Questions & Replies: Question & Replies No 576 to 600

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

WRITTEN TO ORAL REPLY

QUESTION 588

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07/08/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 07-2009)

Mr M J Ellis (DA) to the Minister of Higher Education and Training:

(1) Whether the SA Qualifications Authority Standards Generating Body (SGB) task team has been constituted; if not, why not; if so, (a) who was appointed to the task team and (b) what are their qualifications;

(2) whether the task team has commenced with the standards generating body process; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details and (b) when will the process be completed? NW650E

REPLY:

(1) The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) has not constituted any Standards Generating Body (SGB) task team, as these structures are already established in terms of the National Standards Body Regulations. In terms of these regulations 12 National Standards Bodies and 152 Standards Generating Bodies were established and are operational since 1999. Some of the SGBs have since been disestablished upon completion of their tasks.

(2) This is not applicable as there no task team has been established as per the response above.

QUESTION 589

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 7 AUGUST 2009: (INTERNAL QUESTION

PAPER NO 7.2009)

11589. Mr P F Smith (IFP) to ask the Minister of Science and Technology:

(1) Whether South Africa lags behind comparable countries in respect of the number of patents issued; if not, what is the position in this regards; if so, why?

(2) Whether any steps have been taken in the past 15 years to raise the output; if not, why not; if so, what steps?

REPLY:

(1) The Department of Science and Technology (DST) remains concerned with the number of patent applications from the South African research community, especially those that emanate from publicly financed research.

The Innovation Fund, an instrument of the DST, conducted a study in 2008 analysing the patenting activity of 20 publicly financed institutions. The study found that at the Companies and Intellectual Properties Registration Office (CIPRO) in the period 1991 to 2007 patent application (provisional and complete) as well as granted patent figures remained fairly static despite the significant increases in funding allocations for research and development in the country.

The issuing of patents in South Africa is a function of CIPRO, a member of the Department of Trade and Industry group of institutions. South Africa's patent system is predominantly used to secure intellectual property for "inward patenting" that is, securing inventions that originate outside South Africa.

CIPRO operates as a deposit system. This means that if patent applicants comply with the administrative requirements of application, CIPRO grants such patent applications without prior examination of the compliance with substantive provisions for granting a patent. In comparison, the world's leading intellectual property registrations offices, such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Japanese Patent Office, grant only patents that comply with substantive conditions for patent award as stipulated by law. These offices operate on an examination system, and patents granted by them are therefore more qualitative. Because of the difference in operating systems, a comparison would establish the quantity of patents granted rather than a more meaningful quality assessment.

(2) In light of these low levels of patent activity and in an effort to standardise the management of intellectual property resulting from public funding, the DST promulgated the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development (IPR) Act, 2008 (Act No. 51 of 2008). The object of the IPR Act is to ensure that intellectual property emanating from publicly financed research and development is identified, protected, utilised and commercialised for the benefit (social, economic, military or any other) of the people of South Africa.

The IPR Act allows for the establishment of the national intellectual property management office (NIPMO), which is intended to promote the objects of the Act. More particularly, NIPMO will have a regulatory role in respect of ensuring that recipients of public funds for research and development adhere to the provisions of the Act. It will also create a fund to support intellectual property protection, thus increasing patenting activity in South Africa. The IPR Act also calls for the establishment of offices of technology transfer (OTTs) at publicly funded institutions.

NIPMO will be responsible for assisting institutions to develop the required human capacity and infrastructure to ensure that the OTIs are established and fully functional. OTIs are an important aspect in not only the protection but also the successful commercialisation of intellectual property emanating from publicly financed research. They form an integral part of the well regulated and enabling environment necessary to increase the rate and quality of such commercialisation activities. Ultimately, OTTs serve as a conduit for the transfer of technologies and research results from public institutions to the marketplace.

With these interventions, the Department aims to see an increase in patent activity to levels that reflect the investment made by the state in research and development activities.

QUESTION NO 590

QUESTION 590 FOR WRITTEN REPLY: INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 7-2009: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: MR P F SMITH (IFP): SOUTH AFRICAN ENGLSIH LANGUAGE ON COMPUTERS

Mr P F Smith (IFP) to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture:

Whether her department intends to (a) ensure that all computers in use by the Government are set to use South African English, in view of the corrupting influence of word processing programmes with US spelling and grammar as default setting, (b) promote this also outside of Government offices and (c) require that word processing programmes sold in South Africa are pre-set to South African English; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details?

NE654E

REPLY:

(a) to ensure that all computers in use by the Government are set to use South African English:

As part of its mandate to promote the use of all South African languages including the South African English, the DAC has already developed spellcheckers for Microsoft Word (word processing) which will be circulated to the whole of Government. Through the distribution of this spellcheckers, we will also emphasise to Government Chief Information Officers to start using the South African English.

(b) promote this also outside of Government offices and

Further to the development of spellcheckers for the Microsoft Word, the department intends to develop spellcheckers for the Open Source Software (OSS) equivalent viz; Open Office (Write). The spellcheckers will be freely available to the public as well. Through its language promotion activities, the department intents to promote the culture of using all South African languages including the South African English in word processing packages.

As part of the development of spellcheckers for Open Office, the department intends to get the spellcheckers licensed through the General Public License (a license for open source software packages) so that the public has a choice of using Open Office with spellcheckers of their language of choice.

(c) require that word processing programmes sold in South Africa are pre-set to South African English On ensuring that all computers in use by the Government are pre-set to use the South African English, the DAC intends to liaise with the State IT Agency (SITA) and the Government IT Officers Council (GITOC)'s Standing Committee on Procurement to ensure that as a standard, all computers sold to government are pre-set to SA English.

QUESTION NO 592

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER:7 AUGUST 2009(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 7-2009)

Date reply submitted : 7 October 2009

Mr V B Ndlovu (IFP) to ask the Minister of Police:

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO 593

Date reply submitted : 7 October 2009

Mr V B Ndlovu (IFP) to ask the Minister of Police:
Why has the staff structure of the Independent Complaints Directorate not increased in relation to the (a) number of complaints received and (b) increased number of staff in the SA Police Services
What is the average (a) current case per investigator at (i) head office and (ii) the satellite office and (b) salary of an investigator?

REPLY:

1. The staff structure has not increased due to the limited allocation of National Treasury. Additional submissions have been sent to the National Treasury with relation to the 2010 Medium Term Expenditure Report (MTEF) to secure funding for the appointment of more staff.


2. (a)The average caseload per investigator (i)at head office is 120 annually;
(ii)The average caseload per investigator at the satellite offices is 120 annually.
(b)The salaries for investigators are as follows:
Senior Investigator – R145 920
Principal Investigator – R174 243
Assistant Manager – R217 482




REPLY TO QUESTION 593 APPROVED BY MINISTER

QUESTION NO 594

Date reply submitted : 7 October 2009

Mr V B Ndlovu (IFP) to ask the Minister of Police:

1 When will the Independent Complaints Directorate's Asset Management Unit be established?

REPLY:

1 The Asset Management Unit of the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) has initially been opened up on 1 April 2008 with the appointment of two staff members. As from 1 April 2009 the ICD received additional funding to appoint the last three (3) staff members and, the Component is now fully functional with its five (5) staff members.

2 What qualifications will be required for the three staff members of the Asset Management Unit

REPLY:

2 The head of the Asset Management Unit will be expected to possess a relevant post school / tertiary qualification and relevant experience and, will be appointed on salary level nine (9) in the post: Assistant Manager: Asset Management. The rest of the staff members require at least grade twelve (12) matriculation certificates and, with relevant Public Service experience.

3 What are the intended performance indicators for the Unit in terms of (a) a document management system, (b) compliance with National Treasury prescripts and (c) training of provincial staff in asset management?

REPLY:

3 (a) Document management for the entire ICD is administered by the Unit: Auxiliary Services, within Programme 1: Administration. However all documents with regard to the procurement of goods and services for the ICD are kept in the Unit: Supply Chain Management until payment has been finalized. Thereafter such documentation is submitted to the Unit: Finance for safekeeping with the relevant payment stubs.

3 (b) An Asset Management Action Plan was introduced in August 2009 to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and prescripts. Meetings were held with the Office of the Auditor- General and National Treasury in September to address the shortcomings highlighted in the A-G's Report 2008/2009. The shortcomings with relation to the reconciliation between BAS and Logis electronic systems were specifically addressed.The Internal Audit unit of the Department is currently busy with an asset audit of the National Office to further strengthen compliance. The Office of the CFO is currently embarking on an asset-verification process that includes all Provincial offices.

3 (c) The operational plan of the Unit includes the visiting of the entire provincial and satellite offices – at least once in the year - with a view to verify the existence of all ICD assets and to update the electronic Asset Register accordingly. The training of provincial staff members then also receives attention, where needed. Newly appointed staff members in the provinces are called to national office within the second month of appointment, to be trained on the LOGIS system and to receive the necessary knowledge and information to apply in the provincial office.

QUESTION NO 595

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER [NO 7-2009]

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 7 AUGUST 2009

595. Mr R N Cebekhulu (IFP) to ask the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform:

(1) (a) What is the total number of farms that his department has acquired for emerging farmers, (b) where are these farms located and (c) how much did it cost his department to acquire these farms;

(2) (a) how many of these farms are unproductive, (b) what are the reasons for these farms falling into an unproductive state and (c) what action is being taken against those farmers who allowed their farms to reach this state? NW665E

MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM

(1) Please refer to the table below, noting that the number of farms reflected herein excludes farms acquired for human settlement, commonages and other large groups of communities.

(2)(a) In terms of the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) Review (2008), 29% of the 1 250 LRAD projects reviewed have failed and a further 22% is declining. Thus, 362 of the 1 250 farms are unproductive and a further 275 could possibly become unproductive if no agricultural support is received.

In addition, the Department recently completed asset verification on its Pro-active Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) farms. Approximately 127 farms need immediate agricultural intervention from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) to ensure that the land in question does not become unproductive.

(b) Several reasons have been identified such as insufficient agricultural support, conflict amongst beneficiary groups, and limited LRAD grants as opposed to beneficiaries own contributions and loan components.

(c) The Department with the support of the Provincial Departments of Agriculture, local farmers associations and Agri-business will develop a program to provide the necessary support to struggling farmers.

QUESTION NUMBER 596

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 7 August 2009

DUE TO PARLIAMENT: 14 August 2009

Mr M G Oriani-Ambrosini (IFP) to ask the Minister of Finance:

1. How much is the national debt including (a) bonds and (b) contingent liabilities, including (i) credit guarantees and (ii) other unfunded liabilities such as pension payments and unemployment insurance;

2. With reference to the abovementioned liabilities, what is the (a) (i) intended source and (ii) timeframe of repayment, (b) (i) average rate of interest and (ii) maturity date of the aforesaid bonds currently extant and (c) who are the registered holders of the aforesaid extant state bonds and credit guarantees? NW666E

REPLY:

1. National government debt, provisions and contingent liabilities amount to R844 billion, as shown in table 1.

Table 1. Net debt, provisions and contingent liabilities of national government

* More information on provisions and contingent liabilities are provided in the consolidated financial information for the year ended 31 March 2008. Detail on government debt and guarantees are provided in tables 8 (p 168 – 171) and 9 (p172 – 173) of the 2009 Budget Review.

In respect of national government debt the information is as follows:

2.(a)(i) Budget surpluses and borrowings

2.(a)(ii) The treasury bill portfolio has a term-to-maturity varying from one-day to 364-days. Domestic government bonds and foreign loans have an average term-to-maturity of 10 years and 7.3 years, respectively. With regard to contingent liabilities it is not possible to list the timeframews for repayment as these payments will only be incurred in the event of such contingencies arising.

2.(b)(i) The domestic government bond portfolio's average coupon rate is 9 per cent while new bonds are issued at 7.7 per cent.

2.(b)(ii) See 2.(a)(ii)

2.(c) Mainly pension funds, insurers and banks

QUESTION 597

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07/08/09

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 07-2009)

Mr AM Mpontshane (IFP) to ask the Minister of basic Education:

1) Whether her department contracted Jabulani Mabaso, owner of Indiza who supplied school text books and stationery to the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) who are the co-owners of the said company;

(3) whether her department has monitored the case where the said person was found to have defrauded the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department of R200 million; if not, why not; if so, what is the current state of affairs;

(4) whether she will make a statement on the matter? NW673E

REPLY:

1) No. The KwaZulu-Natal Education Department is responsible and accountable for their procurement processes and contracts and not the Department of Basic Education

2) I don't know

3) Not applicable

4) No

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN REPLY: 599
FRIDAY, 10 JULY 2009
599. Mr E J Lucas (IFP) to ask the Minister of Energy:

(1) Whether, in light of the energy shortages which have been experienced, there will be enough energy to meet the increased demand that will be created by new infrastructure such as the Gautrein and the stadiums which are to be used In the 2010 World Cup; If not, why not; if so, how will this increased demand be met;

(2) whether there are measures in place to ensure that there are no power shortages during the World Cup In 2010; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

RESPONSE

(1). The creation of new infrastructure like Gautrain and 2010 World Cup stadia will result in additional energy usage, particularly liquid fuels and electricity. In addition to the new infrastructure, it is expected that there will be increased usage of energy due to the increased number of visitors that will be witnessing this soccer spectacurar. The measures on how the demand will be met are discussed below.

(2). Various measures have been put in place in anticipation of the increased demand and to ensure electricity security. In the instance of Gautrain, dedicated substations have been designated as secure supply points for uninterrupted service. For the 2010 World Cup, the requirement from FIFA is that the stadia must have back-up generators as an additional mitigant for supply interruptions. We are confident that similar to the successful Confederations Cup, there will be enough energy supply to meet the demand.

The key installations for the 2010 World Cup lie within the host cities and are supplied by the municipalities. Eskom and municipalities have dedicated teams with project management experience to ensure that there is a quick response to any power Interruptions.

We must also indicate that the global economic turmoil has provided additional relief in the way that electricity demand in South Africa has declined year-on, year. The result is that we have enough reserve margin to see us through the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

QUESTION NO. 587

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07 AUGUST 2009

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 7)

Mr M Waters (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:

(1) What is the (a) number of beds, (b)(i) optimal and (ii) actual number of staff, (c) current designation of each staff member and (d) number of patients that had been admitted at each psychiatric hospital as at the latest specified date for which information is available;

(2) whether his department has implemented a programme of de-institutionalisation for certain categories of psychiatric patients; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) how many cases of abuse of patients by staff at each psychiatric hospital have been reported in each of the past 12 months for which information is available;

(4) whether any investigation was conducted in each such case; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY:

(1) Responses to questions (1), (3) and (4) for the first quarter (April to June 2009) are attached as an annexure. These responses were received from the health establishments designated as psychiatric hospitals, care and rehabilitation centers in terms of section 5 of the Mental Health Care Act No 17 of 2002.

(2) The Mental Health Care Act No 17 of 2002 promotes the provision of community based care, treatment and rehabilitation services. It provides for integration of mental health services into the general services environment.

This is aimed at prevention of inappropriate mental hospital admissions and appropriate discharges through:

(i) the provision of community based facilities;

(ii) discharge to the community of long term institutional patients who have received adequate preparation; and

(iii) the establishment and maintenance of community support systems.

A number of special programmes are implemented to assist psychiatric patients to function effectively and remain in the community. These include day care centers, supervised living units, independent living units, sheltered employment and halfway houses. These programmes are rendered by designated psychiatric hospitals, in collaboration with Social Welfare Services, Non-Governmental Organizations and Community Based Organizations. The funding of these programmes is provided through provincial budgets for Health and Social Development.

(1) How many of the 90 interns trained in the 2008-09 financial year have left the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD);

(2) What was the loss suffered by the ICD;

(3) whether there are any incentives for interns to remain with the ICD once training is completed; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW659E

REPLY

1. A total of 74 terminated their internship, 33 of which were appointed permanently in the Independently Complaints Directorate (ICD) and 41 left the ICD for other Departments, during the period 01 April 2008 to 31 March 2009.

2. The ICD invests in training the interns, and once the interns are skilled and have acquired the necessary expertise, they are appointed by other Departments. The Department loses the skills and also the money invested in terms of training.

3. There are currently no tangible incentives for interns to remain with the ICD other than, where permanent posts are vacated, interns are appointed to those positions. There is no sufficient budget to accommodate the interns in full-time positions as the ICD has also a very flat structure.

QUESTION NO 600

DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: THURSDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2009

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 07 AUGUST 2009 (INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 7 – 2009)

Mr E J Lucas (IFP) asked the Minister of Transport:

Whether a solution has been found for the Durban bus transport system which stopped functioning after its operator (name furnished) ceased its operations at the end of June 2009; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details and (b) when will the bus service be fully operational again?

NW676E

REPLY:

The Minister of Transport:

(a)

Remant Alton, the previous operator of Durban Transport, ceased all operations on

29 June 2009. In terms of the existing contract, an alternative operator, Transnat Africa, was appointed on 02 July 2009 to run a reduced service to October 2010 to match the reduced subsidy funding available. Durban Transport recommenced its services on 03 August 2009 with 32 buses and as at 28 August 2009 there were 200 buses in operation.

(b)

The delay in getting more buses on the road is due to a reluctance of drivers to sign up with the new operator, but it is anticipated that the full service should be up and running by the end of September 2009.