In light of the heavy rainfall that destroyed over 12 000 houses in the south-east part of the country in 2022 and led to the declaration of a National State of Disaster by the President, whether any funds were allocated towards assisting citizens who were affected; if not, why not; if so, what is the (a) allocated budget, (b) actual expenditure, (c) number of temporary accommodation sites and (d) repair work that has been done already?
Yes, funds were allocated by government through the respective organs of state as per their respective mandates and programmes to address the effects of the disasters within affected communities. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs coordinated response measures by the relevant organs of state to ensure alignment and collaboration of efforts.
(a) A total amount of R3.5 billion was allocated by COGTA ...
(1)With reference to the (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23 financial years, which municipalities (i) submitted unfunded budgets, (ii) did not submit annual financial statements and (iii) submitted the annual financial statements late;
(2) what is the total collection revenue percentage for each municipality for the 2022-23 municipal financial year to date;
(3) what is the gross value added by each municipality per capita?
Section 18 of the MFMA required Municipalities to have credible funded budgets. Provincial and National Treasury asses and monitors budgets (funded and unfunded budgets) of Municipalities.
It is recommended that this question be redirected to Minister of Finance for the National Treasury to respond accordingly.
End.
Whether, with reference to the total collapse of municipal services in the town of Ohrigstad, under the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality in Limpopo, her department intends to take steps to intervene to ensure (a) daily electricity supply, (b) clean drinking water, (c) maintenance of all local streets, (d) proper road and traffic signage, (e) functional municipal offices with qualified officials, (f) the implementation of all by-laws, (g) approval of all buildings in accordance with the zoning allowed in the planning department and (h) the cleaning, safety and accessibility of the new sports stadium in town?
There is no collapse, let alone total collapse, of municipal services in the town of Ohrigstad, under the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality in Limpopo Province. To the contrary, the municipality is delivering municipal services as outlined below:
- There is continuous supply of electricity in Ohrigstad, except during scheduled times of national loadshedding.
- The Sekhukhune District Municipality is the water Services Authority for the FTLM area. ...
(1)Whether her department initiated any studies and/or research into urban search and rescue; if not, why not; if so, (a) by whom were the studies and/or research conducted and (b) what critical findings have been made;
(2) what is current capacity of her department’s urban search and rescue in terms of (a) human resources and (b) aero fleet;
(3) what are the current annual deployment budgets set aside for (a) urban search and rescue and (b) aeronautical and maritime search and rescue;
(4) what are the current vacancy rates at the (a) aeronautical and maritime rescue, (b) fire rescue and (c) disaster rescue centres of her department in each province?
1. The department (COGTA) has initiated capacity assessments that exist nationally into urban search and rescue; (a) conducted by the Directorate: Fire Services and the assessments were completed for Gauteng, Western Cape, North West, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces and (b) It was found that the two provinces (GP & WC) are complaint and have capacity to render Urban Search and Rescue, moreover, ...
Whether her department incurred any costs in relation to the hosting of the (a) BRICS Summit from 22 to 24 August 2023 and (b) BRICS Parliamentary Forum from 27 to 28 September 2023; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what was the total cost incurred by her department?
No, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs did not incur any costs in relation to the hosting of the (a) BRICS Summit from 22 to 24 August 2023 and (b) BRICS Parliamentary Forum from 27 to 28 September 2023.
The BRICS Summit was coordinated by the DIRCO, it is recommended that this question be re-directed to relevant Ministry to respond accordingly.
End.
With reference to her reply to question 2611 on 15 September 2023, wherein she stated that regular site visits are conducted to ensure validation and verification of work that is reported to have been done, and noting that visits to various provinces and sites by a certain political party (name furnished) revealed that the participants neither have enough tools nor adequate uniform and thus they are unable to execute their work, (a) how is work done at the sites that are still without the tools of trade, (b) who should be responsible for the lack of tools of trade at such sites and (c) what are the relevant details of the expenditure of the budget allocated for tools of trade?
(a) How is work done at the sites that are still without the tools of trade,
- Although procurement has not yet taken place, most sites still have tools of trade as well as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) procured in 2022/2023 Financial Year.
- Participants assigned to do useful work at social facilities or public institution like schools, clinics, etc. use tools of trade from those ...
With 66 or 25,68% dysfunctional municipalities and a further 107 or 41,63% medium-risk municipalities and only 10,5 % stable municipalities (details furnished), what measures has she put in place to ensure that municipalities that have applied to have their debt totaling R56,8 billion written off will (a) comply with the conditions for their debts to be written off and (b) adhere to the various sets of laws and regulations that will ensure the administrative accountability of such municipalities?
Item 4.1.3.2 of the National Treasury issued MFMA Circular No. 124 (on Municipal Debt Relief) states
“If a delegated municipality did not meet any condition during any month, the Provincial Treasury’s certificate of compliance in terms of this paragraph must include as an attachment a report explaining the non-compliance and the progressive support measures instituted by both the provincial treasury and the municipality ...
Whether, with reference to the R56 billion debt municipalities owe Eskom and Treasury’s Municipal Debt Relief plan (details furnished), her department consulted with the National Treasury to commission an independent socio-economic impact assessment on the proposed National Treasury plan to ring-fence municipal grants meant for indigent households for use in the payment of debt by dysfunctional municipalities; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
The question is elicited by the Honoruable Member’s take that there is a “proposed National Treasury plan to ring-fence municipal grants meant for indigent households for use in the payment of debt by dysfunctional municipalities” of which the Department of Cooperative Governance is not privy of. Given that the “plan” is attributed to the National Treasury which also issued MFMA Circular No. ...
Whether she has any measures in place to curb the over-reliance on consultancy firms to provide basic services such as auditing, accounting and financial planning, amongst other services, that could otherwise be done through establishing internal capacity; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
The stability of municipal administrations is an important component both in building capacity and in creating the environment for effective functioning of the municipality and provision of sustainable service delivery. To strengthen institutional capacity, the Minister promulgated the Local Government: Municipal Staff Regulations and Guidelines as a response to the commitments of government’s resolve to professionalise local public administration and build a capable local ...
(1)Whether her department keeps a record of the categories of engineers employed in municipalities; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what is the total number of (a) mechanical, (b) electrical, (c) civil and (d) chemical engineers that are employed in each municipality in each province that is supported by the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent;
(2) whether any of the specified engineers are registered with recognised professional bodies; if not, why not; if so, with which bodies;
(3) what is the total number of vacancies in each municipality for the specified positions;
(4) whether she will make a statement on the matter?
1. The Department of Cooperative Governance (DCOG) keeps a record of engineers employed in municipalities that are supported by the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA). As of December 2022, the total number of (a) mechanical, (b) electrical, (c) civil and (d) chemical engineers employed is provided on Annexure A attached hereto.
2. Yes, some of the engineers are registered with the Engineering Council of ...
