Hon House Chair and hon members, good afternoon. Allow me with your permission before I get to the response of Question 215 to wish hon Zuki Ncitha a happy birthday today. As I respond to the question that was raised by hon Matibe, the department did seek the services of the Government Technical Advisory Centre, Gtac, to assist the SABC in developing a turnaround strategy. As part of that turnaround strategy, what we ensured was to make sure that the turnaround strategy talks to the financial sustainability of the SABC, doing away with unnecessary costs but most importantly making sure that the SABC will become the best choice of a public broadcaster and the turnaround plan was approved by the SABC board in September 2019. Thank you, hon Deputy Chair.
Hon Deputy Chair, we really appreciate the response by the Minister and also want to congratulate them for televising the Springboks as the SABC because it is important that even rural people are able to see the Springboks. We want the SABC to move away from being a grant dependant institution and also not
to depend on interventions that are done by either Parliament or the department.
Can the hon Minister share with us whether the SABC is going to have revenue generation measures that will ensure that the SABC does not depend on the interventions that we do as Parliament. Thank you.
Hon Chair, the SABC as we have outlined in the turnaround strategy and said as I mentioned earlier, it is important that we make SABC the best public broadcaster. That means key to it is to ensure that we source local content that will help us raise the revenue or generate the revenue that we are talking about, but also to explore other ways of utilising technologies. Recently we heard the chief executive officer, CEO, of SABC mentioning that they are embarking on Over the Top Technologies, OTT, to make sure that people can access the services as and when they want and wherever they are. They need not be in their cars or homes to open the TV's but be able to access that on their mobile devices.
On top of that as I mentioned earlier again, whilst we look into the existing infrastructure and access that we have from the SABC
and to say, what is it that we do not need and therefore how do we make sure that we utilise that whether we sell or we decide to lease in order for the SABC to generate revenue. Key to that was the sensitive issue that has always been raised in relation to the workers, the productivity of the workers of SABC. We have agreed that we are going to conduct a skills audit so that we can retrain and make sure that the employees of SABC are responsive to the future broadcaster. Thank you.
IsiXhosa:
Enkosi Sekela Sihlalo, Mphathiswa ohloniphekileyo, kule minyaka ingama-20 nangaphezulu sizibonile iibhodi namagosa ayintloko zifika ziphinde zimke eSABC. Zonke xa zifika zithembisa utshintsho kodwa ii...
English:
...facts out there are telling a different story.
IsiXhosa:
Umcimbi omkhulu eSABC ngowabasebenzi abaninzi kwaye wena ...
English:
...you are on record objecting to retrenchment. Considering that the new board says: For us to go ahead as a viable SABC we have got to downsize SABC. Hon Minister, will you reconsider your objection to retrenchments at SABC? Thank you.
IsiXhosa:
UMPHATHISWA WEZONXIBELELWANO: Sekela Sihlalo, lungu elihloniphekileyo lale Ndlu mandiqale ndithi akuyonyani ukuba i- SABC ithe ifuna ukucutha inani labasebenzi. Ithe kwiqhinga layo lokuguqula imeko (turnaround strategy) elithe lapasiswa liSebe lezoNxibelelwano kwakunye neSebe lezeMali ukuze likwazi ukubanika imali. Elinye iqhinga kukwenza uphicotho lwezakhono zabasebenzi abakhoyo eSABC (skills audit). Kubalulekile ukuba sijonge ukuba amandla esinawo angakanani na kwaye sijonge ukuba iSABC sifuna ukuba ibenjani na xa sisiya phambili sijonge ikamva lethu khonukuze sikwazi ukufaka izakhono.
Kuza kuthi xa kubonwa ukuba bakhona abasebenzi abangenakho ukuphuhliswa kwizakhono zabo, kuqwalwaselwe ezinye iindlela zokuncedisana nalo nto. Xa ndigqitha kwakhona mhlonipheki, xa usithi uMphathiswa lo uthethayo wayithetha ngokungafihlisiyo (on record) into yokuba akahambisani nodendo lwabasebenzi eSABC, mandiphinde ndikulungise apho lungu elihloniphekileyo...
English:
...because this Minister engaged with the SABC on Section 189 and requested that if there is no feasible retrenchment plan, you cannot go ahead with retrenchments because you need to make sure that budget is available. You also need to understand your capability in terms of the skills that are in-house so that we do not retrench people today and in the next six months you come back and say, we want to re-hire you at a higher cost.
We are considerate because right now, the SABC is tapping into the taxpayers' money. The ...( Inaudible] cautious and take unpopular decisions at times. As I said earlier, the decision that was taken is what has been confirmed by the board,
Hon Chair, Minister on the subject of financial viability of the SABC and the turnaround strategy that you spoke about. The dire state of the SABC does not mean that its executives are paying the price. In fact, they are still receiving very high salaries. The SABC CEO received the total package of R3,9 million for nine month's work at the state broadcaster.
The SABC will argue that it has cut costs on expenses, but part of that cost cut should be seen together with a cut on income as well. Minister, in view of the current state of affairs of the SABC, is your department confident that taxpayers are receiving value for money for paying the CEO an excess of R5 million by the end of this financial year?
Thank you Chairperson, hon member, yes the department and the Minister believe that the CEO is getting what he is supposed to get and we are confident that as we benchmark with the industry out there that if we want our executives to perform to their level best, they have to be compensated in a deserving manner. As I said, their turnaround plan is very clear on what needs to be done and as the department we made a commitment to this House that we will be appointing a Chief Reorganisation Officer, CRO, that will monitor on the cost containment measures to make sure that the taxpayers' money that has been sent to SABC is well spent and indeed the public gets the service that it deserves. Thank you.
Hon Minister, the collapse of the SABC happened under the nose of the people employed and deployed to that institution. Don't you think that the fact that no one has been
subjected to prosecution for misappropriation of funds is contributing to the culture of impunity at the SABC? Thank you.
Hon Chair, thank you hon member for that question. It is not true that at SABC we have not held people accountable. Starting from the investigations that were conducted by the law enforcement agencies, we have said, where we need to make sure that we recoup our money, let us to do so. Unfortunately it is not something that we can just go to your house and take money; we have to follow all the processes. As I am speaking to you right now, there are even employees who are suspended form SABC because of them being implicated in such activities. We do commit that as we move forward, we are trying to make sure that we will be alert at all times. That is why we said the appointment of the CRO, including the reporting by the SABC to the department monthly will help us to be able to see these things on time and therefore be able to provide effective oversight and act on time. Thank you.
Question 203:
Hon Deputy Chairperson and the hon member who asked the question, we indeed have received a lot of reports that were mentioning the fact that Independent
Communications Authority of SA, Icasa, is shutting down some radio stations. We undertook a decision to have a meeting between myself and the Minister in the Presidency, Mr Jackson Mthembu, including Icasa, Media Development and Diversity Agency, MDDA, and all the affected bodies to make sure that we can find a solution to the challenges faced by the entities.
Most of them are not tax compliant and others owe Sentech which is the signal distributor. Therefore as we at times put money as government, it is important that we ensure that all those that get funding, actually even those that are licensed even if they are not getting funding from government, they must be compliant in terms of corporate governance and all the other statutes of government that are expected with them to comply with. Thank you, Deputy Chairperson.
Hon Deputy Chairperson and hon Minister, closing down of any community radio station or any licensee by Icasa, is not in the best interest of the public. Community radio stations play a critical role in promoting social cohesion, fostering diversity, uplifting and empowering of communities.
Zibonele Community Radio Station in the Western Cape is one of those examples of community radio stations that submitted its renewal application on time and no response was received from Icasa. When the radio station followed up, Icasa's response was that they want proof of documents submitted. There are serious challenges of administration capacity at Icasa to regulate community sound broadcasters in the public interest.
What are the means of support are you providing to those radio stations and by when will Icasa operate with adequate capacity? Thank you, Minister.
Hon Deputy Chairperson and hon member, you are correct to say that when we established the community radio stations or the community media we had a conscious decision that our people need not be deprived of information. Therefore it is better if we get it from them at the grass roots level and be able to interact with government and everybody else. The decision to license those that were not licensed was taken consciously to say as we license because we are a responsible government that have laws in place and these laws unfortunately have to be adhered by all. For by the time we give you the licence
we explain to you what are the terms and conditions of the licence. We therefore expect all to comply.
Hon member, indeed you are raising a very crucial question to say now with the case of Zibonele Community Radio Station that sent some documentation and Icasa did not respond and they asked them to resubmit, we do have capacity challenges here and there and that is something as we have said in our Budget Vote that this year we are focussing on making sure that we refocus Icasa to be the best regulator that it can be and that includes capacitating it. For as much as we talk of the personnel that we have, but the issue that we never looked at is the capability of the personnel to deliver on the services. That is why we again introduced the skills audit across all entities that are under the portfolio so that we can introduce reskilling and training that is compulsory in order to address and breach those gaps.
I will therefore hon member, take it into consideration that we make a follow-up in order for Zibonele Community Radio Station to get an update in relation to the matter raised. Thank you.
Hon Deputy Chairperson and hon Minister, the MDDA
...
On a point of order. Hon member, I am not the House Chairperson. [Laughter.]
You are promoted. You must receive!
Hon Deputy Chairperson, it is clear that you are refusing promotion when the EFF benches are actually promoting you to be the House Chairperson. [Laughter.] Hon Deputy Chairperson and hon Minister, the MDDA including Icasa, do not support community radio stations and that is a fact. Throughout the country these radio stations continue to suffer under the guard of these entities. It is clear that they do not have the best interest of our communities at heart, because they continue to close them down and they continue not to give them support.
We are dealing with lay people here who do not have - the majority of them do not have experience on how to manage the stations. If you refuse communities information, it is sabotage. We cannot have uninformed communities.
Since you took office: What measures have you put in place to make sure that whatever that is currently happening will not happen, because it is clear that this matter has been on Icasa's table and MDDA for quite some time?
Hon Deputy Chairperson, I just want to correct this notion that MDDA and Icasa do not care about the people of this country. That is not true. I did acknowledge that we have capacity issues within the entities. However, to say they really do not care that is not fair, hon member.
Of course we tried to introduce measures that look into capacitating the stations themselves because even without them getting funding from government, they must learn to generate revenue. Part of that talks to capacitating them with marketing skills and giving them entrepreneurial skills on how to drive the broadcasting portfolio that they are involved in.
We have also taken it into consideration to engage with the communities around those community radio stations, to say because in most cases Deputy Chairperson, I go and apply for a licence for a community radio station, by the time I get into a fight with the board members, I take everything as if the licence belongs to me.
For the communities in certain areas, do not understand what community means that that radio station, that licence belongs to them and therefore they are supposed to be providing oversight and support to the radio station.
So, we find that in other areas, there will be a station manager that runs with the trend because I applied for a licence. To address that we said let us have an integrated workshop of all the stakeholders and the SA Revenue Service, Sars, included in terms of looking into the tax issues. We had MDDA on board, Icasa and Sentech to say: Radio stations, this is what we expect from yourselves and this is how you are going to come on board, including developing a community broadcasting support strategy to say who is it that we fund as government because we cannot fund all the entities even if they are able to make their own money. For we have others that are not paying Sentech as I am talking to you that is the signal distributor, but they can afford because they are making lots of money when we trace the books.
What we are saying, everybody that is licensed and getting paid to ensure that there is effective communication to our communities must play their own part, including the volunteers in the community radio stations, the print papers and the communities
themselves. We again commit and I am committing Minister Jackson here, the MDDA is under Minister Jackson. I am committing him here because I know we have had a meeting to say let us bring all the stakeholders together. Let us engage the National Community Radio Forum, NCRF, and find ways of empowering those that have gaps and we try as government to say together how do we then make sure that our people get the relevant information through the platforms that we establish. Thank you, Deputy Chairperson.
IsiZulu:
Sihlalo, Ngqongqoshe womnyango ohloniphekile, cha uphendule kahle imibuzo eminingi impela. Kulokho ngithi angibuze ukuthi yiziphi izinhlelo ezibekiweyo wumnyango zokuqinisekisa ukuthi iziteshi zokusakaza azivalwa ikakhulukazi emphakathini nokudlulisa nje ulwazi olukhululekile lwezindaba? Ngicela nje ukwazi ukuthi eziphi-ke izinhlelo Ngqongqoshe ukuthi ngeziphi ke izinhlelo onazo ukuze kungaphazamiseki ukuthi abantu bazizwe izindaba lezi? Ngiyabonga ... [Akuzwakali.]
IsiXhosa:
UMPHATHISWA WEZONXIBELELWANO: Sekela Sihlalo, siliSebe lezoNxibelelwano nesebe elikwi-Ofisi kaMongameli siye sathi ukuthabatha kwethu inyathelo lokuba sidibanise kanye lamashishini
sithetha ngawo ukuqinisekisa into yokuba ziyahlala nebhunga elijongene nacandelo lezokusasaza, njengoko besenditshilo. Intlanganiso yabo imiselwe umhla we-7 kweyeNkanga. Kulapho ke baza kutsho bathi nazi ingxaki esijongene nazo. Elethu ibhunga lokuhambisa amaza, elingu-Sentech, liza kuqinisekisa ukuba liyahlangabezana nabo. Oko kuya kuquka ukubonisana ukuba sibe nomnyinyiva kwiintlawulo ukwenzela ukuba abanye singabahlawulisi kakhulu xa sibabona ukuba abathathintweni.
Okubalulekileyo kuthi siliSebe lezoNxibelelwano kukuqinisekisa ukuba abantu baseMzansi Afrika, ngalo lonke ixesha, bafumana ulwazi ukanti bayakwazi ukuxhumana nezizwe ngezizwe. Ndiyabulela, Sekela Sihlalo. [Kwaqhwatywa.]
English:
Hon Minister, I appreciate your support and the guidance and everything that you give to the community radio stations. However, my question is this: Does Icasa has an educational programme or measures that are in place to ensure that the community radio stations understand their obligations and the level of compliance to remain on air?
The hon Landsman, you are totally out of order. I hope it will be the last time that you do what you are doing now. Hon Landsman, you do not need to come and stand right in front of the hon Minister whilst she is addressing this House.
Alright. It is not right. Alright.
Thank you, hon Minister. Did you get my question? Thank you.
Hon Deputy Chairperson and hon member, earlier on in my response I mentioned as part of the interventions that we are introducing that we are running an integrated training for all those that are affected. The Independent Communications Authority of SA is also part of the entities that are provided by training.
I spoke of corporate governance matters that needed to be followed by all the boards and those that are affected in community media. It is Icasa that takes responsibility over those to say we understand here are the licence conditions; it is our responsibility to help you when we say you are the chair of the board these are your responsibilities. What is the difference or
what is the role of the board versus the role of the management? So, we are undertaking such educational programmes, hon member. Thank you, Chairperson.
Question 216:
Hon Deputy Chairperson, yes, indeed we have a total of six cases that we dealt with after the release of sexual harassment report. All the six have been concluded and two employees have been found not guilty, three have found guilty and were effectively dismissed. One employee decided to resign before disciplinary actions could be concluded. A further two cases of sexual harassment have been identified since the release of the report and these are currently being pursued.
The next step in the sexual harassment matter is to investigate those employees who are alleged to have been complicit on these matters. Thank very much, hon deputy Chairperson.
Hon Minister, because of these sexual harassment at SABC, do we have a plan to make sure that SABC remains a free sexual harassment working environment for the employees? This is especially for the junior staff and women because they are the ones who are harassed most of the time. I have never heard the
senior managers or men being harassed. It is only young women and women. Thank you, Deputy Chair.
As the SABC, we said let us review our sexual harassment policy and work-shopped everyone who is an employee of SABC against what is entailed in the document. Therefore, it is very clear in terms of what will be the consequences of those that will be found guilty or would have contravened what is in the policy. The process that I am talking about right now is that they are busy work-shopping their staff on different days as agreed upon with the unionised and nonunionised staff. It is an action and decision taken by the SABC staff themselves. They did not even wait for the policy maker to take that decision. They realised that they are faced with a challenge and they said it is in their interests to protect their own employees, especially women as the hon member emphasised. Thank you, hon Deputy Chair.
IsiZulu:
Ngibonge Sekela Sihlalo, okwami kuncane la, ukubuza ukuthi njengoba sazi ukuthi ilizwe lisingathe izinga eliphakame lodlame nohlukunyezwa kwabesifazane njengoMnyango wakho kanye ne-SABC yikuphi enikwenzayo ukuqinisekisa ukuthi lezi
zindawo abasebenzi abasebenzela kuzona ziphephile? Okunye futhi Ngqongqoshe uma ngabe sekukhona umuntu osebikile ukuthi uhlukunyeziwe, yikuphi enikwenzayo njengoMnyango ukumesekela ikakhulukazi ngokwelulekwa njengomuntu wesifazane okudingayo lokho? Ngiyabonga.
IsiXhosa:
UMPHATHISWA WEZONXIBELELWANO: Sekela Sihlalo weNdlu, okwethu kukuqinisekisa ukuba abantu bafundisiwe ngobungozi bokuzibandakanya kwizenzo ezinje ngezo. Ngoku ke wena ubuza ukuba senza kanjani xa umntu ethe weza ngaphambili esithi ulixhoba. Singabanye babantu abathe baselubala ngesehlo esibi sika-Uyinene - wanga umphefumlo wakhe ungaphumla ngoxolo - esenzeka eposini. Loo nto isifundisile ukuba amaxesha amaninzi sibanayo imigaqo-nkqubo kodwa singayilandeleli.
Emva kweso sehlo siye sacela ukuba kubekho uphando kwaye saqinisekisa ukuba umntu wonke uyaphandwa nzulu. Kaloku asisuki senzeke isehlo sokuba sibone umntu ongumama exhatshazwa. Sukube zikhona iimpawu nokuba zizinto ezazenzeke ngaphambili okanye ezimane zisenzeka apha phakathi emsebenzini. Ngoko ke sithe makwenziwe olu phando lunzulu ukuze sikwazi ukwenza amaziko afana nooThuthuzela ukuncedisa abantu abongoomama kwezi ndawo. Kaloku
ezi ndawo zikhuthaza oomama ukuba bakwazi ukuthetha kuba bathi basenoloyiko lokuthetha gabalala. Ngamanye amaxesha abantu abongoomama baye bangakholelwa ngamapolisa angootata ezikhululweni.
Ukuhlangabezana nobuxhaka-xhaka bale mihla, siye sadibana noVodacom othenge inkampani egama linguSilicone Cape apha eStellenbosch. Le nkampani isiphathele isixhobo esinobuchule bokuncedisa omama ukuba bacofe iqhosha elithile eliza kuchaza ukuba undawoni khona ukuze amapolisa akwazi ukusabela. Ngomhla we- 16 kweyeNkanga siza kube siphehlelela esi sixhobo. Enkosi, Sekela Sihlalo. [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Mphathiswa, ingaba bangaphi abasebenzi abajongene notshutshiso okanye abanqunyanyisiweyo emsebenzini ngenjongo zokuba bajongane nolwaluleko kuba bexhaphaze ngokwezesondo?
UMPHATHISWA WEZONXIBELELWANO: Lungu elihloniphekileyo, njengoko benditshilo phaya ekuqaleni ukuba besinamatyala amathandathu abantu abachaphazeleka kwesi simo sithetha ngaso. Abanye babo siye sakwazi ukuba sibakhulule emsebenzini, sabagxotha kwaphela kodwa abanye sisaphanda ngabo. Omnye wabo, njengoko besele nditshilo uye wayeka emsebenzini phambi kokuba sigqibezele inkqubo yokuphanda
ngaye. Siyaqhubeleka sisebenzisana neSebe lezobuNtlola eliphantsi koMama u- Uyanda Dlodlo. Siyancedisana neli sebe ekuphandeni nzulu ukuba ingaba abekho kusini na abanye abantu ababefunyanwe benetyala lalo mkhuba ukuze sikwazi ukusebenza ngokusemthethweni silisebe namabhunga aphantsi kwethu. Ndiyabulela, Sekela Sihlalo.
Mphathiswa, ngomhla we-6 kweyeNkanga kunyaka ophelileyo iKomishoni yoPhando ngokuXhatshazwa ngokweSondo ye-SABC (Commission of Enquiry into Sexual Harassment SABC), yathi thakanca ingxelo yayo. Esinye seziphakamiso sikhuthaza iSABC ukuba ize nento efana neKomishoni yeeNyaniso noXolelaniso, TRC okanye into efana nala ngqawule yayenziwe ziiNkonzo zeRhafu zoMzantsi Afrika kubantu ababephepha ukuhlawula irhafu. Esi siphakamiso sithi, abantu abafumana umsebenzi ngokuthi baqale bangqengqe okanye bavume indoda mabaze ngaphambili ukuze bafumane ingqawule. Kumaxa kundawoni Mphathiswa neso siphakamiso sekomishoni yophando? Enkosi.
UMPHATHISWA WEZONXIBELELWANO: Njengoko esitsho naye ohloniphekileyo uNhanha, ntonje uyibhuda xa ecinga ukuba ngoomama kuphela aba bangqengqayo ukuze bafumane imisebenzi. Kaloku mayicace ukuba nootata bayangqengqiswa batsho bafumane imisebenzi. Xa ndiphendula ke kodwa umbuzo wakhe, siye sangena kwibakala
lokuba siphande aba bantu athetha ngabo, aba kuthiwe mabanikwe ingqawule le sithetha ngayo.
English:
We need to create an environment that will be conducive for them to be able to come and declare that they are victims. It is not easy to declare your status if you are not certain that you will be protected by your organisation. So, these are the measures that we are putting in place to ensure that by the time they come, they will receive support and protection from their own organisation. We will come back and report on the numbers of the people who have come to the front to say they are the victims, Stella Ndabeni Abrahams seduced us and this is what happened and that is why we ended up being employed here or hon Nhanha did this to us. Therefore, we will ask what decision we take on the conduct of hon Nhanha in the matter referred to.
Question 210:
Hon Deputy Chairperson, as the work we have started on as the Post office, we are expected to make sure that we refurbish and provide air-conditioning system at the Tshwane Mail Centre not later than January 2020. About the second question linking to that, we have just finalised the
allocation to the panel of professionals of live projects for refurbishment which includes the Tshwane Mail Centre.
The Bid Education Committee is sitting this week to finalise the matter. The appointment of the professional team for the Tshwane Mail Centre will then assess the condition of the entire building including the air- conditioning system. Based on their assessment and specification, SA Post Office, SAPO, will go out on a tender for the appointment of a contractor.
The air-conditioning system, which requires inputs by mechanical engineer, will be prioritised for repairs or replacement as part of the refurbishment. As we said, it will not be later than January 2020, hon Deputy Chairperson.
Hon Makause, you seem a bit patient [Inaudible.] You can go on with your supplementary question, hon Mokauese.
Through you hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister, we appreciate your response, only because you have put timelines to it. We are going to hold you responsible and accountable because you have committed to us, not only as a party. We've got the best interest of workers at heart. Me and you can't work under
these extreme hot weather conditions without any air-con for a particular season, yet we expect those poor workers to deliver up to the expectation of the employee.
Now, that building is old, and they have been working under those conditions for quite some time. For instance, there are those who have suffered asthmatic or tuberculosis because of the unbearable conditions. Do you have some sort of plan to compensate such workers, and have you identified them through the Employee Wellness Programme at that centre? Thank you.
Through you hon Deputy Chairperson, hon member, the first step for any responsible organisation is to have its Employee Wellness Programme which seeks to address day-to-day challenges that the employees go through. The second one - oh my Goodness, I pray that you would stand with me on this one - we really need more money to change the infrastructure that we have because it is an old infrastructure, as you correctly put it.
But unfortunately, at times, budget is the one that constrains us from doing that which we're supposed to do. But nevertheless, as the policymakers together with the board, we have engaged the
unions to find out about the other measures can we introduce to make sure that all the things that are affecting the employees can be attended to. Therefore, it talks to reprioritisation of the budget about where must it go to? That is where it matters.
As I have said just now, the employees are busy engaging with us to reprioritise the services of Post Office. Therefore, as we will be presenting at the Department of Finance at the end of the month, there will be an indication of the areas that should be prioritised. As I have said, there's lot of Post Offices that have bad infrastructure.
But on top of that, with the addition to social grants, for example, we are still expected to provide quality service to them by looking into the dignity of the beneficiaries. These are some of the core business of Post Office. Our responsibility is to pay or make sure that our beneficiaries get access to what they are entitled to. The other issue are the added ones, which is what we are motivating for in terms of getting extra budget.
For now, I would request the hon members to stand with us as we are going to request more budgets from Parliament in order for us
to attend all the burning issues. Thank you, hon Deputy Chairperson.
Through you Deputy Chair, hon Minister, my follow- up question is: Are the measures held in safety offices in all Post Offices and many centres throughout the country, and what processes are in place to ensure that the employees' concerns are addressed or channelled to the department for action? Thank you, hon Deputy Chairperson.
Yes, full procurement and distribution of uniform and personal protective equipment to all staff was done pre-strike which was in 2013-14 during hon Carrim's time. Due to financial constraints, following the ... [Inaudible.] Thank you Chairperson, they brought me back. During the same period, SAPO could only provide uniform and Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, to limited employees. As we were depleting the uniform stock on hand, only large size was available. We lose weight everyday. In the year 2018-19, free receipts were procured and distributed to male centre employees. As SAPO, we have finalised the procurement of rainwear and footwear for postmen. The PPE will be delivering on these and the distribution will be done to postmen by the end December 2019.
Funds have been made available to provide full uniform and PPE it first to qualifying employees during the 2019-20 financial years.
As I said earlier, expected distribution to all employees is before end March 2020. Thereafter, plans are in place to stock sufficient PPE and uniform to reissue to employees as and when required. Thank you, hon Deputy Chair.
In straight here, there's a growing number of hon members who continuously refer to you as Chairperson, they must tell us if there is something happening with hon Masondo.
You know in Kimberley we say
...
Setswana:
O rata dikgang wena.
IsiXhosa:
Mphathiswa, umcimbio wemali uwunyathele ukuba imali ayikho. Asinakuze sikunkqangise ngokungabikho kwemali kuba ayenziwanga nguwe kwaye siyayazi imali yeli lizwe ukuba yayokutshona phi na. Ingaba uyaneliseka kusini na ukuba phaya ...
English:
... Tshwane Mail Centre the basic employment conditions are met per minimum?
IsiXhosa:
UMPHATHISWA WEZONXIBELELWANO: Benditshilo kwangaphambili ukuba silisebe asonelisekanga thina kuqala ngesimo abasebenzi bethu abazifumana besebenza phantsi kwaso. Yiyo le nto sithathe isigqibo sokuba sihlenga-hlengise iinkqubo nohlahlo lwabiwo-mali lwethu ukuze sikwazi ukwenza ezi zinto ziphambili nezibalulekileyo. Sifuna ukukhusela nokuqinisekisa ukuba abasebenzi bethu baphuhlisa ngokusemgangathweni olindelekileyo. Kufuneka sijonge ukuba abasebenzi bethu basebenza kwiindawo ezinjani nezikhuselekileyo.
Sifuna nokuqinisekisa ukuba abasebenzi bahlala kwindawo apho nam njengoMphathiswa ndingakwazi ukuhlala imini yonke xa ndinokuthi ndityelele kwindawo abasebenza kuyo. Eli phulo ke libaluleke kakhulu kuthi kwaye yiyo loo nto ndithe siyahlenga-hlengisa kwizinto esizenzayo. Abasebenzi baza kutsho ngokwabo ukuba zeziphi emazibekwe phambili nathi ke sithathele apho ukuya kucela imali ngohlobo esiza kube sivumelene ngalo. Ndiyabulela, Sekela Sihlalo.
Through you Deputy Chair, Minister, beyond the reported challenges facing the Tshwane Mail Centre, has the department undertaken an audit of the health and safety of the working conditions of Post Office workers throughout the country, and what plans are in place to ensure that Post Office workers work in an environment that is not only conducive, but also in compliance with the health and safety standards. Thank you, Chair.
Hon member, as I said, key to addressing the challenges that we're faced with at the Tshwane Mail Centre, is the issue of reprioritisation of the budget so that we can attend to them. But mainly, talking to the health and safety of the employees is what I referred to earlier on that, we have set aside at least now in 2018-19, some budget to make sure that we attend to the core things that I have spoken about which are those that belong to the postmen and the other employees that are affected.
I did put timeframes to say, others will receive these equipments no later than December 2019 and the rest of the staff no later than March 2020. As I have said, it is something that we are engaging on with the employees. Thank you, hon Deputy Chair.
Question 217:
The SABC owes only the North West local municipalities an amount of R2 428.66c which came through as a late request for payment and it should be paid in mid-month of November 2019.
Hon Deputy Chair, based on the answer I am quite satisfied and I really applaud the Minister for proactively facilitating payments to the municipalities. Failure to pay them puts a lot of strain to municipalities in terms of discharging their constitutional obligations. I am quite satisfied hon Minister, keep it up.
Thank you very much Hon Dodovu. I did not hear it as a question but rather a comment.
Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister has there been any engagements between the SABC and the various municipalities that are owed to establish a payment plan for the settlement of their debts? Thank you very much.
Hon Deputy Chairperson, as I said we only owe one municipality in the North West and we have already
arranged with them that they will be getting their money in mid- November. That is the only municipality. Upon receiving our bailout grant from Treasury, we started engaging with all the people we owe and arranged for payment terms. As a result municipalities are all paid except for this one that was due to late submission by the municipality. Thank you, hon Deputy Chair.
Hon Deputy Chair, Minister, if it is true that the SABC only owes municipality just over R2 000 why can't they pay royalties and artists the way they pay municipalities? Thank you.
Hon Minister, the question was about the municipalities unless you want to respond to it.
Probably let me also help the hon member. Like any responsible organisation, when you have debts you engage with the people that you owe to arrange. You say, we do understand that we owe so much but this is what we can afford and therefore, over this period this is what we will afford to pay you. The reason SABC has managed to pay those municipalities is that their debt is lower and most importantly SABC has engaged with its own creditors and debtors to arrange a payment plan. As I
am speaking to you now, out of the R2,1 billion that we got from the Treasury, SABC has paid about R1,3 billion to the people that it owed. That is why we are confident that it will make a turnaround because at least it is on good record with its own people that is working with. I mean those that are driving the core business of the SABC and the relations have been improved. Thank you, hon Deputy Chair.
IsiZulu:
Ngiyabonga Sekela Sihlalo, Ngqongqoshe owami umbuzo lapha ukuthi uSABC hlezi njalo sizwa ukuthi uyatakulwa ezikweledini osuke unazo, unikezwa izimali kodwa asikaze sikuthole ukuthi ulanda nini ngalezi zimali. Ngaso sonke isikhathi sithola ukuthi u-SABC uyakweleta ngabe kwenzakalani? Likhona yini iplani elikhona ukuqinisekisa ukuthi njalo uma ngabe uSABC ethola imali uyisebenzisa ngendlela efanele futhi ayikho eshona ephaketheni?
IsiXhosa:
UMPHATHISWA WEZONXIBELELWANO: Sekela Sihlalo, njengoko besele nditshilo kula mgaqo-nkqubo okula mqulu esithe sawungenisa phaya kuNongxowa sisebenza neSABC, ezinye zezindululo kukuqinisekisa ukuba banika ingxelo ngotyalo-malo nangenkcitho yabo rhoqo ngenyanga. Ezi ngxelo ziza kufakwa apha kwisebe lam ukuze mna
ndizigqithisele kwiSebe lezeMali. Le nto ithetha ukuba nangona sineengxaki ezininzi zemali kwiSABC kuye kwafuneka ukuba sijonge amanye amajelo anokuthi asincedise ukukhulisa imali esiyifumene kurhulumente. Kufuneka sikhumbule ukuba isicelo esisenzileyo kurhulumente zizi- R6 billion. Sifumene isiqingatha saloo mali kwaye eseyizile kuthi zizi-R2,1 billion kuba asikwazanga ukuba sifikelele kwimigomo ethile ebibekiwe. Sifuna ke ngoku ukuqinisekisa imali iyakhululwa ukuze i-SABC ikwazi ukwenza izinto eziphambili nezibalulekileyo eziza kuthi zimncedise ukuba akhule akwazi ukwenza umsebenzi amele ukuba uyawenza.
Sileli sebe sithe gqolo kwela candelwana esilibiza ukuba yi-SOC Branch ejongene neengxaki ezikwiSABC namanye amaqumrhwana. Rhoqo ngenyanga siyadibana kwiintlanganiso ukuze ibhodi yeli candelwana isicacisele ngendima esele ihanjiwe nemiceli-mngeni. Akhona namaxhala phaya kwi-SABC okuba bona balindeleke ngokomthetho ukuba bazoneke elubala ngeendlela abathi benze ngayo imali nangona kusaziwa ukuba i-SABC ikukhuphiswano noosomashishini abaninzi ngokwezorhwebo. Siye sathembisa ukuba siza kuzizisa ngaphambili ePalamente kuba eneneni ziyayichaphazela kakhulu i-