Questions & Replies: Questions & Replies No 776 to 800
2010-04-09
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[PMG note: Replies are inserted as soon as they are provided by the Minister]
QUESTION: 776 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
776Mrs M N Matladi (UCDP) to ask the Minister of Trade & Industry:
Whether. in light of the increase in the uptake of social grants. There are any plans to make the economy labour absorbent and labour intensive: If not why not: If so what plans
Response:
Yes there are well documented and concrete plans to support the growth of the economy towards labour intensive sectors.
The central cornerstones of this approach is the recently launched Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), which is a plan to grow and diversify the South African economy. in support of labour absorbing sectors of the economy and in order to address the chronic problems of unemployment in our country.
A very strong feature of the IPAP is its commitment to support for diversification of the economy beyond its current reliance on traditional commodities and non-tradable services, This requires the promotion of increased value-addition, characterized particularly by efforts to move into the production of non-traditional tradable goods and services that compete in exports markets as well as against imports. At the centre of this strategy and action plan therefore. is the promotion of a more labour absorbing industrialization path with a particular emphasis on tradable labourabsorbing goods and services and economic linkages that catalyze employment creation.
The cross cutting and important themes of the IPAP. namely its commitment to secure concessional industrial financing for labour absorbing sectors; the leveraging of public procurement opportunities to support domestic labour absorbing industries; the strengthening of developmental trade policies centered on issues of standards: the plan to clamp down on fraudulent importation of imports and a strong commitment to strengthen competition policy and interventions, especially for intermediate inputs into labour absorbing manufacturing sectors - all these and others, are designed to build strong support for the labour absorbing sectors and industries of the domestic economy.Finally. the seelor focus in the IPAP is on those sectors. which have a strong labour absorbing capacity in the economy. These are metal fabrication, capital and transport equipment; green and energy saving industries; agro-processing; automotives, components medium and heavy vehicles; plastics, pharmaceuticals and chemicals; clothing, textiles, footwear and leather; biafuels; forestry, paper, pulp and furniture: cultural industries and tourism and business process outsourcing.
QUESTION NO 777
Mr A P van der Westhuizen (DA) to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry:
(1) How many (a) close corporations and (b) (i) private and (ii) public companies and corporations were registered at the Companies and Intellectual Properties Registration Office (CIPRO) on 31 December 2009;
(2) How many of the (a) close corporations and (b) (i) private and (ii) public companies and corporations were (aa) registered and (bb) deregistered by CIPRO in 2009;
(3) what has been the average delay in the registration of (a) close corporations and (b) (i) private and (ii) public companies and corporations at CIPRO on 31 December 2009 vs 31 December 2008? NW911 E
Response:
(1) According to CIPRO the following numbers of institutions were registered on the CIPRO database as at 31 December 2009:
(a) Close Corporations; 2, 395,703
(b)(i)Private Companies; 831,252 (b)(ii) Public Companies; 47,095 and Co-ops; 28,769
(2) (a) For the period 1 Jan 2009 - 31 December 2009:
(b)(i)-(b)(ii)(aa) Registered Close Corporations; 231,146
Private Companies; 22,048
Public Companies; 142
Co-ops registered; 6,622
(b)(ii)(bb) Deregistered Close Corporations; 22,274
Deregistered Companies; 13,704
Deregistered Co-ops; 471
(3)The average delay in the registration of
(a) Close Corporations on 31. December 2008 were 5 days and on 31 December 2009 was 10 days
(b) (i) Private Companies on 31 December 2008 was 5 days and on 31 December 2009 was to
4 days
(b) (ii) Public Companies on 31 December 2008 was 5 days and on 31 December 2009 was 4 days Co-ops on 31 December 2008 was 2 weeks and 2 days and on 31 December 2009 was 2 weeks and 3 days.
QUESTION NO. 778
DATE PUBLISHED: 23 March 2010
DATE SUBMITTED: 6 April 2010
778. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
How does he reconcile his recent statement before the House of Traditional Leaders that no one has a right to use his or her own culture to judge others with the right to freedom of expression as contained in the Bill of Rights? NW606E
REPLY:
Apartheid white supremacy, which we all abhorred, was based on the following but not limited to:
1. Religion
2. Language
3. Culture
The protection of this doctrine was to be found in laws and legislation that were designed to undermine the religion, language and culture of other race and language groups.
The dominance and undermining of the cultures of other groups was part of the reason why the Bill of Rights was crafted in the generously democratic way in which it was. Section 36 of the Bill of Rights speaks to the limitations of rights including freedom of expression. Section 31 (1) & (2) explicitly provides for the protection of cultural practice.
Freedom of Expression does not mean that other cultural groups can insensitively impose their views on the cultural practices of others. South Africa is a Constitutional Democracy in transition and views that might be seen to be denigrating cultural practices of others, would be discouraged by the limitations that are applicable to the Right to Freedom of Expression.
QUESTION NO. 779
DATE PUBLISHED: 23 March 2010
DATE SUBMITTED: 6 April 2010
779. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
(1) Whether he will make the reports of the facilitation team on Zimbabwe available to the public; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether he will make his report and his recommendations to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regarding the current situation in Zimbabwe available to the public; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details NW607E
REPLY:
The Honourable Member must note that my mandate as the Facilitator stems from the SADC structures and the Troika Organ.
As such my reporting obligation is to the Chairman of the Troika Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, I trust that the Honourable Member as well as the rest of the members of this House will agree with me that it would be inappropriate and impolite of me if I were not to follow and observe the procedures and protocols of SADC.
Once all the proper reporting channels to SADC structures have been concluded and SADC protocols have been fully observed I may consider making my report known to the House and the public.
QUESTION 780
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
Date of publication on internal question paper: 23 March 2010
Internal question paper no 8
Mr R B Bhoola (MF) to ask the Minister of Social Development:
(1) What (a) mechanisms are in place to deal with the issue of unnecessary, long delays for grant appeals and (b) are the relevant details with regard to finalising the appeal cases of grant applicants;
(2) whether applicants who are awaiting the finalisation of their appeal cases are entitled to submitting a fresh application; if not, why not; if so,
(3) whether they will lose all the back pay they would have been entitled to if they did not submit a new application; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, why? NW770E
REPLY:
Honourable Member;
(1)(a) In order to give effect to the rights of each appellant to a just and fair administrative action, the department has appointed 128 independent professionals to constitute the appeals panels. These panellists consider all appeals on an objective basis applying the relevant legislative and policy prescripts.
The Department has put in place several mechanisms to deal with the social assistance appeals cases lodged by appellants.
Firstly, the Independent Tribunal Office, managed by suitably qualified Appeals Officers including legal, medical and business architecture specialists, to oversee the delivery of this critical service, has been established in accordance with Section 18 of Social Assistant Act (13 of 2004).
Secondly, a Service Delivery Model for social assistance appeals has been developed. The three-stage model entails the following:
i) The Pre-adjudication and case assessment stage, which basically comprises of: registering each lodged appeal, verifying the details of an application, validating the legitimacy of the appeal with the social grant administrator(SASSA) and the preparation of each case profile for the actual adjudication by Independent Tribunal panel members.
ii) The Adjudication stage entails the actual presentation of the matter before the Tribunal panel and consideration thereof in respect of procedural compliance and fairness, as well as substantive findings in relation to the specific social grant criteria as per current legislative framework. Subsequently, a decision to uphold or dismiss the appeal is pronounced and written reasons are summarily furnished.
iii) The Post-adjudication process involves the process of issuing notices of outcomes and mailing these to each appellant or their representative as well as the communication back to the Agency, with a directive to implement the decision of the Tribunal.
(1)(b) The relevant details required for finalising an appeal are:
i) A copy of the rejection notice in respect of the initial application to SASSA;
ii) An appeal application or letter of appeal addressed to the Minister of Social Development;
iii) A copy of the Identification document of the appellant; and
iv) Any other document that supports the appeal, e.g. copy of medical report submitted an application stage etc.
(2) Yes, an applicant may at any stage prior to the issuing of an outcome of an appeal, withdraw the appeal and file a new application with the SASSA. The Tribunal may be notified the withdrawal of the initial notification to appeal.
(3) Yes, an applicant, who withdraws their appeal and opt for submitting a new application to SASSA, will be considered on the basis of whether they qualify or meet the criteria applicable at the time of the new application. Also under consideration at this stage is the nature of each grant type (temporary/permanent), as this may and the assessment made by SASSA, the appellant may or may not be entitled to back pay.
QUESTION NO: 781
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 23 March 2010
QUESTION PAPER NO: 8
DATE OF REPLY: 29 March 2010
Mrs J D Kilian (Cope) to ask the Minister of Communications:
(1) (a) (i) When and (ii) in which media were advertisements placed during the recruitment process for the applications for the position of Director-General of his department, (b) what (i) were the key competencies, (ii) were the key qualifications and (iii) was the key experience that applicants had to meet as per the advertisement, (c) how many applications were received, (d)(i) who were the applicants for the position, (ii) what was their relevant experience and (iii) what were their key competencies in each case;
RESPONSE:
1(a) (i) The post was advertised on 31May 2009 and closed on 18 June 2009.
(ii) Sunday Times, City Press and Business Day
(b) (i)(ii)(iii) The key competencies, Qualifications and experience required are explained in the advertisement attached for your reference
(c) The applications were handled by an external Recruitment Agency and they indicated that they did not keep the record/spreadsheet of applications.
(d) (i) This question requires personal information of the applicants. This may only be provided if the applicants (third parties) have consented in writing to the disclosure of information, and if the information is available publicly and they have been informed of such.
(ii) (iii) This information also refers to personal information and may only be released upon consent by the applicants, they have been informed of this request and the information is already publicly available.
2.(a) which panel or body conducted the short-listing process and (b) who were the members of this panel;
RESPONSE:
This question relates to confidential information of a third party which could prejudice the future supply of such similar information or information from the Minister. This information any only be made available if it is already publicly available,
3. (a) what where the criteria for the shorlisting of candidates and (b) how many applicants were shortlisted;
RESPONSE:
(a) The criteria is set by the panel based on requirements and experience as per the advertisement
(b) Two candidates were shortlisted
4. whether all the short-listed applicants met the requirements; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, who constituted the interviewing panel;
RESPONSE:
These questions relates to advice, report or recommendation obtained or prepared; or an account of a consultation, discussion or deliberation, including the minutes of meetings, for the purposes of assisting to formulate policy or taking a decision in the exercise of a power or the performance of a duty in terms of the law.
5. whether all regulatory requirements as set by the Public Service Commission were met; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
RESPONSE:
DPSA sets the protocol on filling of posts of heads of Departments and they have been complied with. There is no Directive from the Office of the Public Service Commission in this regard.
QUESTION NO: 782
PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 08 OF 23 March 2010
Mr N Singh (IFP) to ask the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:
(1) What are the reasons why the Umdoni municipality in KwaZulu-Natal spent only 3,3% of the municipal infrastructure grant of the R J 95 795 000 that was transferred to them with regard to the 2008-09 financial year;
(2) whether there were valid reasons for a rollover to be granted; if not, why not; if so, on what grounds;
(3) what was the purpose of the grant?
NW903E
Reply
(1) In the 2008-2009 financial year Umdoni municipality received an allocation of R195 million which was made up of R189,4 million for the damage caused by the storms in KwaZulu-NataJ (disaster management grant) and R6,4 million which was specifically for the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG), As at end March 2009, Umdoni municipality had spent 100 percent of their MIG allocation however, since the disaster allocation is gazetted together with the MIG allocation the percentage spent was reported as 3,3%.
(2) The roll-over was valid as the R189,4 million for disaster management was only transferred in February 2009 and the municipality could not be expected to spend this allocation within a month,
(3) The MIG grant is meant to provide at least up to a basic level of service to the poor people in South Africa. The disaster allocations are provided to municipalities that have experienced unforeseeable and unavoidable occurrences such as floods, drought and storms, so that they may be able to address the damage caused by the disaster.
QUESTION NO: 783
Mr J Selfe to ask the Minister of Correctional Services:
(1) Whether she has been informed of any dagga smuggling in the Leeuwkop Medium C Correctional Centre; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so,
(2) Whether she will make a statement on this matter;
(3) Whether any offenders who are residents in the juvenile section are older than the prescribed age; if so, (a) how many and (b) what are the reasons for keeping them in the juvenile section? NW912E
REPLY:
(1) No. I have not been informed. The smuggling of any prohibited substances is received seriously and discouraged.
(2) As soon as I get briefed I will decide whether a statement is necessary or not and act accordingly.
(3) (a) and (b) There are only four (4) juvenile offenders who turned 21 years of age at the end of February 2010 in detention at the Leeuwkop Juvenile Centre. Arrangements are already underway to transfer these offenders to a medium adult centre.
QUESTION 784 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
784. Ms C M P Kotsi (Cope) to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry:
Whether the export of industrial products has increased in the past 12 months up to the latest specified date for which information is available when compared to the previous five years; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) in which areas of manufacturing, (b) in what increased quantities and (c) to which destinations?NW913E
Response:
For the period under review from 2004 until 2009, manufactured exports increased in each of the years except in 2009. The main reason for the decline in total manufactured exports in 2009 (R 386 bn) compared to 2008 (R501 bn) was weak global demand due to the economic crisis. The decline in export orders in 2009 affected the majority of manufacturing sectors.
The annual growth rates of our manufactured goods exports in value the last five years are as follows:
| Years | Growth in % |
| 2004 - 2005 | 6.55% |
| 2005 - 2006 | 20.4% |
| 2006 - 2007 | 22.7% |
| 2007 - 2008 | 30.5% |
| 2008 - 2009 | -23% |
Source: the dti Statistical Portal
{Answers to question: a and b}:
Despite the global economic crisis in 2009, the following sectors of manufactured goods showed resilience and grew by the percentage as shown in the table below, compared to 2008:
| Products | Growth in % I 2009 Values R billion | |
| Food Products (Processed) | 9.5% | I 16,278 bn |
| Other Industries | 1.0% | 15,991 bn |
| Professional & scientific equipment | 5.5% | 3,648 bn |
| Tobacco | 58% | 1 ,463 bn |
| Glass & glass products | 44.8% | 1.099 bn |
| Footwear | 17.4% | 0,182 bn |
Source: Quantec
Answer to question C:
Export of manufactured goods showed growth to only the following two countries in the top 20 export destination in 2009:
| Country | 2009 Value R bn | Growth rate |
| China | 14,687,085 | 33% |
| Zimbabwe | 10,762,709 | 14% |
QUESTIONS 785 FOR WRITTEN REPLY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
785. Ms C M P Kotsi (Cope) to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry:
Whether the consolidation of the G20 group of developed and developing countries has now been fully settled, allowing for a common approach to the industrial tariff negotiation to take place; if not, (a) why not, (b) which countries are still holding back and (c) by when was consolidation expected to take place; if so, (i) when was this consolidation finalised, (ii) what common approach to negotiation on industrial tariffs has taken place and (ii) what role is South Africa expected to play in the G207 NW914E
Response:
The G20 group of countries (developed and developing) that has emerged in the context of the international financial institutions is different from the G20 group of developing countries in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations under the World Trade Organisation. Moreover, the 820 group of developing countries in the WTO has focused only on agricultural negotiations, not industrial tariffs.
QUESTION NO: 786
786. Ms C M P Kotsi (Cope) to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry:
Whether, in respect of his department's strategic goal of intensifying labour absorption, any successes have been recorded as at the latest date for which information is available; if not, why not; if so, (a) what number of people have found new employment, (b) in which sectors of the economy and (c) at which levels have they found employment? NW915E
Response:
South Africa's economy is slowly emerging from a recession due to the global economic slowdown. It is against this background that trends in the labour market should be analysed.
Despite the negative impact of the slowdown, employment in the formal non-agricultural sector increased by 18 000 between the third and fourth quarter of 2009. Electricity, gas and water supply sector had an increase of 1 000 employment opportunities, trade and hotel sector had an increase of 3400 employees, transport storage and communication sector had an increase of 2 000 employees, and financial intermediation and business services had an increase of 12 000 employees.
The Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) as of December 2009 issued by Statistics South Africa was used as a source. The QES does not provide data on the 'levels' at which employment was found.
QUESTION NO 787
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23 MARCH 2010: INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 8 - 2010
"Mr R B Bhoola (MF) to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture:
(1) What plans have been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the negative impact of (a) service delivery protests, (b) poor maintenance and (c) burglaries on public libraries?
NW918E
REPLY:
In South Africa, public library and information services are the responsibility of provincial governments, who render the service in cooperation with municipalities. The Provincial Library and Information Services have replied to Mr Bhoola's questions as follows:
(1)(a) Plans that have been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the negative impact of service delivery protests-
(i) Some provinces report that they have not experienced any problems with service delivery protests to date.
(ii) In one province libraries are sometimes targeted during service delivery protests, but the reasons for the protests seldom have a direct bearing on libraries. Where library service related problems are identified, the province implements measures to improve the service, e.g. by appointing additional staff, or upgrading book collections. Each library was issued with a complaints and suggestions book that is monitored continuously with the purpose to improve services.
(iii) To prevent or minimize damage to buildings, some provinces have started to erect security fencing around library buildings.
(iv) Service delivery protests are in some provinces dealt with by municipal officials and councilors and not by provincial officials. The MECs in these provinces, together with the Premiers, the MMCs (Municipal Management Committees) and municipal officials assist to reach agreements with communities on quality and levels of services delivery. Serious conflicts are solved by political leaders.
(1)(b) Plans that have been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the negative impact of poor maintenance-
(i) Most library buildings belong to municipalities, and are maintained by the municipalities. The maintenance of libraries is a huge challenge since many of the library buildings are old and need a lot of attention. The maintenance costs are also very high, and there is a gradual decline in maintenance due to re-prioritising of funds in municipalities and to fund only what is their function.
(ii) The provinces have in the past allocated funds from the community libraries conditional grant to maintain and upgrade library buildings. Some provinces have renovation, and preventative maintenance programmes in place.
(1)(c) Plans that have been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the negative impact of burglaries on public libraries-
Security assessments are being done in most libraries. Measures that have been taken so far to secure libraries and to minimize burglaries include-
i) the installation of CCTV cameras and tattle-tape detection systems, alarm systems, appointment of security staff and links to armed response units, burglar-proofing and fencing of the library buildings.
ii) new library buildings are planned to prevent burglaries and to curb book losses. All computers and electronic equipment are secured to prevent theft.
(iii) communities are encouraged to take ownership of the facilities and to assist with protecting the libraries.
iv) communities were made aware of the importance of libraries and that they should be protected during the South African Library Week celebrations in March 2010.
(v) some MECs have shown their support to libraries by publicly condemning the damage that was done to libraries during the service delivery protests.
(vi) the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) issued a statement in which the damage that was caused to community libraries was condemned strongly, and in which people was discouraged to participate in such actions.
QUESTION 788
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/03/2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 8-2010)
Mr R B Bhoola (MF) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
(1) What plans does she have to deal with the challenges schools have in funding its security?
(2) What are her plans to give schools policy directives with regard to the form of disciplining of learners after the abolishment of corporal punishment in schools? NW918E
REPLY:
(1) Provincial departments of education have incrementally implemented the provisioning of security officers at schools. The appointment of security officers focused on schools located within the 169 "hotspot areas" (areas identified by SAPS as areas with high crime rates). The Northern Cape has appointed security officers at 72 schools, in Gauteng 43 schools have received security officers, and in the Western Cape the Bambanani Project in partnership with Community Safety has been extensively implemented in schools within the "hotspot areas" A total number of 174 schools are currently benefiting from the Bambanani Project. In KwaZulu Natal the responsibility for the appointment of security officers at schools falls within the ambit of Human Resource Management, and it is estimated that 2000 schools have benefited from this programme.
The Free State, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo provinces rely on schools to appoint private security agencies where the need arises.
(2) Since the abolishment of Corporal Punishment in schools the Department has developed guidelines for teachers on Alternatives to Corporal Punishment. The document was distributed to provinces and extensive training for principals, teachers and SGB members was done in all provinces. Additionally the Department has partnered with Girls and Boys Town to training nine schools (one school per province) presenting with high levels of crime and violence on Positive Discipline and Classroom Management. This training started in February 2010. It is envisaged that provinces will roll out this programme to more schools where teachers experience challenges regarding the behaviour of learners.
The Department has also developed and distributed to provinces an example Code of Conduct for Learners at all Public Schools to serve as an example for schools to develop their own context specific codes of conduct for learners.
QUESTION NUMBER 789
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 23 MARCH 2010Mr L W Greyling (ID) to ask the Minister of Finance:
(1) What measures did he put in place in the National Treasury to reduce the waste of government funds through the cancelling of reservations for accommodation and conferences;
(2) what has been the total amount spent by the National Treasury on cancelled reservations for accommodation and conferences in the 2008-09 financial year?
NW920E
REPLY:
(1) In order to curb costs, the preference of the National Treasury in recent times has been to make increasing use of government's own facilities as far as possible. Nevertheless, there are still occurrences when external facilities are used and this is primary for accommodation. Provision has, however, been made for disclosure of information when late cancellations occur in respect of reservations for, amongst others, accommodation and conferences. In circumstances where negligence has been identified on the part of an official, punitive measures in terms of the policy are enforced.
(2)
| Total amount spent on cancelled reservations for: | 2008-09 financial year |
| Accommodation – late cancellation of 3 official reservations within the 48 hour cancellation policy of hotels | R3 429.00 |
| Conferences | R0.00 |
QUESTION*793.
Mr H Hoosen (ID) to ask the Minister of Labour:
(1) Is the Minister aware of the proposal from the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) to the Education and Labour Relations Council (ELRC) regarding the increase in the threshold for unions from 50 000 to 100 000 members;
(2) What is the Ministers views on this proposal;
(3) Will the Minister support such a proposal; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) Does the Minister believe that such a proposal is in conflict with the Constitutional provision of freedom of association;
(5) Does the Minister support the concept of "one industry, one union."
Minister of Labour replied:
(1) I would like to thank the Honourable member for bringing to my attention the proposal by SADTU to the ELRC regarding the increase in the threshold for union participation;
(2) The proposal by SADTU to amend the constitution of the ELRC to increase the threshold for 50 000 to 100 000 for registered unions to be admitted as parties to the council is a proposal for consideration by the current parties to the ELRC. The Labour Relations Act (no 66 of 1995) requires that the constitution of a bargaining council deal with the admission of additional registered trade unions and registered employers' organisations as parties to the bargaining council. The use of thresholds for admission is a common practice in the bargaining council environment and the level at which thresholds are set are matters for discussion and negotiation between the parties to the council. The Labour Relations Act is not prescriptive in this regard;
(3) Whether I will support the proposal is irrelevant. The proposal is for the consideration of the parties to the council and the Honourable member is therefore advised to approach the parties to obtain their views. In this case, the Honourable member may consider approaching the Department for Public Service and Administration which represents the state as the employer in the ELRC;
(4) Thresholds for admission of trade union and employer organisations to bargaining councils and centralised collective bargaining arrangements is not in conflict with the constitutional provision of freedom of association. The latter applies to the right of every worker and every employer to form and join a trade union or employers' organisation. It does not address the issue of thresholds for admission to centralised collective bargaining arrangements. Thresholds for admission are a legitimate way of ensuring cohesion and coherence in collective bargaining arrangements in much the same way that political parties are allocated seats in relation to their support amongst the electorate;
(5) "One industry, one union" is not a concept but a policy stance adopted by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) at its launch in December 1985. It is not appropriate for the Minister of Labour to support or not to support the adopted policy positions of union federations in the country. It is, however, worth noting that the existence of strong, national unions in sectors of the economy can have the effect of promoting orderly collective bargaining which is a purpose of the Labour Relations Act. To that extent, I would clearly support any policy that furthers orderly collective bargaining at sectoral level, including within the public sector.
QUESTION NO: 794
MR AT FRITZ (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
(1) (a) When will the locations of the remand centres for awaiting-trial detainees be finalised and (b) where will these centres be located;
(2) Whether this will have any impact on the case flow management of the courts; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW925E
REPLY
(1) (a) The location of the centers was finalized on 12 March 2009.
(b) The remand centres will be located at the following correctional centres:-
| REGION | CORRECTIONAL CENTRE |
| GAUTENG | Boksburg Correctional Centre |
| Johannesburg Medium A | |
| Modderbee Correctional Centre | |
| Pretoria Local | |
| EASTERN CAPE | St Albans Medium A |
| Umtata Medium | |
| KWAZULU/NATAL | Durban Medium A |
| Pietermaritzburg Correctional Centre | |
| LMN | Potchefstroom Correctional Centre |
| FS/NC | Grootvlei Maximum |
| WESTERN CAPE | Pollsmoor Medium A |
| Pollsmoor Maximum |
(2) No, there will be no impact on the case flow management of the courts as the Department will be utilizing existing facilities.
QUESTION NO: 796
MR A T FRITZ (DA) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES:
1. Whether the system of bagless centres has been introduced to all centres in the country; if not, why not; if so, what has the effect of this been on corrupt practices in correctional centres?
NW927E
REPLY
1. The system of bagless centres has been approved as one of many security strategies of the Department and has been introduced to all correctional centres for implementation to the extent that it is practical at a specific centre. The application thereof differs between centres due to practical realities experienced at different centres, especially the older type centres e.g. the provision of locker facilities for the safe keeping of the belongings of staff and visitors which is a prerequisite for full implementation but is not yet possible at all centres due to space and layout constraints.
The bagless system is part of an integrated security and anti-corruption measures and its impact cannot be monitored as a stand-alone. Incidents are logged and managed as a matter of normal operation to identify loopholes.
QUESTION NO 798
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23 MARCH 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 8)
798. Ms A M Dreyer (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs
(1) Whether, with reference to her reply to question 386 on 10 March 2010, any alternative water sources are available to persons living around the areas where acid mine water is decanting into the surface water in the Tweelopies Spruit; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) what alternative water sources are available to vegetable farmers in the Tarlton area to irrigate their lands;
(3) how will ground water in the Zwartkrans dolomite compartment be safeguarded from contamination by the decanting of acid mine water in this area? NW929E
---00O00---
REPLY:
(1) Yes, there are alternative water sources to the people living in the areas where acid mine water could have an impact on their water resources. The people make use of water from Rand Water or their own boreholes which are not impacted by the acid mine water.
My Department conducts regular water sampling in the affected area, the mines and various other role players in order to scientifically monitor any changes in ground water quality. This information is reported to the Western Basin Technical Working Group, consisting of representatives from the relevant regulators, mining houses as well as interested and affected parties.
(2) There is no need for alternative water sources for the vegetable farmers in the Tarlton area due to the fact that they are not impacted by the acid mine water in the Tweelopies Spruit originating from the Western Basin (down stream to Tarlton).
(3) The best solution to avoid any acid mine water reaching the Zwartkrants dolomite compartment is to stop the pollution at the source. My Department has recently intervened by forcing the mines to contain, pump and treat increased volumes of acid mine drainage. It is also envisaged that the water table in the Western Basin will be drawn down to ensure that no untreated acid mine water could enter the Tweelopies Spruit.
QUESTION N0 799
Mr A P van der Westhuizen (DA) to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry:
(1) Whether there has been any prima facie evidence implicating Mr R de Lorenzo of the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (Cipro) in alleged fraud and corruption activities at Cipro; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) (a) by whom and (b) on what alleged contraventions of the disciplinary code was he suspended;
(3) whether any charges were brought against him; if not, why has his continued suspension been deemed necessary; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) whether his suspension is linked to the alleged intimidation of staff who cooperated with the SA Police Service (SAPS) in their investigation into the actions of senior staff members of Cipro; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NW931E
Response:
(1) According to Cipro, there was no prima facie evidence implicating Mr de Lorenzo to the alleged fraud and corruption activities at Cipro. His suspension was based on the alleged dissemination of unauthorised confidential information to external parties.
(2) (a) Mr de Lorenzo was suspended by the CEO of Cipro.
(b) Unauthorised dissemination of confidential information to external parties.
(3) According to Cipro, no charges were brought against Mr de Lorenzo as the investigation was still on-going. However, Cipro reported that the investigation has been concluded and that a charge sheet will be drawn and served on Mr de Lorenzo.
(4) According to Cipro, his suspension was not linked to the alleged intimidation of staff who co-operated with the SAPS investigation. The investigation commissioned by me into Cipro was to cover the alleged victimisation of Cipro staff and having received the report from the independent investigators, we will determine whether any of the suspensions were a result of staff members concerned having co-operated with SAPS or the independent investigation.
QUESTION NO 800
Mr A P van der Westhuizen (DA) to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry:
(1) (a) What were the reasons taken into consideration when it was decided to suspend the current
incumbent of the post of Deputy Director: Labour Relations at the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (Cipro) at the beginning of 2009, (b) why is it deemed necessary for him still to be suspended after more than a year and (c) which of the delays in finalising this matter (i) have been caused by or (ii) were requested by Cipro;
(2) what has been the total cost of this labour action in terms of (a) (i) salary and (ii) benefits of the
incumbent for the period of suspension, (b) the costs of getting external chairpersons for the disciplinary hearings and (c) any other costs related to this disciplinary action? NW932E
Response:
(1) (a) According to Cipro, the Deputy Director: Labour Relations was charged with insubordination and
breach of the Code of Conduct.
(b)According to Cipro, the nature of the offence as well as the conduct of the suspended employee has made it necessary to keep the suspension. Further, the Deputy Director: Labour Relations violated his suspension conditions.
(c) (i) Four delays were caused by the Deputy Director: Labour Relations. (ii) Cipro requested two postponements
(2) (a)(i) and (ii)The total cost of the labour action amounts, inclusive of salary and benefits of the
incumbent totalled R512,656.60
(b) According Cipro, no additional costs were incurred as this was an internal disciplinary hearing.
(c) No additional costs were incurred by Cipro.
QUESTION NO: 795
795. Mr A T Fritz (DA) to ask the Minister of Correctional Services:
Whether she intends introducing legislation to reduce rape in prisons; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW926E
REPLY
There is no need to introduce legislation to reduce rape in Correctional Centres, since the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development recently passed the Sexual Offences Act which adequately deals with all forms of rape in all parts of South Africa.
QUESTION 790FOR WRITTEN REPLY
Date of publication on internal question paper: 23 March 2010
Internal question paper no 8
Mr L W Greyling (ID) to ask the Minister of Social Development:
(1) (a) what is the amount of social grants that are paid in cash and (b) why is payment of social grants made in cash;
(2) whether alternatives to cash payment are being considered; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW921E
REPLY
(1) The amount of social grants paid in cash (based on March 2010 extractions):
(a) The total social grants budget is R80 billion, of which R56 billion is paid in cash, which equates to 69% of the total social grants.
(b) Social grants are paid in cash because of a number of factors such as the geographical location of the beneficiaries, poverty nodes, the absence of banking infrastructure etc. Historically, the banking infrastructure was only available in urban and semi urban areas and not in rural areas. The Social Assistance Act provides for the beneficiary's freedom of choice to receive payment either in cash or via a transfer into his or her bank account.
(2) Yes, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is working towards the development of a Social Security Payment Model. Through this model, SASSA seeks to create an environment where beneficiaries will have access to their payments through various payment distribution mechanisms.
The model SASSA envisages does not totally eliminate the current cash payment method. However, it seeks to provide social assistance in an integrated manner, and does not place unreasonable burden on beneficiaries and households and will be flexible.
QUESTION 791
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
Date of publication on internal question paper: 23 March 2010
Internal question paper no: 8
Mrs P de Lille (ID) to ask the Minister of Social Development:
(1) What are the transaction fees for payments of social grants for each contractor;
(2) Whether there is a difference in transaction cost for the different contractors; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what is the reason for the difference in cost? NW922E
REPLY:
(1) The transaction fees for payments of social grants for each contractor vary according to the type of service rendered. The cost for handling fees associated with the disbursement of cash to beneficiaries per contractor is indicated on the table below;
| (a) Cash Payment Contractors | Transaction Fees |
| Cash Payment Services | R35,91 |
| AllPay | R23,80 |
| Sekulula | R17,50 |
| Regional Post Office | R20,42 |
| Empilweni | R35,92 |
| (b) Free Banking Services | |
| Standard Bank | R13,68 |
| First National Bank | R15,50 |
| National Post Office | R14,59 |
| (c) Automated Clearance Bureau | R0,65 |
Prior to the establishment of the Agency (SASSA) social grants were managed by the provincial departments where individual contracts through tender processes with each payment contractor were negotiated. These contracts with existing terms and conditions were ceded to the South African Social Security Agency. As a result there were different service level agreements with different payment methodologies.
QUESTION 792FOR WRITTEN REPLY
Date of publication on internal question paper: 23 March 2010
Internal question paper no 8
Mrs P de Lille (ID) to ask the Minister of Social Development:
(1) Who pays the (a) bank fees or (b) any other fees for social grants when they are paid to a beneficiary;
(2) Whether the bank fees are the same for all social grants being paid; if not, how do they vary; if so, why? NW923E
REPLY:
(1) (a) The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) pays the fees associated with making deposits into the beneficiaries bank account. This amounts to R0.65 for each social grant deposited. Beneficiaries bear the normal bank charges for withdrawals and other transactions on their bank accounts. Exception to this, are in the case of beneficiaries in Eastern Cape receiving grants through First National and Standard Bank, as well as beneficiaries receiving social grants from the South Africa Post Office. These beneficiaries are exempt from bank charges with SASSA carrying the costs related thereto, known as "free banking". These "free banking" services are monitored as SASSA regularly receives payment reports. The agreement with First National and Standard Bank was an agreement entered into by the Provincial Department of Social Development prior to the establishment of SASSA. A similar agreement was also entered into with the South African Post Office.
(b) All fees, including bank fees, free banking services and handling fees paid to the Cash Payment Contractors are paid by SASSA.
(2) Yes, bank fees are the same for each deposit made into the beneficiary's bank account. However, withdrawal and other bank charges for beneficiaries vary according to each bank. The structure of bank fees is set out in the table below. SASSA is currently engaging banks with the possibility of subsidising the bank charges and the banks being able to provide SASSA with reports and also assist with dormant accounts.
| NAME OF BANK | DEPOSIT FEES | WITHDRAWAL BANK CHARGES (PAID BY BENEFICIARY) | WITHDRAWAL CHARGES ("FREE BANKING SERVICES PAID BY SASSA) |
| ALL BANKS | R 0.65 | Charges varies from bank to bank between R3 – R30 with some third party merchants offering free withdrawal services | R 0.00 Beneficiaries are not subsidised |
| First National Bank (FNB) (EC) | R0.65 | No charges | R15.50 |
| Standard Bank (SB) (EC) | R0.65 | No charges | R13.68 |
| National Post Office (ALL REGIONS) | R0.65 | No charges | R14.59 |