Thank you very much, hon Chairperson. Hon Mazosiwe, government, through the Department of Social Development and its key strategic partners, established the National Action Committee for Children Affected by Aids, or Nacca. This is a co-ordinating multisectoral structure, comprised of government departments, civil society organisations, development agencies and donor organisations.
One of the objectives of Nacca is to provide a national co-ordinated community-based response to issues affecting children infected with and affected by HIV and Aids, in line with the HIV and Aids and STI Strategic Plan for South Africa, 2007-11.
The home and community-based care and support programme is one of the strategies adopted by government to provide comprehensive health and social services to children infected with and affected by HIV and Aids and their families. This programme ensures that children infected with and affected by HIV and Aids have access to services in their homes or communities. The services provided include psychosocial support; material assistance; bereavement counselling and support; and advocacy for the promotion and protection of rights regarding access to services, information awareness, capacity-building, and protection from abuse and other forms of maltreatment.
Hospices provide their services in accordance with the home and community- based care and support guidelines. They have in-patient and outreach services for people of all ages infected with and affected by HIV and Aids, including children.
Provision is made for short-term admissions for very ill patients of all ages, as well as respite care for their caregivers. Caregivers in hospices do home visits to provide ongoing care and support to patients in their homes.
Yes, teacher unions and school governing bodies were consulted, and the issues raised included psychosocial support for HIV-positive learners and confidentiality in such discussions.
Issues of confidentiality are catered for in the procedures and protocols on testing. All persons involved in counselling and testing procedures have to adhere to these protocols.
Government seeks to ensure that there is adequate support for HIV-positive learners, and we are also encouraging organs of civil society to assist in this regard. I thank you.
Details regarding government's plans to increase number of seats in Gauteng provincial legislature
5. Ms B V Mncube (ANC) asked the Deputy President:
Whether the government has any plans in place to increase the number of seats in the Gauteng provincial legislature (details furnished) in order to address the challenges of representivity through (a) policy intervention and (b) possible amendments to the current legislative arrangements regarding this matter; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? CO74E
Thank you, Chairperson. Hon Mncube, hon members, in terms of the Electoral Act, Act 73 of 1998, it is the Independent Electoral Commission, and not the government, that is empowered to determine the number of seats in the National Assembly and provincial legislatures. Our Constitution states that a provincial legislature must consist of between 30 and 80 members, and the number of seats, which may differ from province to province, must be determined in terms of a formula prescribed by national legislation.
This formula is set out in the Electoral Act, which states that the number of seats in a provincial legislature must be determined by awarding one seat for every 100 000 of the population who ordinarily reside within that province.
The Electoral Act states that the determination of seats must be completed by the Independent Electoral Commission by 31 March 1999 and does not make any express provision for any determination after that. Discussions need to take place in fora such as the National Council of Provinces as to whether there should be more regular reviews of this number. I thank you.
Hon Chair, through you to the hon Deputy President: I hear the answer, in terms of the Rules and the Constitution and so on. Does your government have an opinion about the need to increase the number of seats in this legislature or in any other legislature?
Thank you, hon Chairperson. No, hon Lees, the government does not have an opinion on this question. That is why I was saying that perhaps a body such as this could ponder that question here. Thank you.
Transfer of R300 million to Zanu-PF government in Zimbabwe in 2010 and details relating to utilisation of funds and Presidency's position in this regard
6. Mr K A Sinclair (COPE) asked the Deputy President:
(1) Why R300 million was transferred to the Zanu-PF government in Zimbabwe, in 2010;
(2) whether the utilisation of that monetary gesture was money well spent on the part of South Africa; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) whether the Presidency regrets this as wasteful expenditure; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details? CO79E
Before I come to Question 6, let me just read the Rule. Rule 236(5) says that "if a member does not rise when a question for oral reply standing in that member's name comes up for reply, the question lapses unless the person who is to reply to the question elects to reply to the question or tables the reply".
Mr Sinclair is not in the House, so I will leave it to the Deputy President to decide if he wants to reply to that question, otherwise the question will lapse. That is what the Rule says. The Deputy President is not forced to reply. The member is not in the House. I am saying that the Deputy President can use his discretion.
Chairperson, the Rule is the Rule, but Mr Sinclair felt sick this morning. He was here. He felt sick and that is why he is not in the House. I must apologise to the Deputy President. He was here. [Interjections.] I am not making an excuse. I am just explaining why Mr Sinclair is not here.
The Chair doesn't know that. The Chair is only hearing that now. Members must have the honour to write to the Chief Whip or to the Chair, so that I know. That is why I read the Rule, so that people can be clear what our Rules, that we drafted ourselves, say and respect those Rules.
For the sake of information, if the Deputy President wants to reply to the question, there is no problem. The Rule says that the person to whom the question is put can decide whether he replies or not; otherwise, the question lapses. Deputy President, I am not sure whether you are willing to respond to the question. The Deputy President will respond.
Thank you, hon Chairperson. Hon members, the question relates to Zimbabwe. The question asks why R300 million was transferred to the Zanu-PF government in Zimbabwe in 2010, and whether the utilisation of that monetary gesture was money well spent on the part of South Africa, and whether the Presidency regrets this as wasteful expenditure.
Hon member, the answer is that the South African government did not transfer any money to the government of Zimbabwe in 2010. The hon member could be referring to the R300 million that was transferred to the inclusive government of Zimbabwe, comprised of Zanu-PF and the two Movement for Democratic Change formations in 2009. This was South Africa's contribution to the Short-Term Emergency Recovery Programme for Zimbabwe, following the 30 March 2009 SADC Extraordinary Summit's call to all its member states to support the Short-Term Emergency Recovery Programme in the form of budgetary support and credit lines.
The support from our government took the form of a targeted contribution to the 2009 budget of the Zimbabwean government. This contribution was governed by a memorandum of understanding signed by the respective ministries of finance of the two countries. As provided for in this memorandum, the funds were transferred to the Zimbabwe ministry of finance in three equal tranches of R100 million in May, June and August 2009.
The beneficiary sectors of this contribution included the monetarisation, that is the conversion of Zimbabwe dollars held in private bank accounts, to US dollars; and assistance to vulnerable groups such as the aged and orphans. In this regard, the South African government has no regrets, as the funds were accounted for, and used for the purposes for which they were intended. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, I have a comment. Thank you, Deputy President, for answering that question; we really appreciate it.
Hon Chair, to the Deputy President: I echo the hon Bloem's thanks to the Deputy President for indulging us. You say that the funds were accounted for. What form did that accounting take? Are we absolutely sure that the monies were used for the purposes for which they were intended?
Thank you, hon Chairperson and hon Mr Lees. Yes, indeed, we are certain that the money was accounted for. Thank you.
That concludes Question Time. Members are requested to please remain standing until the procession has left the House.