Questions & Replies: Public Service & Administration

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2012-12-31

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Reply received: December 2012

QUESTION NO.:3423

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 23 NOVEMBER 2012

Mr J R B Lorimer (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

Whether (a) her department and/or (b) any entity reporting to her sponsored any (i) event and (ii) promotion hosted by The New Age newspaper since its establishment; if so, in each case, (aa) what was the nature of the event or promotion, (bb) on which date was it held, (cc) what amount was paid, (dd) for what purpose, (ee) from which budget were the funds derived, (ff) what were the expected benefits to her department and (gg) what actual benefits were derived from the sponsorship? NW4342E

REPLY

No, neither the Department of Public Service and Administration nor any of the entities reporting to me sponsored any event or promotion hosted by the New Age newspaper since its establishment.

Reply received: December 2012

QUESTION NO.:3273

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15 NOVEMBER 2012

Mrs P C Duncan (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) Whether (a) her department or (b) any entity reporting to her, placed any advertisements in The New Age since the inception of the newspaper up until the most recent date for which information is available; if not, in each case, what is the position in this regard; if so, (i) which entity placed the advertisements, (ii) on what date was each advertisement placed, (iii) what was the nature of each advertisement and (iv) what amount was spent on each advertisement;

(2) whether any of these advertisements were placed through the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS); if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details of the advertisements placed through the GCIS;

(3) whether an independent analysis was conducted by her department prior to placing advertisements to ascertain whether The New Age is read by the intended target market; if not, why not; if so, (a) who conducted the analysis and (b) what were the main (i) findings and (ii) recommendations of said analysis;

(4) whether any independent studies of said advertisements were conducted to ascertain whether they were effective within the relevant target market; if not, why not; if so, (a) who conducted the analysis and (b) what were the main (i) findings and (ii) recommendations of said analysis? NW4162E

REPLY

(1) No.

(2) No.

(3) & (4) Not applicable.

Reply received: December 2012

QUESTION NO.:3168

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 9 NOVEMBER 2012

Mr E J Marais (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) Whether, since taking office, she has made use of any (a) consultants or (b) advisors; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (i) who was appointed, (ii) in which capacity, (iii) for what purpose and (iv) at what total cost;

(2) whether these appointments were budgeted for; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, from which budget will these expenditures be paid;

(3) whether these appointees signed written contracts; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW4007E

REPLY

Yes, I have appointed Advisers in terms of the Public Service Act, 1994 as amended.

Section 12A of the Public Service Act, 1994 makes provision for the appointment of persons on grounds of policy consideration, i.e. advisers. Section 3 of the same Act provides for the Minister for the Public Service and Administration to appoint Advisory bodies. In addition, Advisers are regulated in terms of a policy "Dispensation for the appointment and remuneration of persons (Special Advisers) appointed to Executive Authorities on ground of policy considerations in terms of section 12A of the Public Service Act, 1994.

The appointment of Advisers to Members of the Executive is regulated by the Minister for Public Service and Administration, who is also responsible for determining the salary levels of advisers appointed to Members of the Executive.

The advisers are responsible to:

· Advise the Executive Authority on the exercise or performance of the Executive authority's powers and duties,

· Advise the Executive Authority on the development of policy that will promote the department's objectives or

· Perform such other tasks as may be appropriate in respect of the exercise or performance of the Executive Authority's powers and duties.

(2) and (3) Yes. As the appointments are done in terms of prescribed legislation, the posts are budgeted for and contracts of employment are entered into.

Reply received: December 2012

QUESTION NO.:3131

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 9 NOVEMBER 2012

Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

Whether any role is envisaged for the National Assembly in the revision of the Ministerial Handbook; if not, why not; if so, (a) when, (b) to what extent and (c) how will this be done? NW3968E

REPLY

There is no role envisaged for the National Assembly in the revision of the Ministerial Handbook as this is the responsibility of the Executive. The Honourable member would appreciate that in terms of The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, there are three spheres of government, i.e. the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary. Accordingly, the main functions of Parliament are to make laws for the country and hold the Executive accountable in the implementation of these laws. Therefore, as public representatives, we should not be the ones encouraging encroachment in other spheres.

The Ministerial handbook consists of a set of policies and guidelines for benefits and privileges of Members of the Executive and Presiding Officers in the execution of their duties, similar to benefits office enjoyed Members of Parliament. Benefits of Members of the Executive are bestowed by the President to enable them to perform their function and at all times be at the disposal of the State, and therefore accorded the support to make this possible.

The process to review the Ministerial handbook was highly inclusive and inputs were solicited from all Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Premiers and the Speaker of the national Assembly and the Independent Commission for Remuneration of Political Office Bearers.

Reply received: December 2012

QUESTION NO.:3123

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 9 NOVEMBER 2012

Mr L Ramatlakane (Cope) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

Whether the National Anti-corruption Hotline has received feedback from the Office of the Premier of Limpopo in response to the Public Service Commission (PSC) report of March 2009 on the assessment of the state of professional ethics in the Limpopo provincial government; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW3949E

REPLY

In its report published in March 2009, "An Assessment of the State of Professional Ethics in the Limpopo Provincial Government", the Public Service Commission (PSC) indicated a poor response rate by the Limpopo Provincial Government in investigating cases of alleged corruption reported to the National Anti-Corruption Hotline (NACH). The report revealed that the Province provided feedback on 97 (48%) of the 204 cases referred to the Office of the Premier and 20 (21%) cases were closed based on the feedback provided.

Since its 2009 report, the PSC received feedback from the Limpopo Provincial Government on 32 additional cases. Between 1 April 2009 and 31 October 2012 the feedback rate increased by 15% and 29 cases were closed on the NACH's Case Management System, an increase of 17%, showing a marginal improvement in the feedback rate and closure of cases of alleged corruption.

The slow feedback rate and closure of cases can be attributed to the shortage of investigative capacity in the Limpopo Province.

Reply received: December 2012

QUESTION NO.:3090

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2 NOVEMBER 2012

Mrs P C Duncan (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) Whether her department is currently subscribed to The New Age (TNA) newspaper; if so, (a) how many subscriptions does her department have, (b) when was each subscription initiated, (c) what has been the annual subscription fee for each specified subscription since it was initiated and (d) what is the exact purpose of each subscription;

(2) whether a discount was negotiated for any of the specified subscriptions; if so, (a) for which specified subscriptions and (b) what discount in each case;

(3) whether her department has mass-purchased the TNA on an ad hoc basis since the inception of the newspaper; if so, (a) on what dates, (b) how many copies in each case and (c) why were the papers purchased in each case;

(4) whether (a) the publishers of the TNA and (b) any other entity donated copies of the paper to (i) her department and (ii) any entity reporting to her; if so, in each case, (aa) which entity donated the papers, (bb) to which entity were they donated and (cc) how many copies were donated? NW3919E

REPLY

I have been surprised to note that my Department buys almost nine times more Mail and Guardian (50), Pretoria News (54), Sowetan (52) and The Star (68) newspapers than The New Age (6) on a daily basis.

(1) Yes, the department is currently subscribed to the New Age (TNA).

(a) The department receives Six copies per day

(b) Subscription was initiated on the 01st April 2011 and the agreement expires on 31 March 2013.

(c) Annual subscription fee for the New Age is R 4 989.60

(d) The purpose of each subscription is to ensure that the department monitors the media landscape for press coverage on the portfolio and other related matters.

(2) No discount was negotiated. The supplier for the newspapers for the DPSA was appointed through the normal bid process.

(3) No.

(4) No.

(5) No.

Reply received: October 2012

QUESTION NO.:2995

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 OCTOBER 2012

Mr S C Motau (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

Whether the accounting officer submitted the annual financial statements for the financial year ending 31 March 2012 to her by 31 August 2012; if not, (a) why not and (b) on what date (i) were the statements submitted to her and (ii) did she submit the annual report and financial statements to Parliament? NW3761E

REPLY

(1) The Accounting Officer submitted Annual Financial Statements to me on 08 August 2012.

(2) The Annual Report and the Annual Financial Statements were tabled in Parliament on the 27th of September 2012.

Reply received: November 2012

QUESTION NO.:2906

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 19 OCTOBER 2012

Mr N J J van R Koornhof (Cope) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

Whether, with reference to her reply to question 972 on 31 May 2012, the Ministerial Handbook has been revised; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, when will it be released? NW3584E

REPLY

The review of the Ministerial Handbook has not been concluded as contemplated in the reply to question 972. Cabinet referred the matter back to the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for further consideration and it will be presented to the President and Deputy President as soon as it is finalised.

Reply received: November 2012

QUESTION NO.:2749

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12 OCTOBER 2012

Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

Whether she has been implementing the public service anti-corruption strategy of 2002 (details furnished) to fight corruption; if not, why not; if so, what quantifiable successes have been achieved in (a) preventing corruption, (b) investigating corruption, (c) prosecuting corrupt officials and public representatives and (d) expanding public participation in the fight against crime? NW3395E

REPLY

Yes, the Department is implementing the Public Service Anti-Corruption Strategy 2002. I am however, given the endemic nature of corruption and its corrosive effect on governance, reviewing the current strategy. I have resolved that the DPSA needs to take a more aggressive approach in eliminating corruption in the public service. The Department has been instructed to craft a strategy that will include, inter alia, the creation of an anti-corruption unit with adequate powers to investigate corruption. The strategy must close all the shortcomings that we have had in the implementation of all the strategies that have been drawn up to now, such as, capacity, powers, preventative measures, coordination with other anti-corruption agencies, etc. One of the glaring shortcomings of our corruption fighting efforts has been the absence of professional investigators.

The successes achieved include:

(a) Prevention

(i) The DPSA in collaboration with PALAMA is running an anti-corruption capacity building programme aimed at strengthening competencies to prevent, detect, monitor and investigate corruption. The target beneficiaries are general employees, anti-corruption practitioners and law enforcement officials (investigators).

(ii) The National Anti-corruption Hotline (NACH) was launched in 2003 and is managed by Office of the Public Service Commission. Cases of alleged corruption reported arereferredto national and provincial departments, and public entities for investigation and feedback. As at 31 May 2012, 9 582cases of alleged corruption were reported to the NACH and feedback received on 4 859 (50%) cases. Out of these, 3 381 (35%)cases were finalized and closed on the Case Management System.

(iv) The Code of Conduct, regulating the conduct of public service employees, is contained in Chapter 2 of the Public Service Regulations. The Public Service Integrity Management framework has been developed to improve management of ethics in the Public Service. A financial disclosure framework has been established and implemented for members of senior management services in the public service. The Public Service Regulations requires all members of the senior management services to disclose their financial interests annually.

(b) Investigations

The DPSA has conducted 38 cases on corruption related misconduct cases, of which 4 are completed and 34 still under investigation. The backlog on investigations is due to insufficient investigative capacity within the DPSA, hence the SIU assigned 5 investigators to the department to conduct investigations.

(c) Prosecutions

In terms of the management of discipline in the public service, 2922 employees were suspended and 149 were dismissed. A total of 379 misconduct cases were committed by senior managers on level 14 (chief director) and above, over a three year period.

(d) Expanding public participation

The National Anti-corruption Forum (NACF) is a collaborative forum where the public sector led by the MPSA engages with business and civil society to improve efforts to restrict corruption. I have prioritized the activities of the NACF and in this regard on 19 November 2012 I will be convening another meeting of the NACF and establish mechanisms to ensure that this Forum plays its role in the fight against corruption.

As part of its mandate, the Office of the Public Service Commission performs work on social analysis, research and policy advocacy.

Reply received: October 2012

QUESTION NO.:2715

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 21 SEPTEMBER 2012

Mr J R B Lorimer (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

Whether her department has awarded any contracts to a certain company (name furnished) since its establishment in 1996; if so, in each case, (a) when was the contract awarded and (b) what was the (i) nature of the contract and (ii) total accumulative value of the tender? NW3333E

REPLY

The Department of Public Service and Administration has not awarded any contract or tender to the company referred to in the question.

Reply received: October 2012

QUESTION NO.:2596

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 14 SEPTEMBER 2012

The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

Whether, with reference to the reply to question 311 on 25 April 2012, she intends to pass legislation that aims to prohibit contracting between (a) an organ of State in the national sphere of government and (b) companies whose directors or shareholders are party-political office bearers or public representatives of political parties; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW3205E

REPLY

It is my understanding that the reply to question 311 by my predecessor did not suggest the passage of legislation to deal with matters raised by the Honourable member instead the reply indicated that the department was consulting on a draft Public Sector Integrity Management Framework, which would include proposals to regulate the involvement of public servants in business. I can confirm that we are committed to promoting integrity in the public service and once consultations are finalised, I will be approaching cabinet for concurrence before putting details of the framework into the public domain.

Furthermore, there are on-going discussions within government and between government and the business sector to put additional measures in place to improve transparency and accountability in public procurement. Recently the National Treasury created a position of Chief Procurement Officer in an attempt to improve procurement processes within government. Business sector has recently invited government to a business roundtable to discuss issues such as integrity pacts. Integrity pacts are used around the world to commit both government and business to uphold high standards of integrity during procurement processes.

Reply received: October 2012

QUESTION NO.:2495

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 24 AUGUST 2012

Mr M M Swathe (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) Whether (a) her Ministry, (b) her department and (c) any entity reporting to her plan to host end-of-year parties; if not, in each case, what is the position in this regard; if so, in each case, (i) for how many persons and (ii) at what cost;

(2) whether the cost of the specified end-of-year parties has been budgeted for in the current financial year; if not, from where will the funding be sourced; if so, (a) what amount has been budgeted and (b) from which part of the budget will it be incurred? NW3101E

REPLY

The recognition of the hard work that public servants do throughout the year is appositive management tool that is used to motivate staff and thank them for their efforts. Recognition in the Public Service is done in a number of ways, including the payment of bonuses after annual assessment. This is done at the prerogative of each Department and in cases where deserving public servants do not qualify for bonuses, year-end functions will serve this purposes to recognise efforts.

Department of Public Service ad Administration (DPSA)

(1) Yes. DPSA is planning to host the year-end function in recognition of staff performance. The department has 460 employees, of which 30 are interns. The function will cost approximately R170 000.00.

(2) The department budgeted R 200 000.00 under the Chief Directorate: Strategic Management.

CENTRE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE INNOVATION (CPSI)

The CPSI does not plan to host an end-of-year party. The CPSI will however, as part of the portfolio for Public Administration, attend any function organised by the department.

State Information Technology Agency (SITA)

(1) Yes, SITA will be hosting the year end function and in the interest of cost containment, the year end function will be combined with employee recognition awards function. The estimated cost is for the function approximately R1 600 000.00 (VAT Exclusive) for + 3 000 SITA (Pty) Ltd employees.

(2) SITA budgeted an amount of R1 600 000.00 (VAT Excl.) under Marketing (Public relations) in the current financial year;

Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS)

The Government Employees Medical Scheme will not be hosting any end-of-year party for its staff

Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy (PALAMA)

(1) The Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy (PALAMA) may consider hosting an end-of-year staff function, to recognise the performance and service of its staff. (i) The staff function will be restricted to PALAMA staff (currently 181); and (ii) the cost has not yet been determined but PALAMA is mindful of keeping expenditure to a minimum on matters related to food, beverage and venue, therefore a cap amount of R60,000 will placed on the function.

(2) The cost for the staff function has not been budgeted for in the current financial year, however should savings be identified in the current budget without compromise to any of our programmes, and then consideration would be given to the hosting of the staff function.

The Public Service Commission (PSC)

(1) The PSC does not plan to host an end-of-year party. At the end of each calendar year, the PSC holds a Teambuilding Session and Long Service Awards event. The event encompasses teambuilding activities and the presentation of long service certificates to employees.

(i) All 238 employees in the Office of the PSC will be invited to participate in the Teambuilding Session and Long Service Awards.

(ii) The cost will not exceed R250 000.00.

(2) The cost of the specified Teambuilding Session and Long Service Awards has not been budgeted for in the current financial year. The funding will be sourced from accumulated savings.

Reply received: October 2012

QUESTION NO.:2309

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 24 AUGUST 2012

Mr D C Ross (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(a) What steps has she taken to give effect to the performance agreement that she signed with the President in 2010, (b) what outcomes have been measured and (c) what follow-up steps has she taken with regard to each specified outcome? NW2893E

REPLY

The Honourable member no doubt understands that at the time of submission of the question I could only respond on the Performance Agreement of the previous Ministers.

(a) Following the signing of Performance Agreement between the President and the Minister for Public Service and Administration in 2010, the Delivery Agreement for Outcome 12: an efficient, effective and development oriented Public Service and an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship" was developed in consultation with all stakeholders that are required to implement various elements of the Performance Agreements of the Minister with the President. Moreover, the Performance Agreement has been integrated into the Strategic Plans and Annual Performance Plans of the portfolio institutions reporting to the Minister for implementation.

(b) The Performance Agreement for the Minister for Public Service and Administration is premised on measuring the following Outputs:-

a. Service Delivery Quality and Access

b. Human Resource Management and Development

c. Business processes, systems, decision rights and accountability

d. Corruption Tackled Effectively

(c) The Department of Public Service and Administration has developed a programme of action in consultation with all the Delivery Partners to implement all the elements in the Performance Agreement of the Minister. Progress reports on the implementation of the Performance Agreements between the Minister and President are tabled for discussion at the Cabinet meetings on quarterly basis.

Progress made with regard to the four outputs mentioned above can be summarised as follows:

SERVICE DELIVERY QUALITY AND ACCESS

The national average turnaround time to calls has improved considerably. For instance with regard to the South African Police Service (SAPS) the turnaround time to call for assistance for Alpha (serious crimes in progress) improved to 16.51 minutes in May 2012 if compared to the baseline of 22.14 minutes in 2010. The national average turnaround time to calls for Bravo (serious crimes that have happened) also improved to 21.22 minutes in May 2012 from 29.26 minutes in 2010.

The national average turnaround time to calls for assistance for Charlie (attempted crimes-suspect not on scene) from the time the complaint is registered to the time the police arrives at the crime scene improved to 18.32 minutes in May 2012 from 25.48 in 2010. The average number of days to process social grant has been reduced to 9 days in May 2012 compared to 30 days in 2010.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

The average period to fill a vacancy in the public service based on the 3quarters data of 2011/12 available in December 2011 was 4.9 months, this has improved to an average of 4.7 months over the fourth quarter ending March 2012. The percentage of vacant funded posts in government has been reduced to 3 per cent below the 5 per cent target for 2014. The average number of days for finalising the disciplinary cases has also been reduced to 41 days well below the target of 90 days set for 2014.

A Cabinet Memorandum on the finalisation of outstanding Heads of Department (HoD) evaluations for the 2010/11 and 2011/12 cycles was developed and submitted to Public Service Commission (PSC) for consultations. The draft HoD Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) Policy was refined to include the Management of Performance and Assessment Tool (MPAT) and Auditor-General.

BUSINESS, PROCESSES, SYSTEMS, DECISION RIGHTS AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The Limpopo Province was prioritised during the first quarter of this financial year and about 60% of the departments were taken through the PERSAL Clean-up process. In the Northern Cape Province, the PERSAL clean-up strategy and implementation plan were presented to the HoD's Forum and a commitment was undertaken that this project will be concluded by end of August 2012.

In the North-West Province, the strategy was presented to the HoD's and HR Managers Forum and a commitment was undertaken that this project plans will be submitted to the DPSA at the end of August 2012. A presentation was also made to the Finance Technical Committee and a recommendation was that the clean-up process must continue in preparation for migration to Integrated Financial Management System. A status report on the quality of information on PERSAL was presented to the Portfolio Committee for Public Service and Administration on 6 June 2012.

The compliance by Public Bodies in the implementation of the Promotion of Access to Information Act no. 2 of 2000 (PAIA) improved to the satisfactory level. 70% of Deputy Information Officers were appointed and trained in all three spheres of Government. Manuals in terms of Section 14 of PAIA, have been updated and posted in the organisation's website and published in the Government Gazette. The Guidelines for Parliamentary and Executive Oversight were finalised to strengthen their monitoring and oversight Responsibilities. The Guidelines for Accounting Officers and Accounting Authorities were distributed to HoDs of Provincial Treasuries for inputs and comments in June 2012. The Financial Management Capability Maturity Model for municipalities has been finalised and will be piloted in the 2012/13 financial year.

CORRUPTION TACKLED EFFECTIVELY

A total of 208 officials were trained in five provinces of Eastern Cape (27), North West (74), Mpumalanga (25), Kwa-Zulu Natal (25) and Free State (57) as anti-corruption practitioners. Training is continuing in other provinces. The Public Sector Integrity Management Framework has been revised based on feedback received and will be presented to Cabinet.

By 31 May 2012, there were 9 582cases of alleged corruption reported to the National Anti-Corruption Hotline (NACH) andreferredto national and provincial departments, and public entities for investigation. Feedback was received from national and provincial departments, and from public entities with regard to 4 859 (50%) cases. Out of the 4 859 cases on which feedback was received, 3 381 (35%)cases were finalized and closed on the Case Management System (CMS) as at 31 March 2012. There was an increase in the number of cases closed by 27%.

Reply received: October 2012

QUESTION NO.:2247

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 24 AUGUST 2012

Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) Whether, with reference to the high number of contracts that have been found to have been awarded to spouses and family members in the Eastern Cape, according to a recent report by the Auditor-General, the Government intends to implement interim measures to prevent public servants from awarding Government contracts without declarations of interest; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) what has been the progress with regard to the draft Public Sector Integrity Management Framework;

(3) whether draft legislation to prevent officials and public representatives from doing business with government, directly or indirectly, is ready for tabling; if not, why not; if so, when does the Government intend to introduce such legislation;

(4) whether the Government intends to close loopholes in the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999, to prevent officials and public representatives from doing business with Government, directly or indirectly; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2823E

REPLY

(1) We are very concerned about the 2010-11 local government audit outcomes. In his audit report, the Auditor-General unearthed cases where awards were made to close family members without declaring their interest. Incidentally, I met with the AG on 20th September 2012 to discuss matters related to the audit findings and I hope that this will pave the way to closing up all the loopholes.

Currently, we are introducing a requirement for all public Servants to undergo a compulsory training course to ensure they are properly trained to understand government policies and processes.

(2) The draft Integrity Management Framework is undergoing internal departmental approval processes, after which it will be submitted to Cabinet for approval.

(3) No. Please refer to (2) above.

(4) The Public Finance Management Act is administered by the Minister of Finance and any review of the act would be initiated by the said Minister. However, it is worth mentioning that the current test for non-compliance is based on the following instruments:

(i) The Treasury Regulations 16A (8) on Compliance with Ethical Standard;

(ii) Treasury Regulations 16A (9) on Avoiding Abuse of Supply Chain Management System; and

(iii) The National Treasury Practice Notice No. 7 of 2009/10 SCM – Declaration of Interest: Amendment and Augmentation of standard Bidding Document (SBD4) are used to ensure that public servants and their families do not benefit from government contracts.

Reply received: September 2012

QUESTION NO.:2231

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 24 AUGUST 2012

Ms M C Mohale (ANC) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

What steps has she taken to ensure the integration and harmonisation of the anti-corruption hotlines that her department and the Public Service Commission have established? NW2806E

REPLY

The Department of Public Service and Administration does not have a dedicated Anti-Corruption Hotline and is dependent on referrals from the Presidential Hotline, as well as that of the Public Service Commission. The Public Service Commission has a broader mandate to deal with anti-corruption through, inter alia, its management of the National Anti-Corruption Hotline (NACH) as mandated by Cabinet in 2004.

The National Anti-Corruption Hotline is a tool designed to enable concerned members of the public and government employees to report any form of suspected corruption. Callers or whistleblowers are guaranteed anonymity. More importantly, the NACH is also regarded as a tip-off tool in terms of reporting allegations of corruption. A tip-off in this regard is regarded as an incident where the caller calls the NACH whilst an act of corruption is occurring so that the necessary investigations can take place.

In 2010 the DPSA recognized a need to provide norms and standards for the establishment of such call centres and hotlines; and has since designed and consulted on an enabling framework which aims to provide clear guidelines to line departments on how to develop a Citizen Complaints and Compliments Management System, which includes the management of services related to call centres as well as hotlines for reporting fraud and corruption.

DPSA is cognizant that once line departments through sector departments; as well as the Offices of the Premiers have established such call centres and hotlines; harmonization and re-routing of complaints via the Batho Pele Gateway Portal Call Centre will occur. The department is currently exploring the modalities of how this will function with the assistance of SITA. DPSA is also currently planning to conduct an audit of existing call centres in the public service and how anti-corruption matters are referred to hotlines or call centres for service delivery related matters.

In the medium to long-term the DPSA is crafting a plan on how to tackle corruption order to deal with corruption in the public service. The medium to long-term approach is to create an environment where corruption does not exist; and to have an anti-corruption system that makes public servants accountable, as indicated by the National Planning Commission. The plan includes:

· Reviewing the architecture of Public Service Anti-corruption Unit (PSACU) by appointing the Head, putting the unit on a professional footing and attending to the structural needs. Capacitating PSACU, especially the investigative arm will be an immediate priority;

· Dealing decisively with the current cases, the referrals from the Presidential Hotline, SIU and other anti-corruption agencies;

· Undertaking a review of the Public Service Act policies and regulations, especially those that relate to corruption;

· Improving cooperation and coordination with other anti-corruption agencies including the ACTT and the DPSA is essential;

· Creating a system of detection by strengthening vetting, the implementation of e-disclosure across the public service and building a national repository for all corruption related cases, while ensuring interconnecting government databases; and

· Inculcating an ethics and execution culture throughout the public service will reduce the public perception that government is corrupt.

I hope that these will go a long way in assisting us to create a corrupt free public service.

Reply received: November 2012

QUESTION NO.:2230

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 24 AUGUST 2012

Ms M C Mohale (ANC) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

What percentage of cases of financial misconduct against public servants were not dealt with in the 2011-12 financial year, (b) how many public servants who were found guilty of financial misconduct (i) have been registered, (ii) had criminal charges instituted against them and (iii) had disciplinary action taken against them? NW2805E

REPLY

The Public Service Commission (PSC) is currently receiving and verifying information on cases of financial misconduct for the 2011/12 financial year from departments. Thereafter, an analysis of the information will be conducted to address, inter alia, the issues raised by the Honourable member. Once this process has been completed we will provide the information requested in the question. The PSC advised that this report would be finalised during the first term of 2013. I wish to assure Honourable members that my Ministry attaches a lot of importance to the matter of financial misconduct. The PSC has therefore been instructed to work speedily on this project.

Reply received: October 2012

QUESTION NO.:2151

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17 AUGUST 2012

Mrs S J F Marais (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) Whether she visited her department's headquarters, Batho Pele House, in the Pretoria Central Business District (CBD), since assuming office; if not, why not;

(2) why does her department pay R1,6 million per month to rent a building which has been described as derelict by her department's spokesperson;

(3) (a) how does she justify allowing departmental staff to continue working in a building that she deems unsafe and (b) why are negotiations underway to extend the lease on this building if it does not provide suitable office space;

(4) what are the financial costs in accommodating her department at an alternative building;

(5) whether she is currently making use of conference venues at hotels to conduct departmental meetings; if not, where are the meetings conducted; if so, (a) how many meetings were conducted, (b) at which hotels and (c) at what financial cost in each case, including (i) the hiring of equipment, (ii) catering, (iii) security and (iv) parking fees? NW2672E

REPLY

(1) The Honourable member's question is based on an article published in the Sunday Times of 29 July 2012. I have since lodged a complaint with the Press Ombudsman because of the deliberate sensation contained in the article.

(2) A letter from my predecessor will go a long way in answering your query. At the beginning of 2012 he wrote;

"The DPSA has raised the problems which often make the building inhabitable and impedes the performance of employees and sometimes amounts to fruitless and wasteful expenditure when employees and guests are sent home early or cannot enter the building. The main structural and other maintenance problems pertaining to the building are as follows:

· Water leaking through walls, which was attended to in some areas, however, other areas still need attention;

· Sewage pipes leak from time-to-time into first floor parking area, which is a health hazard because of the smell and the fact that people are expected to walk through the contaminated water to their offices which further contaminates the carpets and floors and leave employees with open shoes/sandals unsettled for the day as they had to walk through the sewage water on their way to work;

· Toilets are often blocked with are accompanied by bad smells on almost all floors more often lately;

· Air-conditioners on all floors are mostly malfunctioning and noisy and negatively affect the health condition of employees and their ability to concentrate and be heard in meetings;

· Electrical fittings are faulty and do not provide adequate light in parts of the building;

· Gutters on part of the building and blocked which is damaging the water-proofing, especially to the areas which houses the information technology facilities of the department;

· Lifts:

o The lifts malfunction often and some employees have been stuck in the lifts which do not have air-conditioning and an intercom system;

o The buttons outside the lifts are not working on some floors so the lifts do not stop on those floors which is especially unacceptable for people with disabilities who cannot use the stairs;

o Sometimes the lifts do not stop flush with the floor level and people could trip and fall and be seriously injured;

o Bricks used for paving continue to come loose at the entrance to the parking area on level 1, which could damage the wheels and body of low cars;

o When it rains water enters the level 1 parking flooding a large section of the parking on this level;

o Although this area was fixed recently, water leaks from the ceiling where employees enter the canteen, which makes the floor to the canteen slippery and hazardous;

o Water leaks from the balcony of the canteen into the offices of supply chain management, located below canteen;

o Cracks in the walls of the building on the inside and outside were fixed before, however, the cracks have reappeared and are a cause of concern to employees;

o Ledges outside the building and above the windows were previously fixed when they had broken off and fallen down to the ground, now even at the fixed ledges, cracks have reappeared and the risk of concrete falling on employees and guest may be high and is hazardous;

o Renovations were recently done to the fourth floor offices of the Minister, however, the following are of concern:

o New air-conditioners are not working in some of the offices, but DPSA was not informed of who will maintain the air-conditioners; and

o Water from the new air-conditioners has damaged the new floor in the MPSA office.

Given the long list of material issues that plague the building DPSA occupies, it consumes too much attention of the employees who need a conducive and safe working environment to perform and to concentrate on their work, instead of structural and health hazards.

It should also be noted that the building does not have a boardroom that can accommodate a meeting with all senior managers. This requires the DPSA to often source outside venues that have financial implications for senior management meetings and other meetings with more than 22 delegates".

In an effort to resolve these issues an interdepartmental team consisting of officials from the National Treasury, Departments of Public Works and Public Service and Administration has been constituted. I have been advised that preliminary discussions have been initiated between officials. The mandate of the task team is to consider the accommodation requirements of the DPSA and to recommend a solution that DPSA can access additional funding for this purpose through the 2013 Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

(3) The assertion that "I deem Batho Pele House unsafe" is based on a story that I have lodged a complaint about. I have never expressed any view whatsoever about Batho Pele House.

(4) This information will be made available once a lease agreement for the alternative building has been signed.

(5) All departmental meetings have historically been held outside of Batho Pele House, please refer to the quote above.

Reply received: August 2012

QUESTION NO.:2076

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 10 AUGUST 2012

Mr D C Ross (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) Whether (a) she, (b) her Deputy Minister and (c) any official from an entity reporting to her will be attending or attended, the 2012 Olympic Games; if so, what is the (i)(aa) name, (bb) rank and (cc) position/designation of each specified person accompanying (aaa) her, (bbb) her Deputy Minister and (ccc) each specified person and (ii)(aa) nature and (bb) official reason for the visit;

(2) what (a) total amount will be spent or has been spent on the trip, (b) is the (i) description and (ii) detailed breakdown of the amounts that will be spent or have been spent on (aa) accommodation, (bb) travel and (cc) subsistence costs and (c) from which budget will these funds be incurred in each case? NW2556E

REPLY

(1) (a) No

(b) No

(c) No

(2) Not applicable.

Reply received: August 2012

QUESTION NO.:1978

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 3 AUGUST 2012

Mr E H Eloff (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

Whether any entity reporting to her has budgeted for (a) financial donations or (b) sponsorships in the (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12 and (iv) 2012-13 financial years; if not, why not; if so, in each case, what amount was (aa) budgeted and (bb) spent? NW2367E

REPLY

The information requested by the Honourable members is provided below:

STATE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AGENCY (SITA)

(a) Yes, SITA had budgeted for financial donations for the years in question as follows:

(i) 2009-10 The amount budgeted was R2,850,000 and spent was R2,906,928

(ii) 2010-11 The amount budgeted was R2,187,308 and spent was R788,631

(iii) 2011- 12 The amount budgeted was R1,500,000 and spent was R919,350

(iv) 2011- 12 The amount budgeted for the year is R2, 000,000 and spent July 2012 is R11, 000.

(b) Yes, SITA had budgeted for financial sponsorships for the years in question as follows:

(i) 2009 -10 The amount budgeted was R240,000 and spent was R225,145

(ii) 2010 - 11 The amount budgeted was RNIL and spent was RNIL

(iii) 2011 - 12 The amount budgeted was R12,000 and spent was R5,000

(iv) 2012 - 13 The amount budgeted was RNIL and spent was RNIL

SITA contribution to financial donations and sponsorships of charity initiatives is governed by its CSI (Corporate Social Investment) policy which supports overall economic growth and transformation of South Africa. SITA is committed to establishing relations that will uplift black communities through education, health and other social investment activities. In this context, SITA's primary CSI objectives are to:

(a) make a relevant and notable contribution to advancing digital inclusion through the use of ICT,

(b) and nurture a reputation among its stakeholders for being a caring organisation, instrumental in uplifting the poorest of the poor South Africans

Against the abovementioned backdrop, the guiding principles of the CSI policy include among others:

(a) Selecting initiatives that are to be supported shall be based on the extent to which the initiative contributes to the development of the ICT industry and/or support government development priorities;

(b) Implementing initiatives in consultation with community leaders to ensure support and to facilitate sustainability and self-sufficiency in the communities within which they are implemented;

(c) Implementing initiatives in partnership with the ICT industry and NGOs to ensure sustainability;

(d) Managing the impact of the company's relations with the community and environment shall be according to the ethical principles outlined in the SITA Code of Conduct; thereby supporting good corporate governance; and

(e) Involvement in CSI shall be done in a responsible and innovative manner which benefits both beneficiaries and SITA.

SITA funds CSI initiatives in the following key areas:

(a) Primary focus areas:

i) ICT related initiatives

ii) Education and training (skills development)

iii) Economic development (job creation & entrepreneurial development)

(b) Secondary focus areas:

i) Youth development

ii) Social development/welfare

iii) Health

iv) Conservation and environment

v) Arts, culture and sports

SITA donations and sponsorships of charity related initiatives is aligned to its Vision, Mission, Core Values and Strategic Goals which results in positioning SITA as a good corporate citizen, building SITA image and enhancing SITA brand; opportunity for generating new business and Stakeholder relationship building.

GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES MEDICAL SCHEME (GEMS)

GEMS's financial year and budget period is from 1 January to 31 December each year and therefore differs from the specific periods requested through the question. GEMS has a sponsorship and donation policy in place which was approved by the Board during 2011. The policy outlines to which stakeholders the Scheme may grant donations and sponsorships and to what extent (number of sponsorships and the quantum).

GEMS makes provision for sponsorships and donations each financial year. The budgeted amounts and respective actual expenditure for the 2010, 2011 and 2012 financial years are as follows:

(i) R 1,296,000 was budgeted for in 2010 with an actual expenditure of R 1,006,216.

(ii) R 1,360,800 was budgeted for in 2011 with an actual expenditure of R 1,293,122.

(iii) R 1,441,087 was budgeted for in 2012 with an actual expenditure of R 378,180 up to the end of July.

CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE INNOVATION (CPSI)

(a) The CPSI did not budget for financial donations or sponsorships in any of the financial years 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.

(aa) & (bb) Not applicable.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT ACADEMY (PALAMA)

PALAMA did not budget for financial donations or sponsorship in the aforementioned years.

Due to budgetary constraints, PALAMA has decided not make donations or sponsorships in monetary form to any initiatives outside its programmes.

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (PSC)

(a) The PSC did not budget for financial donations or sponsorships in any of the financial years 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13. The PSC does not make provision or make payments for financial donations or sponsorships on its budget, as it falls outside the scope of work of the PSC.

(aa) Not applicable.

(bb) Not applicable.

Reply received: July 2012

QUESTION NO.:1605

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 8 JUNE 2012

Mr T W Coetzee (DA) to ask the Minister of the Public Service and Administration:

Whether any traffic fines were incurred with regard to any of the official vehicles of the late Minister in the (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12 financial years; if so, what (i) amount in fines was incurred in respect of each specified vehicle in each specified financial year and (ii) are the further relevant details in each case? NW1934E

REPLY

(a) No

(b) No

(c) No

Reply received: July 2012

QUESTION NO.:1519

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 8 JUNE 2012

Mr A J Williams (ANC) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration: [ê112] [Question submitted for oral reply now placed for written reply because in excess of quota [Rule 108(8)]]

What progress has been made towards the (a) formalisation and (b) resourcing of Community Development Workers (CDWs)? NO1811E

REPLY

(a) Community Development Workers are a category of public servants, fully integrated into the public service, employed in permanent posts, mainly, at salary level 6. Their employment is regulated by the Public Service Act, 1994 (amended in 2007) and Public Service Regulations, 2001.They have a benchmarked job description approved by Minister for Public Service and Administration. A comprehensive Handbook for Community Development Workers was developed in 2007 to guide them to understand their roles and responsibilities within the public service.

(b) The function of Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) is to determine generic functions, roles and responsibilities for categories of public servants appointed in terms of the PSA, which includes CDWs. The relevant employing authority is thereafter responsible for determining and ensuring the type, nature, specification and availability of resources and tools of trade or any other enabling requirements for employees to perform optimally in line with their contextual needs and plans which may differ between sectors, as well as between provinces. Essentially, provinces are responsible for resourcing of CDWs to ensure that they execute their duties efficiently and effectively.

Reply received: August 2012

QUESTION NO.:1520

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 8 JUNE 2012

Ms M C Mohale (ANC) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

What monitoring tools are in place to ensure that employee assistance programmes (EAPs) are implemented to give effect to the legislative mandate of various departments regarding disability? NO1814E

REPLY

The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) is using a Systems Monitoring Tool (SMT) to ensure that Employee Assistant Programmes (EAPs) are implemented to give effect to the legislative mandates of various departments. The SMT assesses if there are systems in the national and provincial departments that will enable them to implement all the Employee Health and Wellness (EWH) policies and programmes including those for employees temporarily and permanently with disability. With this tool the DPSA is able to check the availability of procedures and criteria to prevent deviation from policy objectives and targets within Government departments.

With regard to Monitoring and Implementation, each of the objectives of the EHW has a policy, with a generic implementation guide and a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan with specific indicators of success for efficiency (inputs, processes and outputs) and those of effectiveness (outcome and impact) of implementation. These indicators are part of M & E framework for Employee Health and Wellness and all national and provincial departments are required to report against them including the interventions for employees with disability. For instance, the specific indicators for disability to be emphasised and reported against are those as a result occupational injuries and diseases (including musculoskeletal diseases); mental health, and other non-communicable diseases. The Employee Health and Wellness Chief Directorate monitors the implementation of EAP programmes and ensures that the outcomes of monitoring are implemented.

Reply received: July 2012

QUESTION NO.:1518

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 8 JUNE 2012

Mr A R Ainslie (ANC) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration: [ê104] [Question submitted for oral reply now placed for written reply because in excess of quota [Rule 108(8)]]

Whether she intends creating a centralised database of all public servants who are facing disciplinary proceedings as well as the outcomes of such proceedings to prevent public servants moving from one department to other departments to avoid sanction; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NO1802E

REPLY

Yes, the department has a fully-fledged centralised database where labour relations information, including disciplinary cases, is captured. The database contains details such as parties involved, the nature of the transgression, outcome of the disciplinary proceedings and any other salient particulars, for record purposes.

Reply received: June 2012

QUESTION NO.:1514

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 8 JUNE 2012

Mrs J C Moloi-Moropa (ANC) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) Whether she has found a decline in the observation of the Batho Pele principles in Government; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so,

(2) whether she intends to revive the Batho Pele principles; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, how? NW1795E

REPLY

I request the Honourable member to afford me an opportunity to gather information in this regard so that I could make my own analysis of the situation. I will therefore be able to provide a detailed analysis on this matter at a later stage.

I can assure the Honouarble member that professionalisation of the public service and observation the Batho Pele Principles by public servants will be amongst the key priorities in this portfolio, which I have been recently assigned.

Reply received: July 2012

QUESTION NO.:1512

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 8 JUNE 2012

Mr M C Manana (ANC) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) Whether she has found that the working environment in the Public Service is conducive for a person with disabilities to work there; if not, what are the main obstacles;

(2) whether she intends to put measures in place to overcome the specified obstacles; if not, why not; if so, what measures? NW1793E

REPLY

(1) Honourable member notwithstanding considerable achievements in this area, the challenges remain. The working environment in the Public Service is not at the level we would want it to be. The challenges which we continue to experience include:

· Access to buildings: lack of ramps, adequate signage, rails etc.

· Stigma

· Provision of assistive devices: despite tools that exist to address this, there is still lack of understanding hence the policy currently under development.

· Non allocation of specific budget for disability management: funds are often allocated for "special programmes" that include issues such as women, children, aged etc.

· Treating disability as a health issue rather than as a human rights issue.

(2) There are measures in place and we continue to explore new ways to improve the working environment for person with disabilities. For instance,

· The DPSA is currently finalising the policy on the Provision of Reasonable Accommodation and Assistive Devices, which will not only address the obstacles mentioned above, but will strengthen the interventions that were introduced previously, i.e. the Handbook on Reasonable Accommodation for People with Disabilities in the Public Service which was intended to: fast track the efforts of ensuring an inclusive Public Service, to restore human dignity, the inherent right to work, economic independence, and social justice.

· We launched the Job Access Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan on the Recruitment, Employment and Retention of Persons with Disabilities in the Public Service, which is intended to provide practical A – Z steps of dealing with disability issues.

· An accredited training course on Disability Management has been developed by DPSA in conjunction with PALAMA to build capacity of officials and this course was launched in December 2011 and piloted with the Department of Public Works. To supplement this course, an additional one day training programme for Senior Managers was also developed.

Reply received: July 2012

QUESTION 1505

Mrs N F Mathibela (ANC) to ask the Minister of Energy:

Which areas of focus has her department identified for inclusion in the programmes of the Revised Strategic Plan 2012-2015? NW1780E

Reply:

The Department of Energy did not change their main areas of focus in the programmes of the Revised Strategic Plan 2011/12-2015/6. The 2011/12-2015/6 Strategic Plan was revised in terms of –

· Further adaptation to Government's Outcomes Based Approach;

· Improved compliance with the requirements of the Framework for Strategic Plans and Annual Performance Plans;

· Illustrating the alignment of the Strategic Outcome Oriented Goals with the Delivery Agreements signed by the Minister;

· Listing the existing Strategic Objectives/Outputs that were not provided for in the original Strategic Plan; and

· Improving the Objective Statements to be more specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART).

The Revised Strategic Plan, therefore, still focuses on the following main areas of focus:

· Efficient and diverse energy mix for universal access within a transformed energy sector.

· Energy supply is secure and demand is well managed.

· Improved energy regulation and competition.

· An efficient, competitive and responsive energy infrastructure network.

· Environmental assets and natural resources protected and continually enhanced by cleaner energy technologies.

· Mitigation against, and adaptation to, the impacts of climate change.

Reply received: August 2012

QUESTION NO.:1496

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1 JUNE 2012

Mr L S Ngonyama (Cope) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) Whether she has put mechanisms in place to enable officials in all government departments and entities to disclose information of unlawful or corrupt conduct; if not, why not; if so, (a) how was the programme managed, (b) how many disclosures have been made in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 2011 and (c) what action was taken in each case with the information disclosed under the protection of the law;

(2) whether all of the persons who made disclosures were fully protected and unhindered in their occupation; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1775E

REPLY

(1) (a) The matter that the Honourable member is raising is crucial for rooting out corruption, managing conflict of interest in the public service and promoting a professional public service rooted on sound values that promote public integrity. We will be reviewing the instruments we have at our disposal with a view to make them more effective and where necessary introduce new measures. For now, the government is implementing the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Strategy to prevent and combat corruption. A comprehensive legislative framework which includes the Protected Disclosure Act (no. 26, 2000) (PDA) and the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (Act 12 of 2004) has been put in place. It also includes, amongst others, the development of an integrated anti-corruption strategy and the capacity to prevent and investigate corruption. In terms of the legislation, the following is applicable:

· The Protected Disclosure Act, no. 26, 2000 was passed to encourage employees in both the public and private sector to disclose information about unlawful and irregular behaviour in the work place.

· Section 34 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004, provides that "Any person who holds a position of authority and who knows or ought reasonable to have known or suspected that any other person has committed an offence of theft, fraud, extortion, forgery or uttering a forged document etc. should report such knowledge of suspicion to any police official".

In addition to the above legislation, the Code of Conduct for the Public Service requires every employee to report corruption to the appropriate authorities.

(b) During the last three financial years disclosures made to the NACH were as follows:

(i) 1419 cases

(ii) 1212 cases

(iii) 1121 cases

(c) The following achievements were made regarding the investigations of cases of alleged corruption through the NACH:

· A total of 1 273 officials were found guilty of misconduct related to corrupt activities. At the provincial level, a total of 600 officials were found guilty of misconduct related to corrupt activities whilst 673 officials were found guilty of misconduct for corrupt activities at national departments.

· A total of 226 officials were suspended and the cases are still pending.

The following are the types of sanctions that were taken against the officials that were charged and found guilty of misconduct:

o 603 officials were dismissed from the Public Service

o 134 officials were fined (e.g. not receiving three months salary)

o 16 officials were demoted

o 330 officials were given final written warnings

o 190 officials were prosecuted

The successful investigation of complaints reported to the NACH and Complaints Rules have resulted in the recovery of R120 million from the perpetrators by various departments.

(2) The PDA makes provision for procedures in terms of which employees in both the public and private sector who disclose information of unlawful or corrupt conduct are protected from occupational detriment. The Act sets out a clear and simple framework which includes the following:

· Providing strong protection for workers who raise concerns within their organizations.

· Reinforcing and protecting the right to report concerns to public protection agencies such as the Public Service Commission, Public Protector and Auditor-General.

· Protecting more general disclosure provided there is a valid reason for going wider and that the particular disclosure is a reasonable one.

Yes, all departments are implementing the provisions of the Act and the DPSA has not received any reports to the contrary.

Reply received: June 2012

QUESTION NO.:1470

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1 JUNE 2012

Mr M Swart (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) When was the current Director-General of her department appointed;

(2) whether the Director-General was appointed in a permanent capacity; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1747E

REPLY

(1) The Director-General for the Department of Public Service and Administration was appointed on 1 November 2011.

(2) The Director-General was transferred from the Public Service Commission and was appointed as an accounting officer for the Department of Public Service and Administration for the remainder of his contract, which expires on 31st December 2012.

Reply received: July 2012

QUESTION NO.:1252

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 18 MAY 2012

Mrs J D Kilian (Cope) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) (a) How many employees in her department from the post level of deputy director to director general who have been appointed on a (i) permanent and (ii) contract basis have (aa) been suspended on full salary pending investigations or disciplinary action for periods exceeding three months, (bb) resigned before the relevant investigations or disciplinary actions were concluded and (cc) were dismissed following due process and disciplinary hearings in the (aaa) 2009-10 and (bbb) 2010-11 financial years and (b) what is the total accumulated amount paid in salaries and benefits to the suspended persons during their period of suspension;

(2) whether criminal charges were laid by his department against any persons following investigations or disciplinary hearings where fraud or corruption was found to have taken place; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether, subsequent to findings of fraud and corruption, any amounts have been recovered in terms of the relevant provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999; if so, what total amounts; if not,

(4) how does she intend to comply with national legislation which was promulgated to prevent corrupt practices and compel authorities to report corrupt practices to law enforcement agencies;

(5) how many persons from the post level of deputy director general to director general have been found guilty of gross financial misconduct or negligence and dismissed? NW1448E

REPLY

(1) (aa) Zero

(bb) Zero

(cc) Zero

(dd) Zero

(aaa) Zero

(bbb) Zero

(2) & (3) Fall away

(4) If an act of corruption is suspected to have been committed, we are empowered by law to put an employee on precautionary suspension pending an investigation. If an employee commits misconduct that is also criminal in nature, the criminal procedure and the disciplinary procedure will continue as separate and different proceedings as required by the Public Service Disciplinary Code and Procedures and Chapter 7 of the SMS Handbook.

(5) Zero

Reply received: June 2012

QUESTIONS 1213 FOR WRITTEN REPLY

FRIDAY, 11 MAY 2012

1213. Mrs S V Kalyan (A) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

What amount has his department spent on (a) catering and (b) entertainment (i) in the (aa) 2007-08, (bb) 2008-09, (cc) 2009-10, (dd) 2010-11 and (ee) 2011-12 financial years and (ii) since 1 April 2012? NW1410E

The total spending in catering and entertainment in the various years are as follows:

a. Catering

(aa) R774,113 2007/08

(bb) R1,3 million 2008/09

(cc) R1,1 million 2009/10

(dd) R3,2 million 2010/11

(ee) R2,9 million 2011/12

(ii) R53,887 1 April 2012 to 14 May 2012

b. Entertainment

(aa) R586,492 2007/08

(bb) R513,595 2008/09

(cc) R273,167 2009/10

(dd) R236,198 2010/11

(ee) R45,308 2011/12

(ii) R1,505 1 April 2012 to 14 May 2012

Here is a table: http://www.pmg.org.za/files/questions/RNW1213-120601.pdf

Reply received: June 2012

QUESTION NO.:1189

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 11 MAY 2012

Mr G G Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

Whether he intends introducing legislation that will hold persons and groups accountable for damages they caused during service delivery protests; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1385E

REPLY

No. The matter raised by the Honourable member does not fall within the mandate of the Department Public Service and Administration.

Reply received: July 2012

QUESTION NO.:1102

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 4 MAY 2012

Mrs J F Terblanche (DA) to ask the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:

(1) (a) What are the (i) yearly rental and (ii) floor space of the (aa) current and (bb) previous premises occupied by his department's head office and (b) when (i) was the current building occupied and (ii) does the current lease expire;

(2) whether his department publicly invited tenders prior to the leasing of the current premises; if not, why not; if so, (a) when, (b) where was it published and (c) which (i) companies and (ii) properties were shortlisted;

(3) what (a) floor space was offered and (b) annual rental was tendered (i) by each shortlisted company and (ii) with regard to each shortlisted property? NW1290E

REPLY

(1) (a) (aa) Current premises

(i)The yearly rental for the current premises of the Department of the Public Service and Administration (DPSA) is R19 191 664.80.

(ii) 14000 square metres.

(bb) Previous premises

(i) The yearly rental was R357 787.26 in 2005.

(ii) 13.350 square metres.

(b) (i) The current building has been occupied since February 2006.

(ii) The lease expired in November 2011. Since then the agreement is extended on a monthly basis while the DPW is negotiating an extension of the lease.

(2) The current premises were obtained through the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the DPSA was not involved in the procurement process.

(3) Falls away.