People's Assembly

2018-w1750 - 07 August 2018

Belinda Bozzoli to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(a) What is the total number of (i) universities and (ii) technical vocational education and training colleges have (aa) experienced disruptions and damage of any sort and/or (bb) had to close as a result of student protests in 2018, (b) what is the name of each institution that was affected, (c) on what date(s) did the disruption(s) take place, (d) what was the (i) extent and type of disruption and (ii) damage caused during the disruption, (e) what were the reasons for the disruptions and (f) what has his department done to resolve the situation in each case?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 7 Aug 2018

a) (i) (aa) 13 Universities experienced disruptions and/or damages in some cases.

(ii) (aa) 11 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges experienced disruptions or damages in some cases.

(bb) No TVET colleges were closed as a result of disruptions in 2018. However, the Mafikeng Campus of Vuselela TVET College was closed on 23 April 2018. Normal operations at the Carletonville Campus of ...

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2018-w2065 - 11 July 2018

Andricus Pieter Van der Westhuizen to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(1)How do the (a) salary bands, (b) conditions of service, (c) opportunities for promotions and (d) awards for excellent performance of lecturers at technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges compare with those of educators at public schools; (2) what options are open to college managers to (a) recruit and (b) retain college lecturers with scarce skills in fields where the remuneration levels of persons with comparable qualifications and practical experience in the private sector are considerably higher than in the public sector; (3) (a) what are the plans of her department to link the conditions of service of TVET college lecturers and managers to their performance and (b) will the achievements of learners in external assessments be linked to the performance of lecturers?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 11 Jul 2018

(1)(a) Lecturers in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training TVET colleges are on similar salary bands to that of educators in public schools. In 2010, a Collective Agreement to create parity between the salaries of TVET college lecturers and educators in public schools was reached in the Education Labour Relations Council - Further Education and Training College Bargaining Unit (ELRC - FETCBU). The ...

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2018-w1919 - 11 July 2018

Nontando Nolutshungu to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(1)What (a) is the total number of incidents of sexual harassment that were reported to the human resources offices of (i) her department and (ii) entities reporting to her in (aa) 2016 and (bb) 2017 and (b) are the details of each incident that took place; (2) was each incident investigated; if not, why not in each case; if so, what were the outcomes of the investigation in each case?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 11 Jul 2018

1. (a) (i) None.

(ii) The number of sexual harassment incidents that were reported to the Human Resources section of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges:

(aa) In 2016, 7 incidents.

(bb) In 2017, 0 incidents.

The information related to public universities are being collected and will be made available once collated.

Sector Education and Training Authorities reported no sexual harassment incidents ...

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2018-w2184 - 10 July 2018

Deidre Carter to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

With reference to the Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority SETA (FASSET SETA) which currently offers and operates the TVET Work-Based Experience Project Internship Scheme and the complaints that are being received from companies participating in this scheme that the FASSET SETA has failed to pay over the monthly internship stipends for May and June 2018 to the companies participating in the scheme and that the SETA is failing to answer queries in this regard, (a) what problems are being experienced by the FASSET SETA in paying the monthly TVET Work-Based Experience Project Internship Scheme stipend to companies participating in this scheme, (b) what is the root cause of the specified problem and (c) what is being done to resolve the matter?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 10 Jul 2018

a) The Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (FASSET) processes payments within 30 days as required in terms of the National Treasury Regulation 8.2.3. Currently, there are no outstanding payments. FASSET uses the reimbursement model for the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Work-Based Experience Project whereby the employer pays a stipend to interns and thereafter submits an invoice together ...

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2018-w1651 - 03 July 2018

Pieter Van Dalen to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(a) What number of cases relating to the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, Act 12 of 2004, as amended, have been referred to the (i) SA Police Service (SAPS) and (ii) Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) by (aa) her department and (bb) each entity reporting to her for further investigation since the Act was assented to and (b) what number of the specified cases have (i) been investigated by SAPS and DPCI, (ii) been followed up by the respective accounting officers and (iii) resulted in a conviction in each specified financial year since 2004?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 3 Jul 2018

(a) (i) Since the Department of Higher Education and Training became operational on 1 April 2010, six cases were referred to the South African Police Services for further investigation comprising two from the Department and four by public entities based on the information submitted to date.

(ii) The Department referred no matters to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, while the public entities referred ...

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2018-w1703 - 03 July 2018

Nontando Nolutshungu to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(1)(a) What total amount of land owned by her department and the entities reporting to her in each province is (i) vacant and (ii) unused or has no purpose and (b) what is the (i) location and (ii) size of each specified plot of land; (2) (a) how much of the land owned by her department and the entities reporting to her has been leased out for private use and (b) what is the (i) Rand value of each lease and (ii)(aa) location and (bb) size of each piece of land?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 3 Jul 2018

1. (a) The Department does not own land; however, it leases two privately owned buildings via the Department of Public Works (123 and 178 Francis Baard Street) and occupies a State-owned building in Olifantsfontein, i.e. the Indlela Trade Test Centre. The Mining Qualifications Authority, South African Qualifications Authority and National Student Financial Aid Scheme reported that they owned land, and the details are provided ...

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2018-w1751 - 29 June 2018

Belinda Bozzoli to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

With regard to the policy on the Minimum Norms and Standards for Student Housing at Public Universities published in the Government Gazette Notice: R.897 on 29 September 2015, did any council of a public university (a) fail to submit approved plans and strategies for the phasing in of the minimum norms and standards in terms of its existing stock to her department by June 2016 as per section 12(a), and (b) fail to report the level of compliance with student housing minimum norms and standards in the annual report of the specified university as per section 11(c)?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 29 Jun 2018

a) Only the University of Johannesburg submitted an approved plan and strategy for the phasing in of the minimum norms and standards by June 2016. The Department is developing a process to monitor compliance as part of its implementation of the new Macro Infrastructure Framework (MIF). Universities will be required to upload relevant policy documents, plans and reports on the MIF.

b) 14 Universities ...

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2018-w1961 - 29 June 2018

Belinda Bozzoli to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(a) What is the status of her department’s court application to take the Public Protector’s report on maladministration at the Tshwane South Technical and Vocational Education and Training College on review and (b) on what date is the case expected to be finalised?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 29 Jun 2018

a) The Department has filed its supplementary affidavit, and the Office of the Public Protector is yet to file its answering affidavit. The attorneys for the Public Protector intend filing a condonation application for the late filing of its answering affidavit, where after the Office of the State Attorney will set the matter down for hearing.

b) As the Clerk of the Court determines ...

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2018-w2020 - 29 June 2018

Tsepo Winston Mhlongo to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(1)What are the details of the (a) number of accidents that vehicles owned by her department were involved (i) in each of the past three financial years and (ii) since 1 April 2018, (b) cost for repairs in each case and (c)(i) number of and (ii) reasons for vehicles being written off in each case; (2) whether all vehicles owned by her department have tracking devices installed?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 29 Jun 2018

(a) (i) In the 2015/16 financial year, one vehicle was involved in a major accident and written off.

In the 2016/17 financial year, one vehicle was involved in a major accident and written off.

In the 2017/18 financial year, five vehicles were involved in minor accidents.

(ii) No accidents have been reported since 1 April 2018 to date.

(b) The table below shows the ...

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2018-w1904 - 29 June 2018

Anton De Waal Alberts to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

(1)Whether all members of the senior management service (SMS) in her department had declared their interests for the past year as required by the Public Service Regulations; if not, (a) why not, (b) how many of the specified members did not declare their interests and (c) what are the (i) names and (ii) ranks of the specified noncompliant members of the SMS; (2) whether noncompliant SMS members have been charged; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) what number (a) of employees in her department at each post level are currently suspended on full salary and (b) of the specified employees at each post level have been suspended for the specified number of days (details furnished); (4) what is the total amount of cost attached to the days of service lost as a result of the suspensions in each specified case?

Reply from the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 29 Jun 2018

1. All 160 Senior Management Service members had declared their financial interests by 31 May 2017 in terms of Regulation 18 of the Public Service Regulations 2016. The Department is currently processing the Public Service Commission verification report.

2. None.

(3)-(4) The table below provides a breakdown of officials on suspension and the cost attached to the days of service lost.

(a) Number of ...

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