Questions & Replies: Question & Replies No 101 to 125

Six: To address the growing debt faced by many consumers and households, the National Debt Mediation Association, a business initiative to assist indebted consumers, has been established to provide rules, standards and processes to address debt restructuring.

QUESTION NO 107

ATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 13 FEBRUARY 2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2.)

Mr E W Trent (DA) to ask the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry:

Whether her department or any entity that falls under the umbrella of her department has conducted or is conducting research into the future water requirements of the Eastern Cape; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

NW120E

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REPLY:

Yes, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has conducted many planning studies in the Eastern Cape over the last two decades to determine the water requirements at different levels of detail and for different purposes. These include, inter alia, the following:

1. Mzimvubu to Keiskamma Water Management Area (WMA 12)

· Upper Kei Basin Study, 1993

· Queenstown Regional Water Supply – Feasibility study, 1996

· Mtata River Basin Study, 2001

· Water resources situation assessment, 2001

· Overview of water resources availability and utilisation, 2003

· Amatole to Kei Internal Strategic Perspective, 2004

· Eastern Pondoland Basin Study, 2004

· Mzimvubu – Mbashe Internal Strategic Perspective, 2005

· Mzimvubu River Basin – Water utilization Opportunities, 2005

· Lusiskisiki Ground Water Study, 2006

· Pondoland (Lusikisiki) Regional Water Supply Study, 2007

· Amatole Water Supply System Reconciliation Strategy Study, 2008

2. Fish to Tsitsikamma WMA 15

· Water resources situation assessment, 2001

· Algoa Pre-feasibility Study

· Overview of water resources availability and utilisation, 2003

· Tsitsikamma to Coega Internal Strategic Perspective, 2004

· Water Supply to certain Karoo towns, 2005

· Albany Coast Situation Assessment Study, 2005

· Fish to Sundays Internal Strategic Perspective, 2005

3. Current planning studies underway in the Eastern Cape:

· Mzimvubu Development Project – Support to AsgiSA-EC (started December 2006)

· Development of water reconciliation strategies for all towns and settlements in the Southern Planning Area (EC and WC) (started July 2008)

· Algoa Reconciliation Strategy Study (started May 2008)

All these studies have been done in co-operation with the relevant provincial departments and local authorities. All the study reports are available for public scrutiny and the more recent documents are available on the Department's website.

The reconciliation strategy studies for the large metropolitan areas and all the other towns in the province focus on the water resources required to ensure water supply for the next 25 years.

Whether his department has any plans in place to (a) address the current shortage of land to build state houses on and (b) reduce the red tape that hampers the delivery of state housing; if not, why not; if so; what plans in each case?

(a) Acquisition of well located serviced land for housing is a major priority for the Ministry. It is against this backdrop that;

(i) a dedicated agency – the Housing Development Agency (HDA) – has been put in place. The core function of the HDA is to acquire such land and ensure speedy housing delivery

(ii) the functions of the HDA are anchored by statutory authority drawn from the Housing Development Agency Act.

(iii) A process of identification of suitable redundant or underutilised land that belongs to State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) has commenced. It is believed that this will unlock thousands of acres of land to aid housing delivery.

(b) Several efforts are being made to minimise administrative delays ("red tape") in housing delivery. These include;

· The powers and scope of functions placed in the Housing Development Agency

· Enhanced vigilance to ensure that provincial departments spend their budgets as per projections across the financial year

· Compilation of multi-year housing development plans. This is designed to cater for the required planning needs and to ensure that implementation takes place smoothly

What is the current (a) backlog in housing delivery in each province and (b) waiting period for persons to receive state housing in each province?

QUESTION No. 109

Mr J.R.B Lorimer (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:

Whether the SA National Defence Force will accept the offer of a European Union (EU) country to purchase modern main battle tanks under project Aorta; if not, why not; if so, (a) when will the offer be accepted, (b) how many tanks will be purchased and (c) when will these purchased tanks enter service?

NW115E

REPLY

No. At this stage it is premature to consider any offer or proposal.

109. Mr. E NYEKEMBA (ANC) TO ASK THE MINISTER OF LABOUR .

(1) Whether his department is failing to enforce labour legislations as alleged by certain employers and labour brokers; if not, how was this conclusion reached; if so, what are the relevant details;

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

The Minister of Labour replied:

(1) My Department has in the previous years and currently inspected workplaces and enforced legislation as planned. The compliance levels have continued to increase despite diminishing capacity within the inspectorate.

Statistics show that during the year 2006/07 180 767 workplaces were inspected and 76% of these complied with legislation against a target of 70%. In 2007/08 200 665 workplaces were inspected and 78% of these complied with legislation against a target of 75%. In 2008/09 153 697 workplaces were inspected and 82% of these complied with the legislation.

You will notice that in the previous year, 2008/09 the number of workplaces inspected decreased due to the resource capacity within the inspectorate but the compliance level increased by 4% between 2007/08 and 2008/09 to 82%. The only conclusion that can be drawn from the statistics provided above is that the reach and visibility to workplaces by my inspectors have declined with the staff turnover experienced within the Inspectorate but the compliance levels have continued to improve. This indicates the capability of the Department to enforce compliance with legislation.

(2) I have indicated that in this current financial year the Inspectorate Unit will be re-engineered to a professionalized Inspectorate with enough capacity to enforce the legislation. I have since appointed a Chief Inspector to ensure the effective implementation of this process.

My Department will also be approaching the International Labour Organisation(ILO) for some guidance in terms of international best practices in terms of compliance with acceptable labour practices. The outcome of this exercise will be shared with parliament.

FOR ORAL REPLY

QUESTION NO. 109 (written 628 transferred)

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07 AUGUST 2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 7)

Questions Day: 21 October 2009

Mrs S V Kalyan (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:

Whether he will establish a public cord blood bank; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY:

We have not established any cord blood banks in the public sector. There are however institutions that deal with stem cells in the private sector. The South African National Blood Service and the Bone Marrow Registry have established a Task Team of various stakeholders from the public and the private sectors, to look into the possibility of establishing a Public Umbilical Cord Blood Bank (UCB). A feasibility study will investigate the cost-effectiveness of a UCB in South Africa taking into account that the establishment and maintenance of a public cord blood bank is very expensive and that the future clinical potential benefits of such a bank in South Africa compared to current treatment modalities remains uncertain. It is reported that only about 3% of cord blood units banked worldwide have so far been transplanted.

The findings and recommendations of the task team will be reviewed by the Department of Health once they are available and a decision on whether to establish a public umbilical cord blood bank will be taken.

END.

QUESTION NO.: 110

Mr A C Steyn (DA) to ask the Minister of Housing:

(1) What is the current status of (a) Servcon, (b) Thubelisha and (c) the proposed Housing Development Agency;

(2) whether her department has set any timelines with regard to the proposed Housing Development Agency; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

1. (a) Servcon: The Closure Plan of Servcon has been approved. As such the business of Servcon is currently being wound up. The Department has constituted a Steering Committee comprising of officials from the National Departments of Housing, Public Service & Administration and National Treasury to facilitate the closure process in consultation with the Board. The Steering Committee meets regularly to assess progress and report to the Board. All business pertaining to the Service Level Agreements with Provincial Housing Departments will be finalised before final closure of the entity.

(b) Thubelisha: The Closure Plan of Thubelisha has been approved. As such the business of Thubelisha is currently being wound up. The Department has constituted a Steering Committee comprising of officials from the National Departments of Housing, Public Service & Administration and National Treasury to facilitate the closure process in consultation with the Board. The Steering Committee meets regularly to assess progress and report to the Board.

(c) HDA: The HDA Board was constituted in February 2009 and the positions of the CEO and CFO were also filled in February 2009.

2. Yes there are set timelines. All deliverables, as set out in the project implementation plan, have been achieved within and earlier than the set timeframe.

ANNEXURE A: HDA ESTABLSIHMENT PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN:

QUESTION No. 110

Mr J.R.B. Lorimer (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:

(1) With reference to the reply to Question 1475 on 9 October 2008, what was the (a) designation, (b) posting of each officer at the time they were suspended and (c)(i) circumstances surrounding each case and (ii) nature of the allegations against each officer;

(2) whether each of these cases have been brought to court, if not, (a) why not and (b) when will they go to court, if so, what was the outcome of each case?

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REPLY

Attached is a schedule in response to questions 1(a), (b), (c)(i) and (ii), 2(a) and (b).

QUESTION 110

QUESTION FOR 110 FOR ORAL REPLY: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: MR ENN NGCOBO (ANC): HIGH CARBON TO A LOW CARBON ECONOMY

"109. Mr ENN NGCOBO (ANC) to ask the Minister of Science and Technology

(a) What steps she is taking to move South Africa from high carbon to a low carbon economy and;

(b) What schemes will be launched in 2009 to compete with countries like China, Finland and Australia that will adopt phase 11 of the Kyoto Protocol?

NO1446E

REPLY:

1. The transition to low-carbon economy is a collective effort of many players – different government departments, business and civil society as whole, with each playing a key role. At government level, there is a suite of interventions which can make the transition possible and this fall under two main categories – development and demonstration of low-carbon technologies and implementation of sectoral actions, including the use of the developed and demonstrated technologies.

The former include the development of technologies locally and acquiring some through international mechanisms such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its derivatives like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The Department is driving a Technology Localization Programme, under Programme 5: Socio-Economic Partnerships, which seeks to promote local development of technologies and to build required capacity and capability in local manufacturers/suppliers to be able to compete globally in the development of technologies. It is however, acknowledged that our local technology manufacturers may not have adequate capacity/capability to develop some of these technologies required to transit to low-carbon economy or that some of these technologies may be significantly cheaper if imported from elsewhere. In both cases, the country's position is to acquire some of these technologies which we cannot develop locally through multi-lateral agreements such as the UNFCCC as part of part technology transfer from developed countries to developing countries. Current initiatives by the Department that could help the SA's attempts to reduce global warming emissions, include the development of an electric car, known as "Joule", alternative and renewable (solar, wind and hydro power, even hydrogen) energy technologies. On the sustainable production and consumption front there are specific interventions (such as aquaculture) that have socio-economic benefits and also contribution to climate change mitigation. The development and demonstration of some of these technologies is done in partnership with other research councils and private sector and supported by government funding.

Other departments are driving sector-specific actions, through policies/strategies and set of actions. The impact of these sectoral actions and interventions feed back into the DEAT, as a national focal point for climate change, for reporting purposes and as commitment to international agreements to which SA is party to.

2. There are no schemes to be set up by the Department to compete with the three countries, but SA (led by DEAT) is pushing for global schemes under the UNFCCC framework that would benefit developing countries. The current national discussions around climate change multi-lateral negotiations under the UNFCCC and post- 2012 Kyoto Protocol regime are around the possible global climate change deal in Copenhagen in December 2009 – best case deal and what SA can live with. The current SA position, which is also an African and G77+China position, put forward the following demands:

§ Measurable, reportable and verifiable technology transfer to developing countries

§ Developed countries to finance interventions (both mitigation and adaptation) by developing counties – The creation of a combination of global finance schemes which developing countries can benefit from.

§ Creation of Adaptation Fund

§ Training and capacity building for developing countries, which should be paid for by developed countries.

QUESTION: 111

111. Mr J R B Lorimer (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:

(1) Whether the SA Navy will be joining the international anti-piracy activities in the Indian Ocean; if so, what is the position in this regard; if not,

(2) whether a decision could be taken in the future; if not, why not; if so, when;

(3) whether any other governments have requested the SA Navy's participation; if so, (a) which governments and (b) when were such requests made? NW118E

REPLY

As soon as the information is made available and verified, the reply will be forwarded to Parliament

QUESTION 111

QUESTION FOR 111 FOR ORAL REPLY: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: MR ENN NGCOBO (ANC): PEBBLE BED MODULAR REACTOR (PBMR)

"Mr ENN Ngcobo (ANC) to ask the Minister of Science and Technology:

(1) Whether her department has been researching the development of Pebble Bed Modular Reactors (PBMR) in terms of nuclear energy; If not; why not; if so;

(2) Whether her department will formulate a turnaround strategy to produce tangible results that will ensure the success of PBMR; if not, why not; If so; what are the relevant details?

REPLY:

(1) No, the whole Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) project was run from the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and later the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE).

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has not been researching the development of Pebble Bed Modular Reactors (PBMR) specifically. However, it has been paying attention to the development of the Pebble Bed Modular technology world wide as well as other nuclear energy technologies. This is to enable the DST to keep up to date with all nuclear energy technologies under development globally in order to give valuable input to the possible procurement of nuclear reactors for electricity generation for South Africa.

(2) The turn around strategy for PBMR can only be led by the DPE informed by the country's plan for the project. DST can contribute to the turn around strategy formulation. The DST met with the PBMR executives on the 24th August 2009 for the PBMR presentation of the proposed new business model for the PBMR.

Over the years, the technology has also evolved from being predominantly a power source to what is currently projected to be primarily a heat source that also generates power. The decision to support the PBMR project financially by the South African government was not based on future energy system analysis but on an argument made for a single technology solution, without the consideration of other options, many of which are much less risky.

QUESTION NO 111

WRITTEN REPLY

Mr J R B Lorimer (DA) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:

(1) Whether the SA Navy will be joining the international anti-piracy activities in the Indian Ocean; if so, what is the position in this regard; if not,

(2) whether a decision could be taken in the future; if not, why not; if so, when;

(3) whether any other governments have requested the SA Navy's participation; if so, (a) which governments and (b) when were such requests made?

REPLY

1. The SA Navy is not presently scheduled to join the international anti- piracy activities in the Indian Ocean. The SA Navy is however preparing as part of its normal force preparations processes for potential "anti-piracy" missions.

2. Any future decision to potentially utilize SA Navy in any continental or internationally mandated "anti-piracy" would be taken, should the need arise, by Cabinet after due considerations of all the factors.

3. In mid 2008 South Africa was requested by the World Food Program (WFP) which has its headquarters in Rome, to provide a South African Navy ship to escort and protect its vessels ferrying food aid to Mogadishu. As the mission was not mandated by the United Nations the cost of the mission would have been for the account of South Africa. There have not been any other requests.

QUESTION NO. 112 (written 650 transferred)

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07 AUGUST 2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 7)

Questions Day: 21 October 2009

Ms E More (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:

(1) Whether the 2008 antenatal clinic HIV survey report has been completed; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) when were the findings handed to his department and (b) what are the reasons for the delay in releasing the 2008 antenatal clinic HIV survey;

(2) whether he will release the findings of the 2008 antenatal clinic HIV survey; if not, why not; if so, when;

(3) why has his department failed to comply with the Promotion of Access to Information Act, Act 2 of 2000, (PAIA) application submitted by the Democratic Alliance?

REPLY:

(1) The 2008 National Antenatal Sentinel HIV and Syphilis Prevalence Survey Report for South Africa has been completed.

(a) The Report was released to the public on 05 October 2009.

(b) The findings and recommendations went through a peer review process before the Report could be published.

(2) The findings of the 2008 HIV and Syphylis trends survey were presented at the launch and the details of the findings are included on the published report.

(3) The 2008 National Antenatal HIV and Syphylis prevalence Survey Report has been released.

QUESTION 113

Date of publication on internal question paper: 12 February 2009

Internal question paper no: 2

Mrs. JA Semple (DA) to ask the Minister of Social Development:

(1) In respect of each of the past five years up to the latest specified date for which information is available, (a) how many children (i) were available for adoption and (ii) were adopted and (b) what is breakdown of (i) white, (ii) black, (iii) Indian and (iv) Coloured children adopted;

(2) Whether any children were adopted by people outside South Africa; if so, what are the relevant details? NW128E

REPLY:

(1) (a) (i) The Department is developing a data base of all adoptable children in South Africa. This information will be contained in the Register for Adoptable Children and Prospective Adoptive Parents (RACAP) as prescribed by Section 323 of the Children's Act of 2005 (Act 38 of 2005). The electronic framework for RACAP has been developed, consulted with stakeholders and the register is in its final stage of development for implementation. The information on the children available for adoption is kept by Child Protection Organizations and accredited adoption social workers providing adoption services.

(ii) Total number of children adopted from year 2004 to 2008 was as follows:

1 April 2003 – 31 March 2004: 2512

1 April 2004 – 31 March 2005: 2601

1 April 2005 – 31 March 2006: 2520

1 April 2006 – 31 March 2007: 2560

1 April 2007 – 31 March 2008: 2058

Total: 12251

(b) The breakdown of adopted children per racial group from year 2004 to 2008 is as follows:

(2) Yes, the total number of children adopted by people outside South Africa from year 2004 to 2008 is as follows:

1 April 2003 – 31 March 2004: 210

1 April 2004 – 31 March 2005: 239

1 April 2005 – 31 March 2006: 248

1 April 2006 – 31 March 2007: 256

1 April 2007 – 31 March 2008: 231

Total 1184

QUESTION NO 113

"113. Mrs D van der Walt (DA) to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture:

(1) (a) When will the new members of the Robben Island Museum Board be appointed and (b) what criteria will be used to appoint the new board members;

(2) whether her department has taken any steps to ensure that the World Heritage status of the Robben Island Museum (RIM) is maintained; if not, why not; if so, what steps;

(3) whether she will release the findings of the forensic audit into RIM that was completed in 2008; if not, why not; if so, when?"

NW120E

REPLY:

(1)(a) It is envisaged that the new Council will be appointed by the end of July 2009.

(1)(b) The criteria to appoint the Council will be the same as the normal criteria for the appointment of councils. These are:

§ Criteria as specified by the Cultural Institutions Act, 1998 (Act No 119 of 1998)"

ú Council must consist of at least seven members

ú At least one member of the council must have financial expertise

§ Other criteria:

ú Broad understanding of heritage

ú Broad managerial and financial expertise

ú Legal knowledge

ú Knowledge of marketing and liaison

ú Fund-raising

ú Education

ú Cultural/social research

(2) The general state of affairs at RIM is likely to be raised as a serious concern when the RIM Integrated Conservation Management Plan is discussed at the 33^rd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Spain on 22-30 June 2009. I have therefore written formal correspondence to Minister Sonjica, to be forwarded to the World Heritage Centre prior to the 33^rd Session, outlining the current challenges at RIM and the interventions to be undertaken. The purpose of this is to reassure the World Heritage Committee that the South African State Party is managing the situation and no intervention is required by the Committee. The DAC values the world heritage status of Robben Island. We will therefore always work towards maintaining this status within world heritage.

(3) No, I will not release the findings of the forensic report at this point. The report contains information that relates to on-going investigations and hearings. Releasing the findings at this point carries the risk of prejudicing the current proceedings.

QUESTION NO. 114

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 13 FEBRUARY 2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 2)

Ms H Weber (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:

(1) Whether the amount (details furnished) that a person has to pay before admission is obligatory at all hospitals; if so, what happens in case of an emergency when the patient cannot pay the admission fee immediately; if not, which hospitals are affected by this admission fee;

(2) whether a law has been passed that makes provision for this admission fee; if so, (a) which law and (b) when was this law passed; if not,

(3) whether hospitals are allowed to demand this admission fee at their own discretion; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY:

(1) No, there is no mandatory requirement for a patient to pay R400.00 before admission, including for emergency treatments. No hospitals are therefore affected as no policy exists that requires such a fee as a mandatory pre-admission fee;

(2) No, no law nor such policy exists;

(3) No, hospitals are not allowed to apply fees at their own discretion. The prescribed tariff known as the Uniform Patient Fee Schedule (UPFS) is a standardised user fee schedule that is applicable to public health institutions. It is instituted by the National Health Act, 2003 (Act No. 61 of 2003), Section 41, ss 1 (a), (b) and (c) (i), (ii), (iii), and its review is approved annually by the National Health Council.

QUESTION NO. 114

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12 June 2009

Mr G R Morgan (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

(1) (a) What are her department's responsibilities towards the management of Ramsar sites and (b) how does it coordinate its efforts with other relevant management authorities;

(2) what is the significance of each of the Ramsar sites;

(3) (a) why were the (i) Blesbokspruit and (ii) Orange River Mouth placed in the Montreux Record and (b) what efforts are being made to return them to full Ramsar status;

(4) whether any other Ramsar sites are under threat of being placed in the Montreux Record; if not, how was this conclusion reached; if so, what are the relevant details;

(5) whether attempts are being made to get new sites onto the Ramsar list; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW121E

HANSARD

PAPERS OFFICE

114. THE MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANSWERS:

(1) (a) The Department of Environmental Affairs is the Administrative Authority of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in South Africa, which involves promotion of conservation and wise use of wetlands.

(b) The efforts are coordinated through various fora and committees, and the monitoring of management plans, submitted by management authorities reporting on Ramsar sites.

(2) There are currently nineteen Ramsar sites in South Africa and such are:

Barberspan (North West Province)

De Hoop Vlei (Western Cape)

Blesbokspruit (Gauteng)

De Mond (Western Cape)

St Lucia System (Kwa Zulu Natal (KZN))

Turtle Beaches/Coral Reefs of Tongaland (KZN)

Langebaan (Western Cape)

Kosi Bay (KZN)

Lake Sibaya (KZN)

Orange River Mouth (Northern Cape)

Verlorenvlei (Western Cape)

Wilderness Lakes (Western Cape)

uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park (KZN)

Ndumo Game Reserve (KZN)

Seekoeivlei Nature Reserve (Free State)

Nylsvlei Nature Reserve (Limpopo)

Verloren Valei Nature Reserve (Mpumalanga)

Makuleke Wetlands (Limpopo)

Prince Edward Islands (Antarctica)

These sites are part of the international list of Ramsar sites that are designated as flagships for demonstrating conservation, good management practices and wise use of wetlands in their respective countries, as informed by the Convention. Notwithstanding the dynamics in each of the sites, their qualification for being designated as Ramsar sites demonstrate their significant value in terms of conservation.

(3) (a)(i) Blesbokspruit was placed on the Montreux Record in response to contamination by large quantities of polluted water discharged from adjacent mines.

(ii) Orange River Mouth was placed in the Montreux Record following the collapse of the salt marsh component of the estuary, and the alteration of the flow of the Orange River.

(b)(i)For Blesbokspruit, the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment, Gauteng Provincial Government, which is the responsible management authority for the site, assigned a project manager for Blesbokspruit, in particular to plan and monitor the site with the aim to restore and enhance the ecological characteristics for which Blesbokspruit was included in the List. The system seems to be stabilizing as a result of monitoring of water quality and other related conservation interventions, however it may still take a while for this site to be removed from the Montreux Record due to the consequential impact from mining activities.

(b)(ii) For Orange River Mouth, the Orange River Mouth Management Committee has been established to: (a)facilitate the process of rehabilitating the site by Working for Wetlands (b) initiate the declaration of the site as a protected area in terms of the Protected Areas Act, and (c) establish a management structure for the protected area.

(4) No other Ramsar sites at the moment seem to be under threat to be placed on the Montreux Record.

All the remaining sites seem to be meeting the criteria that led to their listing as informed by management plans, and reports of the protected areas' management authorities, as well as updates of Ramsar Information Sheets provided by these management authorities.

(5) The Ntsikeni Vlei Nature Reserve in KwaZulu Natal is in the process to be listed onto the Ramsar list. The consultation process for the proposal with the relevant Departments to avoid future conflict of interest in the same area has been finalised, whereafter the proposal will be published for comment and approved by the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs before submitting it to the Ramsar Secretariat for inclusion in the Ramsar list.

QUESTION 114

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [NO 15-2009]

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 8 SEPTEMBER 2009

WEDNESDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 2009

114. Mr P S Sizani (ANC) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:

(1) (a) How many beneficiaries have been resettled on land acquired by means of land restitution and (b) how much land is (i) productively being used and (ii) not being used and (c) how many restitution projects have collapsed;

(2) whether any post-settlement support is being offered to beneficiaries; if not, why not; if so, what support? NO1450E

THE MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM

(1)(a) 41 251 beneficiaries have been resettled on restored land. It should however be noted that not all beneficiaries actually settle on the land. In numerous communities, the community appoints farm managers or caretakers to manage and administer the restored properties on their behalf.

(b)(i) 567 254 hectares.

(ii) 105 414 hectares.

(c) Currently 19 collapsed projects have been identified.

(2) Yes. The Commission on Restitution of Land Rights (CRLR) assists claimants to access the necessary expertise to conduct land use planning, feasibility studies as well as business planning, by making available restitution settlement grants. The CRLR also engages with other government departments to facilitate the rendering of assistance to claimants. For instance, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries renders extension services and provides access to additional funding through the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP); the Department of Human Settlements assists with the provision of housing; and the Department of Economic Development assists with impact studies and advice on tourism projects.

QUESTION NO 115

DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: FRIDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 2009

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2009 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 – 2009)

Mr S B Farrow (DA) asked the Minister of Transport:

(1) Whether there is a forensic investigation into alleged irregular activities of a certain person (details furnished) and/or other officials at the SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa); if not, why not; if so, what alleged wrongdoing(s) prompted a need for a forensic audit;

(2) whether the results of the audit will be made public; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW130E

PLY:

The Minister of Transport:

(1) I have been duly informed of allegations by certain staff members of possible irregularities by Executives at the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). Following these allegations, the Board of SAMSA engaged KPMG to conduct an investigation into these allegations.

I would like to state it categorically, that I am very concerned about any allegations of irregularity in process or policy. SAMSA is playing a pivotal role in the South African Maritime Industry and any irregularity will be met by decisive action.

The final report from KPMG has not yet been received, but I would like to provide the commitment as Shareholder to act as soon as possible on any negative findings if contained in such final report.

(2) Depending on the nature of action to be taken as a result of the report, the making public thereof will be considered after receipt of the report.

QUESTION NO. 115

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2 of 2009

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12 June 2009

Mr G R Morgan (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

(1) What is the breakdown of species poached in each national park (a) in 2008 and (b) during the period 1 January to 31 March 2009;

(2) whether any staff member of national parks was involved in the poaching of animals in such parks during the period 1 January 2008 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if so, (a) in which park did each incident occur, (b) on what date did it occur, (c) what (i) species and (ii) number of animals were killed of each species, (d) what was the reason for each killing, (e) what was the designation of the staff member involved and (f) what happened to the staff member?

NW122E

HANSARD

PAPERS OFFICE

115. THE MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANSWERS:

(1)(a) 2008

(b) 1 January to 31 March 2009

(2)(a) At Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) and Kruger National Park (KNP).

(b) On 27 September 2008 and 12 December 2008 respectively.

(c)(i)&(ii) 122 Abalone and unknown Rhino Horn.

(d) Self enrichment.

(e) Ranger Sergeant of the Cape of Good Hope Section of Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) and Traffic Officer of the Kruger National Park (KNP).

(f) A criminal case (CAS 111/09/2008) is pending against the Ranger Sergeant. Furthermore, the member was charged in a departmental hearing on 10 October 2008 and was dismissed after being found guilty. Another criminal case (CAS 50/12/2008) against the Traffic Officer is pending and the member was also charged in a department hearing on 25 February 2009 and was dismissed after being found guilty

Question 115.

Mrs B Tinto (ANC) to ask the Minister of Energy:

(a) What is the extent of the utilisation of (i) solar and (ii) electricity energy sources by households and (b) what are the targets for the utilisation of alternative energy sources?

Solar energy utilisation in South Africa occurs in (i) water heating, where it is relatively negligible (over the past 3 years Eskom has installed 1600 solar water geysers under their rebate programme, whereas statisctics indicate that less than 10 000 solar water heaters are deployed annually) and (ii) solar home systems, where about 60 000 systems have been installed under a government funded off-grid electrifictaion process in the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal and Limpopo.

The integrated resource plan to be promulgated under the Electricity Regulation Act includes targets for 1 million solar water heaters by 2014 and 10 000GWh from renewable energy sources (of which 60% would be electricity grid connected, with the balance being biofuels and non-grid based)

Question 116.

Mr M E Nchabeleng (ANC) to ask the Minister of Energy:

Whether the measures to amass skills capacity in areas such as nuclear science have achieved its objective; if not, what are the challenges faced; if so, what are the relevant details?

Answer:

The measures have not achieved the objectives yet. A nuclear skills masterplan is in place, however, the biggest challenge is that there is not enough learners that pass matriculation with Science and Maths. It is therefore important that any skills development programme be an inter departmental project that include other Departments like Departments of Basic Education, Higher Education, Science and Technology and Labour.

Question 117

Mrs J A Semple (DA) to ask the Minister of Trade and Industry:

Whether. with reference to the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act. Act 103 of 1977. regulations aimed at improving the environmental standards of buildings have been gazetted since 1 January 2005; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Response:

Regulations aimed at improving the environmental standards of buildings have not been gazetted since 1 January 2005 in terms of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, Act 103 of 1977.

The South African Bureau of Standards has however published South African National Standard (SANS) 204 in October 2008 on energy efficiency in buildings. This voluntary standard is aimed at bringing about reductions in energy consumption through the introduction of sensible and practical measure when new buildings are designed and built.

SANS 204 has been divided into four parts: Part 1 covers. general requirements, Part 2 addresses the application of energy efficiency provisions in buildings with natural environmental control and Part 3 includes the application of energy efficiency provisions in buildings with artificial environmental control. Part 4 is currently being drafted and deals with the requirement for low income housing.

SANS 204 will be used as a basis for future national building regulations that the dti will declare in terms of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, Act 103 of 1977.

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12 June 2009

Ms A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

What (a) projects have been identified in terms of the entity's business plan since the inception of Buyisa-e-Bag, (b) outcomes have been achieved in terms of the business plan, (c) are the reasons for non-achievement of any planned outcomes and (d) has been the cost of each of the projects undertaken by Buyisa-e-Bag since the inception of the entity?

NW125E

HANSARD

PAPERS OFFICE

117. THE MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANSWERS:

(a) Projects that have been undertaken by Buyisa-e-bag since its inception include among others:

§ The establishment of new buy-back centres;

§ Providing support in terms of equipment to existing centres;

§ Undertaking school education programmes;

§ Undertaking youth empowerment initiative; and

§ Undertaking clean up campaigns

Buyisa-e-Bag has built eight (8) Buy Back Centres

Buyisa-e-Bag has supported 4 existing buy-back centers with equipment to increase their recycling rates.

Education and Awareness Campaigns

Buyisa-e-Bag has outsourced this programme to Delta Enviro Centre to develop a waste recycling manual for learners. This programme will be used by all schools in South Africa. The table bellow will indicate the progress made so far:

Youth Empowerment Initiatives Programme

Buyisa-e-Bag youth Empowerment Initiative Programme started in 2006. The table provides detail on these initiatives:

Clean up Campaigns

Buyisa-e-Bag has been involved in 33 Clean up Campaigns until March 2008 at a cost of R1.5 million. These initiatives include among others coastal clean ups, township clean ups, wetland celebrations, awareness initiatives and world environment day celebrations. In excess of 34160 number of people have been involved in these programs.

(b) The above activities have been carried out in line with the approved business plan.

(c) There have been some delays in handing over the new buy-back centers due to the need for three phase power supply. The negotiations associated with the acquisition of land have also been protracted.

The cost associated with each of the projects in included in the narrative above.

Question 117.

Ms L N Moss (ANC) to ask the Minister of Energy:

(a) What is the extent of the reach and distribution of free basic electricity (FBE) and (b) what are the constraints in achieving FBE for all poor households?

(a) There are currently 1.3 million households that access FBE in municipal areas, which represents about 70% of qualifying households in terms of municipal criteria.

(b) Constraints include (i) the lack of appropriate and effective targeting mechanisms, in terms of which in the majority of instances even non-qualifying users get the FBE (leakage), (ii) the lack of adequate allowances in the equitable share for municipalities leading to insufficient coverage of the poor, which in turn is exarcebated by leakage (iii) technologically inferior delivery mechanisms leading to high transaction costs relating to collecting the FBE tokens (e.g. the cost of transport to the token collection point equalling the value of the FBE to be collected).

QUESTION NO 118

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 13 FEBRUARY 2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2/2009)

Date reply submitted: 12 March 2009

Mr G R Morgan (DA) to ask the Minister of Safety and Security:

Whether, with reference to his reply to question 1761 on 27 October 2008, there have been any further successes in apprehending alleged hijackers in the Mobeni Heights area; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW133E

REPLY:

No further successes have been achieved. However, the cluster task team and provincial task teams are still deployed according to the crime threat and crime pattern analysis of the station. Station operations involving crime prevention and reservist members are tasked daily to hold vehicle checkpoints as well as conduct stop‑and‑search operations in the Mobeni Heights area.

QUESTION NO 118

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 12 JUNE 2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 2)

118. Ms A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs:

(1) Whether, any steps have been taken to prevent raw sewage from entering certain rivers (names furnished); if not, why not; if so, what steps;

(2) whether the levels of faecal pollution in the rivers are regularly monitored; if not, why not; if so, what were the results of this monitoring over the past three months for which information is available;

(3) whether the high levels of faecal pollution pose a risk to (a) the animals and (b) the flora in the Kruger National Park; if not, what scientific rationale has been used to reach this conclusion; if so, what are the relevant details?

NW126E

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REPLY:

(NOTE: names furnished in (1) = the Crocodile, Sabie, Sand, Olifants, Letaba, Shingwedzi and Luvuvhu rivers )

(1) Yes, enforcement steps have been taken to prevent raw sewage from entering the rivers referred to above as well as others. Regular site inspections are conducted at hotspot sites to verify if there are no spillages as they are not always reported. Treatment of raw sewage falls within the ambit of water services and is the responsibility of municipalities that are designated as Water Services Authorities.

14 Water Services Authorities have been issued with Notices by this Department in terms of the National Water Act, Act no 36 of 1998 to prevent pollution of water resources and three were issued with directives. The recent details of these steps are indicated below:

(2) Yes, the level of faecal pollution in the Rivers is monitored regularly (at least once in a month) per monitoring point.

The results for the recent 3 months are as follows:

· Crocodile river

Upstream point at Dullstroom

Downstream point before the confluence with the Komati River

· Sand river

Upstream point at Groot Sand

Downstream point at Sand River

· Sabie River

Upstream point (at Sawmill)

Downstream point (before Kruger National Park)

· Upper Olifants

Downstream point at Groblersdal

Upstream point at Riverview

· Groot Letaba River

Tzaneen Taxi Rank

Upstream Tzaneen Sewage Works

Downstream Tzaneen Sewage Works

Letaba Hospital Bridge