Date:08/09/2010
Source: The Presidency
Title: SA: Zuma: Replies by the South African President to questions in the National Assembly, Cape Town

QUESTION:
Ms B M Dambuza (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:
(1) (a) What authority and impact does the President's
Coordinating Council (PCC) have in ensuring integrated service
delivery compliance and (b) how does it relate to the National
Planning Commission in terms of realising the national objective of
eradicating informal settlements;

(2) whether the Government has any plans to shift from the
current allocation system of bulk infrastructure towards human
settlements provision; if not, why not; if so, what are the
relevant details?

REPLY:
(1) (a) The President's Coordinating Council is a crucial
coordinating mechanism that brings together the President,
Premiers, representatives of the South African Local Government
Association and Ministers with concurrent functions.

(2) The PCC gives effect to the provisions of Chapter 3 of the
Constitution and the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act.

In our meetings we receive reports and share ideas on the
implementation of government priorities at provincial and local
government level. We also identify bottlenecks in our delivery
machinery and put in place processes to unblock the challenges.

The last PCC held in May focused exclusively on matters relating
to human settlements. A number of obstacles were identified in the
areas of planning, financing, land availability among others. We
have put in place processes to respond to each of these.

The outcome of the PCC meetings is sent to Cabinet for
processing so that outputs become Cabinet decisions for
implementation.

(1) (b) When we established the National Planning Commission
(NPC) we stated that we want it to focus on long-term issues and to
harmonise and integrate long-term planning within government.

The NPC was formally established at the end of April with the
appointment of Commissioners.

We gave it 18 months to produce the national plan for
consideration by Cabinet and Parliament.

Although the NPC has a mandate to address long-term planning, it
must also make sure that the short to medium term plans of
departments do not lock government into bad decisions that will
make it difficult to achieve our long term vision.

It was precisely for this reason that we tasked the Minister
responsible for the National Planning Commission to lead the
process of unblocking logjams in our planning system that have a
profound impact especially on the development of sustainable human
settlements.

(2) In our bid to make government work better we have adopted
the outcomes approach. Two outcomes are relevant to your question.

Outcome 6 is about an efficient, competitive and responsive
infrastructure network and Outcome 8 is about sustainable human
settlements and improved quality of households.

In doing background analyses of problems in both these areas, it
became clear that we need better ways of coordinating
infrastructure delivery. The delivery agreement for Human
Settlements contains targets for the upgrading of informal
settlements.

Relevant stakeholders will be brought together to play their
part in ensuring a coordinated approach.


QUESTION:
The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of
the Republic:

Whether, with regard to his statement (details furnished) it is
the Government's intention to establish a media tribunal; if not,
what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant
details?

REPLY:
Government has not discussed the proposed investigation into the
establishment of a Media Appeals Tribunal and does not have a
position on it.

The concept of a Tribunal is included in the resolutions of the
52nd national conference of the ruling party of the year 2007.

The resolution proposing the investigation states that the
purpose is to promote the school of thought which articulates media
freedom within the context of the human rights ethos of the South
African Constitution.

It promotes the view that the right to freedom of expression
should not be elevated above other equally important rights such as
the right to privacy and more important rights and values such as
human dignity.

The intention is that the Tribunal would strengthen, complement
and support the current self-regulatory institutions such as the
Press Ombudsman.

The investigation proposes that that such a Tribunal could be a
statutory institution, established through an open, public and
transparent process, and be made accountable to Parliament.

The Polokwane conference resolution adds that an investigation
should consider the mandate of the Tribunal and its powers to
adjudicate over matters or complaints expressed by citizens against
the print media, in the same way as it happens in the case of
broadcasting through the Complaints and Compliance Committee of the
Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.

The investigation should further consider remedial measures
which would safeguard and promote the human rights of all South
Africans.

The proposal is also that the Media and other stakeholders,
including civil society, shall be consulted to ensure that the
process is open, transparent and public.

Were the investigation to find that the Tribunal is necessary;
Parliament would then be charged with this mandate to establish the
Tribunal in order to guarantee the principles of independence,
transparency, accountability and fairness.

It must be noted that this vibrant public debate has resulted
in, or coincided with a decision by the Press Council to review its
Constitution, with a view to strengthening its self-regulatory
mechanisms.

We welcome the fact that this debate, which is raging in the
public arena, has now also entered Parliament, thanks to this
question from the Honourable Member.

As Government we welcome
debates in the spirit of promoting free exchanges of views and
ideas, and to enable informed policy making processes.


QUESTION:
Mr M Nonkonyana (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:
What is the Government's policy with regard to restoring (a)
kingship to those who were recognised as such by the Commission on
Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims and (b) unity amongst
the affected traditional communities?

REPLY:
(a) The President accepted the recommendations of the Commission
on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims and directed the
Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to take
all steps necessary to ensure implementation.

The Ministry is still finalising the legal processes to continue
with the implementation.

In an attempt to maintain unity amongst the affected
communities, Government briefed the National House of Traditional
Leaders prior to the release of the Commission's report.

Furthermore, the Premiers in the affected provinces met with the
royal families of the affected kingships of queenships and informed
them officially of the outcome and implications.

We also issued a message to all communities to accept the
findings in the spirit of nation building and reconciliation, given
the pain that the apartheid-imposed institutions had caused on
affected families and communities.

This should be a period when they all work together to put the
past behind them, and accept the historical reality that they have
all known for all these decades.

Communities have always known who the rightful traditional
leaders are. We appreciate the positive spirit in which this has
been received, regardless of how difficult the recommendations are.

QUESTION:
Mr M L Fransman (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:
(a) To what extent has the national human resource development
(HRD) strategy been incorporated into the respective Government
departments and programmes that champion the five priority focus
areas of the national development agenda (details furnished) and
(b) what (i) measures have been put in place to monitor the
implementation and integration of the national HRD strategy in the
Government, parastatals and the private sector and (ii) progress
has been made in respect of human resource development in the past
16 years?

REPLY:
Our government, together with other stakeholders, is working to
ensure that we improve our skills and human resource base.

Last year, we decided to split the education department into two
stand-alone departments, to focus on basic education as well as
higher education and training.

This was meant to enable government to ensure dedicated focus to
each area, and to provide basic education more attention as a
critical foundation phase.

Government is establishing a comprehensive Human Resource
Development policy framework, which will be linked to the country's
development and investment strategy, and the five development
priorities.

The scope and importance of the HRD for South Africa's
development agenda dictates that its success depends on the full
contribution of all social partners.

While government has a significant role to play in terms of its
mandate and the public resources it holds, it cannot perform this
role optimally without substantive input and participation from
other stakeholders.

Cabinet will soon consider the Human Resource Development
Strategy South Africa 2009 document. Already, wide-ranging
consultations have been held both inside and outside of government.

Honourable Fransman, all the five priorities that you refer to -
namely Education, Health, Rural Development, Decent Work and the
fight against Crime have been incorporated in the ten objectives of
in the Medium Term Strategic Framework.

All government departments are working towards these objectives.

The ten objectives of the MTSF have been converted into 12
outcomes and the President has signed performance agreements with
the respective Ministers on these.

Ministers are currently consulting with delivery partners from
national and provincial departments, to finalise delivery
agreements detailing the specifics of delivery.

Some of the 12 outcomes of government explicitly take forward
the commitments of the Human Resources Development Strategy.

The achievement of all of our key outcomes will depend on a
skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path.

It must be noted that the National Skills Development Strategy
3, currently being finalized by the Department of Higher Education
and Training also incorporates the key objective of the HRDSA.

Measures have been put in place to monitor the implementation
and integration of the HRDSA in Government, parastatals and the
private sector.

Human resource development is to be monitored through a Council
led by the Honourable Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.

Monitoring mechanisms will include all role-players in the
strategy.

There has been a significant expansion and growth in further and
higher education and training over the past 16 years.

Research and development activity in the economy increased
significantly, making the target of one per cent of GDP achievable
in the near future.

The dramatic growth and expansion of the education system has
enabled the country to achieve high enrolment rates at school
level.

Despite the expansion and growth of schooling, participation
rates at Further Education and Training colleges and other higher
education institutions, levels are low. Quality remains a real
challenge across the system.

The introduction of learnerships has also added to the programme
by ensuring that new graduates are exposed to the job market for
practical experience.

This has enabled young South Africans to be marketable. In the
public sector, the PALAMA Institute has been able to offer job
specific training to the Management and Leadership teams of the
public sector.

Another key development of the past 16 years is the introduction
of legislation that compels the private sector to invest in skills
development by introducing a skills levy and skills development
plans.

All in all, we are on track to introduce a comprehensive human
resource development programme.

We will rely on all stakeholders; especially Members of
Parliament, to work with us in making it succeed for the sake of
the country.


QUESTION:
The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of
the Republic:

Whether, with reference to the Western Cape provincial
government achieving a clean sweep of unqualified audit reports and
his statement that there is a crisis of accountability (details
furnished), he will ensure that steps are taken to hold accountable
individuals who fail in their duty to manage provincial finances
appropriately; if not, why not; if so, what steps?

REPLY:
This matter is discussed constantly with Premiers as well in the
President's Coordinating Council, and all nine Premiers share this
determination. The targets for clean audits in provincial
departments also form part of the delivery agreement and
performance contract of the Minister for Co-operative Governance
and Traditional Affairs.

In these targets, the MECs for the various Departments are the
delivery partners and therefore their own performance contracts
will include the same targets for clean audits and it will be
expected of them that they report and account on their specific
performance.

QUESTION:
Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the President of the Republic:
(a) Which (i) countries have been identified as high potential
trading partners and (ii) of these countries have been visited by
him accompanied by a delegation of Ministers and business people,
(b) what was the selection criteria for the business delegations to
each of these countries, (c) what benefits were derived in terms of
job creation and poverty alleviation and (d) what was the total
expenditure to the state for these official visits?

REPLY:
One of our main foreign policy goals is to ensure that our
foreign relations contribute to the creation of an environment
conducive for economic growth and development, especially in Africa
and other developing countries.

The expansion of foreign trade is a means to an end, which is to
improve the quality of life of all South Africans.

It must enable us to grow our economy and contribute to the
creation of decent work, improved health care and education, rural
development, safer communities, social security and other
priorities of this government.

Business representatives are invited to State Visits to
encourage and promote economic cooperation between South Africa and
a particular country.

The Department of Trade and Industry constitutes the business
delegation in consultation with representatives of organised
business in South Africa, Business Unity South Africa.

The decision to participate in a visit lies with the businesses
themselves depending on their interests. However, we also have to
look at South Africa's national interests, in particular what would
benefit her people and advance the government's domestic agenda.

Visits of this nature create investment opportunities which have
a positive impact on the South African economy.

The SADC member States, most of whose economies are integrated
with that of South Africa, are our country's major trading
partners.

African countries in general, have a huge potential to become
South Africa's major trading partners, given their endowment in
natural and mineral resources.

The socio-political and economic reforms currently underway in
Africa have created favourable conditions for South African
investments in a wide range of sectors such as construction,
financial services, information and communications technologies and
agriculture.

To date, in Africa, we have undertaken outgoing State visits to
Angola, Lesotho, Zambia and Uganda. Outside the continent we have
undertaken State and official visits to the United Kingdom, Brazil,
Russia, India and China.

On the visit to Angola, we were accompanied by eleven Ministers
and a business delegation of more than one hundred and seventy
people, identified by Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) working
with our Department of Trade and Industry.

The sectors represented included mining, energy, electricity,
construction, retail, communications, transport, and agribusiness.

A number of Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding between
the two countries were signed, including Memoranda of Understanding
on Trade and Industry Cooperation.

During the visit to Zambia in December last year, I was
accompanied by seven Ministers, two Deputy Ministers and a business
delegation.

In this successful visit, two Agreements and four Memoranda of
Understanding were signed and we will continue to explore the great
potential in economic relations.

Last month, I visited the Kingdom of Lesotho, accompanied by
seven Ministers, one Deputy Minister, the Speaker of the National
Assembly as well as a business delegation.

Lesotho is an important neighbour of South Africa, as evidenced
by the Lesotho Highlands Water Project which supplies seven hundred
and eighty million cubic metres of water to the Gauteng Province
every year.

The Honourable Member is aware that South Africa continues to
face a challenge of water scarcity and as such, South Africa is
currently finalising the modalities of Phase Two of the Lesotho
Highlands Water Project, which is expected to increase the supply
of water to South Africa.

I visited Uganda accompanied by seven Ministers and more than 50
businesspersons.

Amongst other agreements, a Ministerial Declaration on trade
cooperation was also signed that would allow for deeper engagement
and proper alignment of efforts to expand trade between the two
countries.

A number of South African companies have a presence in
Uganda and rely on South African expertise and products in growing
their market, thus increasing employment opportunities in both
South Africa and Uganda.

Uganda also has a promising oil and mining industry which is of
interest to the South African industry.

European countries identified as key trading partners include
Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, The Netherlands,
Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, Czech
Republic, and the Russian Federation.

On the visit to Russia last month, I was accompanied by eleven
Ministers and over one hundred and fifty business people.

The business delegation represented the sectors of banking;
education; agriculture; health, energy; mineral resources; water
and environment; science and technology.

Several benefits will result from this visit in the long term.
The Department of Tourism had good engagements with Russia Tour
Operators and Tourism Organisations to attract the growing and high
spending Russian tourists to South Africa.

Extensive negotiations on the Draft Agreement on Mutual
Recognition of Qualifications will facilitate education and skills
development partnerships will contribute to address South Africa's
skills and competitiveness challenges, particularly in the science
and technology fields.

Scholarships have been offered in the areas of nanotechnology,
biotechnology, high speed computing and space engineering.

Already over 60 young researchers have benefited from exchanges
and research partnerships with Russia in the space research area.

A Memorandum of Understanding was concluded between the South
African and Russian space agencies which allows for South African
scientists and institutions to access Russian data on earth
observation.

This contributes to sustainable agriculture and water
management, soil and nature conservation, drought prediction and
management and to the development agenda of Government on the
whole.

A commercial contract for the supply of nuclear fuel was
concluded between Eskom and the Russian Company Tenex. This will
allow for the continued supply of nuclear fuel to South Africa by
Russia and will enhance and improve the operational and power
generating capacity of Eskom.

Information on the highly successful United Kingdom State Visit
has been presented in this House previously.

We visited China last month, South Africa's largest trading
partner and a substantial investor in the country. The two
Presidents co-signed the Declaration on the Establishment of a
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which we both view as the
beginning of a new chapter in the bilateral relations between the
two countries.

Amongst the benefits, China has committed to work towards more
balanced trade and to encourage its enterprises to increase
investment in South Africa's manufacturing industry.

The two countries will encourage companies from each side to
explore cooperation opportunities in mineral beneficiation as well
as infrastructure construction projects such as the green economy,
roads, railways, ports, power generation, airports and housing.

Sixteen contracts were signed between South African and Chinese
companies.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and all the countries of
the Americas and Caribbean have been identified as high potential
strategic trading partners.

In this region, we visited Brazil in October 2009, and the
President of Brazil undertook a reciprocal visit in July this year.

For the State visit to Brazil, the criteria included those
companies with a presence in Brazil, those in a trading
relationship with Brazil and those with an interest to establish a
presence in Brazil in future.

An MoU on Cooperation in the Promotion of Trade and Investment
was signed by Ministers of Trade and Industry, which is assisting
us to find concrete ways to eliminate barriers to trade.
Subsequently South African exports to Brazil have been improving.

Secondly, the State Visit of October 2009 assisted to create
further interest in cooperation and sharing of expertise in the
fields of Social Security and Social Development and other
priorities.

In addition, the interaction with Brazil is a further step to
strengthen relations with IBSA, the India-Brazil-South Africa
initiative.

The northern American countries of Canada and the United States
are key and strategic trading partners of South Africa. However, I
have not as yet undertaken a visit of this nature to that region.
We have only undertaken visits of a multilateral nature thus far.

Japan is also a strong trade and investment partner. In three of
the last five years it was South Africa's top export destination
and South Africa enjoyed a 26 billion rand trade surplus with Japan
in 2008.

Two way trade dropped in 2009 due to the global economic crisis
and exports to Japan were overtaken by exports to China and the
United States. However, South Africa still maintained a healthy
trade surplus, although less than in 2008. In 2010, trade with
Japan is recovering but has not yet reached 2008 levels.

We prefer to view the expenditure on these visits not as cost
but as an investment in building relations that will help us meet
our political, social and economic relations.

It is worth noting as well that for outgoing visits, some
expenses become minimal as the host country usually extends
courtesies to the visiting South African delegation, meeting the
accommodation and ground transport cost of the President and a
certain number of delegates, as per standard international practice
amongst States.

We estimate the investment in the Angola State visit to having
been in the region of more than three million rand, Zambia at more
than two hundred thousand rand and Lesotho to more than half a
million rand.

We invested more than a million rand on the Ugandan visit.

Information pertaining to the expenditure of the visits to
China, Russia and India is not yet available.