Given the recent publication of the annual report of the SA Post Office’s financial results for the 2019-20 financial year, which shows that the Post Office is technically insolvent, how does she and/or her department intend to return the Post Office to solvency?
The SA Post Office has prioritised initiatives that focus on improving service delivery, revenue recovery and growth and cost reduction. The Department is concluding the procurement process to appoint a team of experts to develop a restructuring and turnaround plan for a sustainable post office of the future. The turnaround plan will inform the MTEF funding submission for the post office.
MS. STELLA ...
(1)Whether her department has concluded any work exchange and/or employment agreements with any entity of the Republic of Cuba from the 2010-11 financial year up to the 2020-21 financial year; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) total number of Cuban nationals (i) have been employed in each of the specified financial years and/or (ii) are due to be employed in the 2021-23 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period, (b) are the details of the work that each of the specified Cuban nationals was and/or will be employed to perform, (c) are the details of the specific skills sets that each of the specified Cuban nationals possessed and/or will possess that South African nationals did or will not possess and (d) are the details of the total cost of employing each of the specified Cuban nationals in each case;
(2) Whether her department took any steps to ensure that the specific skills set of the specified Cuban nationals were and/or will not be available in the Republic amongst South African citizens; if not, in each case, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the (a) steps taken and (b) outcomes of the steps taken in this regard?
I have been advised by the Department as follows:
- No
- Not applicable
MS. STELLA NDABENI-ABRAHAMS, MP
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
What (a) total number of Post Office branches have closed their doors over the past five financial years and (b) are the reasons for the specified closures?
I have been advised by SAPO as follows:
a) A total of 144 Post Office branches have been closed over the past five financial years.
b) Most of these branches were closed due to Network Optimisation strategy and only six were closed due to forced landlord evictions.
MS. STELLA NDABENI-ABRAHAMS, MP
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
1. Whether there are any plans to sell the vacant stand on erf 1536 Oranjerivier Street in Toekomsrus, Randfontein, belonging to the SA Postal Services which is allegedly being used as a drug den and other criminal activities; if not, why not; if so, how far is the process;
2. What amount was spent to date on services paid to the Rand West City Local Municipality for the vacant land;
3. What has she found to be the social impact on the community due to this vacant land being used for criminal activities?
I have been advised by the SAPO as follows:
- The Toekomsrus vacant land has been identified for disposal, subject to the requisite governance and approval processes.
- Municipal service charges amount to about R1 202 per month.
- To date, SAPO have not received any complaints from the community, however this matter will be investigated and if necessary, reported to SAPS.
MS. STELLA NDABENI-ABRAHAMS, MP ...
(1)(a) What is the total monetary value of each concession that welfare, charitable and public benefit organisations used to receive on their annual fees for the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) TV licence(s), (b) in which financial year was each terminated, (c) what was the total cost of the concession for the three financial years prior to termination and (d) what is the reason that the concession was terminated;
(2) whether the SABC has any intention of reviewing the concession for welfare, charitable and public benefit organisations; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
I have been advised by SABC as follows:
1. (a) The concessionary license of R74 per annum is discounted as per the Broadcasting Act. According to the TV License Regulations, the qualifying persons for discounted license fees (concession) are: a person who receives a social grant from the state by virtue of age or disability or a war veteran, a person aged 70 ...
1. What position does a certain person (name furnished) occupy at the SA Post Office?
2. Whether the specified person is authorised to (a) enter into contractual agreements and/or (b) contract or appoint official representatives on behalf of the SA Post Office; if not, what is the position in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
I have been advised by the SAPO as follows:
1. Acting Group Executive Sales/Commercial
2. (a) In terms of the Board approved Generic Delegation of Authority, Group Executives (EXCO members) have the authority to sign off contractual agreements on behalf of SAPO, depending on the value, nature, complexity and type of contract and delegation of Authority or sub-delegation of authority (if permitted).
(b) See ...
(1) Whether any staff member in her department (a) performed work in addition to the responsibilities related to his or her work, outside normal working hours, in the past five financial years and (b) has been performing such work during the period 1 April 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, in each case, how is it determined whether such work is being performed or not; if so, in each case, (i) what number of staff members and (ii) in what job or work categories are the specified staff members employed;
(2) whether approval for such work was obtained in each case; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the policy of her department in this regard, (b) by whom are such applications considered and approved, (c) what number of contraventions of this policy were brought to the attention of the National Treasury in the past five financial years and (d) what steps have been taken against the transgressors?
The Department has advised me as follows:
(1)(a) Yes
(b) By completion and submission of application of approval for Other Remunerative Work and financial disclosures on an annual basis
(i) It differs each year based on the number of applications received each year. (refer to the table below developed from the actual applications and disclosures).
(ii) It differs each year based on ...
(a) What (i) provision has the Post Office made to meet the increase in the numbers of beneficiaries eligible for the Social Relief of Distress Grant payable at the Post Office and (ii) is being done to address the backlog where the Post Office in smaller towns does not have sufficient money to make the payments, (b) which beneficiaries get preference when the cash resources are low and (c) what are the time frames for addressing the backlog of beneficiaries who still have outstanding grants owed to them;
(2) whether there is a record of which Post Offices have not been able to meet the demand; if not, why not; if so, what are the names of such Post Offices in each (a) town and (b) province? NW2931E
I have been advised by the SAPO as follows:
(1)(a)(i) Available staff members within the SAPO Regions (even from other Business Units) are being utilised to assist with queue management, and the scanning of beneficiaries to ensure that they all have correct SMSes and proper identification documents to speed up the payment process.
(ii) There is no backlog in essence, as all validated beneficiaries ...
Whether the Government has any plans to assist or take part in the rolling out of 5G; if so, what are the relevant details?
There are no direct plans for Government to take part in the rollout of 5G. Suffice to say, Government has been involved in a global multilateral process under the auspices of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to identify and allocate radio frequency spectrum for IMT2020 or 5G. This process will be concluded at the ITU World Radio Conference which will take place at the ...
Whether any plans are in place to roll out 5G in the Republic; if so, (a) in which area, (b) on what date is it envisaged to be rolled out and (c) for what purposes?
In line with international developments, we expect 5G commercial deployments to take place from around 2020 in South Africa.
Minister will give full and further details of the roll out when she makes her pronouncement on the policy direction.
Ms. Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, MP
Minister
