QUESTION 1

1. Ms S E Lucas (Northern Cape: ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:

(1) Whether, in light of the announcement of the hotspots for gender-based violence in South Africa, the Government has considered putting more resources into such hotspots to address the scourge of gender-based violence; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether any proactive interventions have been undertaken to ensure the protection of women and children is such areas; if not, why not; if so, what interventions;

(3) whether the fundamental characteristics of these areas such as alcohol abuse, poverty, lawlessness, poor facilities and persisting social ills will be addressed; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? 
CO703E

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

Before I begin allow me to express my appreciation to the Honourable Members for agreeing to the postponement of the question session scheduled for 15 October to accommodate the special Joint Sitting of Parliament.

I apologise if this caused any inconvenience. I am grateful that you have given me the opportunity today to reply to the questions posed by the Honourable Members.

On the first question from the Honourable Lucas:

The violence that men perpetrate against women is a crisis that affects the entire nation.

Although no community is spared from this scourge, government has identified several so-called ‘hotspots’ where the incidence of gender-based violence is at its highest.

Government is working to give these areas specific attention.

One of the most direct responses is to provide shelter and support for survivors of gender-based violence so that they can escape unsafe environments and receive the care that they need.

From an assessment of the current provision of shelters in all districts and metros, we found that while the country has 136 shelters, only 117 are deemed as funded.

Forty-five of our districts and metros have at least one shelter, while 7 districts have no shelters. This is a shortfall that we are now working to correct.

We have said that we want every district in the country to have at least one shelter for women and children who have been abused.

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has allocated several properties across the country for use as shelters. These include 4 properties in Tshwane, 6 properties in Western Cape and 2 in Johannesburg.

Additional properties to be allocated for shelter purposes are being assessed in all other provinces.

We are focused on efforts to ensure there is a model GBV one-stop centre in each of the identified 30 ‘hotspot’ areas. 

These centres provide multidisciplinary services such as psychological and health support, investigation and prosecution, economic empowerment and housing.

We are therefore working to expand the Khuseleka One-Stop Centres, in the first phase, in Cape Town, Sol Plaatje Municipality, eThekwini, Mangaung, Ehlanzeni, Tshwane and Johannesburg.

In the second phase, we will identify buildings in Eastern Cape, North West and Limpopo to enhance the existing Khuseleka Centres and expand on sheltering services in the provinces.

As these shelters are being expanded, the government has developed a Victim Support Services Bill as part of the enhancement of legislation to focus on victims of crime and violence. 

The draft Bill has gone out for public comment and the Department of Social Development is now consolidating the inputs received from the public.
 
The Bill is victim-centred and touches on the importance of state-owned facilities and the accreditation of providers of sheltering services. 

This will ensure the service providers are qualified to provide professional services to survivors. 

As part of our response to the coronavirus pandemic, each Minister and Deputy Minister has been allocated to a district to champion the implementation of COVID prevention and management strategies and to support programmes to end gender-based violence. 

As part of this, each municipality is called on to develop and support community capacity to deliver gender-based violence prevention interventions. This should be implemented through training community-level activists and volunteers and GBV service organisations to roll out prevention programmes.

The district champions are working to integrate GBVF prevention into more comprehensive violence and crime prevention strategies.

These are also linked to alcohol and drug abuse interventions since there is a link between alcohol and drug abuse and the propensity to perpetrate violence. 

I thank you.


QUESTION 2

2. Ms C Labuschagne (Western Cape: DA) to ask the President of the Republic:

(1) Regarding the recent diplomatic trip to Zimbabwe by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, (a) when was he first informed of the flight and (b) on what grounds did he approve the flight;

(2) whether he was informed that a delegation of a certain political party (name furnished) was included on the flight at the time of approval; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?    
CO706E

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

As you may be aware, I directed that documentation, including correspondence and reports, relating to the visit to Zimbabwe by Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula be made public. 

Thus, as I expressed publicly, I received a written request for travel from Minister Mapisa-Nqakula dated 7 September 2020. 

The Minister requested permission to travel to Zimbabwe from 8 to 10 September 2020 to conduct a bilateral meeting with her Zimbabwean counterpart. This is the normal request that I receive, as I have to give Ministers permission to leave the country.

As I was not in Gauteng at the time the Minister submitted her travel request, I gave the Minister verbal approval of the travel on 8 September 2020 and signed the relevant documentation upon my return to Gauteng. This often happens, where Ministers are able to get permission verbally.

On 10 September, the Presidency sent the Minister written confirmation that the President had approved her travel.

The Minister travelled on a South African Air Force aircraft which also conveyed senior leaders of the African National Congress. I have since issued the Minister with a formal reprimand for conveying the ANC delegation to Zimbabwe on an aircraft of the South African Air Force. 

I took this action after considering the Minister’s initial report and a supplementary report that I had directed the Minister to provide on the circumstances that led to the ANC delegation travelling on a South African Air Force plane. 

While the Minister was on an official trip for which I had given permission and for which she was entitled to use an Air Force aircraft, I found that it was an error in judgment on her part to use the plane to convey a political party delegation. 

I directed the Minister to make sure that the ANC reimburses the state for the costs of the flight to Harare and I understand that this has now been done. 

I thank you.


QUESTION 3

3. Ms M N Gillion (Western Cape: ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:

(1) Whether, in light of the various reports of corruption and procurement irregularities regarding the disbursement of funds to ensure a comprehensive national response to manage the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has set any timeframes for the investigation of all allegations of Covid-19 corruption and related procurement irregularities; if not, why not; if so, (a) what timeframes and (b) what are the further relevant details; 

(2) whether any measures are in place to ensure that all those who used Covid-19 pandemic funds to enrich themselves, their families and friends are held accountable; if not, why not; if so, (a) what measures and (b) what are the further relevant details? 
CO704E

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

Government responded swiftly and decisively to allegations of corruption in the award of COVID-related contacts.

The measures it has taken include the establishment of a fusion centre, which brings together 9 law enforcement agencies to share information and resources and ensure a coordinated response.

On 23 July 2020, I issued a proclamation to the Special Investigating Unit to investigate COVID-related maladministration and unlawful conduct in any state institution during the national state of disaster.

The SIU is currently looking into 932 matters under the issued proclamation, and all these matters are at different stages of investigation.

The SIU has, to date, provided me with two interim reports, which outline progress in the investigations, including where investigations have been finalised. The reports of SIU investigations will be made public once all the necessary process have been completed and there is no risk of jeopardising ongoing investigations.

On 5 August 2020, Cabinet set up a ministerial team to compile and publish details of all COVID-related contracts awarded by the State.

These have now been published on the National Treasury website and will be updated monthly.

The South African Revenue Service has established a COVID-19 Project Team to investigate and audit cases. 

Some of its reportable outcomes highlight that, as at end of September 2020, there were 307 cases with an estimated tax revenue loss of R300 million. 

There are 139 companies referred for potential tax evasion investigation. 

The rise in serious commercial crimes and incidents of COVID-19 procurement corruption have meant that we are fast-tracking the establishment of additional Special Commercial Crimes Courts and increasing capacity of existing ones.

We are looking to establish additional Special Commercial Crimes Courts in Polokwane,
Mbombela, Mahikeng, Mthatha and Mangaung.

A lot of work is happening to ensure that we handle all these COVID-related cases.

I thank you.


QUESTION 4

4. Mr A B Cloete (Free State: FF Plus) to ask the President of the Republic:

In view of the mandate of the Municipal Finance Improvement Programme to support struggling municipalities and the National Treasury spending of R900 million on consultants towards specialised skills advisory support to capacitate municipalities, how is the future sustainability of municipalities in South Africa ensured?
CO701E

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

There are many municipalities that have been experiencing severe difficulties in achieving financial sustainability and providing services to residents. 

This is mainly due to poor governance and leadership failures, weakening oversight and accountability, and poor coordination among different spheres of the state.

For many municipalities, there is a broader problem of a limited revenue base, where there is insufficient economic activity to meet the needs of our residents. This is possibly the number one problem that many of our municipalities experience.
 
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and National Treasury are working on a strategy to jointly support dysfunctional municipalities in a coherent and coordinated manner.

COGTA will perform an overall coordination role through the Back to Basics Programme and take the lead on all governance and service delivery matters.

National Treasury, together with the provincial treasuries, will take the lead on financial management responsibilities.

The purpose of the Municipal Systems Improvement Grant is to assist municipalities to perform their functions and stabilise institutional and governance systems. 

In this financial year, the grant aims to support municipalities through the implementation of the Integrated Urban Development Framework and in the improvement of their data management, records management and IT infrastructure.

It also aims to support and monitor municipalities in the implementation of the district development model and in the rollout of staffing regulations and competency frameworks.

In the past various support programmes and capacity building grants have been introduced aimed at improving capacity and performance of the local government sphere. 

Due to the uncoordinated and fragmented nature of these programmes, they have not yielded the desired outcomes. 

The repurposing of the Municipal Systems Improvement Grant will be aligned to the District Development Model. 

This approach ensures that the district municipalities and their local municipalities receive evidence-based support programmes that focus on critical areas of performance, such as financial management, service delivery and infrastructure, governance and administration.

Taken together, these interventions will make an important contribution to resolving some of the key capacity challenges that confront many municipalities.

In conclusion, I wish to commend the various provincial delegations to the NCOP for the visits they are undertaking as part of Provincial Oversight Week to their respective provinces under the theme: “Ensuring capable and financially sound municipalities”.

These visits demonstrate the importance that this House places on the effective functioning of municipalities, particularly as municipalities are the frontline of service provision and local development.

I thank you.


QUESTION 5

5. Mr T J Brauteseth (KwaZulu-Natal: DA) to ask the President of the Republic:

Whether any progress has been made regarding the investigations into all cases of Covid-19 fund (a) manipulation, (b) fraud and (c) corruption that he authorised the Special Investigations Unit to investigate through a proclamation he issued in late July 2020; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
CO707E

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

The Special Investigating Unit has made progress in their investigations since the proclamation was issued on 23 July 2020. 

The SIU is currently investigating 1,274 contracts from 85 departments, provinces, municipalities and public entities. 

To date, it has referred 34 criminal matters to the National Prosecuting Authority, and 33 disciplinary referrals to State institutions. 

The SIU has instituted cases in the Special Tribunal for cancellation of contracts to the value of R223 million and the recovery of funds.

The investigations are ongoing. As I indicated earlier, the reports of SIU will be made public once all the necessary process have been completed and there is no risk of jeopardising ongoing investigations.

I wish to commend the SIU for the really outstanding work they have been doing under difficult conditions to have these investigations completed urgently and diligently.

They know that the ethos of our country is at stake.

I thank you.


QUESTION 6

6. Mr M I Rayi (Eastern Cape: ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:

(1) Whether the Government has any processes in place to quantify the damage that has been caused to public transport infrastructure such as trains, railway lines and train stations during the lockdown period; if not, why not; if so, (a) what processes and (b) what are the further relevant details;

(2) what plans are in place to ensure that the restoration of the damaged infrastructure does not have a dire long term impact on our national efforts in order to restore economic activity and rebuild our economy?    
CO705E

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

The continuous damage, sabotage, theft and vandalism of rail infrastructure is one of the worst forms of economic crime in this country.

It has a direct impact on the lives of the millions of South Africans who rely on commuter rail services to travel to work or to study.

It undermines economic growth and places a further strain on public resources. 

As we mobilise resources for a substantial investment in commuter rail infrastructure as part of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, we are taking decisive measures to improve security on these lines.

The National Treasury has granted approval of R900 million for the implementation of the PRASA Security Plan to combat theft and vandalism of the rail infrastructure. 

Part of the plan is to immediately appoint security personnel and to deploy remotely piloted aircraft systems to conduct virtual patrols of high risk infrastructure. This capability will work together with specialised investigations and armed response. 

The plan will also involve the creation of an internal security capability for armed response, control room operations and increasing the number of physical security officials.

This has already commenced.

An e-guarding solution will be introduced for the protection of mission critical assets – such as substations, relay rooms and communication sites – with early warning security technology and defensive security systems. 

The plan will also introduce specialised investigations with legal support and access to criminal laboratories. 

We believe this capability will improve the quality of investigation reports leading to an improved prosecution rate.

As we substantially improve security measures on the commuter rail network, our most effective defence against such crimes is the vigilance of rail users and their active involvement in the effort to protect this vital national resource.

We call on all South Africans to take a stand against these types of crime, and be part of the effort to build a public transport that is safe, reliable and affordable.

I thank you.

Date: 

Tuesday, October 27, 2020 - 18:00

Tags: 

President Cyril Ramaphosa