Answer 1

Regarding the establishment of an alternative dispute resolution process arising from the Marikana tragedy

Honourable Members,

I am informed that preparations for the establishment of an alternative dispute resolution process are currently ongoing and that, as indicated in a statement from the Presidency on 14 October 2015, an announcement will be made in due course and one can expect that when the announcement is made more details will be made available.

I wish to inform the House that a summons has been issued against me in my personal capacity and two other parties arising from the events at Marikana in August 2012.

As a consequence, and on the basis of legal advice, I have sought and obtained, I have informed the Secretary of Cabinet that it would not be appropriate for me to be involved in the process  I have referred to announced by the President on 29 September 2015.

Therefore even providing details in this regard which I don't have, I believe it is not appropriate for me to get involved in as I will soon be a litigant in this matter I therefore will not get involved.

I thank you.

Answer 2

On steps government is taking to mitigate unintended consequences of visa regulations

Honourable Members,

The Immigration Regulations introduced in 2014 seek to strike a balance between the need for national security, to honour our international obligations, and to advance the national development agenda.

However, as indicated by President Jacob Zuma, the implementation of these regulations resulted in some unintended consequences, particularly in the area of tourism.

The recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee, which were adopted by Cabinet on 21 October 2015, cover a number of areas.

During the course of its deliberations, the IMC identified two areas in particular that could discourage tourists from visiting South Africa.

These were, firstly, the requirement that visitors apply for visas in person at the relevant South African mission or visa facilitation centre, and, secondly, the requirement that minors visiting South Africa from visa-exempt countries carry with them an unabridged birth certificate and an affidavit indicating parental consent.

To address the requirement of in-person visa applications, the following measures, among others, have been adopted:

In countries where no South African missions exist, postal applications will be accepted. 
 
Thereafter, the biometric details and photos of those travellers will captured on arrival at ports of entry.


    Over the course of the next three months, the capturing of biometrics at ports of entry will be implemented.

    Selected companies in certain countries will be accredited to facilitate visa application processes.

    The establishment of additional visa application centres in key countries will be prioritised.
 
To address the requirements for children travelling to South Africa, the following measures, among others, have been adopted:

    Minors from visa-exempt countries will no longer be required to present an unabridged birth certificate and parental consent affidavit on boarding their flight to South Africa. 

They will instead be stongly advised to travel with a proof of relationship and consent from absent parents or guardians should they be asked to produce them at random. 

This is in line with practices in other countries.
    
Should someone be required to prove their parental relationship or consent to travel with minors, they will be asked to produce relevant documents upon arrival at ports of entry.
    Minors from countries that require a South African visa will still need to provide these documents as part of the visa application process. 

This is in line with the practice in many other countries.
 
The measures adopted by Cabinet follow extensive deliberation, research and international benchmarking.
 
These measures ease the visa application process and remove onerous requirements for visitors travelling with children without compromising the country's security or undermining our efforts to combat child trafficking. 
 
These measures will address negative perceptions about the ease of travel to South Africa and help to ensure that South Africa becomes a destination of choice for both tourists and business people. 
 
Our efforts to protect children remain robust and undiminished. 
 
Requirements with respect to South African children leaving the country and those visiting from countries which require South African visas will remain in place. 
 
The new measures will be implemented in a phased manner over the course of the next few months, a process that will be overseen by the Inter-Ministerial Committee.
 
Tourism is an important sector in our economy, with great potential for growth and job creation.
 
We will continue to work with all stakeholders in a spirit of cooperation and mututal respect to ensure that South Africa becomes one of the world's leading tourism destinations.
 
I thank you.

Answer 3

An update on the work of the Moral Regeneration Movement

Honourable Members,

The Moral Regeneration Movement is a society-wide initiative to build ethical and morally conscious communities.

It calls for collective activism and shared responsibility.

This means that all of us - members of the executive, members of this House, public servants, business people and all South Africans - share a responsibility to combat corruption.

The National Development Plan requires us to institutionalise an anti-corruption system that is resilient and that facilitates the coordination of all our anti-corruption capacities and entities.

To this end, in June 2014, President Jacob Zuma established an Anti-Corruption Inter-Ministerial Committee convened by the Minister Jeff Radebe.

This IMC is meant to coordinate and oversee the work of state organs aimed at combatting corruption in the public and private sectors.

The work of the IMC is geared towards prevention, detection and investigation, performance monitoring and evaluation, communication and reporting, and consequence-management activities.

These initiatives are implemented through a multi-agency task team, the Anti-Corruption Task Team, consisting of several departments and entities.

The Task Team, among its other priorities, focuses on ensuring the prosecution and conviction of government officials found to have been involved in corruption or corruption-related activities.

Particular attention is paid to recovering from these officials the losses sustained by the state as a consequence of their corrupt activities.

Although not the accounting officers in their departments, Cabinet members are bound by the provisions of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004.

This Act requires that any person who holds a position of authority and who knows or ought reasonably to have known of corrupt activities must report such to the police.

Anyone who fails to do so is guilty of an offence.

In so far as the Moral Regeneration Movement is concerned, government has included the promotion and popularisation of the MRM's Charter of Positive Values in the Medium Term Strategic Framework.

Members would also be aware that Government promulgated the Executive Ethics Code, which spells out the ethical standards with which Cabinet members have to comply.

Among other things, it stipulates that Cabinet Members may not misuse their positions of authority to benefit themselves.

The Code also contains guidelines for handling conflicts of interest, disclosure of financial interests and receipt of gifts.

A Minister is required to declare any personal or private financial or business interest that the member may have in a matter before Cabinet or in relation to which the Minister is required to take a decision in their capacity as Minister.

Where such business interest exists, the Minister is required to dispose of that interest or place the administration of the interest under the control of an independent and professional person or agency.

A Cabinet member may not accept a benefit which amounts to improper influence or which seeks to influence the member in the performance of their duties.

The Code also places an obligation on Ministers to disclose their financial interests and the particulars thereof to the Cabinet Secretary.

The financial interest include shares, sponsorships, benefits, foreign travel, land and immovable property and so on.

These measures - which are meant to ensure the highest standards of ethical conduct by members of the executive - support a range of legal measures, institutional mechanisms and moral obligations that guide the actions and responsibilities of Cabinet members.

I thank you.

Answer 4

On the Deputy President's three-nation Working Visit to Sweden, Cuba and Mexico

Honourable Members,

My visits to Sweden, Cuba and Mexico between 19 and 28 October 2015 aimed to strengthen political relations and economic partnerships between South Africa and each of these countries.

Sweden regards South Africa as a partner of strategic importance.

Through the Bi-National Commission held in Stockholm, we agreed to expand economic relations, especially in areas like energy, ICT, mining and transport infrastructure.

In promoting skills development and training, Sweden agreed to extend the existing scholarship programme - which was due to end in 2016 - until 2021.

To date, 23 South African students have obtained Masters degrees from the World Maritime University.

A business forum of South African and Swedish business leaders discussed various opportunities for partnership, trade and investment.

South Africa has strong relations with Cuba that are rooted in its contribution to the struggle against apartheid colonialism.

However, bilateral trade and investment has been constrained by the unilateral US blockade of Cuba.

The visit helped to renew and revitalise the strategic partnership with Cuba.

Bilateral meetings were held with President Raul Castro, First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Second Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa.

South Africa congratulated Cuba on the resumption of diplomatic relations with the United States and expressed its support for Cuba.

Cuba pledged to continue its support for human development in South Africa.

Over 300 Cuban doctors, engineers and maths and science teachers are working in areas of need in South Africa.

Close to 3,000 students are currently studying medicine in Cuba.

In the business forum attended by business people from South Africa and Cuba, numerous opportunities were identified in mining, telecommunications, services and the supply of manufactured goods.

Opportunities in Cuba's biotechnology industry and mining industry also offer significant opportunities for South African businesses and investors.

In 2014, Mexico and South Africa signed an agreement that described our relationship as a "priority relationship”.

The visit to Mexico City was primarily to accept the lead chairpersonship of the Open Government Partnership, a grouping of about 60 countries committed to transparent governance, democracy and human rights.

The visit was also an opportunity to learn more about the successes of the Mexican economy and to unlock opportunities in trade and investment.

A successful Networking Breakfast was held with business leaders who expressed interest in the automotive value chain, mining, aerospace, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, small business, tourism, ICT, manufactured goods and services.

I also paid a courtesy call on President Enrique Peña Nieto, in which we both stressed the importance of building on our excellent diplomatic relations, but agreed that a bigger effort should be made to increase bilateral trade.

Mexico is a trillion dollar economy with huge potential for South Africa's value added products especially in the automotive sector, aerospace industries, agro-processing and supply of mining and heavy duty equipment.

South Africa, together with both Cuba and Mexico, are committed to the reform of global governance institutions, including the UN Security Council and the Bretton Woods institutions.

There is broad agreement on goals and objectives on issues such as climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals.

While the three countries visited differ in many respects, it is clear that there is significant opportunity to increase trade and investment and to exchange knowledge and expertise in several areas of economic and social development.

I thank you.