Questions & Replies: Presidency
2014-03-20
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Reply received: December 2014
Internal Question Paper No : 2823
Date Published : 21 November 2014
QUESTION:
2823. Mr W M Madisha (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether he had instructed Cabinet to fully address the shortcomings listed by the Auditor-General (AG) in its 2012-13 Consolidated general report (details furnished) in particular with regard to (a) the AG's assessment which revealed that departments that have a direct role to play like the National Treasury, the Department of Cooperative Governance, Offices of the Premiers and the Ministry in the Presidency: Planning, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Administration in the Presidency were not yet providing sufficient assurance through their mandated functions, (b) provincial legislatures that were not providing assurance as they performed only limited oversight of local government through the portfolio committees and (c) the impact of the initiatives by the National Council of Provinces that was not yet evident; if not, why not, if so, what are the details? NW3464E
REPLY:
In the audit report for 2012-13, the Auditor General of South Africa states that there has been an overall improvement in audit outcomes. Of the 450 auditees, 96 improved and 61 regressed. The number of auditees with clean audit opinions also increased to 24 departments and 81 public entities.
a) Collectively, Cabinet and Accounting Officers have a responsibility to fully address the shortcomings identified by the AGSA. In expressing the audit opinion of 2012-13 audit outcomes, the AGSA opined that "… the majority of the departments were providing some assurance through their coordinating and monitoring functions and were committed to play a bigger role in improving audit outcomes."
Some of the initiatives approved by Cabinet to assist departments to improve their audit outcomes by policy departments include the initiative between the Offices of the Premier and the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. Working with provincial Offices of the Premier, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation introduced the Management Performance Assessment Management Tool (MPAT) to assist departments to identify areas of administrative and management weakness in order to develop improvement plans to address these weaknesses.
MPAT is a tool that assesses management practice across 31 standards in four key performance areas namely strategic management, governance and accountability, human resource management and financial management. In each standard, performance is assessed against a set of management criteria developed in consultation with the relevant policy departments. For example, DPME worked with National Treasury (NT) to develop assessment standards for financial management and supply chain management and with DPSA for human resource management and development.
These assessments have been running for the past three years and there is evidence that awareness is being created on good management standards and progress is being made in addressing most of the identified weaknesses. And, these manifest in the steady improvement in audit outcomes.
b) & c) The Premier and members of the Provincial Executive and their Heads of Departments have a collective responsibility to ensure that provincial departments take responsibility in terms of the constitution and the PFMA to implement corrective measures to address audit findings by the AGSA. On the other hand, Constitution enjoins provincial legislatures "to ensure that all provincial executive organs of the state in the province are accountable to it".
The recommendation of the AGSA in the 2012-13 audit report indicates that portfolio committees and SCOPA at both national and provincial should as part of their oversight responsibilities also monitor how departments respond to the AGSA findings and corrective actions being taken to address them.
Reply received: December 2014
Internal Question Paper No : 2820
Date Published : 21 November 2014
Mr M G P Lekota (COPE) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether he had (a) provided the Public Protector with all of the information she had requested regarding the security upgrades at Nkandla and (b) submitted information regarding the omissions the Public Protector had identified in his response to her office; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
REPLY:
I submitted my report in relation to the Nkandla security upgrades to Parliament on the 14th August 2014. My response took into account the report of the parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, the report of the Public Protector as well as the progress report in terms of Section 4(1) (f) of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act submitted by the Head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
Reply received: December 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 2803
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY NO 28 - 2014
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(a) How many persons currently serve on the board of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), (b) what are their names and (c) what is the annual cost to company to NYDA for each board member's salary?
[NW2956E]
REPLY:
(a)(b)(c)
| Number | Name | Surname | Position | Annual Cost |
| 1 | Yershen | Pillay | Executive Chairperson | R971 277.00 |
| 2 | Itiseng Kenny | Morolong | Deputy Executive Chairperson | R825 435.00 |
| 3 | Nyalleng | Potloane | Non-Executive Member | R475 488.00 |
| 4 | Zandile Mandisa | Majozi | Non-Executive Member | R475 488.00 |
| 5 | Xoliswa Ayanda | Makaula | Non-Executive Member | R475 488.00 |
| 6 | Maropene Lydia | Ramokgopa | Non-Executive Member | R475 488.00 |
| 7 | Mothupi Phaladi | Modiba | Non-Executive Member | R475 488.00 |
Reply received: December 2014
Internal Question Paper No : 2800
Date Published : 21 November 2014
Prof. N.M. Khubisa (NFP) to ask the President of the Republic:
(a) What is the (i) latest report that he can provide to the National Assembly with regard to the Special Envoys he sent to monitor the Israel-Palestine conflict and (ii) amount of the expenses that have been incurred and (b) have they concluded their assignment?
NW 2119E
REPLY:
On 22 July 2014, at the height of the shelling of Gaza by Israel and the retaliatory attacks by Palestinian militant groups, I appointed former Minister Zola Skweyiya and former Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad, to travel to Israel, Palestine and other countries in the Middle East.
The purpose of their visits was not to monitor the Israeli – Palestinian conflict, as alluded to in the question, but to convey my message of grave concern over the conflict situation that saw the brutal and senseless killing of Palestinian civilians, including those who were seeking refuge in United Nations shelters, the destruction of their homes and socio-economic infrastructure in Gaza – a situation that created a dire humanitarian crisis.
My Special Envoys also conveyed our call for the warring parties to conclude an immediate and unconditional ceasefire agreement that would bring peace to the people of Gaza and allow them to rebuild their battered lives; and ultimately the resumption of genuine negotiations on the permanent resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the establishment of a viable Palestinian State, existing side by side in peace with Israel within internationally recognised borders, based on those existing on 04 June 1967, prior to the outbreak of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
During their meetings with the authorities they met in the Middle East, a request was made for South Africa to remain engaged in efforts to resolve the decades-long conflict.
Following visits to the Middle East, a Way-forward Strategy Document, which focuses on our strength in negotiations, reconciliation and unity, was developed. The Way-forward Strategy Document will be implemented by the Special Envoys during the next few months, ending on 31 August 2015, as the Special Envoys have now been appointed for a period of one year, that is 01 September 2014 - 31 August 2014.
Essential to the implementation of the Way-forward Strategy Document was the visit to South Africa by President Abbas to enable us to discuss elements of the Way-forward Strategy Document with him. The visit took place on 26 November, and as a result, the Special Envoys will now continue with their programme in earnest.
The following amount has been spent thus far:
Goods and services : R2 861 030
Compensation/salaries : R 494 076
Total R3 355 106
Reply received: December 2014
Question for written reply
2666. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the Deputy President:
(a) How many international (i) delegations, (ii) politicians, (iii) businessmen and (iv) heads of state has he received for official state visits in South Africa since 1 January 2014 and (b) in each case, (i) what was the date of each visit and (ii) what was the purpose of the visit and/or any related meetings with the above-mentioned guests? NW3311E
Reply:
(a) The Deputy President of the Republic does not receive state visits.
(b) The sub-questions are therefore not applicable.
Reply received: December 2014
QUESTION NO : 2665
Date Published : 14 November 2014
The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
a) How many international (i) delegations, (ii) politicians, (iii) businessmen and (iv) heads of state has he received for official state visits since 1 January 2014 and
b) In respect of each specified visit, what was the (i) date and (ii) purpose of (aa) the visit and/or (bb) related meetings with regard to the above-mentioned?
NW3310E
REPLY:
There are three categories of visits, namely, State Visits, Official Visits and Working Visits.
Since January 2014, we had three incoming State Visits and three Working Visits.
They are as follows (State Visits):
· 08 – 10 August 2014, President Michelle Bachelet from the Republic of Chile
· 04 – 05 November 2014 President Pierre Nkurunziza of the Republic of Burundi.
· 26 – 27 November 2014 President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine.
The Working Visits by visiting Heads of States and Government included the following:
· 27th April 2014 President Hifikepunye Pohamba of the Republic of Namibia.
· 23rd of May 2014, President H Rajaonarimampianina of Madagascar.
· 13 – 21 November 2014 President MD Higgins of Ireland.
The visits contribute to the strengthening of relations between South Africa and the respective countries.
Reply received: November 2014
Question : 2621
Date Published : 14 November 2014 :
Dr M.J. Cardo (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
a) How many monitoring visits did he undertake, b) which communities did he visit and c) what follow-up procedures were instituted to address the concerns of the specified communities in each calendar year since he launched the Presidential Siyahlola Monitoring Programme in 2012?
NW3263E
Reply:
I have undertaken fifteen (15) Siyahlola Presidential Monitoring Programme visits since the first visit on 6 June 2011 to two schools in Mdantsane and King William's Town in the Eastern Cape. The communities visited were from different provinces. In the 2011/12 financial year communities of Vhembe, Lebowakgomo, Mthatha and Maluti-A-Phofung municipality were visited.
In the 2012/13 financial year Ngobi village in the North West Province was visited, as well as Soweto, uMzimkhulu, Sweetwater in Gauteng, Nelspruit in Mpumalanga and Khayelitsha in the Western Cape.
In the 2013/14 financial communities of Eldorado Park in Gauteng, Muyexe village in Limpopo and uMthatha were visited. While in the 2014/15 financial year Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape and Giyani in Limpopo have been visited as part of Siyahlola Presidential Monitoring Programme. Many more communities have been visited to launch various infrastructure projects to provide essential services to citizens.
After each visit to a community, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency, working together with relevant departments at a national, provincial and local level, meet on a quarterly basis to monitor the implementation of commitments made during visits and also ensure that matters raised by communities are attended to.
Reply received: December 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 2620
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 14 NOVEMBER 2014
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
How much money did The Presidency spend on (a) promotional items and (b) cocktail receptions during the budget vote presentations in 2014 as at the latest specified date for which information is available? NW3262E
THE MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY REPLIES:
(a) There was no spending on promotional items during the budget vote presentation in 2014.
(b) The Presidency spent R225 573.00 for cocktail receptions.
Reply received: November 2014
Question No : 2527
Date Published : 14 November 2014
2527. Mr G G Hill-Lewis (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
How many times has he met with Ms Ellen Zandile Tshabalala in the past five years in (a) her capacity as member of the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Advisory Council and (b) any other official capacity.
NW2932E
Reply:
Ms Tshabalala was appointed in 2009 in terms of section 6 of the Black Economic Empowerment Act, Act no. 53 of 2003. The BEE Advisory Council (the "Council") has held seven general meetings since inception until the 21st October 2014. Ms Tshabalala attended all the meetings. The meetings were chaired by either the President or the Minister of Trade and Industry in the absence of the President.
Ms Tshabalala is no longer a member of the BEE Advisory Council. Her term of office having expired at the end of October 2014.
Reply received: December 2014
QUESTION NO : 2403
Date Published : 07 November 2014
The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
How many domestic trips did he undertake in the 2013-14 financial year, b) In respect of each trip, what (i) was the date of the trip, (ii) was the destination of the trip, (iii) what was the purpose of the trip and (iv) are the (aa) names and (bb) positions of the persons who accompanied him and © what was the (i) total cost and (ii)breakdown of the costs of all the specified trips? NW2905E
REPLY:
I undertake many domestic trips in any given year in the execution of my responsibilities as outlined in the Constitution. These range from travelling to Cape Town to attend Cabinet meetings to visiting communities in various places in the country to monitor the state of service delivery to launching essential infrastructure that is critical for the development of our society. In the 2013/2014 financial year, for instance, I visited the Sekhukhune district in Limpopo to launch De Hoop Dam. This dam will provide water to a vast number of our communities who will now have access to clean water for the first time. In the same year I visited the Natal Midlands to open the Spring Grove Dam, which will supply clean water to citizens who have never had clean water before.
In September 2013 I visited the community of Balfour in Mpumalanga to re-open Grootvlei Power Station, a station which was built in the late 1960s and mothballed in 1990. After a R7.2 billion upgrade to the power station it has been brought back to life to meet our acute energy need which is critical for growing the economy. During the same financial year we travelled domestically to open state-of-the-art schools in the Eastern Cape thereby making quality education accessible to rural communities that for decades have learned under trees or in mud structures.
In my visit to the communities across the length and breadth of our country I am accompanied by Ministers and officials across the three spheres of government, depending on the need of each visit. The costs of these domestic travels are contained in The Presidency annual reports in the specific case of The Presidency.
Reply received: November 2014
Internal Question Paper No: 2402
Date Published: 07 November 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
a) How many international trips did he undertake in the 2013-14 financial year?
b) In respect of each trip, what (i) was the date of the trip, (ii) was the destination of the trip, (iii) was the purpose of the trip and (iv) are the (aa) names and (bb) positions of the persons who accompanied him and © what was the (i) total cost and (ii) breakdown of the costs of all the specified trips?
Reply:
I undertook 44 international visits last year. Depending on the nature of the visit, I am accompanied by Ministers, advisers as well as support staff responsible for functions including communications, protocol, research and administration. The Annual Report of the Presidency provides information on the visits each year.
Reply received: December 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 2364
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in the Presidency:
(a) What official overseas trips have (i) board members and (ii) staff members of the National Youth Development Agency undertaken in the (aa) 2011-12, (bb) 2012-13 and (cc) 2013-14 financial years and (b) for each respective trip, what (i) were the details of the trip, (ii) was the size of the delegation and (iii) were the associated costs?
[NW2955E]
REPLY:
(i)(ii)(aa)(bb)(cc; (b)(i)(ii)(iii)
The international travel breakdown of the NYDA is provided below. The information could only be drawn from July 2012 due to a changeover in systems. The information is obtained from different databases of the NYDA to arrive at the final information.
Reply received: December 2014
QUESTION NO : 2322
Date Published : 07 November 2014
Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether he is using the many means available to him, including the readily availability of the media, to make it abundantly clear to everyone that the Minister of Finance had his and the Government's unequivocal support in demanding full and rigorous compliance with the conditions laid out in the 2014 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) from all segments of the Government to realize his goal of annually reducing the expenditure ceiling, as proposed in the 2014 MTBPS; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the details of the steps he is taking to make visible his support and (b) what action is he proactively asking the Government to take against any person who in any way is deemed to have undermined the 2014 MTBPS framework? NW2905E
REPLY:
The Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) that was delivered by the Minister of Finance in Parliament on 22 October 2014 is a product of extensive discussion by Cabinet.
As Minister Nene stated when delivering the statement, the MTBPS is collectively owned by Cabinet and the tough measures contained in the statement are supported by Cabinet and government as a whole.
The MTBPS sets out a clear course on how our government intends to achieve our developmental goals in the medium term in a tough global and local economic environment. The principal aim of the MTBPS is to restore balance to the nation's finances, bolster investment and achieve better value for money in public expenditure.
A critical element to balancing our finances is to do more with less. We are fighting wasteful expenditure and corruption. We are also freezing budgets of non-essential goods and services, withdrawing funding for posts that have been vacant for some time, and reducing the rate of growth of transfers to public entities, particularly those with cash reserves.
These cost-containment measures are being implemented without compromising service delivery and our commitment to providing basic services to the poor. In making the difficult choices about how to use the available limited resources, we are being guided by the National Development Plan. The Medium Term Strategic Framework clearly outlines how we plan to meet the goals of the NDP in the medium term.
We are taking the message contained in the MTBPS everywhere we go and to every country, groups or persons we meet. Recently the Presidential Working Group on Business met and one of the key issues it discussed was the steps that should be taken to attract inward investment and increase economic growth. This is the same message we have communicated in our bilateral engagements with countries we have met as well as in multilateral meetings we have attended such as the G20.
Reply received: December 2014
QUESTION NO : 2278
Date Published : 31 October 2014
Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
1) whether in view of the resolve of the Government of the People's Republic of China to launch one of the most extensive campaigns as compared to anywhere in the world to expose and prosecute government officials as well as party leaders guilty of corrupt practices, he has been encouraged to quadruple the Government's effort to do likewise; if so, (a) how much more extensive and substantial is the present intensified campaign compared with the previous one, (b) how many more highly placed Government officials are presently being prosecuted and (c) what is the Government doing in combating corruption, which is comparable to the scale of which China is fighting corruption.
2) Whether he will make a statement on the matter? NW2828E
REPLY:
Our government has made fighting corruption one of the key priorities. This is reflected in the Medium-Term Strategic Framework which has the reduction of corruption in the private and public sectors as one of the critical goals for the next five years. To meet this goal we are implementing one of the most comprehensive anti-corruption strategies in the world. In the first instance, I have established the Anti-corruption Inter-Ministerial Committee which is chaired by the Minister in the Presidency and comprises of various Ministers. The aim of the IMC is to lead and oversee our government's efforts aimed at combating corruption.
The IMC is supported by the Anti-Corruption Task Team, which comprises of a vast network of government agencies that is dedicated at fighting corruption. These agencies include the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation ('the Hawks'), the Special Investigative Units, the National Prosecutions Agency (especially the Asset Forfeiture Unit), the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, the Public Service Commission, the Department of Public Service and Administration and other state security agencies.
All these agencies have been asked to pool their intellectual, financial, investigative and other forms of resources in order to deal comprehensively with the scourge of corruption in the public and private sectors. Each of these agencies has also been asked to bring its specialist know-how and experience to this comprehensive effort at combating corruption. The Financial Intelligence Centre, for instance, is bringing its knowledge and experience at dealing with sophisticated financial and economic crimes, while the Public Service Commission has been asked to reach out to members of the public to report incidents of corruption through the National Anti-corruption Hotline.
For the first time in our history I signed tens of proclamations mandating the Special Investigative Unit to investigate incidents of corruption. The Asset Forfeiture Unit of the NPA is seizing more assets associated with or accumulated through criminal activity than ever before. We have established the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer to focus state procurement processes. For far too long weaknesses in the state procurement processes have been exploited in order to commit corruption. Through the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer we are closing these gaps. Furthermore, we have committed ourselves through the MTSF to review legislation that deals with corruption in order to ensure that all laws in this area are strengthened so that we can effectively wage a war against corruption.
These comprehensive measures have begun to bear some fruit. Currently 945 persons are being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Task Team, 228 of whom are officials or ex-officials. Out of this figure, 23 senior officials are being prosecuted.
Reply received: November 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
Internal Question Paper No: 2256.
Date Published: 31 October 2014
The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
Which meetings were (a) scheduled for his planned trip to London in the United Kingdom on 27 October 2014 and (b) still to be scheduled at the time of the cancellation of the trip?
NW 2803E
Reply:
The key engagements in London included the following on 27-28 October 2014;
· Keynote address at the 3rd innovaBRICS innovation conference.
· A roundtable dinner with captains of commerce and industry.
· Breakfast meeting with business community hosted by Brand SA and the South African Chamber of Business in the United Kingdom.
· Roundtable discussion on infrastructure, energy and financing.
· Meeting at the Royal Institute of International Affairs.
All the meetings and interactions took place successfully. The country was ably represented by the following high level delegation;
· Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Performance, Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration, Dr Jeff Radebe
· Minister of Finance, Mr Nhlanhla Nene.
· Minister of Trade and Industry Dr Rob Davies
· Minister of Communications, Ms Faith Muthambi.
The visit by the Ministers was a success. The country's international marketing agency, Brand South Africa, has been a lead partner with innovaBRICS, a business networking forum, since its inception in 2012. The forum is an important marketing platform South Africa and Cabinet Ministers attend sessions on behalf of the country each year.
The visit helped to raise awareness levels and the understanding of the National Development Plan and our policies such as black economic empowerment including our new delivery model, Operation Phakisa aimed at cutting red tape in service delivery.
There was enough time dedicated to conversations and unmediated dialogues with business which helped a great deal to spread the message that South Africa is open for business.
Reply received: November 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY QUESTION NO: 2251
Date Published: Friday 31 October 2014
The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic :-
a) How many times since the beginning of 2013 did he, in his capacity as chairperson, attend meetings of the National Nuclear Energy Executive Coordination Committee, (b) (i) on what dates and (ii) at which venues were these meetings held and (c) what are the (i)names (ii) designations and (iii) nationalities of all the persons who attended the specified meeting?
NW2798E
Reply:
I have attended and chaired the total number of five (5) meetings of the National Nuclear Energy Executive Coordination Committee.
I was joined in the meetings by members of the committee: the Minister of Energy, Minister of Public Enterprises, Minister of Finance, Minister of State Security, Minister of Defence and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.
The dates and venues of those meetings are as follows;
1) 10 October 2013, Pretoria.
2) 20 May 2014, Pretoria
3) 22 July 2014, Cape Town
4) 30 July 2014, Cape Town
5) 05 September 2014, Pretoria.
Reply received: November 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 2227
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in the Presidency:
(a)How many bids were submitted with regard to the tender for developing a long-term youth employment strategy issued by the National Youth Development Agency, (b)what were the names of the bidders, (c)what was the rand value of each bid and (d)which bidder was awarded the tender?
[NW2771E]
REPLY:
(a) A total of five bids were received for the tender.
(b) , (c), (d) See table below
| Name | Rand value of each bid | Result |
| Isendlu Business Companion | Did not open pricing as functionality test was not passed | Did not qualify for second stage of bidding process due to functionality criteria not being met |
| Let's Settle Our Dues Corporation | Did not open pricing as functionality test was not passed | Did not qualify for second stage of bidding process due to functionality criteria not being met |
| Dual Point Consulting | R7 400 000 | Awarded tender |
| Visolution Africa (Pty) Ltd | Did not open pricing as functionality test was not passed | Did not qualify for second stage of bidding process due to functionality criteria not being met |
| Atlala Trading CC | Did not open pricing as functionality test was not passed | Did not qualify for second stage of bidding process due to functionality criteria not being met |
The competitive bid for the long term Youth Employment Strategy was awarded to Dual Point Consulting.
Reply received: November 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 2226
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in the Presidency:
Has a tender been advertised and/or awarded for a review of the organisational structure of the National Youth Development Agency as well as the development of a human resources plan in terms of its turnaround strategy; if so, what are the relevant details?
[NW2770E]
REPLY:
A competitive tender has been advertised and awarded for the review of the organizational structure of the NYDA and the development of a Human Resources plan. The competitive bid has been awarded to Pricewaterhouse Coopers and the engagement has commenced on 10 November 2014.
Reply received: November 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 2225
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in the Presidency:
Why did the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) fail to appear before the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration as well as Performance Monitoring and Evaluation on 16th October 2014, as agreed at a committee meeting the previous day?
[NW2769E]
REPLY:
The NYDA presented its Annual Report to the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration as well as Performance Monitoring and Evaluation on the 15th October 2014. The Chair of the Committee requested the NYDA to present its Turnaround Strategy of the NYDA and its request for additional funding of R200 million. The NYDA provisionally agreed with the Chair of the Committee that they would appear to present these reports on the following day.
The NYDA engaged overnight with its Board of Directors and its Executive Authority. The decision was taken that with the Turnaround Strategy of the NYDA having only recently been approved by the Board of the NYDA, it would not be proper to present without the endorsement of the Executive Authority of the NYDA. The Chair of the Committee was informed that the Turnaround Strategy would be presented to the Executive Authority with urgency and would then be presented to the Portfolio Committee. Therefore the NYDA was not in a position to present the strategy on the 16th October. The Turnaround Strategy and request for additional funding was subsequently presented to the Portfolio Committee on the 21st October 2014.
Reply received: November 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY QUESTION NO: 2154
Mr MGP Lekota (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic :
Whether the substantial increase in the size of the executive arm of government under his presidency has in any way reflected a more substantial attainment of the aims and objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP) and particularly so in respect of (a) achieving an inclusive rural economy, (b) transforming spatial arrangements and spatial governance, (c) keeping with developments in internet and communication technology, (d) building a capable state, € intensifying accountability through all spheres of government and (f) vigorously prosecuting corrupt elements in government service; if not, why not; if so, what are the new gains in respect of each of the specified aims and objectives of the NPD? NW2628E
REPLY:
The decision on the size and shape of the executive take into account the assessment of performance of the previous administration, priorities of the new administration, the balance in the expertise required to deliver on the priorities and the need to ensure continuity.
The National Development Plan is the basis of the priorities of this administration as spelt out in the Medium Term Strategic Framework 2014 – 2019, published in August this year. Guided by these considerations, we have combined some ministries, created new ministries, appointed deputy ministers where we believed additional capacity was needed and shifted some functions to ensure more effective delivery. For example, the importance attached to small business development in the NDP informed the creation of the Department of Small Business Development, and the need to institutionalise long term planning in government informed the creation of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
(a) The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform is in the process of initiating a pilot project to test the new land reform proposals contained in the NDP. This is a collaborative exercise together with the Department of Agriculture, other state agencies and representatives of the private sector including commercial and emerging farmers. The NDP proposals in this regard are aimed at addressing weaknesses in the land reform programme. There are various other proposals which will be taken forward through the normal government programmes which are set out in the Medium Term Strategic Framework.
(b) In August 2013, the President signed into law the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, which aims to help government address the spatial settlement patterns. The Act also proposes measures to improve spatial governance, and these are receiving priority.
(c) In the previous administration, we adopted a broadband strategy which aims to significantly expand access to broadband. The Medium Term Strategic Framework takes this forward and sets specific targets for expanding access to broadband to the majority of South Africans.
(d) Our monitoring and evaluation system will ensure that both government and the public have information about which parts of our government are failing our people and this will be used by Cabinet to take remedial actions.
(e) The MTSF deals extensively with initiatives we have put in place to fight corruption in the public and private sectors. We have committed to build a resilient anti-corruption system and to successfully detect and investigate cases of alleged corruption with a view to prosecute, convict and incarcerate perpetrators. As part of this initiative, we have set targets to prohibit public servants from doing business with the state, strengthen implementation of Financial Disclosure Framework and protection of whistle-blowers. DPSA is also working on the establishment of a Technical Assistance Unit so that departments are able to draw on the specialist technical capacity in order to investigate issues relating to ethics, integrity and discipline. It also includes measures to strengthen and professionalise procurement and supply chain management and to increase monitoring of these areas, which are where most corruption occurs.
It should also be noted that, whereas the work of government in the previous administration was organised around 12 outcomes, we have increased this to 14 outcomes taking into account the priorities in the NDP. Government will be reporting on progress made in each outcome every quarter and this will enable the assessment of progress by everyone. We have no doubt that the executive we have put together will be able to deliver on the goals of the NDP and in particular the specific issues raised in the question.
Reply received: December 2014
QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN REPLY
FRIDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2014
2153. Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the Deputy President:
Whether the Government will seek to encourage the rapid realisation of an active citizenry, as envisaged in the National Development Plan, by fostering support for the establishment of an independent SA Social Compact Organisation with an initial grant, so that the country's many communities that are still languishing in poverty can (a) easily access information and data in the economic sphere to become active in small businesses, (b) break down barriers to private investments in their largely untransformed townships that still continue to exist on the periphery of our towns and cities with little change in the past two decades, (c) become directly involved in food production in the urban landscape, (d) rapidly transform spatial arrangements through the Government's increased devolution of meaningful planning powers to them and (e) work together as a community for the realisation of wards and districts that are gang free, drug free and crime free; if not, why not; if so, will the Government examine the model being used by Social Compact in the United States of America to spur the establishment of a South African counterpart on a similar or different basis? NW2627E
REPLY
Government has not looked at the establishment of such an organisation.
Effective social compacts are generally not the result of a single event but of a much longer and more enduring process of shared decision making between different groups of citizens.
Government is encouraging active citizenry through various forums. However, it has no plans to establish a specific organisation to promote a social compact.
There are several examples of the work government and others are doing.
In his State of the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma tasked the Deputy President to convene the social partners' dialogue within the ambit of NEDLAC to address labour market instability and income inequality. The social partners have adopted a declaration on these issues, and work is currently underway to produce concrete agreements.
Various South Africans have heeded the call from the NDP to be active citizens and are engaging in initiatives that promotes social compacting. An example of this is the establishment of the National Education Collaboration Trust, which involves leaders from labour, business, academia, parents and non-governmental organisations.
This initiative is one example that shows what is possible if all various stakeholders come together and there is a broad mutual commitment. We are learning lessons from this initiative as government together with other leaders in society initiate similar processes, find areas of common and mutual interest and agree to work together to find solutions.
Government notes the approach taken in the United States.
Reply received: November 2014
QUESTION NUMBER 2111
2111. Ms T E Baker (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) How many complaints related to the Department of Human Settlements have been received through the Presidential Hotline with regard to alleged corruption in the (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, and (c) 2013-14 financial years;
(2) how many of these complaints have been (a) investigated and (b) finalised;
(3) what action has been taken against the offenders in each case;
(4) what was the nature of the complaints in the majority of these cases? NW2579E
REPLY:
To date (up to 30 September 2014), 6427 complaints and enquiries were assigned to the Department of Human Settlements, of which only 36 were classified as relating to alleged "abuse of power".
It is worth noting that the Presidential Hotline does not investigate the complaints, but assigns them to the relevant departments for investigation and for resolution. In this case, the Departments of Human Settlements recorded that all complaints and enquiries assigned to them have been investigated and resolved.
Therefore the DPME does not have the details of the actions taken by the Department of Human Settlements as the investigation processes and the outcomes of investigations are managed by the responsible departments. We do conduct telephonic satisfaction surveys of a sample of complaints recorded as "resolved". Of all the complaints assigned to Department of Human Settlements and recorded as resolved, we conducted satisfaction surveys of 2662 complaints – 23% of citizens rated the service from the Hotline as Poor, 29% as fair and 48% as Good.
From our records, the nature of the majority of the 36 complaints were (i) Cases where there was an allegation of the giving, receiving, or soliciting of something of value for the purpose of influencing the action of an official in the discharge of his or her public or legal duties and (ii) Cases that are mostly related to allegations of RDP houses and building materials that are being sold without authorisation and without following the proper protocols.
Reply received: November 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY QUESTION NO :2096
Ms A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
1. Whether, with reference to his reply to question 943 on 26 August 2013, any changes have been made to the terms of reference since the initial gazetting of the establishment of the Presidential Remuneration Commission; if so, what are the relevant details;
2. (a) when did the specified Commission commence with its work, (b) when is the work of the specified Commission expected to be completed, (c) why was it necessary to appoint additional commissioners and (d) what factors have delayed the work of the specified Commission? NW2564E
WRITTEN REPLY:
1. The Terms of Reference published under Proclamation 33 of the Government Notice 36757 have been amended since the initial gazetting of the establishment of the Presidential Remuneration Commission. The amendments were primarily in the following areas: Firstly, paragraph 7 of the Terms of reference was amended to extend the term of office of the Commission to 6 April 2015.
The amendment also requires the Commission to submit its final report within four months after the date on which it completes its work. Secondly, a new paragraph was inserted to make provision for the Chairperson of the Commission to recommend to the President suitably qualified persons to be appointment as additional members of the Commission.
2.
(a)The Commission was appointed in August 2013. Although the Commission started with its work immediately after its appointment, during the first few months of its existence, the Commission had to focus more on logistical matters such as securing office space and appointing administrative support staff.
(b) The Commission is expected to complete its work by 15 April 2015 and to submit its report within four months after the date on which it completes its work.
(c) In a letter dated 07 August 2014, the Chairperson of the Commission, Justice Sandile Ngcobo recommended the appointment of two additional Commissioners. This request was in accordance with paragraph 11 of the Terms of Reference, in terms of which provision was made for the Chairperson to recommend such additional appointments. This was provided for to ensure that at all times, the Commission has at its disposal, the capacity and expertise it requires to fulfil its mandate optimally.
(d) As the Commission began to execute its mandate, it became clear that in addition to setting aside enough time to establish its administrative systems and infrastructure, the terms of reference themselves would require more time to implement than it was initially provided for.
Reply received: November 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 2050
Mr S C Motau (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
1. How many copies of The Presidency's annual report for the (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14 financial years were produced?
2. (a) At what cost were these reports produced and (b) to whom were these reports circulated?
NW2517E
REPLY:
In the 2012/13 and 2013/14 financial years The Presidency produced 600 copies of the annual report and 500 copies, respectively.
The cost of printing 600 and 500 copies of The Presidency annual report for the two financial years amounted to R120, 877.54 and R94, 129.80, respectively.
The 2012/13 annual report was circulated to the following entities:
· Parliament
· National Treasury
· Auditor General South Africa
· Minister and Deputy Minister of The Presidency
· Top and senior Management of The Presidency
· National Library of S.A. Pretoria Campus (NLSA-Pta) Harry Nkadimeng.
· National Film, Video & Sound Archives
· Legal Deposit Library Section, Mangaung Library Services
· Legal Deposit Section, Library of Parliament
· R J R Masiea Public Library
· Library of Congress
· Northern West Provincial Library and Information Services
· Statistics South Africa
· National Library of South Africa (Cape Town Campus)
· Msunduzi Municipality Library
· National Library of South Africa (Pretoria Campus)
· Constitutional Court Library
· Department of Social Development
· Government Communication and Information System
· Department of Public service and Administration
· Reserve Bank
The 2013/14 report was circulated to the following entities:
· Parliament
· National Treasury
· Auditor General South Africa
· Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
· Ministry: Planning Monitoring and Evaluation
· Minister and Deputy Minister of The Presidency
· Top and senior Management of The Presidency
· Government communication and information system
· Reserve Bank of South Africa
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1983
1983 Mr D J Maynier (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency
(1) How many investigations are currently being conducted by the National Conventional Arms Control Committee's inspectorate in terms of (a) section 9(2)(a) and (b) section 9(2)(b) of the National Conventional Arms Control Act, Act 41 of 2002;
(2) in respect of each specified investigation currently being conducted in terms of section 9(2)(a) of the National Conventional Arms Control Act, Act 41 of 2002, (a) when was the investigation initiated, (b) what is the (i) name(s) of the person and/or entity alleged to have contravened the legislation and (ii) nature of the alleged contravention of the legislation and (c) current status of the investigation;
(3) what are the relevant details in respect of each specified investigation being conducted in terms of section 9(2)(b) of the National Conventional Arms Control Act, Act 41 of 2002?
(NW 2367E)
Reply
The Inspectorate conducted thirty six (36) investigations in terms of section 9(2)(a) of the National Conventional Arms Control Act, 73 of 2008 as amended and one investigations in terms of section 9(2)(b) over the period 1 May to 30 September 2014.
Current investigations in terms of section 9(2)(a) were Initiated during the period 1 May to 30 September 2014. Unfortunately , the names of the entities under investigation cannot be disclosed as some entities were found not to have contravened the NCAC Act and the remainder of the investigations are sub judice. The nature of alleged contraventions of the NCAC Act are violations of permit conditions, trade without being registered and trade without NCACC approved permits.
Thirteen (13) compliance verification audits are in process, four (4) compliance verification audits have been finalized, ten (10) investigations have been finalized with no further action to be taken, four (4) investigations are still ongoing and five (5) have been referred to the SAPS for further investigation.
A request for investigation dated 26 September 2014 was received from Mr David Maynier, MP to investigate certain approvals by the NCACC in relation to certain countries as reported to Parliament. The investigation is still ongoing.
Reply received: December 2014
QUESTION NO : 1934
Date Published : 17 October 2014
Mr JH Steenhuisen (DA) to ask the President of the Republic :
1. (a) When has he visited the Russian Federation in the (i) 2011-12, (ii)2012-13 and (iii)2013-14 financial years and (b) in respect of each visit (i) which (aa) persons, (bb) businesses and/or (cc) organisations accompanied him, (ii) what meetings were held during these visits and (iii) what was discussed during each of these meetings;
2. (a) what was the total cost of his visits, (b) what is the detailed breakdown of the costs involved and (c) who paid for each item respectively?
NW2317E
REPLY:
1. (a) I visited the Russian Federation on the following occasions:
(i) On 03 July 2011 to participate in the meeting of the International Contact Group on Libya in my capacity as a member of the African Union Ad hoc High Level Committee on Libya.
(ii) I did not undertake any visit during the 2012/13 financial year;
(iii) On 16 May 2013 I undertook a Working Visit to Sochi and again from 05-06 September 2013 to attend the G20 Leaders Summit in St Petersburg.
(b) During my visit to Sochi in May 2013, I was accompanied by Ms M Nkoana-Mashabane; Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms N.N. Mapisa-Nqakula; Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Mr MCJ Van Schalkwyk; Minister of Tourism, Mr S Cwele; Minister of State Security, Mr EN Mthethwa; Minister of Police and Ms D Peters; Minister of Energy. During the visit I and President Vladimir Putin reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on critical regional and global issues of mutual interest. The sectoral Ministers discussed issues pertaining to strengthening bilateral cooperation in their respective fields with their Russian counterparts.
(iii) During my visit to St Petersburg in September 2013, I was accompanied by the then Minister of Finance, Mr. P Gordhan, and the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms. M Nkoana-Mashabane. Discussions during the Summit were focused on ways to boost sustainable, inclusive and balanced global growth.
2. Costs related to the visits would be included in The Presidency's budgets for the respective years.
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION 1933 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
Mr J H Steenhuisen (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
(1) (a) How many times since the beginning of 2013 did he as Chairperson of the National Nuclear Energy Executive Coordination Committee meet with employees of a certain company (name furnished), (b) what was discussed at each meeting, (c) when was each meeting held, (d) where was each meeting held and (e) who accompanied him on each of these meetings;
(2) (a) what was the total cost of his meetings, (b) what is the detailed breakdown of the costs involved and (c) who paid for each item respectively? NW2316E
Answers
1. (a) I have not met with officials and employees of the foreign company referred to.
2. Since there were no meetings, then the questions about costs therefore fall away.
Reply received: November 2014
WRITTEN REPLY
Internal Question Paper No: 1930
Date Published: 26 September 2014
Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
With reference to the reply by the former Deputy President to question 2003 on 15 August 2013, regarding the change in the composition of the National Nuclear Energy Executive Coordinating Committee (NNEECC), (a) why did the NNEECC recommend a change in its composition in April 2013, (b) what were the specific reasons stated by the NNEECC for this change and (c) why did he assume the chairpersonship of the NNEECC after the change in its composition?
Reply:
Honourable member,
In endorsing the NNEECC Terms of Reference, Cabinet expressed a concern that the committee membership was too broad and would not provide an optimised structure and efficient process for a new nuclear build programme. The NNEECC structure needed to be a manageable in terms of size and also to be more focused in terms of the subject and priorities.
The new structure of the NNEECC comprises the following:
The President - Chairperson
· Minister of Energy
· Minister of Public Enterprises
· Minister of Finance
· Minister of State Security
· Minister of Defence
· Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.
The President assumed chairpersonship in order to provide political direction and executive leadership on energy matters in general, and nuclear issues included, given the fact that energy security is an apex priority in the country especially for economic growth and socio-economic development.
Reply received: November 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY QUESTION NO: 1880
Mr AM Shaik Emam (NFP) to ask the President of the Republic:
1. With reference to his various addresses to South Africans where he emphasized the need for commitment from all levels of government to accelerate service delivery in order to leave behind a legacy whereby the Fifth Parliament can be regarded as a turning point in politics in terms of service delivery, what action does he intend to take against those who are failing to comply at every level of government;
2. Whether he intends sanctioning those who are failing without fear or favour;
3. Whether he will ensure that all persons who are (a) found guilty of fraud, corruption, maladministration and tender fraud and (b) failing to implement strategic plans face the consequences; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
NW2251E
REPLY:
I share the Honourable Member's concern that there should be consequences for poor performance, and that there should be zero tolerance for fraud, corruption and maladministration. I also fully agree with you that those found guilty of these offences should be sanctioned without fear or favour.
We have a range of legislation in place in South Africa, which collectively governs the career incidents of public servants, such as the Public Service Act and the Labour Relations Act. Any public servant or official who is found to have committed any form of misconduct be it fraud, corruption, dereliction of duty or poor performance will have to be disciplined in terms of the disciplinary Code and Procedure of the public service and Chapter 7 of the Senior Management Services Handbook or any other disciplinary prescript applicable to that sector without any fear of favour.
Cabinet has recently considered the Sanctioning Guidelines from the Department of Public Service and Administration and have agreed that Minister Chabane continues to consult stakeholders in order for them to be approved so that we can have consistency in our sanctions for these serious forms of misconduct.
In terms of the Public Service Act and its subsidiary regulations and frameworks, it is the responsibility of a supervisor or Head of Department to take disciplinary action against an official accused of such a transgression. If this fails, it becomes the responsibility of the Executive Authority (Minister or Premier) to take action against the Head of Department.
Improving the management of discipline in the public service is one of the key sub-outcomes in the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) chapter on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the public service. Improving the management of discipline and the quality of other administrative practices is also one of the goals of the Back to Basics programme that the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Mr Pravin Gordhan is leading at the municipal level.
The MTSF includes actions to strengthen the implementation of the financial disclosure framework for senior managers and officials working in procurement, introducing measures to prohibit public servants from doing business with the state, to strengthen protection of whistle-blowers, and the establishment of Technical Assistance Unit in the DPSA so that departments are able to draw on specialist technical capacity in order to investigate issues relating to ethics, integrity and discipline.
It also includes measures to strengthen and professionalise procurement and supply chain management and to increase the monitoring of these areas, where most corruption occurs. The professionalisation of procurement will make it easier to keep track of supply chain managers in order to ensure that people found guilty of corruption cannot simply relocate to a new department. The MTSF also includes measures to improve the coordination of all anti-corruption responsibilities and structures.
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1869
1869. Mr J J McGluwa (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) Which universities are beneficiaries of the research grants of the National Planning Commission Secretariat;
(2) what are the details of the research done by each university;
(3) what was the breakdown of assistance given to each university? NW2244E
REPLY:
During the first phase which came to an end in June 2012, the National Planning Commission (NPC) gave grants to researchers from the following institutions: University of Free State, University of Cape Town, University of KwaZulu Natal, North West University, University of Western Cape, University of Venda, Wits University, Stellenbosch University, the Human Sciences Research Council and University of Oxford: Centre for analysis of SA Social Policy in partnership with researchers from the University of Western Cape. It should be noted that the grants were awarded to researchers who are based in these institutions rather than as grants to institutions.
The topics covered in the various studies were: (i) Public sector antiretroviral treatment as pro-poor development strategy: from passive grant recipients to engaged citizens. (ii) The use of child-focused indicators to reflect on social policy in South Africa: A national child poverty monitor. (iii) Determinants of child welfare outcomes in SA: A comparative analysis of cross-sectional and panel data. (iv) Adapting the South African National Income Dynamics Study for use as a base micro-dataset for SAMOD: A tax-benefit micro-simulation model. (v) Agricultural bio-diversity for better nutrition, health and production systems in sub-Saharan Africa: A case study. (vi) Play it Again Sam: Exploring grade repetition at under-performing schools in the Western Cape. (vii) Income generating projects as a development intervention of government. (viii) The challenges that young South African's face in accessing jobs: Could a targeted wage subsidy help? (ix) Low quality education as a poverty trap in South Africa. (x) Understanding informal self-employment: a qualitative-quantitative integrated study. (xi) Women, crime and incarceration: Exploring pathways of women in conflict with the law. (xii) South African municipalities and mobility: Planning for the transient and the indigent. (xii) Towards a social cohesion barometer for South Africa. All research papers are available on http://www.psppd.org.za
The value of each grant to researchers ranged from the smallest R554 857 to the largest R798 620.
Reply received: October 2014
WRITTEN REPLY
Date Published: 26 September 2014
1845. Adv H C Schmidt (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
Given the recent decision of the Government that the One Environmental System be implemented on 8 December 2014, will he (a) sign the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill [B15-2013] into law and/or (b) refer the Bill back to Parliament for further consideration?
NW2221E
Reply:
I received the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill after it was passed by Parliament and referred to me for assent and signing into law.
I further received submissions against the signing of the Bill into law, from Mr Henk Smith of the Legal Resources Centre and Dr Wilmot James of the Democratic Alliance.
Mr Smith and Dr James have requested that, I refer the Bill back to National Assembly (NA) in terms of Section 79 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, amongst others, on the ground that the National Assembly, National Council of Provinces and the provincial legislatures failed to take reasonable steps to facilitate public involvement when the Bill was passed.
I have written to the Speaker of the National Assembly seeking her advice on the process that was followed by both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces before the Bill was passed. The information will assist me to take a decision regarding the Bill.
Reply received: October 2014
WRITTEN REPLY
Internal Question Paper No: 1833
Date Published: 26 September 2014
Mr S C Motau (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
What action has been taken with regard to the report by the Special Investigating Unit (details furnished) regarding the investigation into alleged corruption in the allocation of Reconstruction and Development (RDP) houses in Esselen Park? NW2206E
REPLY:
Prior to 2007, the SIU carried out a pre-investigation scoping exercise to ascertain the facts relating to certain complaints by the residents of Esselen Park relating to the incorrect allocation of Reconstruction and Development Plan (RDP) houses.
At that time, the Special Investigating Unit had been instructed in terms of Proclamation R32 of 1999 to investigate certain matters in Gauteng namely:
· The unlawful, unauthorised and/or irregular drawing and/or issuing of promissory notes, guarantees, indemnities and/or any other negotiable instruments by and/or on behalf of the Department of Housing and Land Affairs of the problems of Gauteng and/or the subsequent negotiation, discounting and/or presentation thereof and/or payments in terms thereof by unknown person.
The existing Proclamation did not authorise the Special Investigating Unit to investigate the allegations set out by the residents of Esselen Park relating to the incorrect allocation of RDP houses. Therefore, the pre-investigation was stopped and the complaint was referred to the Department.
Any such investigation would have been ultra vires the provisions of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act, 1996 (the SIU Act).
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1702
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
Whether, since his reply to question 254 on 22 July 2014, (a) he and (b) the Deputy Minister acquired any vehicles for official use since his appointment to Cabinet in May 2014; if so, what is the (i) make, (ii) model, (iii) year and (iv) purchase price of each such vehicle bought for their official use in each case? NW2065E
REPLY:
I wish to inform the Honourable Member that none of us has acquired a new vehicle in the period mentioned in this inquiry.
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1701
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
What was the total amount spent by (a) The Presidency and (b) all of its entities on conferences in the 2013-14 financial year? NW2064E
REPLY:
The expenditure was as follows: The Presidency R1 411 466.37, Brand SA R74 277.00 and NYDA R 725 080.00.
Reply received: October 2014
WRITTEN REPLY
Internal Question Paper No:
Date Published: 19 September 2014
1682. Prof B Bozzoli (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
- How does he define the terms (a) patriotic university and (b) academic freedom as a referred to in his address to the Progressive Professionals Forum (details furnished);
- Whether he has found any universities to be unpatriotic; if so, (a) which universities and (b) what steps should be taken by such universities in order for them to be defined as patriotic;
- (a) what he was referring to when he said in his statement that academic freedom refers to the fact that no one class dominates and (b) does he intend to introduce this definition of academic freedom into government policy; if so (i) when and (ii) through what mechanism?
NW2043E
Reply:
A patriotic university should be measured byits contribution to building a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society as directed by the Constitution of the Republic. It should also measure itself in terms of progress made in promoting transformation in terms of race, class and gender, as part of reversing the legacy of apartheid colonialism.
Our country has emerged from a divided past. We look to the intelligentsia in the free and democratic South Africa, in particular at universities, to contribute to the transformation of society by promoting ideas and producing young graduates and intellectuals who understand this heinous past of class and racial domination and who will ensure that the non-racial and equal society we are working for is fully achieved.
Universities must be able to produce graduates who are complete human beings. These are students who have full appreciation of the history of our country which was racially and economically divided, its present socio-economic challenges and its future of common purpose centred on the Constitution of the Republic and the National Development Plan.
Academic freedom flourishes by allowing all views and different ideological strands to find expression without fear, favour or prejudice. Universities should thus be thriving centres that allow all sorts of ideas and perspectives to flourish. They should not become platforms for a privileged few to propagate their views to students and the country at large and be closed to other opinions.
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1665
Mr M H Redelinghuys (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(a) In the (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14 financial years, (aa) how many times has the Office of the Presidency received a request from the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in accordance with section 184(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, to provide a report on measures taken by his Office towards the realisation of the rights in the Bill of Rights concerning housing, health care, food, water, social security, education and the environment and (bb) how many times did his Office submit such a report to the SAHRC and (b) in each case, was the report (i) made readily available to the public or (ii) tabled in Parliament? NW2026E
REPLY:
The Presidency did not receive this request from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in the period in question.
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1661
Mr S J Masango (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
Whether any Ratel Infantry Combat Vehicles have been exported in each specified calendar year between 2003 and 2014; if not, in each specified calendar year, why not; if so, in each specified calendar year, what was the (a) name of the importing state, (b) name of the end user, (c) quantity of vehicles exported and (d) total value of the vehicles exported?
REPLY:
1. The details of Ratel Infantry Combat Vehicles exported over the period 2003 to 2014 under the NCACC authority are as reflected in the table below.
| YEAR | COUNTRY & END USER | QUANTITY |
| 2003 | Ghana Government | 19 |
| Jordan Government | 100 | |
| 2004 | Ghana Government | 20 |
| Jordan Government | 221 | |
| 2007 | Rwanda Government | 35 |
| 2008 | Senegal Government | 20 |
| 2012 | Zambia Government | 29 |
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1614
Mr S C Motau (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(a) Which posts in the Office of The Presidency are vacant in the (i) highly skilled, (ii) highly skilled supervision and (iii) senior and top management levels and (b) in each case, what has been the duration of the vacancy? NW1975E
REPLY:
(a) Vacant posts in The Presidency as at 31 August 2014:
Highly skilled: 16
· Secretarial = 11
· Human Resources = 2
· Finance = 1
· Supply Chain Management = 1
· Communications= 1
Highly skilled supervision: 28
· Assistant Director = 13
· Deputy Director = 15
Senior and top management levels: 14
· Senior Management = 12
· Top Management = 2
Duration of the vacancy:
| Levels | 1-3 mnths | 4-6 mnths | 7-9 mnths | 10-12 mnths | More than 12 mnths |
| Highly Skilled | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Highly Skilled Supervision | 18 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Senior and Top Management | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 29 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Reply received: September 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1494
Ms P T van Damme (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
Whether (a) the Office of The Presidency and/or (b) any entities reporting to it sponsored political party (i) advertisements, (ii) events and/or (iii) paraphernalia in the (aa) 2011-12, (bb) 2012-13 and (cc) 2013-14 financial years; if so, (aaa) for which political party and (bbb) what was the monetary value of the sponsorship in each case? NW1860E
REPLY:
The Presidency and the entities reporting to it did not sponsor any political party in any form.
Reply received: September 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1461
Mr S C Motau (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
What is the quantum of funds spent by the Office of The Presidency on all advertising for each financial year between 1 April 2010 up to the latest specified date for which information is available? NW1827E
REPLY:
Funds spent by the Office of The Presidency on all advertising since 2010 are R5 366 483.93
Reply received: September 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1429
Mr T J Brauteseth (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(a) Which travel agents has his Office used during the period 1 April 2012 up to the latest specified date for which information is available and
(b) What is the quantum of funds spent with each of the specified travel agents in the specified period? NW1794E
REPLY:
The office used Travel With Flair (TWF) and Worldwide Travel from 2012 up until to date and the funds spent are R5 948 829 and R13 075.00, respectively.
Reply received: September 2014
QUESTIONS 1333 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
FRIDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 2014
1333. Mr W M Madisha (Cope) to ask the Deputy President:
Whether in view of the significant role he played in supporting the peace process in Northern Ireland, the Government, moved by the death and destruction that the conflict in the Middle East had caused, had issued or was willing to issue an invitation to the Palestinian Authority as well as to Israel to use the considerable expertise and experience South Africa had to help broker a permanent and equitable peace solution that will give to Palestine and Israel an opportunity to chart a new course and find a secure future; if not, why not; if so, what are the details? NW1528E
REPLY
Following the outbreak of violence between Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Gaza, President Jacob Zuma appointed former Minister Dr Zola Skweyiya and former Deputy Minister Mr Aziz Pahad as Special Envoys to the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict and Peace Process.
The Special Envoys were mandated by the President to travel to the Middle East region to hold meetings with affected stakeholders and convey President Zuma's message of grave concern at the situation in Gaza.
The stakeholders with whom they met expressed appreciation for President Zuma's initiative and South Africa's unwavering solidarity with the people of Palestine. South Africa was also requested to remain engaged in efforts to find a solution to the Palestinian – Israeli conflict.
The Honourable Member is cognisant of South Africa's difficult and painful history. It was through several rounds of difficult negotiations and a commitment to peace by all concerned parties that a free and democratic South Africa was achieved. In all our interactions with parties on both the Palestinian and Israeli sides, we have expressed our willingness to share that experience.
Reply received: October 2014
The President's Replies to Parliamentary Questions for Written Reply, in the National Assembly
QUESTION NO: 1329 Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether, on his recent trip to Russia, he used the opportunity of meeting with President Putin to get an assurance that the Russian government would do everything in its power to dampen the conflict in Eastern Ukraine and continue to strive to work for stability and harmony in the region; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1524E
Reply:
During my visit to Russia, President Putin briefed me fully on the issue of Ukraine and further committed himself on working with the leadership of Ukraine in finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the crisis.
Reply received: October 2014
The President's Replies to Parliamentary Questions for Written Reply, in the National Assembly
QUESTION NO: 1316 Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the President of the Republic:
1. Whether he has taken any legal advice on the constitutionality of the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Act, Act 3 of 2013; if not, (a) why not and (b) why are the representations addressed to him regarding the constitutionality of this amending Act not taken into account; if so, (i) how many legal opinions have been obtained, (ii) who are the legal persons who have offered legal opinions and (iii) what were the recommendations of each legal opinion;
2. Whether these legal opinions can be obtained by the public; if not, why not; if so, where can they be obtained? NW1612E
Reply:
The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, as South Africa is a constitutional democracy. It therefore goes without saying that in my exercise of my constitutional responsibility to assent to and sign Bills or refer Bills to parliament, I consider the Constitution at all material times.
Reply received: September 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1297
1297. Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in the Presidency:
With regard to the Trust Index referred to in the Appendix 14 of the Medium Term Strategic Framework 2014-2019, (a) who is responsible for compiling the index and (b) how is trust (i) defined and (ii) measured? NW1592E
The index value used in the MTSF is derived from the World Values Survey. The World Values Survey (WVS) network is a worldwide network of social scientists studying changing values and their impact on social and political life.
Trust as mentioned in the MTSF and the NDP can be defined as social capital that acts as a catalyst for working together and for civic mindedness. Trust is an important ingredient for making democracies function better. Representative national samples of each society's public are interviewed, using a standardized questionnaire that measures changing values. The countries included in these surveys cover the full range from very poor countries to very rich ones, from authoritarian systems to liberal democracies, covering all major cultural zones. These surveys provide valuable information about a crucial component of social change: the values, beliefs and motivations of ordinary citizens.
Reply received: October 2014
1314. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
(1) What was the cost of (a) travel, (b) accommodation and (c) any other specified expenditure of his recent trip to Russia;
(2) how much of the taxpayer's money was specifically spent on the rest component of his visit;
(3) what was his schedule for each day of the trip;
(4) (a) what was the nature of the content discussed during his visit, (b) was the nuclear build project specifically discussed and (c) what agreements and/or resolutions, if any, were reached by the parties;
(5) were any members of the economics cluster involved in the talks; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1610E
WRITTEN REPLY:
I undertook a high level Working Visit to the Russian Federation in August 2014 to take forward our bilateral relations with Russia through discussions with His Excellency President Vladimir Putin.
The figures in relation to the cost of the visit are not available yet.
The visit was guided by South Africa's bilateral relations with the Russian Federation, which are informed by political, economic, social, defence and security cooperation and all the relevant legal instruments and mechanisms that affirm the strategic relationship between the two countries.
In meetings we expressed satisfaction with progress made towards strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. We agreed to cooperate in the advancement of the African Agenda and finding lasting solutions towards ensuring global peace, security and stability.
The security situation of the African continent was discussed at length. We discussed cooperation in peace missions that South Africa is involved in, including request for support for the African Capacity to Respond to Immediate Crisis.
We also discussed the situation in the Ukraine and the need to find solutions. We also reflected on developments in the Middle East, in particular the need for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestine conflict.
We also further agreed to cooperate in addressing multilateral issues of mutual interest and concern.
We expressed satisfaction with the growing trade relations in various areas and also welcomed the discussions that had been taking place between the two governments on energy cooperation among other areas. The agreement between the South African Government and the Government of the Russian Federation on the Strategic Partnership and Cooperation in the Fields of Nuclear Power and Industry was signed last month.
I further raised the matter of the repatriation of South African liberation heroes who are buried in Russia, Mr J.B. Marks and Mr Moses Kotane. Processes relating to the repatriation have begun.
There were no members of the economic cluster on the visit. I did not deem it necessary to travel with my economic cluster Ministers.
Reply received: September 2014
QUESTION 1219 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
FRIDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER 2014
1219. Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the Deputy President:
Whether, with reference to the criticisms of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC), he intends to take any steps against members of the Cabinet who (a) delay providing replies within 10 working days to written parliamentary questions and (b) provide incomplete or insubstantial replies to written, oral and supplementary questions which undermine executive accountability; if not, why not; if so, (i) when and (ii) in what manner? NW1457E
REPLY
Members of the Executive are acutely aware of the importance of Parliamentary Questions as a tool for oversight. This is a matter that is consistently raised and discussed in Cabinet meetings. Ministers are encouraged to ensure that efficient systems and processes exist within their Department to provide timeous and qualitative Replies to Parliamentary Questions.
As the Honourable Member is aware, the 10 working days is a guideline provided by Parliament. In this regard, some Ministers have indicated that in some instances the quantum of information required by Questions asked, at times requires them to source information from a number of sources. This then results in unanticipated delays in submitting Replies.
Given the Constitutional provision that Ministers are individually and collectively accountable to Parliament, Parliament may want to consider whether they wish to review this 10 working day provision. Furthermore, as has been stated in this House before, Parliament as the duly empowered institution to which the Executive is accountable, may wish to consider taking action against Ministers who do not submit Replies timeously.
Reply received: October 2014
The President's Replies to Parliamentary Questions for Written Reply, in the National Assembly
QUESTION NO: 1217 Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether he relied on any constitutional or statutory provisions when he (a) made his response to the Public Protector's report on security installations at his Nkandla residence and in particular to her recommendation that he should pay back a reasonable percentage of the cost of the measures as determined with the assistance of National Treasury and with consideration of the apportionment of the Department of Public Works and (b) referred the matter directed to him by Public Protector to the Minister of Police; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the constitutional and statutory provisions on which he relied? NW1455E
Reply:
I, indeed relied on the constitutional and statutory provisions as stated and reflected in my report to parliament.
Reply received: September 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1165
Ms N I Tarabella-Marchesi (DA) to ask the Minister in the Presidency
Whether (a) he and (b) Deputy Minister has each employed a ministerial special advisor; if so, (a) what are the duties of the advisor, (b) at which post level was the appointment made, (c) what is the salary level of the advisor, (d) what is the duration of the employment contract entered into with the advisor and (e) why was it necessary to appoint this advisor?
REPLY:
I wish to inform the Honourable Member that I have appointed Dr J S Mzaliya as a Special Advisor in line with section 12A of the Public Service Act, 1994. His responsibilities according to the Act are:
- To advise the Executing Authority on the exercise or performance of the Executing Authority's powers and duties;
- To advise the Executing Authority on the development of policy that will promote the relevant department's objectives; or
- To perform such other tasks as may be appropriate in respect of the Executing authority's powers and duties.
His salary is in line with Cabinet approved guidelines on the determination of the salary level of the Special Advisors and this information is made available to Parliament and the public through the Report of the Auditor General. The contract of the Special Advisor will terminate at the end of the month following the month that the Executive Authority vacates office for any reason. The Deputy Minister does not have a Special Advisor.
Reply received: September 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1164
Ms N I Tarabella-Marchesi (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
Whether he has taken any steps to address opposition from labour movements to the economic aspects of the National Development Plan; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1402E
REPLY:
The ruling party took a decision to engage its alliance partners on areas where they raised concerns. That process is underway. From the government perspective we continue to engage different sectors on how to take forward the National Development Plan including undertaking detailed planning in each area. The different Presidential Working Groups announced by the President during the State of the Nation Address in June 2014 will provide an on-going opportunity for government to engage with social partners on a range of matters including those relating to the implementation of the National Development Plan.
Reply received: September 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1163
Ms N I Tarabella-Marchesi (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) With reference to his reply to question 441 on 22 July 2014, has he signed a performance agreement with the President; if not, when will it be signed; if so, a) when was it signed, (b) what remedies are in place in case set targets are not being met and c) what consequences are there in the case of poor performance or non-performance;
(2) Has Deputy President Mr Cyril Ramaphosa signed a performance agreement with the President; if not, why not, b) what remedies are in place in case set targets are not being met and c) what consequences are there in the case of poor performance;
NW1401E
REPLY:
The President has not yet signed performance agreements with Ministers for the current term of office. Cabinet has recently approved the Medium Term Strategic Framework MTSF for 2014 – 2019. The President will now start the process of entering into agreements with Ministers based on the finalized MTSF.
The President does not sign performance agreement with the Deputy President as the latter is not assigned Executive Authority responsibilities as in the case of a line function Minister who administers legislation. He assists the President to carry out his Executive functions as set out in the Constitution.
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1162
Mr S C Motau (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
What practical steps is his Office taking to ensure that its work supports the National Development Plan's goal of achieving a government that is truly accountable and transparent? NW1400E
REPLY: The main plan of government to implement the goals of National Development Plan is the Medium Term Strategic Framework, which was published recently. The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation will monitor the implementation of each aspect of the Medium Term Strategic Framework, report to Cabinet as well as make its reports publicly available three times a year. Cabinet will use this information to take decisions about areas where improvements are required and Parliament and the public will be able to use this information to hold government accountable.
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1161
Mr S C Motau (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
What practical steps is he taking to ensure that over the medium term his office will achieve its key goal of strengthening oversight over the achievement of the 14 outcomes that form the basis of the new performance agreements between the President of the RSA and individual members of Cabinet? NW1399E
REPLY:
Implementation Forums have been established to drive and coordinate key actions towards the realisation of the outcomes. The Implementation Forums are chaired by both Ministers and Director-Generals at a technical level. The Coordinating Ministers for the 14 outcomes provide regular progress reports to Cabinet.
Outcome Facilitators (Level 15 Sector Experts) from DPME provide technical support and oversight on the work of the implementation Forums. Outcome Facilitators monitor a key set of actions, indicators and targets per outcome and prepare reports on problem areas and actions taken to address identified bottlenecks. DPME also evaluates the impact of government policies and programmes and informs the development of improvement plans.
Monitoring and evaluation reports will continue to form the basis for performance monitoring discussions between the President and members of Cabinet.
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 11 60
Mr S C Motau (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
With the Government's Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) having been signed off, (a) when will the (i) first annual review of the five-year MTSF take place and (ii) results be made known to the public and (b) how will the results be made known to the public? NW1398E
REPLY:
The first annual review will be completed by the end of July 2015 and progress against the targets in the MTSF will be made public through the Programme of Action website, which is linked to the DPME website. From next year, this will be done three times per year. The first progress report will be placed on the website before the end of May 2015.
Reply received: October 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1155
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
With regard to the establishment of an administrative head of the public service as referred to in the Medium-Term Strategic Framework 2014-2019, (a) which countries will form the basis of research into international best practice and (b) what (i) consultation process will be followed with provincial governments and (ii) are the envisaged time frames for the establishment of the post? NW1393E
REPLY:
The MTSF, building on the NDP, states that the role of administrative head of the public service will be carried out by the Director-General in the Presidency who will be responsible for running administrative-level processes to provide advice to the President and Executive Authorities on managing the career incidents of national heads of departments. This is intended to reduce the high turnover rate of heads of department and contribute to the building of a capable and developmental state.
The Public Service Commission and the National Planning Commission have both looked at the impact of such an approach in a range of countries, including but not limited to Canada, Kenya, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. The findings from these countries are supported by comparative studies conducted by the OECD and the UK's Institute for Public Policy Research. The implementation of this MTSF action will be informed by this substantial body of research.
At provincial level the MTSF indicates that the equivalent role will be fulfilled by the Directors-General in the Offices of the Premiers. The establishment of this role will be informed by consultation with the Offices of the Premiers with a view to broadly replicating the approach taken at national level.
The MTSF indicates that the details will be finalised in 2014-15 and it is envisaged that the role of administrative head of the public service will be established in 2015-16.
Reply received: September 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 1153
Mr A P van der Westhuizen (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) Was any directive issued for vacancies in their organograms not to be filled during the period running up to the merger of the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and the National Youth Commission (NYC); if so, (a)(i) when and (ii) by whom was it issued and (b) to what extent was adherence to this directive monitored;
(2) how many (a) full-time positions existed on the organograms of the (i) Umsobomvu Youth Fund and (ii) NYC at the time of the merger and (b) positions were vacant at the time of the merger? NW1391E
REPLY:
Directives were issued for vacancies not to be filled during the period running up to the merger of the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and the National Youth Commission. The directive for the Umsobomvu Youth Fund was issued on or about September/October 2008. The directive for the National Youth Commission was issued on 1 October 2008.
The directives for both entities were issued by their respective Chief Executive Officers. Only critical positions were filled during this period for the Umsobomvu Youth Fund. No appointments were made by the National Youth Commission during this period.
412 full time positions existed in the organogram of the Umsobomvu
Youth Fund at the time of the merger and 48 full time positions existed in the organogram of the National Youth Commission at the time of the merger. The Umsobomvu Youth Fund had 35 positions vacant at the time of merger. The NYC had 12 positions vacant at the time of the merger.
QUESTION 1102 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
1102. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
Will he (a) instruct his Cabinet to fill all vacant director-general posts and (b) commit to doing so by a specified deadline? NW1340E
REPLY:
There is no intention on my part to set a specified deadline for Ministers to fill all vacant Director-General posts.
The vacancies in any number of posts, including those of Directors-General, occur at different times. Ministers are directed to follow due process in filling vacant posts, but to also do so within reasonable timeframes.
Reply received: September 2014
QUESTION 1074 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
FRIDAY, 29 AUGUST 2014
1074. Mr W M Madisha (Cope) to ask the Deputy President:
Whether, subsequent to his statement to the Farlam Commission that as a collective the nation had failed the people of Marikana, the Government has taken any steps to ensure that (a) the widows of the deceased miners received improved living conditions around Wonderkop and (b) the Rustenburg Municipality was providing the basic services that the families desperately need; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW1244E
REPLY
Whether, the Government has taken any steps to ensure that:
(a) The widows of the deceased miners received improved living conditions around Wonderkop.
Government across all spheres is working to improve the living conditions for all residents in the areas around Wonderkop. Wonderkop is located in the Madibeng Local Municipality, which forms part of the Bojanala District Municipality. The Madibeng, Rustenburg and Moses Kotane local municipalities form the Bojanala Platinum Complex. They are three of the fourteen municipalities prioritised by the Special Presidential Package for the Revitalisation of Distressed Mining Towns.
During the period June to August 2014, National Government, through the Department of Social Development and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) provided support to informal settlement communities in Rustenburg and Madibeng local municipalities. These services were delivered to both mineworker and non-mineworker families affected by the protracted strike on the platinum belt.
The South African Social Security Agency distributed 7 402 vouchers and 8 297 food parcels to the value of R7 065 050 which reached a total of 5 233 beneficiaries per month.
In addition, the following services were provided in the informal settlements in Madibeng and Rustenburg:
· Increased access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) services
· Psycho-social support
· Provision of cooked meals for children attending unregistered and unfunded ECD facilities
· Distribution of blankets to vulnerable households
· Provision of sanitary towels/packs to school girls
· Provision of school uniforms to school children (1 142)
· Provision of learner material support to 361 children
· Provision of social services by social workers and ensuring access to social security
In the Bojanala Platinum Complex, the North West provincial government has set aside R462 million for housing projects in the mining area of Marikana. Over the next three years, the North West will provide focused technical support on human settlements and a mix of housing opportunities in the mining areas of the Bojanala District.
(b) Rustenburg Municipality was providing the basic services that the families desperately need; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Rustenburg Municipality provides basic services to eight prioritised informal settlements. This includes water through communal stand-pipes and water tankering. Eskom, in partnership with the municipality, provides electricity in some informal settlements. In the formalised areas full services in terms of yard connections are provided.
The state's ability to provide basic services and housing, including the rapid upgrade of basic services to informal settlements, in the Bojanala District is constrained by traditional and private ownership of land, conditions for development not being resolved between land owner and government, government's own restrictions on the use of public resources on private land, and legal restrictions on the development of land parcels situated next to the mining operations. These range from mining rights and servitudes to environmental aspects.
There are infrastructure complexities related to bulk supply having reached its capacity limits and the associated internal reticulation difficulties, especially related to the unplanned nature of settlements. In addition there are medium term considerations about eligibility for government support programmes given income thresholds being exceeded, residential status and previous receipt of housing entitlements (often to a household head). In addition to these limitations, the provision of interim services is affected by the fact that some consenting land owners and shack landlords have service arrangements which run in parallel and/or contend with state services, including through illegal connections to services.
As a short to medium-term strategy to overcome some of these complexities, the North West Department of Human Settlements has purchased 440 hectares of private land to enable government to develop integrated human settlement plans for permanent infrastructure, housing and social services in these areas.
The local municipalities are in the process of negotiating the terms for integrating existing informal settlements which are located on private or traditional land. In the meantime, budgets are being reprioritised to enable improvements in the provision of interim services such as refuse removal, water tankers and temporary sanitation facilities in these informal settlements.
Through the National Department of Human Settlements, Rustenburg Municipality is receiving technical and capacity support from the National Upgrading Support Programme for upgrading of informal settlements in the area. Ten informal settlements have been assessed and categorised in Rustenburg. Detailed upgrading plans are in place for two settlements and upgrading plans for the remaining eight settlements are being finalised. The balance of settlements is being scheduled into a development programme over the medium term allowing for interim service rollout.
This has offered the provincial and national government an opportunity to develop a more coherent approach to using the human settlement support agencies, applying the full range of housing programmes to address the needs of a mix of residents.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION 940 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
940. Mr A M Shaik Emam (NFP) to ask the President:
Whether, in view of the challenge of the high rate of violent crimes being faced in the country in respect of the murder of innocent children, rape, hijacking and armed robbery, the Government intends to call for a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty for serious crimes; if not, why not; if so, when? NW1040E
REPLY:
The right to human dignity is guaranteed in section 10 of the Bill of Rights in our Constitution, as is the right to life in section 11. Section 12(1)(e) of the Bill of Rights also guarantees the right not to be treated or punished in a cruel, inhumane or degrading way.
The Constitutional Court in S v Makwanyane and Another 1995 (3) SA 391 (CC) described the right to life and dignity as the most important of all human rights and the source of all other personal rights found in the Bill of Rights. The constitutionality of the death sentence was dealt with extensively by the Constitutional Court in the Makwanyane case. The court referred to South Africa's past in which the State demeaned the value of life and dignity and therefore the State must take the lead in re-establishing respect for human life and dignity. It came to the conclusion that the death sentence was cruel, inhuman and degrading and inconsistent with section 11(2) of the Interim Constitution of 1993.
As in the Interim Constitution, the right to human dignity, the right to life and the right not to be treated or punished in a cruel, inhumane or degrading way, are guaranteed in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. The Makwanyane judgment therefore remains relevant.
Furthermore, international and foreign law decisions regard the death penalty as a cruel and inhumane punishment, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, decisions of the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations and the European Court of Human Rights. Many countries have abolished the death sentence as a penalty, including neighbouring countries such as Namibia, Mozambique and Angola.
I therefore wish to inform the Honourable Member that the Government does not intend to call for a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty for serious crimes.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION 923 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
923. Mr D W Macpherson (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
In light of the fact that the economy lost 122 000 jobs in the first quarter of 2014, what action will he take to (a) stimulate economic growth, (b) stop the contraction in the manufacturing sector, (c) improve the country's credit rating, (d) curb labour unrest and (e) reduce inflation to ensure that the National Development Plan's target of five million new jobs by 2020 is a realistic goal? NW989E
REPLY:
The job losses in the first quarter of 2014 was reversed in the second quarter, when the economy gained 39 000 jobs. In the year to the second quarter of 2014, employment therefore climbed by 403 000. As a result, from the third quarter of 2010, when the New Growth Path was adopted, the economy has gained almost 1,4 million new jobs.
I am advised that jobs losses in the first quarter often reflect seasonal fluctuation. On average, since the Quarterly Labour Force Survey was launched in 2008, the economy has seen a 0,5% fall in employment in the first quarter, with compensating growth in the rest of the year.
Our key economic policies are now very directly aimed at stimulating inclusive growth, job creation and greater economic equality and opportunities for our people.
The National Development Plan sets an employment target for 2030 and the implementation strategies are designed to help achieve these.
Key elements in our programme to stimulate economic growth include:
· The National Infrastructure Plan, which in the last Administration saw the largest public investment in any five-year period since at least the 1960s;
· A local procurement drive, to ensure that government purchases have the greatest possible multiplier effect and stimulate industrialisation;
· Stretch targets to expand post-secondary education substantially, combined with measures to facilitate the immigration of skilled people in the short run;
· Doubling of industrial financing available through the Industrial Development Corporation and Small Enterprise Finance Agency, as well as various dti funds; and
· Targeted sectoral strategies under the Industrial Policy Action Plan.
Our full programme for radical economic transformation is included in the Medium Term Strategic Framework, in particular for Outcomes 4 (inclusive growth) and 6 (economic infrastructure).
The contraction in manufacturing employment remains a concern. Although the sector has seen an increase in production in the past five years, this has not been matched by growth in employment. That said, we should note that the main employment impact of manufacturing lies outside of the sector itself, in support services, producers of inputs (agricultural or mining) and retail sales as well as services for the workers in the industry itself.
There is however no doubt that manufacturing faces significant challenges currently, due especially to uncertain growth in Europe - a major market for our manufactured exports – and labour relations problems in one sector.
In addition to the implementation of the Industrial Policy Action Plan, under the Medium Term Strategic Framework we have committed to:
· Expanding trade with Africa, which is a key market for our light manufactures; and
· Working with the main economic stakeholders to address the roots of workplace conflict, which lie essentially in unfair inequalities in pay and facilities, a lack of career mobility for most workers and often poor supervisory practices.
Measures to transform the economy to bring about more equitable and employment friendly growth, and to improve overall economic governance, are the only sound way to improve our credit rating. These will be achieved by the package of measures outlined in the Medium Term Strategic Framework.
As noted, we are embarking on a process, led by the Deputy President, to work with stakeholders to improve labour relations.
The Medium Term Strategic Framework foresees that government will do more to manage administered price increase as well as preventing the abuse of prices for intermediate inputs.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 788
Dr M Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) Whether (a) he, (b) the Deputy Minister, (c) the Director-General or (d) any of his staff (i) attended, (ii) accepted an invitation and/or (iii) received tickets to the 2014 Soccer World Cup in their official capacity; if so, what are the relevant details including the (aa)(aaa) names and (bbb) positions of those who attended and (bb) breakdown of the amounts spent by The Presidency on (aaa) travel, (bbb) accommodation, (ccc) entertainment and (ddd) any further specified expenses; (2) (a) what is the breakdown of the amount spent by The Presidency on any persons accompanying (i) him, (ii) the Deputy Minister, (iii) the Director-General or (iv) any of his staff to attend the 2014 Soccer World Cup including (aa) travel, (bb) accommodation, (cc) entertainment and (dd) any further costs and (b) in each case, what is the (i) relationship and (ii) reason for accompanying the relevant person? NW875E
REPLY:
I wish to inform the Honourable Member that none of the persons mentioned in the inquiry including me and my staff attended the Soccer World Cup Final in their official capacity.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION NUMBER:739
Mr S C Motau (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(a) How many (i) judgments and (ii) court orders were made against the Office of the Presidency in the (aa) 2010-11, (bb) 2011-12, (cc) 2012-13 and (dd) 2013-14 financial years and (b) in each case, (i) how many of these (aa) were implemented and (bb) await implementation by the Office of the Presidency and (ii) what was the nature of the (aa) judgment and/or (bb) court order? NW826E
Reply:
The President as Head of the Executive gets cited in most of the litigation proceedings where the relief sought is not directly against the Presidency but against the line function departments. There are however isolated matters where the relief sought is directly against the President or the Presidency. The reply focuses on those cases where any order or judgement would require implementation by the Presidency or by the line function together with the Presidency.
In relation to the court orders, we have included cases where the settlement of the matter was made an order of court and not included cases where the case was withdrawn as a result of a settlement agreement between the parties.
The number of Judgments during the period in question totalled six (6), while there was one (1) court order. The details are as follows:
- The Democratic Alliance vs. President of RSA and others –( 2010-2011)
An application on whether the appointment of Mr Simelane as National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) by the President of the Republic was constitutionally valid.
Mr Simelane was removed from office and another NDPP was appointed.
- Justice Alliance of South Africa / President of RSA & 2 others – (2011-2012)
An application to declare the decision of the President to extend the term of the Chief Justice to be inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid.
The President did not extend the term of the Chief Justice and another Chief Justice was appointed.
- A H Mbiza / The Presidency – (2013-2014)
A labour dispute regarding the termination of an employment contract.
Mr Mbiza was paid in line with the court order.
- Ryan Albutt / President of RSA & others –(2010-2011)
This case concerns the power of the President to grant pardon under section 84(2)(j) of the Constitution to people who claim that they were convicted of offences which they committed with a political motive.
The process of implementing the court order is being led by the Department of Justice and Correctional Services.
- M Chonco & others / President of RSA & others – (2010-2011)
The applicants, Mr Chonco and 383 other pardon applicants, seek an order declaring that the President had unreasonably delayed in considering and deciding their applications for presidential pardon under section 84(2)(j) of the Constitution which had been filed with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in 2003.
The President processed the pardon applications.
- C J Lourens / President of RSA & Minister of Arts and Culture – (2013 – 2014)
An application to compel the President to proclaim the commencement of the Use of Official Language Act.
The Minister of arts and Culture finalised the regulations and the President proclaimed the commencement of the Act.
- Terry Crawford-Browne / President of RSA – (2010-2011)
An application to compel the President of establishes a commission of inquiry into the arms procurements. The parties reached an agreement and the matter was settled.
The Commission of Inquiry has been established.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 685
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) (a) How many (i) executive and (ii) senior management positions are on the establishment of the National Youth Development Agency, (b) what is the job title and job description in each case and (c) what is the annual salary package in each case;
(2) what is the total amount paid to employees in the form of performance bonuses during the 2013-14 financial year?
[NW771E]
REPLY:
See the link for reply: www.pmg.org.za/files/rnw685job.pdf
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 599
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) How many (a) international and (b) domestic hotel bookings were made by (i) the Office of The Presidency, (ii) his predecessors and (iii) departmental officials attending (aa) workshops, (bb) seminars, (cc) oversight visits or (dd) any other relevant meetings of the relevant portfolio committee from 1 April 2013 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;
(2) in respect of each specified booking, what was the (a) date, (b) name of the hotel, (c) number of delegates, (d) cost of the hotel booking for each delegate and (e) the nature of the relevant portfolio business dealt with? NW682E
THE MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY REPLIES:
The Presidency did not attend any workshops, seminars or oversight visits relevant to portfolio committees for the period in question (April 2013 to date) of which information is available.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 585
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
With regard to the proposed amendment of the National Youth Development Agency Act, Act 54 of 2008, (a) what is the rationale for a legislative review, (b) what consultation process was followed to determine that such a review was necessary, (c) what are the likely (i) budgetary and (ii) institutional implications of the amendments, particularly with regard to the establishment of provincial advisory boards and (d) when will the amendments be gazetted for public comment?
[NW668E]
REPLY:
In its 3 years of existence, the NYDA has experienced challenges in terms of effective implementation and monitoring of youth development programs at provincial and local levels. This, due to current institutional, administrative and management arrangements that are legislated in the act as well as sections that are either not explicit or incomplete. The current Act is also Section 75 which does not allow creation of provincial structures or legally allow NYDA to coordinate youth development at provincial level and consequently limit the amount of resources that the NYDA could access.
Upon consultation with relevant affected parties and stakeholders, it was resolved that it will work in the best interest of youth development in the country to amend the Act and tag it as a Section 76 Act from the current Section 75 status. The rationale for this change is to give the NYDA the powers to coordinate and implement youth development at provincial level.
The decision to amend the act was a culmination of the IYDS Convention that took place in 2011 in Kimberly (youth organisations were involved), where the youth sector agreed that there is a need to amend the act to take care of the issues raised above. The then Minister in the Presidency then drafted a letter to offices of premiers in the provinces asking for their input as the proposed amendment had implications for provinces. Eight (8) responded and one province (KwaZulu-Natal) did not respond.
The final amendment that was recommended to the Minister in the Presidency does not make provision for Provincial Advisory Boards. Susan/Clayton should advise here on the institutional and budgetary implications.
This decision is the prerogative of the Minister's office. The NYDA can only wait until the Minister has decided.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
533. Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether the Government has a clear policy on disqualifying applicants to key posts in all institutions where the Government made appointments who allegedly (a) misrepresented their qualifications, (b) withheld any damaging information, (c) battered or abused women, (d) did not have their tax affairs in order and (e) exited a previous position under a controversy; if not, why not; if so, (i) what is the policy and (ii) how has it been applied during the period 1 January 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available? NW615E
REPLY:
a) Yes, a system is in place whereby applicants can be disqualified from employment in the Public Service. With effect from 1 January 2008, departments have to conduct the following pre-employment verifications in respect of a candidate before an appointment or the filling of a post is affected:
(i) Criminal record checks
(ii) Citizenship verification
(iii) Financial/asset record checks
(iv) Qualification/Study verification
(v) Previous employment verification (Reference checks)
b) In cases where an applicant deliberately misrepresents their qualifications or withheld damaging information, such an act can establish acceptable grounds for the rejection of an application. All Public Servants are required to abide by the Code of Conduct. Failure to abide by the Code of Conduct results in disciplinary action and possible dismissal.
A department's decision to reject an application on the aforesaid grounds must however conform to the concept of a fair administrative action as provided for in the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, 2000.
c,d,e) Matters such as the abuse of women, problematic tax affairs and the circumstances for leaving previous employment will be considered during the aforesaid criminal record checks, financial/assets records checks and the previous employment verification.
Should a verification result in a negative finding, a department has to consider the relevance thereof to the person's suitability for employment in a particular post on the following basis:
(a) The nature and severity of the negative finding.
(b) The relevance of the finding to the job duties and work environment in question.
(c) The amount of time that has passed since the negative incident and the applicant's subsequent behaviour since then; and
(d) The record of the applicant in respect of multiple incidents of misbehaviour and convictions.
All applicants for posts in the public service are obliged to indicate on the application for employment form (Z83) whether they have been dismissed from previous employment or been convicted of a criminal offence. This information is verified through the compulsory verification checks undertaken by each department prior to appointment. The failure to honestly disclose may result in disqualification.
(ii) The above prescripts are applied by each department within a decentralized recruitment environment. Grievances or disputes arising from the recruitment process are dealt with by the affected departments, the Public Service Commission and through the relevant public sector bargaining councils.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
467. Ms D Carter (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether, in order not to further damage the credibility and standing of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Government intends to propose any amendments to the Constitution of the RSA, 1996, to allow for a more public, thorough and transparent method of selecting the head of the NPA; if not, why not; if so, what steps will he take to ensure that controversy will no longer surround whoever is appointed head of the NPA? NW546E
REPLY:
No, the Government and I do not intend proposing any amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, regarding the appointment of the National Director of Public Prosecutions.
My Government and I believe that the existing Constitutional and legislative provisions for the appointment of the National Director of Public Prosecutions are adequate.
Section 179(1)(a) of the Constitution of the RSA, 1996, provides that there is a single national prosecuting authority in the Republic, structured in terms of an Act of Parliament, and consisting of a National Director of Public Prosecutions, who is the head of the prosecuting authority, and is appointed by the President, as head of the national executive.
Section 179(6) of the Constitution of the RSA also provides that the Cabinet member responsible for the administration of justice must exercise final responsibility over the prosecuting authority.
The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services therefore attends to any matters of concern relating to the National Prosecuting Authority.
Section 179(7) of the Constitution, 1996, also provides that all other matters concerning the prosecuting authority must be determined by national legislation.
Chapter 3 of the National Prosecuting Authority Act, 1998 (Act No 32 of 1998), provides for the appointment, remuneration and conditions of service of members of the Prosecuting Authority. In terms of section 12 of the NPA Act, 1998, the members of Parliament furthermore play an important role in determining the term of office, as well as passing resolutions on the removal, suspension and/or restoration to the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions as well as the Deputy National Directors of Public Prosecution.
Therefore, I do not intend recommending any amendments to the present Constitution, 1996 for this purpose as I regard the present provisions to be more than adequate.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
442. Mr M S Seshoka (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether, as reported by the Presidency on 7 March 2014 that Fifa will investigate allegations of match fixing (details furnished), the investigation into the allegation of match fixing involving Bafana Bafanna in the lead up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup tournament has been concluded by Fifa; if not, when will the investigation be concluded; if so, what (a) are the recommendations and (b) action will he take in this regard? NW525E
REPLY:
The matter concerning the investigation of allegations of match-fixing involving Bafana Bafana in the warm up games leading to the 2010 FIFA World Cup is receiving the attention of FIFA. The South African Government will be advised of the findings and recommendations after the conclusion of the investigation.
Reply received: July 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 441
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in the Presidency:
(1) With regard to the undertaking made by President Jacob G Zuma in his State of the Nation Address on 17 June 2014 to meet with Ministers and Deputy Ministers to discuss detailed implementation plans for each department, what is the expected timeline for the finalisation of these implementation plans;
(2) how will these implementation plans be aligned with the implementation of the National Development Plan;
(3) will the performance agreement signed between the President and each Minister be tabled in Parliament or provided to the members of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration as well as Performance Monitoring and Evaluation? NW524E
REPLY:
The 2014-2019 Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF), which constitutes implementation plans for the 14 priority outcomes, was discussed at the recent Cabinet Lekgotla. It is currently being finalized and is due to be tabled for Cabinet approval . Following this, the President will enter into performance agreements with Ministers to drive implementation. The performance agreements will be based on the actions and targets in the MTSF. It is planned that all the performance agreements will be concluded soon.
The 2014-2019 Medium-Term Strategic Framework is the first detailed 5 year implementation plan for the National Development Plan (NDP). The development of the MTSF entailed the identification of key actions that should be done in the first 5 years to move towards the 2030 targets in the NDP.
The publication of the performance agreements between the President and his Ministers will be at the discretion of the President. However, the performance agreements will contain the key actions and targets from the MTSF that are relevant to each Minister. These actions and targets will be made public through the Programme of Action (POA) website that is managed by DPME, which contains the outcomes, key actions, indicators and targets in the MTSF.
Reply received: July 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 440
[NW523E]
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in the Presidency:
What is the (a) mission, (b) budget and (c) governance structure of the SA Youth Development Institute, which is an initiative of the National Youth Development Agency?
REPLY:
The new vision of the NYDA is "To be a Credible and Capable Development Agency for South Africa's Youth" and its' new Mission is double fold:
· To mainstream youth issues into society and;
· To facilitate youth development with all sectors of society
In order to realize the mission statement above, the NYDA Board and management opted to establish a South African Youth Development Institute (SAYDI). Its goal/aim is to develop high quality, cutting edge information and knowledge pertaining to youth and development of youth, share and disseminate this, with the sole aim of mainstreaming youth issues into all sectors of society and facilitate youth development that is relevant and impactful.
The institute shall also pioneer youth development projects and programmes in partnership with South African society as a whole and address pertinent socio-economic challenges of youth.
The Institute is designed to be self-sustainable over the next few years but for the first 2 years (2013/14 and 2014/15 Financial Years) the NYDA shall provide seed funding of R4million rands.
The SAYDI will be governed by a board of 7 directors, 2 representing NYDA (CEO and one NYDA board member), 2 representing the partner University (Vice Chancellor research and another representative of Council) and 3 independent board members. SAYDI will be managed as a section 21 company independent in its operations of the NYDA or the partner university. Its head will be a managing director that will report to board.
Reply received: July 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 439
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in the Presidency:
What was the (a) purpose, (b) budget and (c) outcome of the National Youth Development Agency's social dialogues with respect to (i) the Eastern Cape, (ii) the Western Cape and (iii) the Northern Cape provinces during the 2014 Youth Month?
[NW522E]
REPLY:
The purpose of the dialogue in the Eastern Cape was to share information with the youth on NYDA products and services, including those provided by other Government Departments.
The budget amounted to R90 000.
The outcomes were the following:
· Young people appreciate and are knowledgeable about the efforts made by government in addressing unemployment amongst young people;
· Local Youth were registered on the Department of Labour's Employment Seekers Database; The Department had deployed its mobile unit for this purpose;
· The Department of Trade and Industries provided information on schemes available for youth;
· The NYDA registered and conducted assessment for over 100 youth to benefit from the Agency's Grant Programme.
The purpose of the dialogue in the Western Cape was to raise awareness on the dangers of Drugs and Substance Abuse amongst young people. The budget amounted to R10 000. The outcome of the dialogue was to increase awareness and knowledge of young people about the dangers of Drugs and Substance Abuse.
A total of 6 dialogues were held in the Northern Cape in the areas of Warrenton, Kuruman, Colesburg, Prieska, De Aar, and Kimberly. The budget amounted to R108,000.
The purpose of the dialogues included the following:
· To share information with the Youth on NYDA Products and Services, including those provided by other Government Departments;
· To also distribute solar geysers to youth headed households;
· To share information with the Youth on the Commitments of the Employment Youth Accord and how it relates to 20 Years of Democracy;
· To launch the Loxion Hub;
· To commemorate International Day against Substance Abuse through sports activities
The outcomes were the following:
Young people appreciate and are knowledgeable about the efforts made by government in addressing unemployment amongst young people;
Young people are aware of and take advantage of the business incubator space available through the HUB.
Reply received: July 2014
Reply received: July 2014
Reply received: April 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
382. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether he has considered the petition of the largest opposition party in the National Assembly to send the Protection of State Information Bill [B 6H - 2010] back to Parliament for further reconsideration; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW436E
REPLY:
The President is still considering the submissions received from all interested parties regarding the Bill in question.
Reply received: April 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
381. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether he intends to set a clear policy position for South Africa regarding Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2014; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW435E
REPLY:
South Africa respects the sovereign rights of other countries to adopt their own legislation.
In this regard, through diplomatic channels South Africa engages with Uganda on areas of mutual concern bearing in mind Uganda's sovereignty.
Reply received: July 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 321
Dr M J Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in the Presidency:
(1) What are the details of all flowers purchased by the Office of the Presidency for each year between 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available?
(2) what are the details of (a)(i) the address and (ii) the name of the office where the specified flowers were displayed, (b) for whose benefit were the flowers purchased and (c) what was the purchase value of the flowers for each office where it was displayed;
(3) in respect of flowers purchased for individuals, (a) what is the (i) name and (ii) relationship of the person to the Office of the Presidency and (b) what is the cost of each purchase;
(4) what are the details of any (a) contractual arrangements and (b) plans to purchase flowers in the future? NW402E
THE MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY REPLIES:
The total of the flowers purchased in the last five years is as per the table below:
| DETAILS OF FLOWERS | AMOUNT |
| Flower Bouquet | R 10 890.00 |
| Wreath | R 70 073.31 |
| Sympathy Flowers | R 12 777.50 |
| Buttonhole Flowers | R 11 005.80 |
| Pot Plants | R1 689.90 |
| R106 436.51 |
I wish to also inform the Member that it would be inappropriate for me to provide further detail relating to the recipients because some of the recipients belong to the group that is catergorised as eminent persons. Therefore, divulging their names could be tantamount to violation of privacy of eminent persons.
Reply received: July 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 287
DATE OF PUBLICATIONS: 27 JUNE 2014
Mr M Cardo (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) What are the details of office furniture ordered and or purchased for the use of him and/or his staff since 1 May 2014;
(2) in respect of each piece of furniture, (a) what is the description, (b) what is the breakdown of the costs, (c) where will each piece of furniture be used and (d) who will use each piece of furniture;
(3) what are the details of furniture disposed of;
(4) in respect of each piece of furniture disposed of, (a) what is the description, (b) original purchase costs and (c) on what date was it purchased;
(5) (a) how was this furniture disposed of, (b) what disposal method was used, (c) what is the name and contact details of person/s to whom it was disposed and (d) at what price was it disposed of? NW367E
REPLY:
I wish to inform the Honourable Member that my staff and I did not order or purchase furniture since May 2014.
Reply received: July 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 254
Mr R A Lees (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) What are the details of motor vehicles ordered and / or purchased for his use since May 2014;
(2) (a) what is the (i) make,(ii) model, (iii) total cost and (iv) breakdown of the cost of each motor vehicle and (b) where will each motor vehicle normally stationed?
NW 332E
REPLY:
I wish to inform the Honourable Member that I have neither ordered nor purchased a motor vehicle in the period in question.
Reply received: March 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
FRIDAY, 7 MARCH 2014
253. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the Deputy President:
Did the Minister of Public Works ever confirm to him, as Leader of Government Business, the necessity for the Investigation Report, Prestige Project A: Security Measures President's Private Residence Nkandla, to be deliberated on in a closed structure of Parliament? NW304E
REPLY
Honourable Member, the Executive respects and adheres to the principle of the separation of powers. As such we are not seized with matters that pertain to internal Parliamentary processes and Committee meetings. Furthermore, Rule 302 and Rule 303 of the Rules of the National Assembly clearly stipulate ways in which Written Instruments are processed in the National Assembly.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION 249 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
249. Mr S J F Marais (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
Did he obtain a legal opinion before he signed the Infrastructure Development Act, Act 23 of 2014; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW327E
REPLY:
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (the Constitution), requires that the President must assent to and sign a Bill referred to him by the National Assembly. However, in terms of section 79(1) of the Constitution, if the President has reservations about the constitutionality of a Bill, he may refer it back to the National Assembly for reconsideration.
After considering the Infrastructure Development Bill, I was satisfied that the Bill can be assented to and signed into law.
Reply received: April 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
244. Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
(1) Whether he had commissioned any study, inside or outside of the Government, to help him to determine to what extent red tape, bureaucratic tardiness, including paper pushing and rent seeking by officials across all departments were frustrating investors, stifling growth and hampering job creation; if so, (a) who had undertaken the study, (b) to what did the study leaders attribute the negative experiences of entrepreneurs with officials and (c) what recommendations did they make to remedy the situation;
(2) whether, considering the singular importance of creating an investor friendly environment in South Africa, the study benchmarked South Africa's regulatory requirements and processes with best practices in the world; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW295E
REPLY:
My Administration undertook a new approach to governance – one that depends on continuous monitoring and evaluation of outcomes and activities in order to ensure on-going improvement in the work of the state. This process has taken a number of forms, which go far beyond a single study of the regulatory impact on the economy. The main elements include:
1. The requirement that new legal proposals be accompanied by an impact assessment. We are now initiating measures to ensure that this kind of impact assessment specifically reflects the effects on priorities of government around employment and decent work, equality, inclusive growth and sustainability. Impact assessments have been conducted amongst others for the labour law amendments tabled in the past year; the amendments to the National Environmental Management Act; the Minerals and Petroleum Development Act; the National Environmental Management: Waste Act; the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Management Act; the National Water Act; and the Infrastructure Development Bill.
2. The second element is the development of a three-year rolling evaluation plan by the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation. In 2012/13, the plan included a number of issues that are relevant to the economy, specifically on the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, the Land Reform Recapitalisation and Development Programme and the Business Processes Services Programme. For 2013/14, it includes the Export Marketing Investment Assistance Programme, the Support Programme for Industrial Innovation, the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme, the National Advanced Manufacturing Technology Strategy, an evaluation of the cost of tax compliance for small businesses, the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, and the impact of state-subsidised housing on asset poverty for households and municipalities.
3. The Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC) has established an extensive programme of monitoring and evaluation of strategic infrastructure projects included in the national infrastructure plan. This programme encompasses both regular reports from each SIP, which are consolidated for review by the PICC, and site visits. These identify reasons for delays in projects where these are applicable.
4. Individual departments regularly undertake initiatives to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on enterprises. Most recently,
a. The Departments of Trade and Industry and Cooperative Governance have developed guidelines to reduce red-tape at municipal level. These norms will be piloted initially in two metros from April 2014, targeting red-tape issues that hinder catalytic investments.
b. The Departments of Environmental Affairs, Mineral Resources and Water Affairs have aligned their regulatory requirements so as to reduce application times to 300 days, or 390 days if there is an appeal.
c. The Department of Economic Development has taken up a number of requests for assistance by the private sector where regulatory delays impacted on investment decisions.
· The Infrastructure Development Bill includes mechanisms to ensure simultaneous regulatory processing and avoid unnecessary delays around Strategic Integrated Projects.
5. The outcomes-based approach that we instituted has ensured that the departments responsible for outcome 4, job creation and inclusive growth provide a regular overview of factors that affect economic development, including unnecessary regulatory burdens. These departments are the Department of Economic Development, the National Treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry. The process has assisted departments in identifying and reducing unintended results of their regulatory endeavours. In addition, Cabinet receives reports on progress with the number of environmental impact assessments that are concluded each quarter.
The aim of all these monitoring and evaluation programmes is to provide an on-going assessment of challenges as they arise and on that basis ensure appropriate and prompt action to address them.
All societies need a strong regulatory framework to help shape an increasingly safe, sustainable, competitive and equitable economy. This is particularly true in South Africa, where structural changes are required as the basis for inclusive development.
Still, my Administration recognises that regulations often has unintended consequences, especially for small and medium size businesses. Both the National Development Plan and our Medium Term Strategic Framework acknowledge that regulations must not impose unnecessary compliance burdens and costs that exceed the hoped-for benefits.
Where appropriate, South African regulations have been evaluated against the experience of other countries similar laws. This approach has been followed, amongst others, for telecommunications, the labour laws (in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation) and the new Employment Tax Incentive.
Reply received: April 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
242. Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
(1) Whether he will instruct government departments to support the proposal by the SA Institute for Business Accountants (SAIBA) to introduce a voucher system, similar to the system used in the United Kingdom, to enable start-up businesses to receive critical advice on running their businesses, farms, co-operatives and services in exchange for government-issued vouchers; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether he will make a statement on the matter? NW293E
REPLY:
(1) The voucher system is not a new concept in South Africa. It was first introduced in South Africa in 2001 when the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) (the then Umsobomvu Youth Fund) designed and implemented a voucher programme to support youth enterprises.
The SA Institute for Business Accountants (SAIBA) sent a request to the Minister of Trade and Industry to consider a voucher system. The department is considering this proposal and has invited the institute to make a presentation to the relevant officials.
(2) A consideration will be made for making a statement after relevant government departments have conducted investigations on the feasibility, viability and benefits of designing and implementing a voucher system in South Africa based on the above referred institute proposal.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
198. Mrs M R Shinn (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
(a) What is the status of the investigations by the Special Investigating Unit on the recommendation of the Auditor-General following probes into corruption at the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) after 2008 and (b) please supply details of (i)(aa) the number and nature of active investigations and (bb) for what suspected crimes, (ii) the number of persons charged and for which offences and (iii) the case numbers and the police station at which these charges were laid? NW252E
REPLY:
The investigation was completed by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and a report
has been submitted to me.
The SIU investigated allegations regarding the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) personnel. The allegations included undisclosed or unauthorised conflicts of interest with service providers of the SABC.
The outcome of the investigation resulted in twenty eight criminal cases being referred to the police, nine for fraud and 19 for the Contravention of Companies Act of 61 of 1973. In addition, 464 disciplinary cases have been referred to the SABC for recommended action.
Reply received: March 2014
QUESTIONS 196 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
FRIDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2014
196. Ms C K K Mosimane (Cope) to ask the Deputy President:
Whether he has commissioned a study to determine the reasons for the increase in HIV prevalence in all provinces in the age group 15 to 49 years as shown in the results of a household survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in 2012; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW202E
REPLY
Honourable Member, whilst we are aware that the Human Sciences Research Council has conducted the study referred to in the question, the results of the study have however, not been released. It is therefore not possible to speculate on what may emerge.
Once the report is officially released, the findings will be interrogated by the relevant structures such as the South African National AIDS Council and the National Department of Health and as the Chair of SANAC, I will be advised on this matter.
Reply received: April 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
190. Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether he has given personal attention to the service delivery protests and municipal revolts to find a long lasting solution; if not, why not; if so, what leadership has he provided over the past five years to bring the volatile situation under control? NW196E
REPLY:
Since I took office in 2009, the government has prioritised the delivery of services to all citizens and has taken numerous initiatives to address the shortcomings in the service delivery chain.
One of the first stakeholder meetings I convened after coming into office was with Mayors and Municipal Managers of all municipalities in Khayelitsha on 20 October 2009. It was resolved that we need to assist municipalities and strengthen inter-governmental relations in order to improve the delivery of services to the people.
We also committed ourselves to the improvement of the governance, financial and administrative capacities of some municipalities, as well as to root out corruption and address the political problems that are causing great delays in service delivery. Furthermore, we agreed that there is a need for municipalities to prioritise skills development, and the recruitment of accountants and other skilled personnel to ensure efficiency.
Progress has been made at the administrative level with the amendment to the Municipal Systems Act and the regulations in terms of the said Act to limit political interference in administration. The Department of Public Service and Administration and National Treasury are embarking on initiatives to close the loopholes on supply chain management, officials doing business with the state and corruption.
Our government took a conscious decision to establish a performance monitoring and evaluation department in the Presidency. We further decided to go beyond receiving reports from Departments and to undertake hands-on visits to assess the delivery on our five priorities and other programmes of government. The government has emphasized performance monitoring and evaluation and has introduced the outcomes-based approach to monitor service delivery. The Presidential Coordinating Council (PCC) meeting of 31 March 2010 discussed at length the Outcomes-Based Approach, including the notion of delivery and performance agreements by Ministers and Departments. The PCC brings together national, provincial and local government. On 23 April 2010, I met with Directors-General of national and provincial departments and gave a clear direction of what we expect in terms of improving service delivery and citizen care.
I have undertaken several personal visits to areas prone to unrest and subsequently senior politicians including Cabinet Ministers and Premiers have engaged with communities on the ground. On 22 May 2010, I conducted a report back visit to Siyathemba Township in Balfour, Mpumalanga province. This followed a surprise visit to the area during the sporadic service delivery protests the previous year. I then established an inter-Ministerial task team to look into the problems raised in Balfour. Teams of officials from the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation were deployed to various areas in the country, including Umzimkhulu in KwaZulu-Natal, Bekkersdal in Gauteng, Balfour in Mpumalanga provinces, to assess service delivery frustrations and to find solutions thereof.
The reasons for service delivery protests remain complex, as there are a combination of factors that contribute to such actions such as the historical backlog of services, the in-migration into cities and the issues of relative deprivation of those exposed to better services in an urban context, socio-economic dynamics and unemployment. It has been found that most service delivery protests take place in informal settlements situated in metros, where the highest level of population growth and migration take place. It is in this context that the government has announced the informal settlements upgrading programme.
It has proven almost impossible to reverse three centuries of underdevelopment and racially-based spatial planning in just a few years. The reality of apartheid is that large parts of the country had never had any form of local government. As a result, the backlogs are still glaring. Municipalities in formerly whites only areas have relatively well-developed services and infrastructure, alongside under-developed townships and rural areas which were deliberately deprived of resources. In addition, the post-apartheid demarcation process left many municipalities without access to the required administrative, financial and technical capacity to function efficiently and effectively. This has hampered the delivery of services.
Cabinet has at various times given attention to the issues of protests as well as addressing underlying matters of concern. The South African government has policies and programmes to speed up the delivery of basic services in all communities, especially those most affected by backlogs. There are currently 23 district municipalities that have been prioritised for attention due to the prevalence of extreme poverty and underdevelopment. The July 2011 Cabinet Lekgotla adopted various Action Plans to further improve service delivery in these priority areas. The action plans are led by identified departments who have to ensure coordination and service delivery of the agreed targets.
The Department of Cooperative Governance through its dedicated agency, the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA), has been playing a pivotal role in the implementation of government's initiatives aimed at addressing service delivery backlogs in these 23 district municipalities and other areas still experiencing high backlog levels. MISA is a government component within Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) established as part of the Local Government Turnaround Strategy (LGTAS) initiatives towards strengthening the capacity of municipalities for accelerated and sustainable provisions of basic services such as water and sanitation, energy supply, waste collection and municipal roads infrastructure. Its main focus is on providing technical support to and strengthening internal capacity of municipalities, especially with limited potential to attract and retain skilled technical staff critical for the optimal development and maintenance of infrastructure for basic services provision.
MISA supported some municipalities such as OR Tambo District and Mahikeng Local Municipality, amongst others, in improving on their MIG spending in order to accelerate the provision of basic services to communities. These municipalities were on the verge of losing significant amounts of their MIG allocations due to under-expenditure and slow pace in infrastructure delivery.
MISA also launched a Water Services Operations & Maintenance Skills Deployment Programme in Vhembe District Municipality. The programme was launched with the deployment of 17 water process controllers, 17 waste process controllers and 22 artisans to undertake operations and maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure. After two years, the municipality will absorb these young artisans and operators. Through the deployment of this capacity, the functionality of infrastructure and provision of services has significantly improved. The programme is currently being rolled-out to other districts including Ugu, Uthungulu and Harry Gwala District Municipalities to address lack of operations and maintenance of water and sanitation assets that results into interruption of service provision.
MISA is supporting a number of municipalities such as Victor Kanye and Mogalakwena in eradicating sanitation backlogs. In uMzinyathi, MISA has assisted the district in taking back the operations and maintenance from uThukela Water. The billing function is now being done in-house by uMzinyathi District Municipality. All planned capital programmes have commenced and funding (R303 million) has been sourced from the Development Bank of Southern Africa to accelerate service delivery.
Currently, MISA is an Implementation Agent for the Bucket Eradication Programme in Northern Cape. Since inception of the programme in December 2013, MISA has already developed a business plan and finalised technical reports and appointed contractors who are already on site to commence with work.
With regards to electricity, MISA is supporting a number of municipalities to deal with identified challenges. These include Westonaria and Lesedi to reduce electricity losses, Randfontein with the restructuring of electricity tariffs and Emfuleni with the maintenance of the electricity supply network, monitoring and management of electricity losses and capacity building for junior technicians toward registration with ECSA.
In partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs, MISA is supporting municipalities in Gauteng, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape with the licensing of all unlicensed landfill sites in order to improve refuse management.
Furthermore, the provision of social and economic infrastructure in the 23 district municipalities which are experiencing the largest number of backlogs is one of the identified Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) contained in the infrastructure development plan adopted by Cabinet and the Presidential Infrastructure Coordination Commission (PICC). In this regard, district-wide infrastructure action plans are being developed in conjunction with all the three spheres of government. A national inter-departmental Task Team is collating and evaluating projects submitted by various district municipalities. Moreover, government has announced in February 2014 that it has set aside R2 billion to fix water and sanitation infrastructure and will build more houses to address service delivery challenges.
Addressing the volatile situation of protests, I have on numerous occasions called for restraint. Although the Constitution grants people the right to protest, this should be done within the ambit of the law, and in a peaceful manner. I have also pointed out that the violent nature of community protests needed to be attended to. We need to address the citizens of this country on the culture of violence that was inherited from our apartheid past, that we have not been able to shake off up until now. We cannot solve our problems through violence and anger.
This is something that we must address at all levels of society as part of nation building and promoting social cohesion and progress.
The Ministry of Cooperative Governance has also taken a number of appropriate steps. To this effect, the Department of Cooperative Governance is working with all spheres of government in areas where there are service delivery protests to implement appropriate interventions. Given the complexity of grievances and challenges being experienced, a multi-disciplinary approach is necessary to ensure that the root causes of local protests are resolved.
There is a need for greater consultation and participation of citizens in information-sharing and local decision-making. Effective communication is critical, as well as the strengthening and expanding of platforms for constructive two way dialogue and interaction between citizens and local government.
On 7 August 2013, Cabinet approved the policy framework for citizen-based monitoring titled "A framework for Strengthening Citizen-Government partnerships for Monitoring Frontline Service Delivery". Government departments involved in service delivery to the public are required to adjust their monitoring and evaluation frameworks to include mechanisms for incorporating the views and experiences of citizens on service delivery.
Reply received: July 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 163
Mr M W Rabotapi (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
1) What are the details of all the costs of the maintenance of the pot plants in his (a) departmental offices and (b) official residence (1) in the (aa) 2009-10, (bb) 2010 -11, (cc) 2011-12, (dd) 2012-13 and (ee) 2013-14 financial years and (11) since 1 April 2014;
2) In respect of the pot plant maintenance, a) what is the 1) address and 11) name of the office where they were/are displayed, b) for whose benefit are these are these pot plants, c) what was/is the value of maintenance for each office and b) what are the details of any contracts and/or plans for the maintenance of these pot plants in the future? NW 211E
REPLY:
I wish to inform the Honourable Member that I do not have plot plants at my official residence and the Department of Public Works is responsible for the maintenance of plants at the offices in Cape Town.
Reply received: July 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 129
Mr I M Ollis (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) What are the details of all expenditure that was found to have been (a) irregular and (b) wasteful in The Presidency for each year from 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;
(2) in respect of each such finding of (a) irregular and (b) wasteful expenditure, (i) what (aa) is the description thereof, (bb) is the value thereof and (cc) action has been taken against the persons accountable for such expenditure and (ii) how much thereof (aa) has been recovered and (bb) from whom? NW141E
THE MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY REPLIES:
The details of irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure in The Presidency is as follows:
Irregular expenditure
(i) 1April 2009: Deviation from Supply Chain Management prescripts R939 000
(ii) 2010: Non-compliance to SCM procedures R859 000
(iii) 2011: Non-compliance to SCM procedures and Public Service Regulations R1 230 000
(iv) 2012: Non-compliance to SCM procedures and overtime policy R476 000.
(v) 2013: Incorrect calculation of BBB-EE, Compensative allowance, non-compliance to Overtime policy and R4,3m Supply Chain Management amount still under investigation. Total irregular expenditure for the year is R5 584 000.
Fruitless and wasteful
(i) No fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred from 1 April 2009 to 2012.
(ii) During the 2013 year, R4000 fruitless expenditure was incurred to due to interest charged on overdue accounts. Furthermore an amount of R1 096 000 for Supply Chain Management expenditure is still under investigation pending a disciplinary case.
1April 2009: Irregular expenditure due to deviation from Supply Chain Management prescripts for R939 000, the amount was partly condoned by National Treasury / Accounting Officer
2010: Irregular expenditure for R859 000 due to non-compliance to SCM procedures, the amount was condoned by the Accounting Officer
2011: Irregular expenditure for R1 230 000 due to non-compliance to SCM procedures and Public Service Regulations. Submission to request condonement for performance bonus was submitted to the Accounting Officer and for Supply Chain Management request for condonement was submitted to National Treasury.
2012: Irregular expenditure for R476 000 due to non-compliance to SCM procedures and Overtime policy. The amount was not condoned by National Treasury and The Presidency was given options to write the amount off.
2013: Irregular expenditure for R5 584 000 due to incorrect calculation of BBB-EE, Compensative allowance, non-compliance to overtime policy and SCM related expenditure amount still under investigation. The compensative allowance and the overtime irregular expenditure was condoned by the Accounting Officer. From the total amount of R5,5million for irregular expenditure; R4,3m for Supply Chain Management expenditure is still under investigation pending a disciplinary case.
Fruitless and wasteful
No fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred from 1 April 2009 to 2012.
During the 2013 year, R4000 fruitless expenditure was incurred to due to interest charged on overdue accounts. Furthermore an amount of R1 096 000 is still under investigation pending a disciplinary case.
Reply received: April 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
112. Mr B M Bhanga (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
What are the reasons that led to him not travelling to Davos for the World Economic Forum? NW117E
REPLY:
I was unable to attend the 2014 World Economic Forum Annual meeting due to equally important domestic commitments. However, the South Africa government delegation to the event was ably led by the Minister of Finance.
The delegation represented the country well at many fora during WEF Davos including among others, the Business Interaction group (BIG). This is a platform where 50 Global CEO's engage with the South African Government on matters relating to Investment opportunities in South Africa and where they have an opportunity to clarify policy areas where necessary.
Of paramount importance in our participation at the event were the 6 Key Messages that the delegation carried to WEF Davos 2014, which were aimed at marketing our country to potential investors as a great investment destination and an excellent gateway to African markets. The 6 Key Messages were as follows:
1. South Africa is a growing economy with a potential for even higher growth;
2. The National Development Plan provides a framework for improved cooperation between government, business, labour and civil society to address pressing concerns and embark on long term reforms;
3. South Africa is a pivotal economy in a dynamic and growing region and a strategic platform to accessing one of the world's fastest-growing regions;
4. South Africa supports growth in Africa through regional integration and direct investment;
5. The region is investing in key infrastructure necessary for regional integration and long term growth;
6. We are committed to addressing the challenges in our country and region.
Our delegation to the WEF Annual Meeting of 2014 comprised the following;
· Minister of Finance
· Minister of Communication
· Minister of Science and Technology
· Minister of Economic Development
· Minister of Trade and Industry
· Minister in the Presidency: National Planning Commission
· Executive Mayor of Johannesburg
The delegation participated successfully in the activities of WEF 2014.
Reply received: July 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 97
DATE OF PUBLICATIONS: 17 JUNE 2014
Mr C D Matsepe (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) What are the details of official credit cards issued to (a) him and/or (b) his staff;
(2) in respect of each credit card, (a) what is the (i) name and (ii) organogram position of the user, (b) what is the (i) maximum permissible value of each purchase and (ii) total credit limit of the card, (c) what are the details of permissible purchases for which the credit cards may be used and (d) may alcoholic beverages be purchased;
(3) in respect of purchases made with each credit card during the period 8 May 2014 and/or thereafter up to the latest specified date for which information is available, (a) what is the (i) name and (ii) organogram position of the user, (b) what is the (i) value of each purchase made, (ii) what are the details of each item purchased and (iii) for what purpose was each purchase made and (c) were any alcoholic beverages purchased; if so, (i) what are the (aa) details and (bb) value of these purchases and (ii) for what purpose was each purchase made? NW106E
THE MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY REPLIES:
I wish to inform the Honourable Member that the Presidency does not have an official credit card issued to this Ministry nor its officials.
Reply received: July 2014
QUESTION NUMBER: 65
Mr R A Lees (DA) to ask the Minister in The Presidency:
(1) How many (a) international and (b) domestic flights were undertaken by (i) him and (ii) his predecessors using (aa) aircraft operated by the military, (bb) aircraft chartered by the military or (cc) commercial aircraft during the period 1 April 2013 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;
(2) in respect of each specified flight, what was the (a)(i) date and (ii) place of (aa) departure and (bb) arrival and (b)(i) total cost and (ii) breakdown of such costs?
THE MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY REPLIES:
I wish to inform the Honourable Member that The Ministry in The Presidency has undertaken 23 International visits and 27 domestic trips in the period in question. There is no record of any aircraft operated or chartered by the military that was used by the Ministry during the period in question.
The Ministry undertook visits from South Africa to the various destinations for official engagements. In total, domestic and international travel amounted to R1 372 591.
Reply received: October 2014
WRITTEN REPLY
Internal Question Paper No: 50
Date Published: 17 June 2014.
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
50. Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether he has applied his mind to the recommendation of the Public Protector in the Docked Vessels report that he considers disciplinary action against Minister Joemat-Pettersson; if not, (a) when does he intend to apply his mind and (b) what are the relevant details in this regard; if so, what action does he intend to take to implement the recommendation of the Public Protector? NW56E
REPLY: Minister Tina Joemat-Petterson has initiated legal proceedings in the High Court challenging the findings and recommendations of the Public Protector. The matter is therefore still pending before court. In this regard, I have decided to allow the judicial process to unfold before I can take any further action on the matter.
Reply received: August 2014
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
12. Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the President of the Republic:†
Whether he has received the final report of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into irregularities in the Midvaal local authority, as authorised by Proclamation R33 of 2011, from the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services; if so, (a) when was the report received, (b) when will he disclose the report and (c) whether he will authorise the State to implement the findings and recommendations of the Public Protector in her report It can't be right – Remedying Self-interest in Midvaal (Report No 42 of 2010-11) regarding the activities in the Midvaal local authority; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW17E
REPLY:
As indicated in the press statement (Presidency update on the Special Investigating Unit Proclamations) that the Presidency released on 22 July 2014 regarding the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) proclamations, the investigation into irregularities in the Midvaal local authority is still on-going.
Therefore, the decision regarding the disclosure of the contents of the report will be made upon it's reciept and subsequent consideration of its content.