Questions & Replies: Higher Education

2013-03-07

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Reply received: November 2013

QUESTION 2971

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25/10/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 35 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) (a) What is the exact nature of the Youth Employment Creation Programme, (b) how is the success of the programme measured and (c) what (i) criteria were used to identify the 180 youth and (ii) is the cost for each person on the programme;

(2) whether all 180 youth are still on the programme; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW3522E

REPLY:

1. (a) Three public Further Education and Training (FET) colleges are the delivery agents for

this programme where they are developing 180 unemployed youth from the Chris Hani and Amathole District Municipalities (Eastern Cape), and Bojanala District Municipality (North-West). They are being provided with construction skills training, both within the college and on school construction sites, integrated with businesses and entrepreneurship livelihoods training, with the intention of equipping these youth with the required skills to generate their own income after completing the programme.

(b) The success of the programme is measured by:

· The number of students who successfully complete the construction skills training programme in FET colleges, based on their assessment results according to the Construction Education and Training Authority and FET college certification standards;

· The number of students who are successfully placed on construction sites for workplace experience;

· The number of students who enter into employment or successfully establish a small business at the end of the programme; and

· The total number of students who are retained throughout the life of the project.

(c) (i) The Joint Education Trust (JET) Education Services worked with the assigned public

FET Colleges to identify learners suitable for the programme using the following criteria:

· Recruits had to be between the ages of 18 and 35 years;

· Resided in the selected District Municipality;

· Ideally, the qualifying youth would have completed matric with Mathematics and Science but this was not always possible. Some had completed part of a National Certificate (Vocational) [NC(V)] programme. Others had completed a NATED Level 4 or higher course; and

· Youth interested in starting his/her own small business using the skills acquired in building construction.

(ii) The cost per person is based on the FET college's fee structure. FET colleges are

paid for skills delivery, business skills and entrepreneurship training, project management and learner stipends. FET colleges receive approximately R71 000.00 per student over two years for the course, compared to R49 615.00 per annum per student for a NC(V) Civil course.

2. 171 Youth have been retained in the programme to date. This is a retention rate of 95% half way through the project. Of the 9 youth that have dropped out of the programme, 2 have found employment at Ikhala FET College, 2 have decided to follow different career path, i.e. nursing, and 5 have dropped out without any trace.

Reply received: November 2013

QUESTION 2966

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25/10/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 35 OF 2013)

Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether the SA Qualifications Authority (SAQA) has any linkages with the (a) Department of Home Affairs' immigration services, (b) universities' admissions departments and (c) professional bodies responsible for registering qualifications to authenticate qualifications; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW3517E

REPLY:

Yes, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) has linkages to authenticate qualifications with the Department of Home Affairs, universities' admission departments and professional bodies responsible for registering qualifications.

a) In terms of the Immigration Regulations of 2005, a SAQA Certificate of Evaluation is required as part of the application for a general and quota work permit. The Department of Home Affairs is represented by the Chief Director: Permits on the Foreign Qualifications Committee of the SAQA Board.

b) The SAQA Certificate of Evaluation is used by most universities in admission processes, especially at postgraduate level. Furthermore, Higher Education South Africa is provided with data of all candidates who have written the National Senior Certificate after results have been approved by Umalusi, the Quality Council for General and Further Education and Training, for access by public universities and university of technologies each year at the time of release of these results.

c) Some professional bodies consider the SAQA Certificate of Evaluation in the registration of professionals with foreign qualifications.

SAQA has an arrangement with the Department of Public Service and Administration to evaluate foreign qualifications of high level personnel, as well as the verification of qualifications of personnel employed or to be employed in the public service as per the directive issued by the Minister of Public Service and Administration.

I have requested SAQA to advise me on the measures required to ensure that persons found with fraudulent qualifications face consequences. This may include measures in terms of policy, regulations and legislation.

Reply received: November 2013

QUESTION 2964

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25/10/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 35 OF 2013)

Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether, with reference to his reply to question 3312 on 3 December 2012, any campaigns have been rolled out by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa (NSFAS) to reach out to former students who still need to claim for their refund; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so,

(2) (a) how many students (i) have been refunded and (ii) are still to be refunded and (b) what is the total amount that has been paid out?

NW3515E

REPLY:

(1) Yes, Short Messaging System (SMS) campaigns have been rolled out to reach former students who still need to claim their refunds. These campaigns were carried out during November 2011 and from August 2012 until January 2013.

(2) (a) (i) 13 341 Student debtors have been refunded.

(ii) 30 951 Student debtors still need to be refunded.

(b) As at 24 October 2013, a total amount of R37 730 920.29 had been paid out.

Reply received: November 2013

QUESTION 2921

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25/10/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 35 OF 2013)

Ms M R Shinn (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) How much has (a) his department and (b) each of the entities reporting to him spent on advertisements placed on the Africa News Network 7 (ANN7) news channel;

(2) were these advertisements placed through the Government Information and Communications System?

NW3472E

REPLY:

(1) The Department and its entities have not placed any advertisements on the Africa News Network 7 (ANN7) news channel.

(2) Not applicable.

Reply received: November 2013

QUESTION 2888

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25/10/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 35 OF 2013)

Mrs A Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) What amount has (a) his department and (b) each of the entities reporting to him spent on advertising (i) in The New Age newspaper and (ii) on its website between 1 December 2012 and 31 August 2013;

(2) were these advertisements placed through the Government Information and Communication System?

NW3439E

REPLY:

1. (a)(i) The Department has spent an amount of R930 014.28 mainly on the advertising of vacant posts in the New Age Newspaper between 1 December 2012 and 31 August 2013.

(ii) No advertisements were placed on The New Age newspaper's website.

(b)(i) CATHSSETA has spent R15 732.00 and SASSETA has spent R14 261.40 on

advertising in The New Age Newspaper between 1 December 2012 and

31 August 2013.

(ii) No advertisements were placed on The New Age newspaper's website.

No.

Reply received: November 2013

QUESTION 2870

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25/10/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 35 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) With reference to his reply to question 2198 on 7 October 2013, (a) which further education and training colleges (FET) in (i) Limpopo and (ii) the Eastern Cape are involved in the project offered by Jet Education Services (JES) to improve academic performance, (b) how many students are registered at each college and (c) which courses are offered at each college;

(2) (a) what is the nature of the services rendered by JES, (b) how is the success rate measured and (c) what has been the success rate at each college;

(3) whether, in each specified case, a business plan was presented to his department for approval; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(4) what criteria were used to determine that the services rendered by JES were unique and unusual that it justified being considered an unsolicited project;

(5) whether JES is the only company in the country that renders such services?

NW3420E

REPLY:

(1) The link attached shows http://www.pmg.org.za/rnw2870-13112province outlines the Further Education and Training (FET) colleges involved in the project offered by Jet Education Services (JES) to improve academic performance, the courses offered and total number of students registered at each FET college:

(2) (a) JES was appointed to manage the FET Colleges Improvement Project in the

Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces over 3 years. The Terms of Reference for the project requires Jet Education Services to work with FET colleges and provincial governments towards improving college performance. According to the project's Terms of Reference, JES will manage the implementation of the project and in particular:

(i) Carry out the necessary background investigations into the capacity gaps of the

colleges, including their programmes and operational audits; and

(ii) Prepare and implement a plan of action encompassing the following aspects:

· Establishing (or restoring) effective leadership and governance in the respective colleges;

· Improving lecturer competence and performance;

· Developing structured and relevant policies, strategies and procedures in regard to the roles and responsibilities of the council and management, student and staff support, and financial management;

· Developing and implementing a clear FET college monitoring, evaluation and reporting framework;

· Developing and implementing an Information Technology (IT) plan;

· Devising and implementing a clear staffing and student support plan; and

· Ensuring that the financial management systems and procedures are sound.

(b) Given the systemic nature of the many interventions implemented by JES, the link below provides an update on the work done thus far.

http://www.pmg.org.za/rnw2870-131112

Reply received: November 2013

QUESTION 2869

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25/10/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 35 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether his department held a Mandela Day event in QwaQwa this year; if so, (a) what was the purpose of the event, (b) where was the event held, (c) what was the cost of the event, (d)(i) who and (ii) how many persons attended the event and (e) who provided the services for the event;

(2) whether all tender procedures were followed; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW3419E

REPLY:

(1) (a) The purpose of the event was to provide information and advice on qualifications, post-school options and career choices to learners in order for them to make informed decisions about their future under the theme "Expanding Access and Success in Post –School Education and Training".

(b) The Event was held at Lere La Tshepe, a campus of the Maluti FET College in QwaQwa.

(c) The total cost of the event emanated to R6 231 185.30 of which the Department was responsible for R231 185.31.

(d) (i) The event was attended by learners from Grade 09 to Grade 12, Stakeholders i.e. the Big Five in career guidance, and Tertiary institutions in Free State i.e. Universities, FET Colleges, SETAs and neighbouring Provinces; House of Chiefs, Provincial Government i.e. Social Development, Home Affairs and GCIS.

(ii) 11 711 persons attended the event.

(e) Fennon Supply Services as the Project Manager provided the services for the event. However, because this was a joint venture; the office of the Premier, Provincial Department and local government also formed part of the planning team towards the success of the event.

(2) The event took place during the period that the Department cancelled its contract with the event's organiser company that was appointed through a tender process. As a result, the Department was not in a position to use the services of the company for this event, due to the legal process that was followed. Although detailed tenders could not be invited for the event, the Accounting Officer approved all processes in terms of the requirements of the Treasury Regulations and the procurement of all goods and services was in accordance with the required procedure.

Reply received: October 2013

QUESTION 2675

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 11/10/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 32 OF 2013)

Mr M A Mpontshane (IFP) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) (a) How many disciplinary cases are outstanding in his department and (b) what is the nature of each case;

(2) (a) how long have these cases been on-going and (b) when will most of them be concluded;

(3) whether the persons who are being charged have been suspended; if not, why not; if so, for how long will they be suspended;

(4) whether the specified persons are still receiving their salaries; if so, what is the total cost of their salaries to the State?

NW3166E

REPLY:

(1) (a)The Department does not have outstanding disciplinary cases.

(b) Not applicable

(2) (a) and (b) Not applicable

(3) Not applicable

(4) Not applicable

Reply received: October 2013

QUESTION 2639

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 11/10/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 32 OF 2013)

Adv L H Max (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether any performance bonuses were paid to employees in his department in the 2012-13 financial year; if so, what is the total (a) number of employees that received bonuses and (b) amount paid out by his department for these bonuses;

(2) what percentage of outputs were achieved by his department as measured against each target set in its Annual Performance Plan in the 2012-13 financial year?

NW3128E

REPLY:

1. Yes, performance bonuses were paid to all deserving employees on salary levels 2-12 for the 2012/13 performance cycle.

a) 317 employees received bonuses.

b) A total amount of R3 819 485 21.00 was paid out.

2. The 2012/13 Annual Performance Plan had a total of 107 planned targets:

· 62 (58%) targets were achieved;

· 33 (31%) targets were partially achieved; and

· 12 (11%) targets were not achieved.

Reply received: October 2013

QUESTION 2574

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 11/10/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 32 OF 2013)

Mrs D Robinson (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

How much has (a) his department and (b) each of the entities reporting to him spent on promotional events organised by The New Age newspaper between 1 September 2012 and 30 August 2013?

NW3061E

REPLY

1. (a) The Department has spent an amount of R21 392.10 on promotional events organised

by The New Age newspaper between 1 September 2012 and 30 August 2013.

(b) The Public Entities spent an amount of R144 990.50 on promotional events organised

by The New Age newspaper between 1 September 2012 and 30 August 2013.

Public Entity	Promotional Events	Amount
1. AGRISETA	Business briefing	R3 169.20
2. BANKSETA	Did not spend	-
3. CETA	Business briefing	R21 391.40
4. CHE	Did not spend	-
5. CHIETA	Business briefing	R7 131.00
6. EWSETA	Business briefing	R28 522.80
7. ETDP	Did not spend	-
8. FOODBEV	Business briefing	R2 376.90
9. HWSETA	Business briefing	R14 261.40
10. INSETA	Did not spend	-
11. MERSETA	Business briefing	R14 261.40
12. MQA	Business briefing	R3 961.50
13. NSF	Did not spend	-
14. NSFAS	Did not spend	-
15. QCTO	Did not spend	-
16. SASSETA	Business briefing	R14 261.40
17. SAQA	Business briefing	R14 261.40
18. SERVICES SETA	Business briefing	R14 261.40
19. TETA	Business briefing	R7 130.70
20. W&RSETA	Did not spend	-
TOTAL		R144 990.50

Reply received: October 2013

QUESTION 2465

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 20/09/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 30 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) How many certificates have been outstanding for three months or longer for students who have completed their studies for each (a) sector education and training authority (Seta) and (b) further education and training (FET) college as at (i) 1 September 2013 and (ii) the latest specified date for which information is available;

(2) what are the reasons why these certificates have not yet been issued?

NW2950E

REPLY:

1. (a) Outstanding certificates from Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs)

see attached link: http://www.pmg.org.za/rnw2465a-131022

SETA	1. (a) (i) Outstanding Certificates	2. Reasons
AGRISETA	200	· Some learners were not captured on the system. · Learners' details were incorrect such as Qualification details, surnames or names, ID numbers, etc.
CATHSSETA	17	· There are some outstanding information from service providers which resulted from the amalgamation of SETAs and transfer of functions.
CETA	697	· Learners in the past (2010 and 2011), were allowed to write a trade test while they did not meet the requirements, e.g. learners without the required level of educational qualifications and the required years of experience.
HWSETA	1 422	· Some learner information are still outstanding as the Training Provider has lost the endorsement forms and ID copies of learners.
LGSETA	130	· The training provider did not fully meet the Education and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) requirements. · Some supporting documentation from employers as per QCTO requirements for the endorsements of Trade Test certificates are still outstanding.
SASSETA	1 558	· Private training providers submitted incomplete learner achievement information and are delaying the verification of learner results. However, some learners were scheduled for certification at the end of September 2013.
SERVICES SETA	9 198	· Problems were experienced with the lT learner data system, as well as incomplete learner information from private training providers. · 1 089 require remediation by Training Providers in order for Services SETA to conduct Remedial External Moderation. · 3 484 are awaiting External Moderation. · 4 625 External Moderation Reports which was outsourced to Knowledge Quest are outstanding.
TETA	508	· Employers are slow in submitting the Service Letters and Learners highest qualifications. · TETA is capturing learnership agreements and addressing situations were learnership agreements are outstanding.

1 (b) and 2 As at 30 September 2013, 322 214 National Certificate Vocational levels two to four certificates have been issued, and a further 38 199 certificates are still to be issued. This figure can be broken down as follows:

- 16 602 certificates were initially not issued because public Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges owed certification fees to Umalusi. The Department has successfully intervened and ensured that Umalusi lifts the block on public FET College certificates, which are now being processed for release;

- 3 491 certificates have not been issued by Umalusi because of outstanding certification fees owed by private FET Colleges. The Department has contacted each of these institutions and following up to facilitate the settlement of outstanding certification debt and release of the certificates; and

- 18 106 certificates have not been processed due to data anomalies in the candidate's datasets. This is the actual backlog. The Department is in constant engagement with SITA to address these anomalies. SITA is also in the process of sourcing additional capacity to resolve this matter.

Reply received: October 2013

QUESTION 2464

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 20/09/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 30 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(a) What is the planned total budget for each of the 12 new further education and training colleges, (b) by when will each of these colleges be operational and (c) what plans are in place to (i) recruit and (ii) train sufficient lecturing staff for each new college?

NW2949E

REPLY:

(a) The total budget for the construction of twelve (12) new Further Education and Training (FET) college campuses and refurbishment of an existing two (2) campuses is R2.5 billion.

(b) All new and refurbished college campuses will be operational in 2014.

(c) (i) and (ii) Plans to recruit and train additional lecturing and administration staff for each of the new campuses will be intergrated into the existing college plans.

Reply received: September 2013

QUESTION 2275

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 28 OF 2013)

Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether he has been informed that Rhodes University in Grahamstown is shutting down as a result of operating without running water for days; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so,

(2) whether arrangements have been made for students who will be required to move back to their homes before the end of the university term; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

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

NW2707E

REPLY:

(1) Yes, I was informed that the executive management of Rhodes University was contemplating the temporary closure of the university due to the inability of the Makana Municipality to provide water for nine days to parts of the University. I have also raised this matter with the relevant Ministers at a national level in an attempt to address the situation. It should be noted that the university did not close, as measures were put in place to manage the situation. However, the water supply in Grahamstown remains precarious and of concern.

(2) Given the report from the university, no students were sent home.

(3) I will not be making a statement on the matter. The Department will be engaging the Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordinating Commission on this matter.

Reply received: September 2013

QUESTION 2201

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 28 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

How many (a) further education and training (FET) colleges and (b) sector education and training authorities (SETAs) have received qualified audits (i) in the (aa) 2010-11, (bb) 2011-12 and (cc) 2012-13 financial years and (ii) from 1 April 2013 up to the latest specified date for which information is available?

NW2619E

REPLY:

The table below responds to the questions above:

Financial Year	(a) Number of FET Colleges with qualified audits	(b) Number of SETAs with qualified audits
(i) (aa) 2010-11	7	1
(bb) 2011-12	10	4
(cc) 2012-13	Thus far 5 out of 32 FET Colleges have obtained a qualified audit opinion with 18 FET Colleges still in the process of finalising their audits.	6
(ii) From 1 April 2013 up to 23 August 2013	N/A	N/A

Reply received: September 2013

QUESTION 2200

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 28 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

How many (a) further education and training (FET) colleges and (b) sector education and training authorities (SETAs) have been placed under administration (i) in the (aa) 2010-11, (bb) 2011-12 and (cc) 2012-13 financial years and (ii) from 1 April 2013 up to the latest specified date for which information is available?

NW2618E

REPLY:

The table below responds to the questions above:

Financial Year	(a) Number of FET Colleges under administration	(b) Number of SETAs under administration
(i) (aa) 2010-11	0	2
(bb) 2011-12	3	2
(cc) 2012-13	8	3
(ii) From 1 April 2013 up to 23 August 2013	9	1

Reply received: September 2013

QUESTION 2199

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 28 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) (a) In which (i) towns and (ii) provinces will the 12 planned Further Education and Training (FET) college campuses be built in the (aa) 2013-14 and (bb) 2014-15 financial years and (b) what is the intended student capacity of each specified FET college;

(2) what criteria are applied in selecting locations for the new FET colleges?

NW2617E

REPLY:

(1) (a) The table below reflects the towns and provinces where the 12 planned Further Education and Training (FET) college campuses will be built in the 2013/14 financial year, as well as the intended student seating capacity for each college campus.

(i) Town	(ii) Province	FET College	(b) Seating Capacity
Giyani	Limpopo	Letaba	1 500
Thabazimbi		Waterberg	500
Balfour	Mpumalanga	Gert Sibande	750
Graaf-Reinet	Eastern Cape	Eastcape Midlands	500
Lusikisiki		Ingwe	1 500
Sterkspruit		Ikhala	1 000
Aliwal North			750
Msinga	KwaZulu-Natal	Umgungundlovu	1 000
Greytown			1 000
Mzimkhulu		Esayidi	1 000
Nkandla		Umfolozi	1 000
Bhambanana		Mthashana	1 500
TOTAL			11 000

(2) The Provincial Indices of Multiple Deprivation (PIMD) of South Africa (2006) was used to develop a shortlist of potential regions where new campuses could be constructed. Regions with inadequate access to FET opportunities were identified and prioritised based on factors such as:

· distance to the nearest FET college campus;

· availability of infrastructure that could be upgraded/expanded;

· rural location; and

· population profile.

Sites were thereafter identified in each of the regions based on accessibility, potential programme mix, suitability for construction and potential growth.

Reply received: September 2013

QUESTION 2197

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 28 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether he has found that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa (NSFAS) will be able to implement the new system in 2014; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether all higher education and training institutions are prepared to deal with the new NSFAS system; if not, why not?

NW2615E

REPLY:

(1) The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will be ready to implement the new system in 2014. The development of the system is scheduled for completion as planned at the end of September 2013 with system integration and user acceptance testing currently in progress. Testing will be completed in September 2013, leaving adequate time for any adjustments that may be required before the system is introduced as a pilot in the 2014 academic year. Staff training is simultaneously taking place on the new application processes, administration of loans and bursaries, financial management, business intelligence, enterprise content management and reporting systems.

(2) All higher education and training institutions are being prepared to deal with the new NSFAS system. The pilot phase in 2014 will involve seven universities, including the two new universities in Mpumalanga and Northern Cape, and five Further Education and Training (FET) colleges. These institutions are currently working with NSFAS to prepare for the implementation of the new system in the 2014 academic year. The new system will be implemented incrementally in 2014 for second semester students at FET colleges and universities, as well as third trimester students at FET colleges. The next phase of the implementation plan will be in 2015 aligned to the introduction of the Central Application Process for admissions by the Department.

Reply received: September 2013

QUESTION 2196

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 28 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether the administrator who was appointed at the Walter Sisulu University has achieved any of the recommendations made by the independent assessor; if not, (a) why not and (b) which recommendations have not been achieved; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW2614E

REPLY:

On 30 October 2011, I appointed Professor Louren Van Staden as the Administrator for Walter Sisulu University (WSU). The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has received and assessed the quarterly progress reports submitted by the Administrator. Significant strides have been made towards achieving the goals set out in the Terms of Reference as elaborated below:

1. To take over the authority of the Council of Walter Sisulu University for an initial period not exceeding 24 months.

Progress

The Council was dissolved through voluntary resignation and the Administrator has effectively taken over the authority of the Council.

2. To take over the management of the university and steer the university back to operational and financial viability. This will include the strengthening of structures, systems and policies that will ensure good governance and the restoration of the culture of teaching and learning at the university.

Progress

The Administrator dissolved the Executive Management Committee and effectively took over the management of the university. The Administrator has made significant progress in strengthening the management structures, systems and policies of the university. A turn around framework that deals with issues such as auditing, finances, human resources, academic enterprise and change management has been compiled and submitted to the Department.

3. To assess the impact of the merger and whether there has been a financial shortfall in this regard, taking into account the funds invested by the DHET during the mergers.

Progress

This study was completed and a comprehensive report which includes financial challenges pre and post-merger was submitted to the Department in September 2012.

4. To manage the challenges regarding the harmonisation of different staff structures.

Progress

The Administrator reported that a significant injection of R34.3 million is required to manage the challenges regarding the harmonisation of different staff structures. Guidelines on the harmonisation of conditions of service are being finalised with labour unions.

5. To develop a workable governance model for a multi-campus university taking into account the numerous challenges and inefficiencies that may have been created.

Progress

A draft model has been conceptualized, developed and embedded into the new WSU statute. In terms of its vision and mission, WSU will be a unified university and integrated across all delivery terrains including Information Technology (IT) and communication, geographic accessibility with an approved mix of viable programmes and qualifications.

6. To introduce short-term and long-term measures to reduce the institution's bank overdrafts.

Progress

Financial stability has been achieved in the short-term with all creditors paid, staff salaries secured, backlogs cleared and a break-even budget was tabled for 2013. WSU has no bank overdrafts and this goal was achieved during the first year of the Administration period.

7. To initiate the appointment of a new Council at WSU, including the establishment of necessary Council sub-committees, the drafting and submission of a new statute for the university to the Minister of Higher Education and Training.

Progress

The new draft statute has been submitted to the Department and the process of appointing the new Council will be initiated after I have approved the new statute.

8. To determine with a view to increasing different revenue streams of the university, including government grants, student fees and other possible revenue sources.

Progress

Revenue streams have been assessed and a number of interventions such as small student fee increases, cost-savings in many operational areas and on-going data cleansing exercise to improve information management systems and data have resulted in an improved revenue stream for WSU. A new resource allocation strategy is currently being undertaken to create a scientific basis for funding and embedding financial sustainability for each campus based on financial viability, socio-economic relevance and quality. A feasibility study to motivate for extraordinary funding has been concluded and submitted to the Department.

9. Conduct a detailed analysis of, and report on the academic project which should include the planning processes followed, systems put into place to ensure academic quality including the viability and sustainability of the current programme offerings, projected student enrolments in relation to infrastructure, staffing capacity and student support that will ensure an improved throughput rate.

Progress

The Higher Education Quality Committee Institutional Audit Improvement Plan resulting from the Institutional Audit undertaken in April 2011 has been integrated into the Turnaround Projects. Faculty reviews and development of relevant curricula shared in and between faculties and programmes are under review. The resource allocation strategy takes into account the projected enrolments, infrastructure, staffing capacity and student support when allocating physical, financial and human resources thus creating a scientific, justifiable allocation across the four campuses and faculties.

10. Review and improve the academic integrity and relevancy of the university's programmes and qualifications and if appropriate design a new academic structure.

Progress

A consolidated Programme Qualification Mix has been approved by the Department and measures to phase out or recurriculate and have programmes approved under the Higher Education Qualifications Framework have been taken.

11. To implement initiatives to restore governance, operations, viable systems and processes in the areas listed below.

a. Finance: Adequacy of internal control systems, financial planning, budgeting, financial management, reporting, and student financial aid.

Progress

Significant progress has been made in implementing internal control systems with the result that some staff members have since been subjected to disciplinary hearings and dismissals. The tabling of a break-even budget of over R1 billion in 2013 has been achieved and the 2010 and 2011 WSU audits were cleaned up and verified. Control over expenditure has been achieved through cost saving and cost reductions. Proper controls over ring fenced funds have been instituted. A historic analysis was conducted to assess the need for additional funding. The asset register was re-compiled, a building inventory and valuation has been conducted to conform to International Accounting Standards. A complete overhaul of the student loan system has resulted in a more fair and equitable distribution of student finance. Legislative issues have been brought up to date, e.g. Income Tax, PAYE, VAT, etc.

b. Human Resources (HR): Adequacy of internal control systems, HR planning and management.

Progress

An induction programme for WSU staff has been developed. The HR department business processes, policies and reporting framework have been reviewed and preparatory discussions held on a revised HR structure. All 2 000 staff members and their qualifications have been audited and verified, policies and job descriptions have been reviewed, and payroll costs have been reviewed and benchmarked nationally. A skills audit has been performed.

c. Governance: Proper functioning of Council and Council Committees, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

Progress

See point 5 above.

d. Information Technology (IT): IT infrastructure, operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Progress

An Information Communication Technology (ICT) strategic plan has been developed, new servers have been installed, new information management software introduced and new computer hardware for management information systems have been purchased.

e. Academic Enterprise: Academic structures, improving academic quality.

Progress

See points 9 and 10 above.

f. Students: Proper functioning of student governance, student affairs administration.

Progress

The leadership of the Student Representative Council (SRC) was disbanded and its constitution suspended. A new SRC constitution was developed and the first legitimate SRC elections in two years were successfully held in 2012. Capacity building has been done and student affairs policies were reviewed.

Reply received: October 2013

QUESTION 2198

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 28 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether his department has awarded contracts to Jet Education Services (JES); if so, (a) how many and (b) in each case, (i) when, (ii) what (aa) is the contract period and (bb)(aaa) was the initial contract value and (bbb) is the adjusted contract value and (iii) what (aa) were the initial targets, (bb) are the adjusted targets, (cc) is the start and end date for each target and (dd) targets have been achieved;

(2) whether each specified contract had been put out to tender; if so, in each case, (a) when was it advertised and (b) what procedural steps were followed to allocate the tender;

(3) were the procurement processes fully complied with in each case?

NW2616E

REPLY:

(1) (a) The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has awarded two contracts to Jet Education Services (JES)

Name of the project	(i) Date awarded	(ii) (aa) Contract period	(bb) (aaa) Initial contract value	(bbb) Adjusted contract value	(iii) (aa) Initial targets	(bb) Adjusted targets	(cc) Start and end date per target	(dd) Targets achieved
1. Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges Improvement Project	September 2011	23 Sept 2011 - 31 Aug 2014	R81 328 299	None	Increasing the academic performance of FET Colleges in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces	None	23 Sept 2011 - 31 Aug 2014	Project is still in progress
2. The School Infrastructure Development and Youth Employment Creation Programme	April 2012	13 April 2012 - 30 Sept 2014	R21 128 850	None	Developing 180 unemployed youth from Chris Hani District Municipality Queenstown Region and Bojanala District Municipality	None	13 April 2012 - 30 Sept 2014	180 Unemployed youth being developed

(2) The FET Colleges Improvement Project was initially awarded by the National Skills Fund (NSF) as an unsolicited project and subsequently taken over by the Department whereas the Infrastructure Development and Youth Employment Creation Programme project remained with the NSF after being awarded as an unsolicited project. The NSF is involved in grant allocation processes for skills development and does not apply conventional Supply Chain Management processes.

(3) All the requirements of the NSF's Strategic Framework and Criteria for the allocation of funds (2011 to 2016) in the awarding of unsolicited projects were met.

Reply received: September 2013

QUESTION 2050

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 16/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 27 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) What are the future plans for the National Institute for Higher Education (NIHE) in Mpumalanga once the Mpumalanga University is in operation;

(2) Whether the staff of the Mpumalanga NIHE have been informed of what their future positions are; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW2472E

REPLY:

(1) The role of the National Institute for Higher Education in Mpumalanga (NIHE-MP) is currently being evaluated. A consultative meeting between the Department of Higher Education and Training, NIHE-MP's Board and Executive Management was convened in January 2013 to discuss the establishment of the new university and its possible impact on the Institute. The Board was requested to consider possible scenarios going forward and provide the Department with an assessment of its views on the possible future role that NIHE-MP could play within the changing landscape of higher education provision in the province once the university is established. NIHE-MP's report and proposal was submitted to the Department and further engagement with NIHE-MP will be carried out once the evaluation is completed.

(2) It was jointly agreed that the Board and its Executive Management would ensure that NIHE staff are kept informed of developments as it unfolds.

Reply received: September 2013

QUESTION 2131

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 16/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 27 OF 2013)

Mr K J Mileham (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether any staff member in his department (a) performed work in addition to the responsibilities related to his or her work, outside normal working hours, in the (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10, (iii) 2010-11, (iv) 2011-12 and (v) 2012-13 financial years and (b) has been performing such work during the period 1 April 2013 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, how is it determined whether such work is being performed or not; if so, in each case, (aa) how many staff members and (bb) in what job or work categories are the specified staff members employed;

(2) whether approval for such work was obtained in each case; if not, what are the relevant details; if so, (a) what is the policy of his department in this regard, (b) by whom are such applications considered and approved, (c) how many contraventions of this policy were brought to the attention of his department in the (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13 financial years and (d) what steps have been taken against transgressors?

NW2553E

REPLY:

(1) (a) (i) 2008-09: Not applicable as the Department was only established in 2010.

(ii) 2009-10: Not applicable as the Department was only established in 2010.

(iii) 2010-11: None.

(iv) 2011-12: None.

(v) 2012-13: Three officials.

(b) Not applicable

(aa) Three officials

(bb) Personal Assistant, Senior Housekeeping Supervisor and Senior Administration

Clerk.

(2) No approval to perform work outside the Public Service was requested.

(a) The Departmental policy is clear in that all officials need to obtain approval from the Executing Authority before performing work outside the Public Service.

(b) Director-General.

(c) (i) 2010-11: None.

(ii) 2011-12: None.

(iii) 2012-13: Three officials.

(d) Written warnings have been issued to the three officials concerned. Should the officials transgress again, final written warnings will be issued.

Reply received: August 2013

QUESTION 2098

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 16/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 27 OF 2013)

Mr S C Motau (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(a) Does his department prepare quarterly interim financial statements and (b) are these statements considered by the Audit Committee?

NW2520E

REPLY:

a) Yes, the Department of Higher Education and Training does prepare Interim Annual Financial Statements and submits them to the National Treasury.

b) The Interim Financial Statements are submitted to the Audit Committee for notification.

Reply received: August 2013

QUESTION 2051

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 16/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 27 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether any amounts of the R2,5 billion infrastructure grant have been allocated to further education and training colleges in Limpopo; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW2473E

REPLY:

The R2.5 billion infrastructure grant will ensure that twelve new Further Education and Training (FET) College campuses are constructed in four rural provinces. Two of these campuses will be in the Limpopo province linked to the Letaba and Waterberg FET Colleges.

The Letaba FET College campus will be located within the Greater Giyani municipal area and the Waterberg FET College campus will be located within the Thabazimbi municipal area.

Reply received: August 2013

QUESTION 2049

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 16/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 27 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether a disciplinary hearing was instituted in 2012 into the actions of a certain campus head (details furnished) for an alleged assault of a staff member; if so, what was the finding of the disciplinary hearing;

(2) Was the finding of the disciplinary hearing implemented; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW2471E

REPLY:

(1) A disciplinary hearing was instituted on 14 November 2011 and concluded on 29 November 2011 with a sanction of dismissal.

(2) A letter of dismissal was issued on 6 December 2011 which resulted in the Campus Manager appealing the outcome of the disciplinary hearing to the College Council.

The College Council set aside the presiding officer's sanction and the Campus Manager was re-instated under the following conditions:

· A final written warning be issued to him;

· A two notch downward salary adjustment for a period of six months from the date of resumption of duties;

· Submits a written explanation and unconditional apology to the female employee he assaulted; and

· Commits in writing to the Principal that he would comply with College regulations and adhere to legitimate instructions from his supervisors.

Reply received: October 2013

QUESTION 1940

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 02/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 24 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether all public institutions for higher education have (a) disability policies and (b) policies that deal with staff becoming disabled, specifying disability benefits and processes; if not, what are the relevant details?

NW2289E

REPLY:

(a) All 23 public universities have disability policies except for the two new universities, i.e. University of Mpumalanga and Sol Plaatje University. The establishment of these two new universities were only gazetted in August 2013 and they will be developing systems and processes to guide their operations and management, including policies on disability.

(b) Disability benefits are provided through the Human Resources Department of universities and forms part of the staff member's risk contribution towards various universities' retirement funds.

Contributions provide for two types of insurance benefits:

· Disability income continuation and rehabilitation insurance; and

· A lump sum insurance benefit for permanent disability.

The disability income insurance insures the beneficiary's earned income against the risk that a disability creates a barrier for a staff member to complete the core functions of their work, e.g. the inability to focus or maintain composure as with psychological disorders or an injury, illness or condition that causes physical impairment or incapacity to work. Disabled refers to not being able to continue with their everyday job as a university employee due to injury or illness. This can be temporary in nature where an individual is unable to work for a few months or permanent in nature where an individual's chances of a quick recovery are slim. In the event of a permanent disability, a lump sum payment is made to the staff member as part of their benefit.

In all instances, the Human Resources Department at the various universities deals with these matters and once notified of possible claims, they ensure that the necessary documentation is provided to the insurer in order for the claims to be processed. The Human Resources Department also advises on accommodation in the workplace whilst these claims are being assessed.

Reply received: August 2013

QUESTION 1939

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 02/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 24 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

1) Whether the migration process of Further Education and Training colleges from provincial education departments to his department has been finalised; if so, what are the relevant details; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will the process be completed;

2) whether he has found that the fact that the process has not yet been completed has had a negative effect on the staff (a) morale and (b) complement at colleges?

NW2288E

REPLY:

1. (a) The migration process of Further Education and Training (FET) colleges from a

provincial competence to that of a national competence is proceeding as planned with the first phase involving the transfer of Principals and Deputy Principals being completed.

(b) The required legislative amendments to allow for the shift of function have been effected. The transfer of Principals and Deputy Principals, i.e. management staff of FET Colleges, took effect from 1 April 2013. Concurrently, the secondment of provincial officials who render support services to public FET Colleges took effect from 1 April 2013. This secondment is a precursor to the eventual transfer of this category of staff. The transfer and secondment of these two categories of personnel effectively places colleges under the direct oversight of the Department of Higher Education and Training.

The process of transferring lecturers and support staff will be finalised through the collective agreements of the bargaining units in the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) and General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council (GPSSBC). Draft collective agreements for the transfer of lecturers and support staff have been tabled in the ELRC, GPSSBC and Further Education and Training Colleges Bargaining Unit (FETCBU) respectively.

The targeted date for the completion of the migration is 1 April 2014.

2 (a) and (b) The migration plan and all related activities have been communicated to all key stakeholders at the start of the process and as such the Department is confident that there would not be any adverse effects on the morale and complement of the college staff.

Reply received: August 2013

QUESTION 1938

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 02/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 24 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

1) Whether the terms of the councils of the Further Education and Training (FET) colleges that expired in 2012 have been extended; if so, what are the relevant details; if not, why not,

2) whether he has put interim measures in place in the absence of councils; if so, what (a) measures and (b) are the further relevant details?

NW2287E

REPLY:

1) No. College Councils whose terms of office have expired in 2012 have not been extended. The process of appointing College Councils in seven provinces is underway. The verification of credentials of the recommended College Council members in four provinces, i.e. Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal has been concluded and letters to effect these appointments are being proccesed.

Advertisements for the nomination of College Council members in three provinces, i.e. Northern Cape, North West and Gauteng have been placed and applications are being processed.

2) Colleges are being supported by the Department and outgoing College Councils.

Reply received: August 2013

QUESTION 1911

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 02/08/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 24 OF 2013)

Mr S Mokgalapa (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What was the (a) make, (b) model, (c) year, (d) purpose, (e) date and/or dates, (f) financial cost and (g) sum total of kilometres driven in respect of each vehicle hired for use by (i) him and (ii) the Deputy Minister since 1 January 2012?

NW2260E

REPLY:

	(a) and (b) Make and Model	(c) Year	(d) Purpose	(e) Date	(f) Financial Cost	(g) Total Kilometres
Minister	· BMW 3 series · BMW 528i · Mercedes Benz - C180 · Mercedes Benz - C200 · Mercedes Benz - E 300 · Mercedes Benz - E Class · Mercedes Benz - S Class	Information not provided on documentation of rental companies	Performing official duties of the Department throughout the country	Period: 1 January 2012 to 30 June 2013	R212 843	20 609 km
Deputy Minister	· AUDI A6 · AUDI Q7 · BMW X3 · BMW X5 · Hyundai iX35 2GL · Land Rover- OVDI 5 · Mercedes Benz - BES3 · Mercedes Benz - C180 · Mercedes Benz - E300 · Mercedes Benz - E500 · Mercedes Benz - E Class	Information not provided on documentation of rental companies	Performing official duties of the Department throughout the country	Period: 1 January 2012 to 30 June 2013	R199 871	16 711 km

Reply received: August 2013

QUESTION 1850

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26/07/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 23 OF 2013)

Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:†

(1) Why were the results of the subject Electrical Trade Theory (P11041872) which was written on 15 March 2013 at Techron Training College, Witbank, only made available in July 2013 while the results of the other subject Engineering Science N2, which was written on the same day, were already published earlier;

(2) (a) why have the results for the remark of (i) Electrical Trade Theory, written in April 2012, (ii) Electrical Trade Theory, written in August 2012, and (iii) Engineering Science N3, written in August 2012, not yet been published and (b) when will they be made available;

(3) why is the period of marking taking so long, while the application forms for the remark state that it takes only 3 weeks to complete the process;

(4) (a) why do such incidents occur at all and (b) what is the extent of this trend;

(5) what steps will he be taking to address this problem?

NW2202E

REPLY:

(1) The Electrical Trade Theory N2 examination was written on 25 March 2013 and not on 15 March 2013 as indicated. In conducting and administering this examination, anomalies were detected which required investigations to be undertaken thereby delaying the release of these results. The results were subsequently confirmed to be credible and published on 15 July 2013.

(2) (a) (i) The Department has released all the re-marking results of the April 2012 (first

trimester) Electrical Trade Theory examinations to FET colleges which administered

their candidates' applications.

(ii) The Department has released all the results of the August 2012 (second trimester)

Electrical Trade Theory examinations to FET colleges which administered their candidates' applications.

(iii) The Department has released all the results of the August 2012 (second trimester)

Engineering Science N3 examinations to FET colleges which administered their

candidates' applications.

(b) Not applicable

(3) The re-marking process takes approximately three weeks to complete after the closing date for applications.

(4) (a) There are instances where there are delays in the payment of the re-marking fees by

candidates or the provision of term marks necessary for the calculation of the final mark. Results are also withheld in order to ascertain the credibility of certain subject's results if there have been alleged incidents of examination irregularities or abnormal trends in the performance of students are detected during the marking process.

(b) Re-marking results are released to individual FET colleges which administered their candidates' re-marking applications. Non-payment of re-marking fees by candidates and/or colleges are often the cause of the delays in the release of results.

The Department has implemented the following measures to ensure that the credibility of the examination system is upheld and to ensure the timeous release of results:

(i) Intensifying on site monitoring of examinations.

(ii) Bolstering of security measures.

(iii) Collaboration with the South African Police Services on investigating examination related illegal incidents.

(iv) Shortened delivery timelines of question papers to centres.

Furthermore, the Department will ensure that candidates and colleges understand their roles and the impact of non-payment of re-marking examination fees.

Reply received: August 2013

QUESTION 1826

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26/07/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 23 OF 2013)

Ms E More (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) How many consultants has his department contracted and/or appointed (a) in the (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12 and (iv) 2012-13 financial years and (b) since 1 April 2013;

(2) how many consultants contracted and/or appointed by his department (a) in the (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12 and (iv) 2012-13 financial years and (b) since 1 April 2013 are former officials of his department and/or former public servants?

NW2174E

REPLY:

Financial year	1. Number of consultants appointed	2. Number of consultants who are former employees of DHET
(a) (i) 2009/10	None	None
(ii) 2010/11	2	1
(iii) 2011/12	1	None
(iv) 2012/13	1	None
(b) Since April 2013	7	None

Reply received: August 2013

QUESTION 1793

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 26/07/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 23 OF 2013)

Dr S M van Dyk (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What (a) buildings under the administration of (i) his department and (ii) entities reporting to him are national key points and (b) criteria were used to classify them as such?

NW2140E

REPLY:

a) (i) None

(ii) None

b) Not Applicable

Reply received: August 2013

QUESTION 1759

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26/07/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 23 OF 2013)

Mr S Mokgalapa (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What is the (a) make, (b) model, (c) year and (d) purchase price of each vehicle that was bought for official use by (i) him and (ii) the Deputy Minister since 1 January 2012?

NW2106E

REPLY:

The Department of Higher Education and Training did not purchase any vehicles for the Minister and/or Deputy Minister since 1 January 2012.

Reply received: July 2013

QUESTION 1662

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 21/06/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 22 OF 2013)

Mr P J Groenewald (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) How many doctorates have been awarded at each university in each separate year since 2000;

(2) How many of the dissertations of these awarded doctorates were in each individual official language at each university in each year since 2000;

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

NW2008E

REPLY:

1. The table below reflects the number of doctorates awarded by each university since 2000. 2012 data is not yet available as it is still in the process of being audited.

Number of doctorate graduates from 2000 to 2011.

Institution	2000		2001	2002	2003	2004		2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Cape Peninsula University of Technology	_		2	5	5	2		6	6	10	13	12	11	13
Central University of Technology, Free State	3		1	4	7	7		6	6	11	5	4	3	5
Durban University of Technology	_		2	1	3	3		4	4	5	3	5	12	14
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University	11		27	23	28	35		30	25	35	47	39	64	59
North West University	51		59	59	92	87		82	110	124	100	123	129	115
Rhodes University	28		24	41	27	40		31	46	48	27	32	44	57
Tshwane University of Technology	2		8	9	5	9		12	19	12	13	25	22	28
University of Cape Town	104		86	109	103	99		182	133	142	151	178	160	163
University of Fort Hare	3		2	2	3	2		1	9	10	11	34	36	44
University of Johannesburg	89		65	70	92	95		88	73	75	73	70	51	68
University of KwaZulu-Natal	70		92	98	135	98		98	108	106	136	159	163	154
University of Limpopo	6		4	4	10	20		15	12	17	14	17	10	17
University of Pretoria	114		135	153	146	187		192	148	170	180	196	188	206
University of South Africa	221		121	68	76	96		92	81	78	67	71	55	93
University of Stellenbosch	83		103	111	112	115		126	102	153	120	139	174	150
University of the Free State	59		50	78	84	58		65	60	77	55	78	100	107
University of Venda	_		1		3	3		3		6	2	4	9	9
University of Western Cape	20		22	15	27	23		35	28	41	42	47	60	80
University of Witwatersrand	81		79	97	73	93		101	98	134	106	124	106	169
University of Zululand	17		14	21	12	31		18	31	20	13	21	19	19
Vaal University of Technology	_		_	1	3	2		2	1	_	2	2	4	2
Walter Sisulu University	1		_	2	1	_		_	_	_	2	_	1	4
Vista University	10		3	14	5	_		_	_	_	_	_	_	_
Total	973		900	985	1052	1105		1189	1100	1274	1182	1380	1421	1576

2. Institutions are not required to report the language of the dissertation to the Department

3. I will not be making a statement in this regard.

Reply received: July 2013

QUESTION 1496

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 14/06/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 21 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

1. (a) Who was appointed as chief financial officer (CFO) for the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA) after it was put under administration and (b) what (i) process was followed in making the appointment, (ii) is the duration of the contract and (iii) is the total cost of the contract;

2. (a) how many times has the said CFO been dismissed from (i) national or (ii) provincial departments and (b) in each case, what (aa) position did he hold and (bb) were the reasons for his dismissals?

NW1839E

REPLY:

1. (a) The Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA) has not appointed a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Subsequent to the appointment of the Administrator and assessment of the challenges, Nkonki Incorporated was appointed to provide a range of finance functions to LGSETA. The team consists of eight individuals with Mr J Mbawuli fulfilling the role as acting Chief Financial Officer.

(b) (i) Section 16A6.4 of the Public Finance Management Act.

(ii) Nkonki Incorporated has been appointed for six months.

(iii) R3 387 988.80

2. (a) (i) N/A

(ii) Mr Mbawuli resigned from the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development.

(b) (aa) (i) N/A

(ii) Chief Financial Officer

(bb) (i) N/A

(ii) N/A

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1495

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 14/06/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 21 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether, with reference to the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA) after it was placed under administration, he intends to provide a list of all (a) staff members that held accounting positions who have been disciplined for fraud-related offences, (b) civil matters currently in progress and (c) complaints levelled against the SSETA to the (i) South African Qualifications Authority, (ii) Presidential hotline and (iii) Public Protector?

NW1838E

REPLY:

(a) All staff members implicated in fraud-related offences resigned before the Services SETA was placed under Administration. The Administrator has laid fraud related criminal charges against the Chief Executive Officer and six previous staff members.

(b) The list of civil matters is as follows:

1. M & I Consultants / SSETA

2. N Naicker / SSETA

3. Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs / SSETA x 3 cases

4. KLM Empowered Solutions / SSETA

5. Lifelong Learning & Education / SSETA

6. Bryanlee Publishers / SSETA

All these cases are at different stages of investigation and/or prosecution.

(c) Complaints levelled against the SSETA in relation to:

(i) South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)

One complaint against DITASA which affects 8 learners who are still waiting for their artisan certificates as a consequence for the need for remediation to be concluded before learners can be certified.

(ii) Presidential hotline

Seventy eight complaints were lodged in relation to artisan certificates. Sixty four complaints were resolved and 14 complaints require remediation to be concluded before learners can be certified.

(iii) Public Protector

None.

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1415

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 07/06/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 20 OF 2013)

Mrs M Wenger (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What amount did his department spend on (a) promotional items and (b) cocktail receptions on the occasion of his 2013 Budget Vote debate?

NW1757E

REPLY:

(a) R67 849.30

(b) R134 727.50

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1391

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 07/06/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 20 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) How many (a) foreign consultants and (b) foreign citizens have been appointed to the Services Sector Education and Training Authority since it was put under administration;

(2) what were the reasons for not appointing a local supplier in each case?

NW1733E

REPLY:

(1) (a) and (b) No foreign consultants and/or citizens were appointed to the Services Sector Education and Training Authority since it was placed under administration.

(2) Not applicable.

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1390

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 07/06/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 20 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(a) How many appointments were made to the legal team of the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA) since it was put under administration and (b) what were the results of the (i) disclosure of insolvency and (ii) vetting of membership of the (aa) advocates and (bb) attorneys to the relevant law society or bar association in each case?

NW1732E

REPLY:

(a) One appointment.

(b) (i) No disclosure was made.

(ii) (aa) No advocates were appointed.

(bb) An enquiry was made with the Law Society of South Africa in respect of the

SSETA's Head of Legal Services, Mr. X Majija, and the response indicated that he was listed as a non-active member and non-practicing attorney.

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1354

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 24/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 17 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What are the details of the (a) appointment process and (b) persons involved in the appointment of a certain person (name furnished) at the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA)?

NW1684E

REPLY:

(a) Four candidates, i.e. Mr A Joseph, Mr X Majija, Ms E Peete and Ms E Schonfeldt, were shortlisted and interviewed. Panel members posed eight questions covering behavioural and technical aspects to each candidate. In addition, candidates were also assessed on their background information, communication abilities and impact made. Candidates were also given an opportunity to pose questions to the panel at the end of their interview.

The panel recommended the appointment of Mr Xolile Majija as he had achieved the highest overall score. Mr Majija also underwent a psychometric assessment which confirmed that he met the requirements and was suited for the position. The candidate accepted the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA) employment offer and commenced working as the Manager for Legal Services on 23 July 2012.

(b) The panel comprised of the following members:

· Mr S Gumede - Human Resource Manager

· Ms S Shangase - Human Resource Officer

· Ms M Koetaan - Union Representative

· Mr L Mabece - SSETA Legal Advisor

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1353

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 31/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 19 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Has an investigation been undertaken to determine the extent in which (a) staff and (b) consultants of the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA) have (i) direct or (ii) indirect ownership in training providers and/or organisations that have received allocations after the period that the SSETA was placed under administration; if so, what are the findings of the investigation?

NW1683E

REPLY:

A forensic investigation was initiated by the Administrator.

(a) The findings of the forensic investigation indicated that one staff member had a direct and/or indirect ownership in a service provider that was utilised by the Services Sector Education and Training Authority.

(b) Not applicable.

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1352

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 31/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 19 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

How many learners are currently waiting for certificates for more than three months from the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA)?

NW1682E

REPLY:

There are 1 869 certificates that are still outstanding from the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA). A task team consisting of representatives from the SSETA and Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has been established to address irregular industry practices, challenges of outstanding, lost or misplaced documents which are hindering the process of issuing outstanding certificates.

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1323

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 31/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 19 OF 2013)

Mr M Mnqasela (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether (a) he, (b) his deputy minister, (c) any specified officials and (d) any other persons have been issued with a government or official credit card (i) in the (aa) 2011-12 and (bb) 2012-13 financial years and (ii) since 1 April 2013; if so, in each instance, what is the (aaa)(aaaa) name and (bbbb) job title of each person to whom a credit card was issued, (bbb) credit limit, (ccc) outstanding amount as at the latest specified date for which information is available, (ddd) monthly expenses incurred for each month since receiving the credit card, (eee) reason for such a person being issued with a credit card and (fff) uses that such a credit card is intended for;

(2) whether the credit limit of any specified credit card was exceeded at any time since it was issued; if so, (a) whose credit cards are over the limit and (b) what is the reason for the credit card exceeding the limit?

NW1653E

REPLY:

1) (a) No

(b) No

(c) No

2) Not applicable

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1260

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 24/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 17 OF 2013)

Mr D A Kganare (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) (a) How many (i) potential students were declined opportunities to study at medical universities since 1 January 2004 and (ii) of these students were diverted to alternative courses;

(2) how many of (a) the students who were admitted to study at medical universities since 1 January 2004 were from rural areas and (b) these students were assisted by his department with bursaries and scholarships?

NW1507E

REPLY:

(1) There is no tracking mechanism for applications that are declined and diverted to other courses. This information is currently not available on a national or institutional level but will be available once the Central Application Service (CAS) is fully implemented and operational.

(2) (a) Statistics on enrolments in medical programmes at universities are available for the

eight medical schools as tabulated below. However, information on how many of these students are from rural areas is currently not collected and will only become available once the CAS system is fully implemented.

Table 1: Total Headcount Enrolment for MBCHB Students
Institution	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
University of Cape Town	1071	1107	1143	1142	1152	1179	1200	1187
University of the Free State	707	666	680	676	634	638	655	669
University of KwaZulu-Natal	1166	1184	1074	1069	1084	1087	1086	1094
University of Limpopo	1451	1399	1247	1180	1135	1160	1259	1255
University of Pretoria	1263	1285	1288	1306	1322	1352	1372	1398
University of Stellenbosch	1062	1082	1105	1130	1188	1048	1244	1323
Walter Sisulu University	501	476	501	507	511	506	528	542
University of Witwatersrand	1278	1284	1230	1241	1269	1328	1364	1303
Total	8499	8483	8268	8251	8295	8298	8708	8771

(b) Bursaries and scholarships for medical studies are funded through the provincial Departments of Heath. However, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) does provide study loans to academically deserving and financially needy students who wish to study at higher education institutions through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. In addition, the National Skills Fund (NSF) provides bursaries to students studying in scarce skills programmes including medical programmes. The information on how many students from rural areas receiving loans and bursaries is not currently collected. A total of 10 057 students studying programmes in the medical field at the eight medical schools have been supported through loans and bursaries. The table below shows the number of students at these institutions who have been assisted with loans and bursaries from 2005 – 2012:

Table 2: Number of students who were assisted with loans and bursaries, 2005-2012

Year	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	Total
DHET loans	1 565	1 575	1 336	1 153	1 079	982	1 111	923	9 724
NSF bursaries	-	-	-	-	3	101	23	206	333
Total	1 565	1 575	1 336	1 153	1 082	1 083	1 134	1 129	10 057

Reply received: May 2013

QUESTION 1226

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 24/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 17 OF 2013)

Mr S C Motau (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What amount has his department spent on (a) catering and (b) entertainment in the (i) 2012-13 financial year and (ii) since 1 April 2013?

NW1472E

REPLY:

(a) (i) R5 471 000

(ii) R748 544

(b) (i) R50 000

(ii) R9 412

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1213

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 24/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 17 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether his department has instituted any investigations regarding the chief executive officer of a certain further education and training (FET) college (name furnished); if so, what is the basis for the investigation;

(2) whether a report has been compiled; if not, why not; if so, what were the findings of the report;

(3) Whether he will make the report available?

NW1459E

PS: The name furnished referred to in this question is Capricorn FET College.

REPLY:

(1) Yes, the investigation relates to the remuneration of coordinators which is disproportionate to the volume of work being conducted.

(2) The report has not been finalised as the investigation is still on-going.

(3) The decision on releasing the report will be made once the report has been submitted.

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1212

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 24/05/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 17 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether the Department of Higher Education and Training has any control measures in place to determine whether private further education and training (FET) colleges that have registered with the Department (a) have sound financial control and (b) are providing quality training, if not, why not, if so what are the relevant details?

NW1458E

REPLY:

Yes, there are control measures in place to determine whether private Further Education and Training (FET) colleges that are registered with the Department have sound financial control measures and are providing quality training.

a) Private institutions are required to submit audited annual financial statements together with an Auditor's report as part of the registration process. Auditors must have been registered with the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA). The Department considers the opinion expressed in the Auditor's report and evaluates the financial statements to determine both the financial viability and level of financial controls of an applicant. Depending on the outcome of the evaluation, an applicant is either granted or denied registration as a private FET college. To ensure that financial viability and controls remain sound even after registration, registered FET colleges are required to annually submit audited financial statements together with an Auditors' report. If upon evaluation of the audited annual financial statements a college is found not to be financially viable and/or lacking financial controls, the due process of de-registering the college will commence.

b) The Department has been working with Umalusi, as the Quality Council for General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance, to ensure that registered private FET colleges provide quality education and training. Before the Department registers an education institution as a private FET college, Umalusi subjects the applicant to its rigorous quality assurance process to ascertain if the institution has the requisite ability and resources to provide and sustain quality education and training. Umalusi thereafter issues an accreditation report in this regard to the Department for consideration in order to finalise the institution's application. In addition, the Department has embarked on site monitoring visits of registered private FET colleges to assess the quality of academic activities.

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1200

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 24/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 17 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) How many (a) international and (b) domestic flights were undertaken at the cost of the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA) during the period that it was placed under administration;

(2) with regard to each specified flight, what (a) was the class of travel, (b) amount was spent, (c) was the purpose of the travel and (d) organisations were met with by the officials?

NW1446E

REPLY:

(1) (a) 23 International flights were undertaken during April 2011 and April 2013.

(b) 2 567 Domestic flights were undertaken during April 2011 and March 2013.

(2) The information on class of travel and amounts spent is tabulated below:

(a) Class	(b) Amount
INTERNATIONAL
Economy	R353 610
Business	R1 093 325
DOMESTIC
Economy	R3 174 700
Business	R784 321

(c) The purpose of visits varies and is as follows:

· World Skills Competition

· Chartered Institute for Payroll Professionals Annual Payroll Conference

· Professional Qualifications Committee of the European Marketing Confederation (EMC) meeting

· Global Alliance for Project Performance Standard Conference

· Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council Bilateral meeting

· EMC General Assembly

· Apprentice Seminar

· Beauty World Competition

· Study tour

(d) The organisations visited vary and include, amongst others the following:

· World Skills Organisation (London)

· World Skills America (America)

· Hackney University

· Hackney College

· Hamk University

· Blackburn College

· Zimbabwe visit by DTI and SSETA

· EMC General Assembly

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1199

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 24/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 17 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What were the (a) total salary packages and (b) related benefits of all staff (i) before and (ii) after the period that the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA) was placed under administration?

NW1445E

REPLY:

Period of Administration	(a) Total salary package	(b) Related benefits of staff
		Medical Aid	Pension
(i) Before	R4 828 727.00 (inclusive of benefits) R4 176 145.00 (exclusive of benefits)	R347 306.00	R305 276.00
(ii) During and after	R5 647 995.00 (inclusive of benefits) R4 832 668.00 (exclusive of benefits)	R391 728.00	R423 599.00

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1198

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 24/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 17 OF 2013)

Dr L L Bosman (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA) contracted consultants during the period that it was placed under administration; if so, (a) which consultants were contracted and (b) what is the (i) purpose, (ii) value and (iii) duration of each specified contract?

NW1444E

REPLY:

Yes, Services Sector Education and Training (SSETA) Authority contracted consultants during the period that it was placed under administration.

(a) Name of Consultant	(b) (i) Purpose	(ii) Value	(iii) Duration of contract
			Start	End
Afrika Sentinel Compliance Services	Provision of legal advisory services and statutory compliance guidance	R4 875 000	1 April 2011	30 June 2013
Aptus Integrated Solutions (Pty) Ltd	· Revision of remuneration and benefits system · Development of a remuneration structure and policies and guidelines · Provision of market remuneration data	R1 409 777	22 December 2011	27 February 2013
Duja Consulting/Net Mzantsi	· Provision of IT consulting services · Diagnosing IT Risks · IT Security · Payroll · Overall compliance with sound information management systems	R1 572 000	1 April 2012	31 March 2013
Centre for Education Policy Development	Improve research capacity in line with needs of the organisation and sector	R7 983 288	1 November 2011	30 November 2013
Moruni Mb Inc. T/A Anf	Legislative compliance	R8 110 066	8 August 2011	31 March 2013
Deloitte Consulting	Detailed report on the 'AS IS' in the Supply Chain Department	R11 234 663	15 March 2012	30 May 2013
Bowman Gilfillan Inc.	Forensic audit in the Artisans and Levies Departments	R2 060 334	1 March 2012	30 June 2013
The Kingmaker	Media relations consultant dealing with media releases, storytelling and media interviews inter alia	R547 200	1 February 2013	30 July 2013
Mzabalazo Advisory (MAS)	Support services for various divisions related to the implementation of the new Service Delivery Model, including the Project Management approach adopted	R3 334 500	1 January 2013	30 June 2013
Shaya Consulting	Review of IT systems and recommendations of effective and efficient systems	R343 000	24 October 2011	24 January 2012
Lungisa Projects Consultants	Organizational redesign	R485 000	1 September 2011	31 January 2012
Oresego Consultancy	Public relations and communication service audit	R250 000	12 July 2011	17 January 2012
Sekhutha HR Solutions	Provision of human resource management services	R660 000	25 July 2011	31 January 2012
Nexus Forensic Services	Forensic audit service	R286 000	1 January 2012	31 March 2012
Hleza Management Services	Review of labour matters	R32 370	1 September 2011	30 September 2011
Itembelihle Consulting	Employment Equity Plan	R203 200	1 September 2011	31 December 2011

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1177

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 17/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 16 OF 2013)

Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What progress has he made in working with (a) further education and training (FET) colleges, (b) universities, (c) training institutions in the private sector and (d) sector education and training authorities (SETAs) to provide the required training programmes for the skills needs of the green economy?

NW1421E

REPLY:

The Department and its public entities are making progress in addressing the skills needs for the green economy. Public entities are at various levels of implementation based on their operational and strategic exigencies and skills priorities of their respective sectors.

(a) Further Education and Training (FET) colleges

FET colleges are implementing ICT programmes which serves as enablers in greening the economy. Some of the FET colleges have entered into collaborative agreements with Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) which will accelerate the identification of skills needs and address green economy skills requirements.

Efforts to introduce green skills in FET colleges are already under way through the initiatives supported by the German donor skills development agency, GIZ:

· The development of a new subject, Renewable Energies which will be offered in 2015 as an optional subject in the NC(V) programme "Electrical Infrastructure Construction" in FET colleges;

· The development of learning materials by German technical experts, such as the construction of portable learning kits in solar, hydro and wind energies, has begun. These will be made available to all FET colleges offering the Renewable Energies subject;

· Lecturer training in Renewable Energies (RE) which began in 2012 will continue into 2013, involving fourteen FET colleges in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, and Western Cape. This will include training sessions in Germany within specialised RE training organisations; and

· The 'Greening of Colleges' pilot project which was launched early in May 2013 and aims to establish FET colleges as green environments based on international best practices in seven FET colleges, i.e. Port Elizabeth, Buffalo City, Ikhala, Boland, Northlink, Central Johannesburg and Umfolozi.

(b) Universities

Some universities have entered into collaborative agreements with SETAs to identify the skills needs for the green economy and enhance curriculum and qualifications development. Universities have also incorporated elements of the green economy into existing engineering programmes, whilst some have applied to the Department for approval of new programmes in renewable energies. The Central University of Technology (CUT) has thus far received approval for a Higher Certificate in Renewable Energy Technologies; Diploma in Sustainable Energy; and Bachelor of Sciences in Hydrology and Water Management. The application by the Durban University of Technology (DUT) for a Bachelor Degree: Engineering Technology in Power Engineering is still pending.

(c) Training institutions in the private sector

Some of the training institutions in the private sector have also made technological advances through interventions such as systems support and development programmes in order to address the skills needs for the green economy.

(d) Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs)

Some SETAs in conjunction with the Quality Council of Trade and Occupations (QCTO) have already developed qualifications which include green economy. Such qualifications include environmental education, environmental sustainability and social risk programmes.

Furthermore, the skills needs for the green economy lies high on the research agenda of SETAs. SETAs envisage conducting research that will inform their Sector Skills Plans (SSPs) and assist in identifying and developing the skills for green occupations. The research findings will also be used to inform curriculum and qualifications development processes.

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1175

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 17/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 16 OF 2013)

Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What progress has been made by his department with regard to the Green Economy Accord commitments to expand training programmes linked to the skills needs of the green economy?

NW1419E

REPLY:

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has entered into a contractual agreement with Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) to establish the South African Renewable Energies Training Centre (SARETC) in Bellville with an allocation of R105 578 322 from the National Skills Fund.

SARETC was established in 2012 as a national centre of excellence for the development of skills for the green economy. The objective of the project is to ensure that appropriate state of the art infrastructure and equipment are available for training in the renewable energy industry. Funding includes operational funding for three years, after which it is envisaged that the project will become self-sustainable in serving the needs of the renewable energy industry and provide a tangible contact point to access research capacity for the country and sub-continent.

Specific deliverables for the project include:

· training of learners and development of higher level qualifications for Wind Turbine Technicians, Solar Photo Voltaic Technicians, and Solar Thermal Technicians;

· CPUT intends offering an Advanced Diploma in Renewable Energy; and

· Technical courses in Micro-Hydro, Bio-Gas and Ocean Energy will also be offered as part of other higher level and research programmes.

The project has already started within an existing building. A new site has been identified, architectural concepts have been developed, and some lecturers have already received training in Germany. In August 2013, 15 South Africans comprising of Further Education and Training (FET) colleges and University of Technologies lecturers will be attending a "Train the Trainer" course in Germany for two weeks to ensure that South Africa's skills development in the sector conforms to the stringent European Union requirements as stipulated by investors.

As a result of this commitment shown by the South African government, Nordex, a wind turbine manufacturing company in Hamburg has donated a fully functional 1.5 Kilowatt wind turbine to the project that will be utilised for training purposes.

FET COLLEGES

FET colleges are implementing ICT programmes which serve as enablers in greening the economy. Some of the FET colleges have entered into collaborative agreements with Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) which will accelerate the identification of skills needs and address green economy skills requirements.

Efforts to introduce green skills in FET colleges are already under way through the initiatives supported by the German donor skills development agency, GIZ:

· The development of a new subject, Renewable Energies which will be offered in 2015 as an optional subject in the NC(V) programme "Electrical Infrastructure Construction" in FET colleges;

· The development of learning materials by German technical experts, such as the construction of portable learning kits in solar, hydro and wind energies, has begun. These will be made available to all FET colleges offering the Renewable Energies subject;

· Lecturer training in Renewable Energies (RE) which began in 2012 will continue into 2013, involving fourteen FET colleges in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, and Western Cape. This will include training sessions in Germany within specialised RE training organisations; and

· The 'Greening of Colleges' pilot project which was launched early in May 2013 and aims to establish FET colleges as green environments based on international best practices in seven FET colleges, i.e. Port Elizabeth, Buffalo City, Ikhala, Boland, Northlink, Central Johannesburg and Umfolozi, .

UNIVERSITIES

Some universities have entered into collaborative agreements with SETAs to identify the skills needs for the green economy and enhance curriculum and qualifications development. Universities have also incorporated elements of the green economy into existing engineering programmes, whilst some have applied to the Department for approval of new programmes in renewable energies. The Central University of Technology (CUT) has thus far received approval for a Higher Certificate in Renewable Energy Technologies; Diploma in Sustainable Energy; and Bachelor of Sciences in Hydrology and Water Management. The application by the Durban University of Technology (DUT) for a Bachelor Degree: Engineering Technology in Power Engineering is still pending.

SETAs

Some SETAs in conjunction with the Quality Council of Trade and Occupations (QCTO) have already developed qualifications which include the green economy. Such qualifications include environmental education, environmental sustainability and social risk programmes.

Furthermore, the skills need for the green economy lies high on the research agenda of SETAs. SETAs envisage conducting research that will inform their Sector Skills Plans (SSPs) and assist in identifying and developing the skills for green occupations. The research findings will also be used to inform curriculum and qualifications development processes.

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1174

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 17/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 16 OF 2013)

Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether he or his department has convened a meeting of stakeholders to quantify the skills required over the next five years in respect of the Green Economy Accord commitment; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW1418E

REPLY:

Yes, I convened the National Skills Conference in October 2011. One of the objectives was to engage with skills development stakeholders and social partners on the crucial issues of skills for the green economy. It was noted that alignment to the green economy is critical and it will bring about new demands in training and skills development.

To support the development of skills for the green economy, The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has entered into a contractual agreement with Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) to establish the South African Renewable Energies Training Centre (SARETC) in Bellville with an allocation of R105 578 322 from the National Skills Fund.

SARETC once established, will have the appropriate state of the art infrastructure and equipment to ensure effective training for the renewable energy industry. The funding includes operational funding for three years, after which it is envisaged that centre will become self-sustainable in serving the needs of the renewable energy industry. It will also serve as a tangible contact point to access research capacity for the country and the sub-continent.

Specific deliverables for the project include:

· training of learners and development of higher level qualifications for Wind Turbine Technicians, Solar Photo Voltaic Technicians, and Solar Thermal Technicians;

· CPUT intends offering an Advanced Diploma in Renewable Energy; and

· technical courses in Micro-Hydro, Bio-Gas and Ocean Energy will also be offered as part of other higher level and research programmes.

The project has already commenced within an existing building. A new site has been identified, architectural concepts have been developed and some lecturers have already received training in Germany. In August 2013, 15 South Africans comprising of Further Education and Training (FET) colleges and University of Technology lecturers will be attending a "Train the Trainer" course in Germany for two weeks to ensure that South Africa's skills development in the sector conforms to the stringent European Union requirements as stipulated by investors.

Some of the interventions include green economy awareness training of the Eastern Cape Province Skills Development Forum, government officials, FET college staff, representatives from business and labour, and study tours to Germany which is a leading country in skills development for the green economy. FET colleges in the Eastern Cape province will be rolling out skills programmes aligned to green economy A workshop on green skills was held on 15 May 2013 in Uitenhage which focussed on assessing progress in the implementation of the provincial capacity building plan and to identify priorities for 2013. Progress reported thus far includes:

· 100 Youth have been trained through the Build Skills programme for the Green Economy; and

· R12 million has been allocated to Port Elizabeth FET College for green skills training.

In addition, GIZ is working with EWSETA and MERSETA on skills development for green jobs, including the development of relevant curricula.

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1123

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 17/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 16 OF 2013)

Dr S M van Dyk (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(a) What total amount has (i) his department and (ii) each specified entity reporting to him spent on conferences in the (aa) 2009-10, (bb) 2010-11, (cc) 2011-12 and (dd) 2012-13 financial years and (b) what (i) amount was spent on, and (ii) is the breakdown of the expenditure for, each specified conference?

NW1356E

REPLY:

(a) (i) None.

(ii) According to the information at the disposal of the Department, public entities spent the following amounts on conferences:

(aa) 2009/10: R12 825 046

(bb) 2010/11: R12 779 832

(cc) 2011/12: R11 405 933

(dd) 2012/13: R17 261 259

(b) The breakdown of the expenditure is tabulated below:

BREAKDOWN	2009/10	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13
Number of conferences	21	16	19	26
	R'000	R'000	R'000	R'000
Conference costs	12 825 046	12 779 832	11 405 933	17 261 259
Average cost per conference	610 716	798 740	600 312	663 895

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 1091

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 17/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 16 OF 2013)

Mr S B Farrow (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) What total amounts has (a) his department and (b) each specified entity reporting to him spent on (i) print and (ii) broadcast advertising in the (aa) 2009-10, (bb) 2010-11, (cc) 2011-12 and (dd) 2012-13 financial years;

(2) in each case, (a)(i) by which radio or television station were the advertisements broadcast and (ii) in which newspapers were the advertisements published in the (aa) 2009-10, (bb) 2010-11, (cc) 2011-12 and (dd) 2012-13 financial years and (b) at what cost in each specified case?

NW1324E

REPLY:

(1)(a) The Department spent the following amounts on print and broadcasting advertising:

(aa) 2009/10: Not applicable

(bb) 2010/11: R303 044

(cc) 2011/12: R99 585

(dd) 2012/13: R478 777

(b) According to the information at the disposal of the Department, public entities spent the

following amounts on print and broadcasting advertising:

(aa) 2009/10: R12 734 897

(bb) 2010/11: R11 556 254

(cc) 2011/12: R13 424 809

(dd) 2012/13: R19 214 233

(2) (a) The Department did not utilise radio or television stations for broadcasting from voted

funds. The following amounts were spent on various print media houses:

(b) (aa) 2009/10: Not applicable

(bb) 2010/11: R8 550

(cc) 2011/12: R3 530 054

(dd) 2012/13: R4 543 013

According to the information at the disposal of the Department, the following amounts were spent by public entities on broadcasting and media houses:

(aa) 2009/10: R7 275 026

(bb) 2010/11: R3 766 726

(cc) 2011/12: R3 534 903

(dd) 2012/13: R4 176 736

The following are media houses or newspapers used:

· Avusa (Sunday Times and Sunday World)

· Media 24 (Rapport and Beeld)

· Government Printing Works (Government Gazette)

· Sowetan

· The Star

· Financial Mail

· Engineering News

Reply received: May 2013

QUESTION 969

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 10/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 15 OF 2013)

Mr G G Boinamo (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Since 1 January 2011, how many applications under the Promotion of Access to Information Act, Act 2 of 2000, were received by (a) his department and (b) entities reporting to him, and in each case, how many were (i) granted, (ii) refused and (iii) deemed refused under section 27;

(2) Since 1 January 2011, how many internal appeals under the Act were received by (a) his department and (b) entities reporting to him, and in each case, how many were (i) granted, (ii) refused and (iii) deemed refused under section 77(7);

(3) Who is the information officer for (a) his department and (b) each entity reporting to him, and in each case, what are the contact details of the officer?

NW1192E

REPLY:

1. The Department and its entities have received the following number of applications in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, Act 2 of 2000:

(a) (i) 8

(ii) 1

(iii) The 3 applications deemed refused were granted and sent by email to the applicants by the Information Officer within the specified time period. However, the applicants alleged that they did not receive the decisions of the Information Officer in time and lodged 3 appeals despite the fact that the applications were granted by the Information Officer. All 3 appeals were upheld and the applications were granted in line with the decisions of the Information Officer.

(b) (i) 10

(ii) 5

(iii) None

2. The Department received the following number of internal appeals under the Act:

(a) (i) 3

(ii) None

(iii) None

(b) None of the entities have received internal appeals.

N.B: It should be noted that during the 2011/12 financial year, the Department of Higher Education and Training received the "Golden Key Award" as the best National Department for outstanding work in putting the necessary mechanisms in place to promote openness and responsiveness by the Human Rights Commission.

3. The table attached responds to question 3 above

Reply received: June 2013

QUESTION 947

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF QUESTION PAPER: 10/05/2013

(QUESTION PAPER 15 OF 2013)

Mr A P van der Westhuizen (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

1) With reference to his reply to question 2256 on 10 September 2012, (a) what remedial action has he undertaken with regard to the different finding indicated in his reply and the finding indicated in the Teta Board media statement;

2) was the chief executive officer of Teta subjected to a formal disciplinary process; if not, why not; if so,

3) what were the (a) charges and (b) findings?

NW1169E

REPLY:

1) There was no contradiction in my response to question 2256 on 10 September 2012 and the Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) media statement of 30 August 2012 which both indicated that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) had been suspended. However, the outcome of a subsequent urgent application to the Labour Court on 7 September 2012 which set aside the suspension was only brought to my attention after the tabling of the written reply to the question.

2) Yes, the disciplinary process was commenced but was adjourned pending the outcome of an independent review process.

3) (a) Charges

(i) Non-compliance with Supply Chain Management policies and procedures in respect of the appointment of a service provider.

(ii) Non-compliance with Human Resources Management policies and procedures in respect of the appointment of a staff member.

(b) The disciplinary matter has been referred to an independent review process which will make recommendations to the TETA Board on this matter.

Reply received: May 2013

QUESTION 767

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19/04/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 12 OF 2013)

Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

How many further education and training colleges have received funding for either new buildings or refurbishments from his department in each financial year since 2010?

NW978E

REPLY:

In the 2010/11 financial year, 26 Further Education and Training (FET) colleges received a total allocation of R162.3 million for the refurbishment of existing buildings.

In the 2011/12 financial year, 15 FET colleges received a total allocation of R108 million for the refurbishment of existing buildings.

In the 2012/13 financial year, 13 FET colleges received a total allocation of R197.7 million for the refurbishment of existing buildings.

Reply received: May 2013

QUESTION 719

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19/04/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 12 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

1. Whether the Central Application Clearing House (CACH) has been outsourced; if so, which company was awarded the contract;

2. whether the specified contract was put out to tender; if so, what are the relevant details;

3. what is the (a) duration and (b) cost of the contract;

4. whether the specified contract includes the Central Application System?

NW925E

REPLY:

1. Yes, the Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) was outsourced to iChoices – Call Centre Outsourcing.

2. A request for proposals, under reference DHET 018 was issued on 29 November 2012 with service providers being invited to provide a contract call centre for the Department of Higher Education and Training. The Department received 5 proposals of which only three were considered as they had met the requirements.

3. (a) 2 January 2013 – 30 April 2013

(b) R5 914 377.00

4. This contract did not include the Central Application System (CAS). CAS is currently in the planning phase and the Department has not awarded any contract or tender in relation to this service.

Reply received: May 2013

QUESTION 718

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19/04/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 12 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What (a) was the amount and (b) were the reasons for the unspent funding of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa (NSFAS) at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University?

NW924E

REPLY:

(a) R172 235 510.00 was allocated to Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University of which R56 200.00 was unspent.

(b) The R56 200.00 in unspent funds lies under the Department of Basic Education's (DBE) Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme. NSFAS is responsible for the distribution of these funds and not for the selection of beneficiaries. However, to ensure full utilisation of all funds, NSFAS and DBE have established a task team that meets on a quarterly basis to ensure that funds meant for student bursaries are fully utilized. DBE has allowed the unutilised Funza Lushaka funds to be rolled over into the next academic year.

Reply received: May 2013

QUESTION 678

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19/04/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 12 OF 2013)

Mr N J J van R Koornhof (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether his department intends to pilot a programme for the development of debating at university level, similar to other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries; if not, why not?

NW833E

REPLY:

The Department of Higher Education and Training has no intention of introducing a national debating programme at a university level as all universities through their student affairs run various inter-institutional development programmes whereby students are encouraged to participate in these activities, which includes sports, choir festivals, political conferences and other relevant recreational activities. With respect to debating, South African universities have organised the National University Debating Championships for the past 17 years, with the 17^th Championship being held at the University of Limpopo in 2012. Our universities also participate in the Pan African Universities Debating Championships, an annual intervarsity event which started in 2008. The 5^th Championship was hosted by the Tshwane University of Technology in December 2012 where three South African universities were amongst the four finalists. The championship was won by two students from the University of Cape Town. This Championship has been hosted in the past by other countries such as Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Reply received: May 2013

QUESTION 659

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 28/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 10 OF 2013)

Dr C P Mulder (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:†

1. How many (a) applications for undergraduate medical studies were received (i) in (aa) 2009, (bb) 2010, (cc) 2011 and (dd) 2012 and (ii) since 1 January 2013 by each university and (b) of these applications were from (i) black, (ii) white, (iii) brown and (iv) Indian persons respectively;

2. how many (a) of the persons who applied for undergraduate medical studies were refused admission and (b) of these rejected applications were received from (i) black, (ii) white, (iii) brown and (iv) Indian persons in each specified year;

3. (a) how many positions available for medical studies at each university offering medical studies were not filled (i) in (aa) 2009, (bb) 2010, (cc) 2011 and (dd) 2012 and (ii) since 1 January 2013 and (b) what is the reason for this;

4. how many (a) black, (b) white, (c) brown and (d) Indian students (i) aborted their studies and (ii) received a medical degree in each specified year at each university offering medical studies?

NW819E

REPLY:

The information provided represents institutional data submitted to the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) and does not contain information from individual institutions prior to 2013. All institutions provided information, i.e. Universities of Pretoria (UP), Witwatersrand (Wits), Limpopo (UL), KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Free State (UFS), Cape Town (UCT), Stellenbosch (SUN), and Walter Sisulu (WSU).

1. (a) The following numbers of applications were received for undergraduate medical studies

from 2009 until 2013:

(i) (aa) 16 135

(bb) 19 828

(cc) 23 031

(dd) 28 092

(ii) 30 186

(b) Table 1 below shows the numbers of applications received for undergraduate medical studies in 2009 until 2013 per race.

Table 1: Undergraduate medical applications

Year	(i) African	(ii) Coloured	(iii) Asian	(iv) White	(v) Unknown
2009	9 187	939	2 635	3 325	49
2010	11 769	982	3 124	3 715	238
2011	14 115	1 131	3 304	4 029	452
2012	17 417	1 419	3 568	5 007	681
2013	20 595	1 190	3 524	4 321	556

Notes:

- UL provided no data for 2009

- SUN provided no data for 2013

2. (a) The total indicates the number of persons who applied but not entered undergraduate

medical studies from 2009 until 2013:

- 2009: 14 267

- 2010: 17 658

- 2011: 20 757

- 2012: 25 748

- 2013: 28 050

(b) Table 2 below shows the number of applications of persons who applied but did not enter undergraduate medical studies from 2009 until 2013.

(NB! These numbers do not necessarily represent individual persons since there are

likely to be multi applications from one person to more than one institution)

Table 2: Undergraduate medical applications rejections

Year	(i) African	(ii) Coloured	(iii) Asian	(iv) White	(v) Unknown
2009	8 481	715	2 358	2 667	46
2010	10 892	726	2 797	3 009	234
2011	13 226	853	2 989	3 240	449
2012	16 451	1 119	3 266	4 250	662
2013	19 514	1 029	3 239	3 733	535

Notes:

- Information was requested according to refused or declined categories.

- Some institutions interpreted categories as follows: refused applications are those that were rejected by the university; and declined are those who declined a firm offer of a place.

- UP provided only according to refused category.

- UL and SUN provided only totals no categories

- UCT provided only according to declined category

3. (a) Table 3 shows the number of undergraduate medical positions not filled from 2009 until

2013 as indicated by institutions.

Table 3: Undergraduate medical positions not filled, 2009-2013

Year	Number of available positions	Number of positions filled
2009	885	958
2010	935	964
2011	920	912
2012	900	982
2013	1 060	1 006

Notes:

- UL and UCT provided no data

- SUN indicated that all available positions are filled each year

- UL and SUN provided only totals no categories

(b) It should be noted that not all institutions indicated reasons for not filling medical positions. Below are the reasons provided by institutions:

· UP indicated that an additional intake of 60 students selected from the first year BSc programme will occur during mid-2013 and that it is certain that all 300 available places will be filled since the qualifying applications always far exceed the places available. This selection has also ensured that all first year places have been filled in the past.

· Wits indicated that the discontinuation of the Foundation Programme resulted in a decrease in registration numbers in 2011 and subsequently plans were put in place to compensate.

· UFS stated that the selection panel continuously select students from September until the official classes start to fill up the positions that may become vacant due to cancellations. Students cannot be selected after classes commence due to the 100% class attendance policy. They indicated that vacancies occur when students cancel their selection after classes commenced due to selection offers from other universities closer to where they reside.

· According to WSU in 2009, many students repeated their first year and their intake had to be limited. From 2012, WSU experienced a severe shortage of accommodation and students de-registered because they could not get accommodation. Since de-registration occurred well into the curriculum, it was not possible to admit other students into the programme.

4. (i) The following table includes the number of students that have aborted their studies per

particular race group from 2009 until 2013.

Table 4: Undergraduate (1^st – 5^th year) medical students aborted

Year	(i) African	(ii) Coloured	(iii) Asian	(iv) White	(v) Unknown
2009	97	14	6	19	17
2010	65	13	10	21	8
2011	81	13	10	20	10
2012	88	11	5	25	9
2013	4	0	3	3	6

Notes:

- SUN did not break down data by race and only provided totals. Information has been included in unknown category.

- In 2013, UKZN, UL, UP, and SUN provided no data. Information provided by WSU does not correspond.

(ii) Table 5 indicates number of qualified students by particular race group from 2009 until 2013.

Table 5: Undergraduate medical students qualified

Year	African	Coloured	Asian	White	Unknown	Total
2009	425	109	195	394	0	1123
2010	483	106	173	412	5	1179
2011	424	111	204	431	5	1175
2012	410	105	182	448	2	1177

Notes:

- Graduate data is from HEMIS Sub 3 (2009 to 2011) and Sub 2 (2012)

- UL provided no graduate data

- There is no 2013 data as yet

Reply received: April 2013

QUESTION 637

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 28/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 10 OF 2013)

Mr D C Ross (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

1. How many claims were instituted against his department (a) in the (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12 financial years and (b) during the period 1 April 2012 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

2. In respect of each specified financial year, (a) what amount was claimed, (b) how many claims were (i) finalised in court, (ii) settled out of court and (iii) are still outstanding and (c) what amount has been paid to each plaintiff in each case that was (i) finalised in court and (ii) settled out of court?

NW796E

REPLY:

1 (a) (i) and 2 (a) 2009/10 Number of claims instituted	1 (a) (ii) and 2 (a) 2010/11 Number of claims instituted	1 (a) (iii) and 2 (a) 2011/12 Number of claims instituted	1 (b) and 2 (a) 1 April 2012 to date Number of claims instituted	2 (b) (i) and 2 (c) (i) Number of claims finalised in court	2 (b) (ii) and 2 (c) (ii) Number of claims settled out of court	2 (b) (iii) Number of claims still outstanding
3 Claims instituted amounting to R1 319 920	2 Claims instituted amounting to R312 375	1 Claim instituted for R592 351.50	3 Claims instituted amounting to R7 811 629.48	3 Claims (1 Dismissed, 1 Withdrawn and 1 Paid R29 356.16)	1 Claim settled through arbitration R592 351.50	5

Reply received: April 2013

QUESTION 495

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 22/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 9 OF 2013)

Mr A M Mpontshane (IFP) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What is his department doing to align itself with the National Development Plan?

NW649E

REPLY:

The Department of Higher Education and Training's Strategic Plan, Annual Performance Plan and Green Paper on Education and Training is aligned to the recommendations and objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP). The Department is proactively working towards achieving the 2030 NDP targets by implementing a number of initiatives over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period to further increase opportunities for access to education and training within the post-school education and training sector, i.e. Universities, Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges, Adult Education and Training (AET), Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) Centres through:

(a) infrastructure expansion by constructing 2 new universities and 14 FET College campuses;

(b) exploring alternative financing models to further expand physical faculties;

(a) expanding and improving open and distance education;

(b) improving the effectiveness, efficiencies and throughput rates of institutions; and

(c) strengthening the capacity of institutions to deliver on its mandate.

Reply received: April 2013

QUESTION 446

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 8 OF 2013)

Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:†

Whether it is a policy of his department to determine racially based quotas for admission to university hostels; if not, what is the policy of his department in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW598E

REPLY:

The Department of Higher Education and Training does not have a policy to determine racially based quotas for admission to university residences. Each university has its own admission policy for residences.

The Department is in the process of finalising a draft policy on the minimum norms and standards applicable to student housing at public universities, which will be gazetted for public comment in April 2013. The policy will amongst others, require universities to develop:

· a comprehensive residence admission and allocations policy;

· plans and mechanisms to increase access to university residences for poor, working class and rural students; and

· strategies to increase the percentage residence places available for new first year students.

Reply received: April 2013

QUESTION 411

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 8 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(a) What criteria were used to appoint committee members on the Oversight Committee on Transformation of South African Universities, (b) how many candidates were shortlisted and (c) what were the (i) qualifications and (ii) experience of the shortlisted candidates?

NW559E

REPLY:

a) The criteria used to appoint the members to the Oversight Committee on Transformation included work experience and expertise within the higher education sector, as well as an assessment of their understanding of the values of our democracy as enshrined in the constitution.

b) Seven individuals were considered and appointed.

c) All appointed members have the relevant knowledge and expertise to fulfil the objectives of this oversight committee.

Reply received: April 2013

QUESTION 397

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 08/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 6 OF 2013)

Mr D A Kganare (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) (a) How many artisans were developed by Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) since they were established and (b) what amount did each SETA spend in this regard;

(2) (a) In which disciplines were the specified artisans trained and (b) how many of the specified artisans were absorbed into the labour market?

NW549E

REPLY:

1 (a) Statistics for the five year period from April 2007 to March 2012 indicates that
Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) have registered a total of 79 136
artisan learners.

(b) SETAs have not reported specifically on the amount of money spent on artisan development, however a proposed policy on the Generic National Artisan Learner Grant Funding and Administration System that has been submitted to me for consideration, will require SETAs to annually submit a budget on artisan development and report on actual expenditure to the Department from 1 April 2013.

2 (a) SETAs have not been able to report on artisan training disciplines due to inconsistencies when referring to similar artisan occupations using different descriptive terms within a sector. This has created problems in the collection and collation of trade discipline data across SETAs. To address this matter, I have published the first ever national coded list of 125 occupations that are considered artisan trades in South Africa, in the Government Gazette Notice No. 35625 of 31 August 2012. My department is now in the process of auditing all learners registered by each SETA against the occupations listed as artisan trades for the period April 2011 to March 2013 in order to create a national database of artisan learners by discipline. This work will be completed by 30 June 2013.

(b) SETAs have not tracked the employment or self employment of artisan learners once
they have been certificated. The Department, in partnership with the Ekurhuleni East Public Further Education and Training College in Kwa-Thema, will establish a call centre known as the National Artisan Development Support Centre that will among other functions monitor the progress of certificated artisan learners once they have entered the labour market. The first phase involves the auditing of certificated artisan learners against the coded list referred to in 2(b). The call centre will be contacting certificated artisan learners to establish placement rates within the labour market.

Reply received: April 2013

QUESTION 366

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 08/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 6 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether the Central Application System has been contracted out; if so, (a) to which company and (b) what is the (i) value of the contract and (ii) duration of the contract?

NW513E

REPLY:

The Central Application Service has not been contracted out. The system to enable this service still needs to be developed.

Reply received: April 2013

QUESTION 358

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 08/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 6 OF 2013)

Mrs P C Duncan (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

On what grounds did the Health and Welfare Sector Educational Training Authority reject modules of the training manual pertaining to the Older Persons Act, Act 13 of 2006?

NW505E

REPLY:

The Health and Welfare Sector Educational Training Authority (HWSETA) is not aware of any training manual pertaining to the Older Persons Act 13 of 2006 having being evaluated and rejected.

HWSETA evaluates all learning programmes for which the Education and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) function has been assigned and should an evaluation process result in the non-approval of a learning programme, a detailed report outlining the reasons for this decision will be provided to the applicant.

Reply received: April 2013

QUESTION 325

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 08/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 6 OF 2013)

Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) What action has been taken following the findings of the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) quality assurance audit conducted in 2005 (details furnished);

(2) Whether any funds were returned to CETA; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW401E

REPLY:

(1) Actions taken following the findings of the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) quality assurance audit conducted in 2005 are as follows:

a) CETA procured the services of an information technology company to ensure proper financial processing and prevent overpayment to stakeholders.

b) It should be noted that CETA owed money to certain stakeholders and in turn was also owed money by other stakeholders. CETA lawyers issued letters of demand to stakeholders who owed CETA money.

c) CETA was placed under administration in March 2011 with the aim of ensuring that efficient and effective corrective measures were put in place in order to restore optimal functionality.

(2) No funds were returned to CETA. Claims by both parties have been prescribed in terms of the law and any further attempts to recover money owed to CETA would be futile and incur costs that would be considered as wasteful expenditure.

Reply received: April 2013

QUESTION 324

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 08/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 6 OF 2013)

Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What measures has he implemented to combat (a) fraud and (b) corruption in the Construction Education and Training Authority (Ceta)?

NW400E

REPLY:

(a) and (b) The following measures have been implemented to combat fraud and corruption in the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA):

· I have appointed an Administrator to implement the interventions as provided for in the Government Gazette 34165 of 25 March 2011;

· The Administrator has subjected all Discretionary Grant Projects to a forensic audit and as a result of this process, contracts to the amount of R181 234 540 have been terminated;

· A new system of accreditation, monitoring, evaluation and external moderation was introduced with random visits by an external moderation team to limit and avoid the possibility of team members being bribed;

· All accreditations for the past three years are being evaluated and to date 41 providers were evaluated of which 18 providers' accreditation have been revoked;

· All service providers recommended for appointment are subjected to a due diligence process to ascertain their capacity and capability to deliver as per CETA's specifications and requirements;

· Introduced pre-conditional deliverables before contracts are entered into which includes the provision for and verification of relevant information/documentation;

· Risk assessment processes have been undertaken with a risk register being developed and fraud prevention plan being finalized;

· Tender specifications are being finalized for a fraud and corruption hotline;

· A new Procurement Unit has been established and a procurement policy is being developed; and

· All CETA policies and procedures are currently being reviewed.

Reply received: March 2013

QUESTION 320

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 08/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 6 OF 2013)

Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) (a) In terms of which legislation was the Ministerial Oversight Committee on Transformation of South Africa's Public Universities established and (b) what (i) powers and (ii) authority does the committee have at its disposal;

(2) What criteria will apply when determining which persons are suitable to serve in this oversight committee;

(3) Whether the interests of ethnic minorities will be taken into account when appointing members of the committee as prescribed by Resolution 47/135 of the United Nations on 18 December 1992 (details furnished), according to which minorities must have representation on all bodies that impact on their rights; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(4) Whether the committee will have oversight regarding all forms of discrimination, including discrimination of national minorities, as outlined in the Minorities Declaration; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(5) Whether provision has been made for public input to the committee; if so, to what extent will input by minorities be (a) accepted, (b) processed and (c) accommodated?

NW382E

REPLY:

1. (a) Treasury Regulation 20 issued in terms of the Public Financial Management Act, Act No. 1 of 1999. (b) (i) and (ii) The powers and authority of the Committee are set-out in the Terms of Reference and have been attached for ease of reference. 2. All members of the Oversight Committee have been appointed based on their work experience and expertise within the higher education sector, as well as their understanding of the values of our democracy as enshrined in the constitution, demonstrated through their actions and involvement in a variety of contexts. 3. The oversight committee is required to bring to my attention any major problem areas or incidences affecting transformation at universities. 4. The Committee will look at discrimination and transformation as a principle which is clearly articulated in the Terms of Reference. 5. Inputs from all sectors of South African society will be treated equally.

Reply received: March 2013

QUESTION 317

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 01/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 4 OF 2013)

Mr R B Bhoola (MF) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

What is his progressive plan with regard to the protest action at universities in the past year and the call by students for (a) a reduction of fees subsidies, (b) an increase in bursaries and (c) improved and affordable accommodation for poorer students?

NW396E

REPLY:

Universities are independently governed by Councils in terms of Section 27 of the Higher Education Act, Act 101 of 1997, as amended. Discontent resulting from specific decisions that may be taken by the Council of a university or its management cannot be directly dealt with by the Minister. However, in order to safeguard the academic programme from being disturbed by such protest action, a dedicated unit within the University Education branch of my Department attempts to mediate when challenges occur. This mediation has to be conducted within the ambit of the Higher Education Act. Progressive plans with respect to the three issues raised are indicated below.

(a) Subsidies to universities are determined by National Treasury and the Ministry uses the 2003 funding framework to determine allocations for each university. The funding framework allocates funds based on teaching inputs and outputs, research outputs and institutional factor. This is not an arbitrary allocation of resources to universities but one based on a pre-determined formula.

(b) The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is the primary tool that is used to ensure access to poor and needy students within the higher education and training sector. The establishment of NSFAS was government's commitment to widen access to higher education to eligible students who would not be able to study further without financial aid. NSFAS offers loans and bursaries for a student's first undergraduate degree at any of the 23 South African public higher education institutions as well as bursaries for students studying at 50 public FET Colleges. The funds allocated to NSFAS for loans and bursaries for students at public higher education institutions and FET colleges have increased substantially, from R441 million in 1999 to R5.1 billion in 2012/13 providing financial aid to an estimated 350 000 students.

For 2013/14, National Treasury has allocated NSFAS a budget of R3.693 billion for universities and R1.988 billion for FET Colleges. The total number of students assisted by NSFAS since its inception in 1991, is 991 759 students with approximately R25.1 billion having been allocated to fund financially needy students.

(c) The Department has allocated approximately R1.7 billion to universities for student accommodation for the period 2012/13 to 2014/15. This will improve existing facilities and the building of new residences. Furthermore, the Department is engaging the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to leverage further funding to accelerate the building of residences at certain universities. In addition to the R1.7 billion, universities are contributing approximately R600 million as co-funding from their own resources. A draft policy on Student Housing in Public Universities on Minimum Norms and Standards will be gazetted for public comment by the end of April 2013. This policy guideline was developed and workshopped with all public universities.

Reply received: April 2013

QUESTION 279

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 01/03/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 4 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether fee-free post-school education will be implemented in 2014; if so, from which line item of the budget will this funding be drawn

(2) Will it be applicable to all students at all levels?

NW354E

REPLY:

1. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is committed to and has been advancing the progressive realisation of fee-free education. The following response outlines the work of DHET to date, drawing on Further Education and Training (FET) and university sectors:

· The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is government's key mechanism for assisting poor students to access programmes of study in the post-school education and training system. In 1999, NSFAS was responsible for disbursing R441 million of financial aid to students and today it is responsible for over R8 billion in financial support to students with most of the funding provided by government. The budget from the Department for 2013/14 amounts to R5.769 billion, R3.693 billion for universities and R1.988 billion for FET colleges' bursaries. Other notable donor allocations include funds from Funza Lushaka (Department of Basic Education), the National Skills Fund and Department of Social Development. In addition, a number of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) are providing student financial aid at universities and FET Colleges.

Further Education and Training Sector

· The national norms and standards for the funding of FET colleges (funding norms) sets out the policy and planning framework for the funding of FET colleges and it is on this basis that the DHET is progressively moving towards realising the goal of fee-free education and training.

· DHET determines the cost of all Ministerially-approved programmes of study offered at FET colleges. Once determined, 80% of the total programme cost is funded by DHET for each student registered in the approved programmes. The remaining 20% of the programme cost is then recovered from the student as college tuition fees.

· Based on an understanding that this 20% fee portion might still be prohibitive for some students, the funding norms have made provision for the establishment of a bursary scheme, i.e. the DHET FET College Bursary Scheme. As stipulated in the funding norms, through the Bursary Scheme, it has been possible to ensure that students with financial need and who meet academic merit requirements, demonstrated or expected capacity to progress academically, are not denied access to education and training opportunities in FET colleges. This Bursary Scheme is administered by NSFAS.

· Thus, having already funded 80% of the programme cost of study for all students registered in FET colleges, DHET further provides funding to the value of the remaining 20% to eligible students. It is this cohort of students, who further benefit through the NSFAS administered bursary, that are the beneficiaries of fee-free education.

· This has been guided by the following principles:

- demonstrated financial need of FET college students;

- academic merit of such students, i.e. students who are passing and progressing to their next level of study;

- registration of beneficiaries in the programmes of study approved by the Minister in the National Certificate (Vocational) or Report 191 programmes); and

- available resources as determined by the budget allocation for each academic year.

· Over and above college fees, the FET College Bursary Scheme covers accommodation as well as a travel allowance which is intended to promote and facilitate student attendance. It must be noted that the FET College Bursary Scheme provides full bursaries, and as such bursary recipients of this funding are not required to pay back the funding that they have benefitted from upon completion of their studies.

· Since its inception in 2007, the FET College Bursary Scheme has grown from R100 million to R1.988 billion in 2013. These funds together with university student bursary funding are drawn from the NSFAS line item of the budget.

University Sector

· Subsidies that are provided to universities in the form of block and earmarked grants are part of government's commitment to realising fee-free post-school.

· The final year programme which was introduced in 2011 provides full cost of study to all final year university students that are eligible. It converts their NSFAS loans to full bursaries if they scucecssfully complete their studies and graduate within the same year.

· Similarly, over and above university fees, the financial aid offered to students covers accommodation as well as a travel allowance which is intended to promote and facilitate student attendance.

2. As such, not all students registered in FET colleges have been beneficiaries of fee-free education, but only those who meet the criteria as set out in the DHET's FET Colleges Bursary Scheme guideline document.

Reply received: March 2013

QUESTION 143

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14/02/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 1 OF 2013)

Mr N J van den Berg (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) How many legal matters were dealt with by his department (a) in the (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12 financial years and (b) during the period 1 April 2012 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;

(2) (a) how many of the specified legal matters were dealt with by (i) the State Attorney and (ii) private attorneys during the specified periods and (b) what are the reasons why his department was not represented by the State Attorney in each specified case;

(3) What total amounts were paid by his department to (a) the State Attorney and (b) private attorneys during the specified periods?

NW149E

REPLY:

1. The Department of Higher Education and Training dealt with legal matters as follows:

ITEM NO.	NUMBER OF CASES	PERIOD/FINANCIAL YEAR
1 (a) (i)	5	2009 - 2010
(ii)	12	2010 - 2011
(iii)	7	2011 - 2012
(b)	22	1 April 2012 to 31 January 2013

2. (a) (i) All of the specified legal matters were dealt with by the Office of the State Attorney.

(ii) No cases were dealt with by private attorneys.

(b) Not applicable.

3. (a) The Office of the State Attorney was paid an amount of R5 666 271.75

(b) Not applicable.

Reply received: March 2013

QUESTION 110

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14/02/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 1 OF 2013)

Adv H C Schmidt (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether (a) his department and (b) any entities reporting to it paid any bonuses to senior officials in December 2012; if so, in each specified case, (i) to whom and (ii) what amount was paid;

(2) whether the specified bonuses were performance-based; if not, what is the justification for each bonus; if so, in each case, from which budget were the performance bonuses paid;

(3) whether, in each case, (a) a performance agreement was signed with the official and (b) regular performance assessments were conducted; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

NW116E

REPLY:

(1) (a) Performance bonuses were paid to members of Senior Management Service (SMS)

during December 2012 in terms of the Performance Management and Development System as contained in Chapter 4 of the SMS handbook for the 2011/12 financial year.

(i) Performance bonuses were paid to 15 senior managers in the Department.

(ii) The amount paid to each individual SMS member was based on the moderated final score as per the SMS handbook.

(b) In terms of information received by the Department, performance bonuses were paid to staff members in five public entities during December 2012.

(i) Performance bonuses were paid to 29 senior managers in the respective entities.

(ii) The amount paid to each individual staff member was based on the moderated final score of the assessments done.

(2) All performance bonuses were paid based on performance that was above or exceeded expectations as per the SMS handbook and policies of SETAs.

Performance bonuses were paid from the approved budget for performance bonuses within compensation of employees and administrative expenses.

(3) (a) All DHET SMS members and SETAs staff members who were paid bonuses, had signed performance agreements for the year under review, i.e. 2011/12.

(b) The mid-year reviews and end of the year appraisals were conducted with all DHET SMS members and SETAs staff members.

Reply received: March 2013

QUESTION 77

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14/02/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 1 OF 2013)

Mr T D Lee (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(a) How many tickets did (i) his department and (ii) any of its entities purchase to attend business breakfasts hosted by a certain newspaper (name furnished) (aa) in the (aaa) 2010-11 and (bbb) 2011-12 financial years and (bb) during the period 1 April 2012 up to the latest specified date for which information is available and (b) what was the total cost in each case? NW13-83E

REPLY:

(a)(i)(aa) (aaa) None

(bbb) None

(bb) 06 August 2012 – 40 tickets – R28 522.80.

19 January 2013 – 30 tickets – R21 392.10 – Not yet invoiced.

(a)(ii)(aa) (aaa) None

(bbb) None

(bb) According to the information that is available to the Department, entities purchased in total 166 tickets to the value of R124 783.30.

Reply received: March 2013

QUESTION 49

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14/02/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 1 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether the National Institute of Higher Education (NIHE) in the Northern Cape will continue to exist once the new university has been established in that province; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) Whether the NIHE (a) staff and (b) students have been informed of this development; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW52E

REPLY:

(1) The future of the National Institute for Higher Education (NIHE) in the Northern Cape (NC) is being considered through a stakeholder consultation process being carried out in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA). The NIHE-NC, through its Board has been consulted on the development of the new university and requested to provide input as to the possible future role of NIHE-NC in the context of this development. Part of this process involves discussions with various institutions currently working in partnership with NIHE-NC.

(2) It should be noted that the Acting Head of NIHE-NC, as well as the Chair of its Board, are members of the Steering Committee overseeing the development of the new University. In addition the Board, NIHE staff and students have been consulted through structured stakeholder engagement in line with PAJA. There have been three separate meetings with the NIHE staff and student leadership, as well as formal engagements with the Board. These engagements have revolved around various aspects of the new university including relevant programme offerings for the new university and relationship between the new university and NIHE. NIHE is assisting with the start up of the new university, specifically in relation to teaching space for the first intake of students.

Reply received: April 2013

QUESTION 48

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14/02/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 1 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether the committee for investigating the matter of outstanding certificates from Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) has been established; if not, why not; if so, when was it established;

(2) (a) What are the reasons for outstanding certificates, (b) what mechanisms have been implemented to deal with the problem of outstanding certificates and (c) on what date will all outstanding certificates be issued to graduates?

NW51E

REPLY:

(1) Yes, a Steering Committee comprising of the Department of Higher Education and Training, Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) and Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Services SETA) was established in December 2012. The Committee was initially established to specifically address the huge backlog of certificates at the Services SETA.

(2) (a) All accredited training providers must keep accurate records of learners within their

programmes and when these learners have completed their training programmes, training providers are expected to upload this information into the SETA systems in order for SETAs to issue learners with certificates. SETAs can only issue certificates to learners if the correct information is provided and uploaded by training providers, and SETAs have confirmed that training has taken place.

Inefficiencies experienced from the use of private training providers by the SETAs have resulted in certification backlogs due to:

- incorrect or incomplete learner information being captured by private training providers and uploaded into the SETA systems;

- failure of private training providers to upload learner information into the SETA systems;

- private training providers not renewing their accreditation after it has expired;

- private providers no longer in business; and/or

- private training providers changing their contact details without informing their respective SETA.

(b) Individual SETAs have put programmes in place with deadlines to address certificate backlogs. The Steering Committee is supporting and monitoring these programmes and will review the outcomes of this process, determine best practices and develop benchmarks to proactively prevent certificate backlogs from re-occurring within the SETAs.

(c) SETAs have indicated that all certificate backlogs will have been addressed by 30 June 2013.

Reply received: March 2013

QUESTION 47

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14/02/2013

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 1 OF 2013)

Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

Whether he intends to cut multi-campus subsidies; if so, (a) why and (b) when will the cuts be implemented?

NW50E

REPLY:

(a) The provision of the multi-campus grant is being phased out by the Department of Higher Education and Training from the 2013/14 financial year. The funds will revert back to the block grant and be absorbed into the general block grant allowing all universities to benefit from it in an equitable and transparent manner.

The multi-campus merger grant was introduced in the 2004/05 financial year as a way of compensating the eight merged universities for additional costs incurred in providing teaching services on more than one official campus. These eight universities have received multi-campus merger funds annually from the year in which their merger took place. The total multi-campus grant paid to these eight universities for the past nine years amounts to R1.1 billion. In addition to these funds, an additional R3 billion was made available to these eight universities for other merger related activities.

The processes for administering the multi-campus grants have been explained in detail to all universities though various Ministerial Statements on University Funding over the years. Ministerial statements are released annually to universities and outline the envelope of funding available to universities. The statements always indicate any changes in funding that the Ministry introduces.

In the Ministerial statement of November 2009, the eight universities who received multi-campus grants were requested to ring-fence their multi-campus allocations and submit reports on the use of these funds at the end of 2010/11 and 2011/12. This was done in order to evaluate the use of the funds and analyse whether or not the grant should continue, given the length of time since the institutions were established. Six of the eight merged multi-campus universities submitted reports. The analysis of these reports showed that the institutions utilised the funds for a variety of daily operational costs not necessarily related to multi-campus operations. Since the grant has served its purpose of stabilising the finances of the eight merged universities, a decision has been taken to phase as it does not benefit other universities that have multiple campuses and had not merged.

(b) As explained in the Ministerial statements of September 2011 and November 2012, the multi-campus merger grant for the eight universities is being phased out from 2012/13, as reflected in the table below. In order to minimise the impact on the universities concerned, the phasing out is occurring gradually over a number of years. The relevant universities were alerted of this change well in advance of implementation.

University	2011/12 (R'000)	2012/13 (R'000)	2013/14 (R'000)	2014/15 (R'000)
Cape Peninsula UT Johannesburg Kwazulu-Natal Limpopo1 Nelson Mandela North West Tshwane UT Walter Sisulu	16 200 15 600 22 400 7 800 14 500 33 700 14 200 23 600	15 552 14 976 21 504 7 800 13 920 32 352 13 632 28 264	12 960 12 480 16 320 6 240 11 600 24 560 11 360 22 880	10 368 9 984 13 056 4 992 9 280 19 648 9 088 18 304
TOTAL	148 000	148 000	118 400	94 720