140
Friday, 8 September 2017]
No 31 - 2017] FOURTH SESSION, FIFTH LEGISLATURE
LEGISLATURE OF THE PROVINCE
OF THE EASTERN CAPE
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INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER
Note:
1. Questions for oral reply will be printed in full in the Question Paper for the day for which they have been set down for reply.
2. *Indicates a question for oral reply.
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL REPLY
FRIDAY, 8 SEPTEMBER 2017
Premier:
*1. Mr R S Stevenson to ask the Premier:
(1) What provisions are made in the Ministerial Handbook in terms of the amount available for the security upgrade of the private residences of the Premier and Members of the Executive Council (MECs);
(2) whether the Premier or any of the MECs had any security upgrades undertaken at their private homes in the past three years; if so, what was the total cost and breakdown, per MEC for each of the said years;
(3) whether these upgrades complied with the relevant procurement procedures and the requirements of the Ministerial Handbook; if not, (a) why and (b) what are the relevant details;
(4) whether there have been any security breaches at the Premier’s or MECs’ private homes in the province as at the latest specified date for which information is available; if so, what are the relevant details?
*2. Mr M Saziwa to ask the Premier:
With reference to his office’s commitment to combat wayward behaviour by public servants and the ability of these officials to circumvent the established system:
(1) What steps his office has taken with a view to ensuring that an offence register is established so that civil servants who have committed an offence in one department do not find their way into another department without facing consequences for their previous offences;
(2) whether there are any relations between the anti-corruption and the risk management units; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) what punitive measures his Department has put in place for non-disclosure by those who continue to do business with government whilst still in its employ?
*3. Ms N Mvana to ask the Premier:
As it has been reported that small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) play a pivotal role in the process of service delivery and thus by extension the wellbeing of our people:
(1) Whether some departments’ non-compliance with the 30-day turnaround period for payments may have any impact to these SMMEs; if so, what may be the impact;
(2) what steps his office has taken with a view to ensuring that departments that enlist the services of these SMMEs comply with this requirement?
MEC’s:
*4. Ms V Mvenya to ask the MEC responsible for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:
(1) Whether he has been informed of the planned trip to Argentina which will be undertaken by the OR Tambo District Mayor (name furnished for the purpose of the reply) and her delegation at the end of September 2017 at a cost of about R400000; if not, why; if so whether this trip is in line with the mandate of the municipality;
(2) whether the Ntinga OR Tambo Development Agency is responsible for all agricultural development functions of the municipality; if so, on what basis was this responsibility given to the agency;
(3) whether this trip is in line with the necessary prescripts for municipal officials to undertake overseas travel;
(4) (a) what was the outcome of the delegation’s trip to Argentina in 2015, (b) whether it benefitted the municipality in any way; if so, can he kindly provide the report detailing the outcomes of the delegation’s trip in 2015 and (c) what agreements were implemented between the mayor’s delegation and her Argentine counterparts; if no report was submitted, why was it not submitted;
(5) in light of the expenditure to be incurred on this trip, (a) whether the municipality has assisted all families that have been affected by the drought disaster in OR Tambo; if not, why and (b) how much is needed to provide adequate relief to all those requiring drought relief assistance in the municipality?
*5. Ms V Mvenya to ask the MEC responsible for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:
(1) Whether he has been informed that the OR Tambo District Municipality has requested the Amatola Water Board to test their water to the value of R10 million; if not, why; if so,
(2) how the specified municipality has previously tested its water;
(3) (a) when last did the municipality undergo water testing and (b) how much was spent in this regard;
(4) whether the specified municipality has its own water board;
(5) (a) what steps his Department has taken with a view to ensuring provision of clean water and sanitation in the municipality and (b) when will the current water and sanitation issues be rectified and if he can kindly provide relevant details in this regard?
*6. Ms V Knoetze to ask the MEC responsible for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:
With reference to a council meeting reported to have been held in Intsika Yethu Municipality on 28 July 2017, where the Council is alleged to have appointed a Municipal Manager (name furnished for the purpose of the reply) with a majority vote, Section 54(A) (3) sub-section (a) of Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 states that an appointment will be null and void if the person appointed does not have the prescribed skills, competencies and qualifications.
Sub-section (b) further states that the appointment is null and void if the appointment was made in contravention of the Act. Section 8 of the Act applies if a Municipal Manager (MM) is appointed in contravention of the Act; the MEC of Local Government must within 14 days of receiving the information with regard to the appointment processes, follow applicable legislation:
(1) Whether Section 54(A) (2) of the specified Act, with regard to requisite qualifications and competencies, was complied with in the appointment of the MM in Intsika Yethu Municipality;
(2) as it is alleged that Council was not furnished with a report from the selection panel and the mayor chaired the selection panel which resulted in a complete lack of transparency and barred the council from determining whether the MM possessed the prescribed required competencies and qualifications, whether he will declare the appointment as null and void in terms of Section 8 of the specified Act in light of the above; if not, why;
(3) whether the appointment was not in contravention of the specified Act?
*7. Mr C M Ndamase to ask the MEC responsible for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:
(1) Whether he has been informed that some areas falling within the Ingquza Hill and Port St. Johns Local Municipalities are still without some basic services such as water, which results in many communities using dam water which is not potable as it is shared with the livestock in the villages; if not, what is the position;
(2) what support his Department is providing to strengthen institutional capacity and effective service delivery in these municipalities?
*8. Mr P E van Vuuren to ask the MEC responsible for Education:
With reference to Schoombee Premer School:
(1) Whether he has received any representations regarding Schoombee Premer, which is a farm school, that is delivering good quality education; if so,
(2) whether there are any intentions of closing a thriving school that was built to accommodate 6 other schools in the area; if so, when does his Department intend to close the school;
(3) (a) what are the reasons for closing the school, (b) where does his Department plan to accommodate the children and (c) whether the decision to close the school is permanent and may not be changed?
*9. Mr P E van Vuuren to ask the MEC responsible for Education:
With reference to Vusukhanyo Public School:
(1) Whether he has been informed that the school was damaged by hail and snow in 2002; if not, why; if so,
(2) (b) what has been done by his Department since 2002 in order for the school to be refurbished; if not,
(3) what are the reasons for not refurbishing the specified school;
(4) (a) when will the school be refurbished and (b) at what costing will the school be refurbished?
*10. Mr T Tinta to ask the MEC responsible for Education:
(1) Whether he has been informed that Ikhwili Primary School and Siyazakha Secondary School in Kei Mouth are housed on the same property and have since endured a dysfunctional sanitation system for a considerable period of time resulting in the playgrounds being littered with sewerage; if so,
(2) whether his Department has any plans in place with a view to rescuing and relieving learners from this hazardous environment; if so, what are the relevant details?
*11. Mr T Tinta to ask the MEC responsible for Education:
(1) Whether he has received any representations regarding Hlumani Senior Secondary School which has distributed no meals to date although it was allocated R 279000 for School Nutrition; if so,
(2) can he kindly appraise the House on what led to this situation;
(3) whether his Department has any plan of action in place with a view to addressing the situation; if so, what plan?
*12. Ms J Cowley to ask the MEC responsible for Finance, Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism:
Noting that the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) is alleged to be currently involved in litigation around the transfer of ownership of part of the Bushman Sands development in Alicedale:
(1) What are the litigation costs pertaining to this matter so far;
(2) why is the ECDC appealing the recent court decision as this could be viewed as fruitless and wasteful expenditure;
(3) whether he has been informed that there is a potential investor who is prepared to buy the development in order to introduce a golf academy for previously disadvantaged youth; if so,
(4) what steps ECDC has taken with a view to securing the investor; if no steps, why;
(5) as it is alleged that the Bushman Sands Home Owners Association is no longer able to maintain the golf course, whether ECDC and its partner will not now take over the maintenance of such land, so that further jobs are not sacrificed and the golf course does not become another failed project?
*13. Ms J Cowley to ask the MEC responsible for Finance, Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism:
Noting that an initiative to renovate the Tyolomnqa Estuary Wilderness Camp is alleged to have been launched with the KwaSandile community on the banks of the Tyolomnqa River in 2011, was funded by the Department of Tourism, in collaboration with the Buffalo City Municipality and that the project implementer, performance unlimited, is alleged to have disappeared before the project was due to be completed in August 2012:
(1) Who was serving as the project manager for performance unlimited at the time of the alleged absconding;
(2) whether they have already been paid in full for the development / renovation of the camp; if so, what were the amounts involved;
(3) (a) what actions his Department has taken with a view to (aa) compelling the implementer to complete the work and (bb) recouping lost monies from the implementing agent and (b) how much has been recovered to date;
(4) what efforts his Department has made with a view to completing the unfinished project so that the community is ensured of a functional entity;
(5) whether any disciplinary action was taken against the relevant officials involved; if so, can he kindly provide relevant details?
*14. Mr V Lwana to ask the MEC responsible for Finance, Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism:
With reference to the reported high unemployment rate in our townships and rural areas, yet there are business establishments that once existed and are alleged to have closed down for various reasons in these areas:
Whether his Department has any plan in place with a view to assisting the young upcoming entrepreneurs in order to revive the township economy, participate in the main stream economy, and reduce the level of unemployment; if so, what are the relevant details?
*15. Ms F Bayeni to ask the MEC responsible for Finance, Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism:
The province is alleged to be faced with a challenge regarding substance abuse – particularly alcohol among young people in townships and rural areas:
What programmes his Department together with the Liquor Board have put in place with regard to alcohol abuse awareness, management of taverns operating in close proximity to the schools as well as the sale of alcohol to under-aged children?
*16. Ms K Fihlani to ask the MEC responsible for Finance, Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism:
Whether there are any engagements between the Department and Treasury with a view to injecting financial muscle to the Parks and Tourism Agency and ensuring that natural reserves are preserved such that our province is recognized as a tourist destination which will increase its economic growth; if so, what are the relevant details?