers are qualified to teach computers to learners in each province? NW678E
REPLY:
a) Not all primary and secondary schools have libraries and computer/media centres and the number of schools without the spaces per province is indicated below.
(aa) The absence of libraries and laboratories in the majority of our schools is an indication of the historical inequalities that were fostered mainly through unequal distribution of education resource inputs. The physical teaching and learning environment (school infrastructure and basic services) has historically been one of the most visible indicators of inequitable resource inputs.
(bb)The schools are numerous to list on this response hence a summary of the number of schools per province per primary and secondary school is listed below.
(cc)See response above.
(dd) Spending on infrastructure has grown significantly since the late 1990's and provinces have made significant progress in reducing infrastructure backlogs which include libraries, computer centers and related facilities. Currently the budget for infrastructure is at R5.5 billion and will continue to increase over the medium term and reaches R9.4 billion in 2012/13. Provinces have indicated in their infrastructure plans a significant increase in the number of facilities that are going to be provided to reduce the backlog.
Primary schools without
i) Libraries
| Primary schools | Number of Schools with Learner bracket | |||||
| Province | Total Schools | 0-30 | 31-50 | 51-200 | 201-500 | > 500 |
| Eastern Cape | 2,211 | 191 | 159 | 953 | 709 | 199 |
| Free State | 955 | 532 | 105 | 83 | 53 | 182 |
| Gauteng | 621 | 2 | 6 | 42 | 163 | 408 |
| KwaZulu Natal | 3,120 | 71 | 69 | 693 | 1,407 | 880 |
| Limpopo | 2,382 | 68 | 40 | 465 | 1,141 | 668 |
| Mpumalanga | 1,027 | 69 | 52 | 211 | 273 | 422 |
| North West | 894 | 64 | 49 | 232 | 313 | 236 |
| Northern Cape | 283 | 31 | 29 | 109 | 52 | 62 |
| Western Cape | 484 | 32 | 56 | 143 | 93 | 159 |
| Total | 11,977 | 1,060 | 565 | 2,931 | 4,204 | 3,216 |
Computer centres
| Primary schools | Number of Schools with Learner bracket | |||||
| Province | Total Schools | 0-30 | 31-50 | 51-200 | 201-500 | > 500 |
| Eastern Cape | 2,210 | 193 | 160 | 964 | 703 | 190 |
| Free State | 988 | 533 | 107 | 82 | 59 | 207 |
| Gauteng | 355 | 2 | 5 | 35 | 71 | 242 |
| KwaZulu Natal | 3,278 | 71 | 72 | 736 | 1,497 | 902 |
| Limpopo | 2,270 | 68 | 44 | 456 | 1,092 | 610 |
| Mpumalanga | 1,039 | 71 | 52 | 217 | 280 | 419 |
| North West | 848 | 65 | 51 | 229 | 297 | 206 |
| Northern Cape | 213 | 31 | 28 | 93 | 37 | 24 |
| Western Cape | 460 | 32 | 61 | 141 | 91 | 134 |
| Total | 11,661 | 1,066 | 580 | 2,953 | 4,127 | 2,934 |
ii) Secondary schools without
i) Libraries
| Number of Schools with Learner bracket | |||||||
| School type | Province | Total Schools | 0-30 | 31-50 | 51-200 | 201-500 | > 500 |
| Combined | Eastern Cape | 2,339 | 9 | 5 | 268 | 1,418 | 639 |
| Secondary | Eastern Cape | 578 | 6 | 10 | 150 | 232 | 180 |
| Combined | Free State | 180 | 8 | 3 | 51 | 47 | 71 |
| Secondary | Free State | 59 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 46 |
| Combined | Gauteng | 92 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 19 | 66 |
| Secondary | Gauteng | 133 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 126 |
| Combined | KwaZulu Natal | 485 | 3 | 6 | 68 | 234 | 175 |
| Secondary | KwaZulu Natal | 1,026 | 4 | 4 | 132 | 457 | 429 |
| Combined | Limpopo | 115 | 5 | 5 | 29 | 38 | 38 |
| Secondary | Limpopo | 1,145 | 0 | 2 | 163 | 544 | 436 |
| Combined | Mpumalanga | 229 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 76 | 118 |
| Secondary | Mpumalanga | 271 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 85 | 178 |
| Combined | North West | 322 | 11 | 17 | 104 | 109 | 81 |
| Secondary | North West | 158 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 56 | 80 |
| Combined | Northern Cape | 103 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 38 | 35 |
| Secondary | Northern Cape | 46 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 20 |
| Combined | Western Cape | 101 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 30 | 47 |
| Secondary | Western Cape | 105 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 95 |
| Total combined and secondary schools | 7,487 | 57 | 62 | 1,078 | 3,430 | 2,860 | |
ii) Computer centres
| Number of Schools with Learner bracket | |||||||
| School type | Province | Total Schools | 0-30 | 31-50 | 51-200 | 201-500 | > 500 |
| Combined | Eastern Cape | 2,291 | 9 | 5 | 270 | 1,395 | 612 |
| Secondary | Eastern Cape | 580 | 6 | 10 | 150 | 250 | 164 |
| Combined | Free State | 187 | 8 | 4 | 55 | 50 | 70 |
| Secondary | Free State | 88 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 70 |
| Combined | Gauteng | 54 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 33 |
| Secondary | Gauteng | 96 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 90 |
| Combined | KwaZulu Natal | 496 | 3 | 6 | 75 | 238 | 175 |
| Secondary | KwaZulu Natal | 1,074 | 5 | 4 | 132 | 477 | 456 |
| Combined | Limpopo | 118 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 40 | 36 |
| Secondary | Limpopo | 1,115 | 0 | 2 | 161 | 528 | 424 |
| Combined | Mpumalanga | 230 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 79 | 117 |
| Secondary | Mpumalanga | 291 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 88 | 195 |
| Combined | North West | 329 | 11 | 18 | 106 | 120 | 74 |
| Secondary | North West | 149 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 52 | 74 |
| Combined | Northern Cape | 62 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 18 |
| Secondary | Northern Cape | 23 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 8 |
| Combined | Western Cape | 83 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 29 | 30 |
| Secondary | Western Cape | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 29 |
| Total | 7,303 | 58 | 63 | 1,088 | 3,419 | 2,675 | |
(dd) The information on many teachers are qualified to teach computers to learners is not available from the Department of Basic Education and would have to be requested from Provincial Education Departments.
QUESTIONS 564 WRITTEN REPLY
FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2010
564. Dr H C van Schalkwyk (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:
Whether the public service officials will be playing any role during the 2010 Fifa Wold Cup Soccer tournament in ensuring effective and efficient service; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW679E
REPLY
1. In relation to the question raised by Dr H. C van Schalkwyk, the
following should be noted
a. All Heads of Departments and Provincial Administration were provided with the 2010 World Cup Soccer guideline on the management of working time, leave Absence and remuneration work outside the Public Service employment. The Guideline aims to ensure that the public servants support the event, volunteer to participate in these events as volunteers but at the same time ensuring that service delivery is not compromised during this period. See attached hereto, a copy of the Guidelines.
b. The Guideline which is posted on the DPSA website also stipulates that the public facilities such as health care, emergency, police and safety and security will become critical services to support an increase in demand by players and fans alike as a result of possible injuries and/ or security risks at fan parks, stadiums, roads etc. Therefore departments affected by the above mentioned, will need to proactively prepare and manage eventualities within the parameters of the applicable policies.
c. In cases where the increased service delivery demands stretching beyond prescribed working hours public service officials need to plan possible overtime work and ensure the necessary resource allocation to accommodate that.
d. It should further be noted that some public service officials are also soccer enthusiasts' who'll either want to volunteer during 2010 Soccer World Cup or watch live soccer matches. In these cases, the departments need to plan leaves for public service officials during these in order to ensure effective and continuous service delivery.
e. The World Cup 2010 is a global event and it is important that all South Africans be mobilised to embrace and participate in it to ensure that it is a success. The participation must however also be balanced with the service delivery responsibilities associated with the Public Service and although employees must be allowed the opportunity to enjoy the event it must be done within the confines of the legal frameworks applicable. Hence the recent celebration of the 100 days Count down to 2010 Soccer world cup was largely supported by flying the flag and time allocated was during the officials lunch hours. Public services officials are also supporting the Football Friday by wearing their respective soccer T-Shirts while continuing with rendering services to their beneficiaries.
Please see attached Annexure A
QUESTION 565
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 05/03/2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 6-2010)
Dr H C van Schalkwyk (DA) to ask Minster of Basic Education:
Whether a national schools pledge in terms of which school children will recite an oath which expresses their commitment to respect others and to uphold the rights and values contained in the Constitution has been introduced; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW680E
Parliamentary Question: School Pledge"Whether a national schools pledge in terms of which school children will recite an oath which expresses their commitment to respect others and to uphold the rights and values contained in the Constitution has been introduced; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?"
Response:
The Minister of Education released the draft Schools' Pledge in February 2008 and requested the public to comment on the concept and content of the proposed National Schools' Pledge.
The Department of Education received 1119 submissions from the general public and most of them came from the white community. Most black South Africans participated in forums and radio programmes. They generally supported the Schools' Pledge. The written inputs from various stakeholders were then analysed by independent analysts.
The analytical report noted that more than 80% of respondents supported the idea of a Schools' Pledge, but wanted wording that refer to the injustices of the past to be revised. Most wanted a forward-looking Pledge that would encourage young people to shape their lives and not dwell too much on the past. Their position was that the Schools' Pledge promoted values and acceptable moral behaviour in society.
A minority group rejected the Pledge on religious grounds as they argued that people could only swear allegiance to God. The Department of Education then requested a team of independent academics and cultural leaders to revise the Schools' Pledge. The team was composed of Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church, Associate Professor Pumla Dineo Gqola from the University of Witwatersrand Drama and Literature Department, Mr John Pampallis, Director of the Centre for Education and Policy Development, Mr Themba Mabaso, Director: Heraldry-Department of Arts and Culture and Ms Malika Ndlovu, an author and oral poet. The team supported the pledge and recommended that it be encouraged, popularised and recited at least once a week at School Assemblies.
The pledge was redrafted by a group of experts based on submissions; a decision needs to be taken to introduce it to schools. The Department continuous its work on values and human rights through its Race and Values directorate.
QUESTION 567
Mr D C Smiles (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:
In respect of each specified squadron in the SA Air Force, what is the total number of (a) posts planned, (b) posts filled, (c) posts vacant/posts surplus and (d) percentage of posts vacant/posts surplus for each specified occupation? NW682E
REPLY
The information required is classified and may not be made public. However, the Honourable Member is advised to raise this request with the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Military Veterans. This is the Constitutional responsibility of this committee and all necessary information is made available to it in line with its mandate
QUESTION 568
Mr D C Smiles (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:
In respect of each specified sea going platform of the SA Navy, what is the total number of (a) posts planned, (b) posts filled, (c) posts vacant/posts surplus and (d) percentage of posts vacant/posts surplus for each specified occupation? NW683E
REPLY
The information required is classified and may not be made public. However, the Honourable Member is advised to raise this request with the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Military Veterans. This is the constitutional responsibility of this Committee and all necessary information is made available to it in line with its mandate.
QUESTION NUMBER 569
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 5 MARCH 2010
Dr D T George (DA) to ask the Minister of Finance:
(1) Whether the community was consulted before the SA Revenue Service (SARS) office in Brakpan was closed; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will consultation take place and (c) why was the office closed;
(2) whether the office will be reopened at the request of the community; if not, why not; if so, when? NW684E
REPL Y:
1. A.B and C
The SARS strategy of improving accessibility to all taxpayers has been unfolding for the past three years. It has resulted in the increase in the number of taxpayers registered for eFilling from 35,000 to 4,000,000 in the past three years. It has also seen a process of reviewing the SARS "footprint" to ensure a wider and more equitable spread of SARS branches in all regions.
In the process of reviewing the branch coverage, SARS took into account the following:
Distance from one SARS office to another (footprint coverage) Population/Tax Base
Economic Activity In areas where the above criteria were not satisfied, a number of remedial steps were followed. In the East Rand there were a number of offices clustered together in a radius of about 20km.
Table is available here
QUESTION NUMBER 570
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12 MARCH 2010Dr D T George (DA) to ask the Minister of Finance:
(1) Whether the re-assessment process of the financial model applicable to the parastatal organisations has been initiated; if not, why not; if so, (a) what (i) are the relevant details and (ii) is the deadline for completion and (b) how will the findings be implemented;
(2) Whether interim steps will be taken to restrain spending on (a) executive remuneration and (b) fruitless and wasteful expenditure; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW685E
REPLY
(1) It is assumed that the Honorable George is referring to the output mentioned under programme 3 of the National Treasury. Accordingly:
(a) The National Treasury is currently undertaking the Capital Structure and Dividend policy project. The purpose of the project is to determine and agree an appropriate capital structure and dividend targets with Executive Authorities and State Owned Enterprises. It is envisaged that the project will assist in improved financial oversight, promote efficiency and impose financial discipline on SOEs.
(i) The project is to be divided into two phases. In the first phase a sample of six SOEs namely Eskom, Transnet, Denel, DBSA, IDC and Sentech will be used as a pilot. Phase 2 of the project will involve rolling out the project to other SOEs.
(ii) Phase 1 of the project will be completed by December 2010. The timelines for the implementation of Phase 2 are still to be determined as its implementation will be dependent on the outcomes of Phase 1.
(b) Upon the completion of the project, National Treasury will engage with the Executive Authorities and SOEs to agree on targets for three years in line with entities' planning cycles. It is envisaged that the agreements will form part of the shareholder compact process between the Executive Authorities and SOEs.
2 (a) Measures for restraining executive spending have been in place since 2008. On 10 October 2008, Cabinet approved the State Owned Enterprises Remuneration Guidelines for both executive and the non-executive directors of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) within the Department of the Public Enterprises (DPE) portfolio. Cabinet further recommended that the guidelines be considered for other relevant institutions of State. It is the responsibility of each executive authority overseeing each SOE to ensure that the guideline is applied.
In instances where the legislation of public entities requires the concurrence of the Minister of Finance on the remuneration of board members of certain public entities, the National Treasury applies the National Treasury guideline / framework to ensure consistency in the determination of remuneration for these office bearers of statutory and other institutions.
These matters will be dealt with further through the SOE Review Panel that has been set-up by the President.
(b) Measures to prevent fruitless and wasteful expenditure are in place. The Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), 1999 (Act No. 1 of 1999) regulates financial management in the national and provincial spheres of government and aims to ensure that all revenue, expenditure, assets and liabilities in these spheres are managed efficiently and effectively. The Act also provides for the responsibilities of persons entrusted with financial management in these spheres of government. Enabling public sector managers to manage and be held accountable as well as eliminating waste and corruption in the use of public resources are key objectives of the PFMA.
In terms of section 51(1) of the PFMA, the accounting authority of a public entity is responsible for the effective, efficient, economical and transparent use of such entity's resources. This section also requires that accounting authorities take effective and appropriate steps to prevent irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. To ensure this, the Act requires that accounting authorities maintain effective, efficient and transparent systems of financial and risk management and internal control and a system of internal audit under the control of an audit committee. The Treasury Regulations, issued in terms of the PFMA, also require that accounting authorities conduct regular risk assessments to identify emerging risks. All the aforementioned provisions are aimed at ensuring the prudent management of state resources.
It is thus evident that the responsibility for ensuring that entities do not waste resources lies with accounting officers. The National Treasury has nevertheless issued several guideline documents and frameworks to assist accounting authorities in ensuring the effective, efficient, economical and transparent use of state resources. These guidelines and frameworks include Asset Management and Inventory Management Guidelines and frameworks related to Internal Audit, Risk Management and Supply Chain Management.
In cases where there are allegations of serious mismanagement of resources by individuals, forensic audits are carried out and appropriate steps taken to recover losses where applicable.
The Treasury will monitor development and further action will be taken should this be necessary.
QUESTION NUMBER 571
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 5 MARCH 2010
Dr D T George (DA) to ask the Minister of Finance:
(1). Whether any steps will be taken to limit the permissible amount spent per annual reports; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2). whether the National Treasury will draft guidelines to detail how the relevant financial and performance data shall be highlighted; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW686E
REPLY
(1). The National Treasury does not provide specific guidelines as to how much can be spent on annual reports. Instead, the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act No. 1 of 1999), empowers the accounting officer of a department, trading entity or constitutional institution with the ability to ensure the effective, efficient, economical and transparent use of the resources of the department, trading entity or constitutional institution. The accounting officer has a duty to prevent irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Chapter 10 of the Act clearly stipulates the proceedings that need to take place should the accounting officer not be fulfilling his/her duties. Parliament through its oversight function also has a role to play in this regard.
(2). A preparation guide to assist with the compilation of annual financial statements is available on the website of the Office of the Accountant-General at http://oag.treasury.gov.za/publications. Guidelines are published on a regular basis and are updated as reporting requirements are amended.
QUESTION NO 572
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 5 MARCH 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 6- 2010)
Date reply submitted: 23 March 2010
572. Mrs D A Schäfer (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:
(1) What steps has the S A Police Service (SAPS) taken with regard to the increasing number of internet and short message service (SMS) scams;
(2) whether there is a specialised unit that deals with internet and sms scams; if not, (a) why not and (b) where must these crimes be reported; if so, how is such crime reported?
NW687E
REPLY:
(1) The South African Police Service, in conjunction with the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), Cellular Phone Service Providers, the Internet Service Protocols and Telkom South Africa participates in a monthly working group meeting in order to address issues of electronic crimes including internet scams. During these meetings modus operandi, new threats and tendencies are shared amongst the participants.
Training courses for the Commercial Crime and Organised Crime components include the latest information on these scams. Awareness campaigns are also held from time to time through the electronic and printed media.
In order to support the Detective Service and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in combating electronic crimes, a Cyber Crime Unit, Covert Intelligence Collection Unit and a Financial and Cyber Crime Intelligence Centre were created within the Division Crime Intelligence.
(2)(a) Yes. Each Commercial Crime unit has a dedicated operational group that is responsible for the investigation of internet related fraud where the value is above R40 000. Other cases are dealt with by Detective Service units.
(b) It can be reported at any police station which is accessible to all members of the public where a statement and evidence will be obtained from a complainant. A case docket will be registered and referred to an investigative unit, either within the Detective Service, or the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
QUESTION NO 573
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 5 MARCH 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 6- 2010)
Date reply submitted : 18 May 2010
573. Mrs D A Schäfer (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:
(1) Whether a new air conditioning unit was installed at the Silverton Forensic Science Laboratory; if so, when;
(2) whether it is in a working condition; if not, (a) why not, (b) for how long has it not been working and (c) when was it last maintained;
(3) whether there is a maintenance contract in place; if not, (a) why not, (b) how is maintenance dealt with, (c) which company was awarded the tender for installations and (d) what was the cost of the unit; if so, (i) with whom and (ii) what are the terms?
NW688E
REPLY:
(1) Yes, a new central chiller plant was installed during May 2009 by department of public works after doing an investigation.
(2)(a) The central air conditioning unit is not efficient as the pumps for the condenser water - and chilled water pipelines are not adequate for obtaining and maintaining the correct pressures.
The pumps for these pipelines were found to be inadequate (too small) as the desired optimum functional pressures could not be obtained and maintained for the central air conditioning unit to function. This was reported on 2010-03-08 by the sub-contractor to the contractor that must address this issue with the consulting engineer in conjunction with the project manager of National Department of Public Works.
(2)(b) The air-conditioning unit is working but it is inadequate.
(2)(c) The central air conditioning units has not been maintained nor serviced since installation, maintenance is the responsibility of Department of Public Work (state building).
(3) There is no maintenance contract in place yet. (We requested maintenance but received no reply or action)
(3)(a) The maintenance contract can only be implemented after completion and hand over and after the guarantee period expired.
(3)(b) When repairs or replacements are required, the facility manager submits a complaint to the Call Centre of Department of public works. The Call Centre registers a complaint and activates the National Department of Public Works. The National Department of Public Works then activates the contractor to investigate and recommend actions for repairs and/or replacements. Repairs and/or replacements will take place after the National Department of Public Works bid committee agreed and issue authorization for commencement of said complaint.
Duration of repairs depend on availability of parts and skills.
(3)(c) The tender was awarded to: Sebata Sebatana Business Enterprises – Managing Director Mr. Chris Manaka (Company has been liquidated)
(3)(d) The price for the aircon system is not known by the Forensic Science Laboratory and can be obtained from the Department of Public Works.
(3)(d)(i) The maintenance contract is awarded by NDPW after the warrantee period has expired. This maintenance contract has not been implemented as the handover has not taken place yet.
(3)(d)(ii) The NDPW is currently re-evaluating the contracts that will be submitted for invites for these services nationally.
QUESTION NO 574
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 5 MARCH 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 6- 2010)
Date reply submitted : 24 March 2010
574. Mrs D A Schäfer (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:
(1) Whether there are closed-circuit television (CCTV) security cameras at all forensic science laboratories; if not, why not;
(2) whether there are plans to install them in future; if not, why not; if so, (a) for how long is the footage kept, (b) what measures are taken to secure the footage in the event of breaches of security and (c) what backup is there of CCTV footage?
NW689E
REPLY:
In February 2010, I instructed a full investigation by the DPCI of allegations of criminal nature involving the Forensic laboratories. At the same time I instructed the Civilian Police Secretariat to conduct an assessment into problems that have been identified in the management and functioning of the Forensic Laboratories. The answer to the question fall within the scope of the investigation and assessment and therefore I will respond to the question once these processes have been completed
QUESTION NUMBER: 575
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 5 MARCH 2010
Mr G R Krumbock (DA) to ask the Minister of Finance:
How much tax revenue is collected by the SA Revenue Service (SARS) from stakeholders in the tourism industry for every rand received? NW690E
REPLY:
Tourism is not a predefined sector within which SARS taxes are tracked. As tourism spend is distributed over a variety of sectors and spend within these sectors does not differentiate between business travel and tourism, it is not possible to isolate and extract tourism specific collections data.