(1) Whether he was informed that the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr B E Nzimande, published in the Government Gazette No. 1160 of 30 October 2020 the Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions Determined in Terms of Section 27(2) of the Higher Education Act, Act 101 Of 1997, as amended, which excludes Afrikaans, Khoi and San languages in its definition of indigenous languages, while he reportedly stated on 28 October 2021 that the definition of indigenous languages was still being discussed; if so,
(2) whether he intends to investigate the matter, particularly the (a) Minister’s statement that the final policy framework’s definition of indigenous languages is still being discussed and (b) statutory grounds on which the discussions the Minister refers to rely given that the final policy framework has already been gazetted;
(3) whether he intends to ensure that the final policy framework will be amended to include Afrikaans, Khoi and San languages in its definition of indigenous languages before it is set to take effect on 1 January 2022; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW2949E
I have been informed of the following:
- The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr BE Nzimande published the Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions (the Policy Framework) on 30 October 2020, for implementation by universities from the beginning of January 2022.
- As the Policy Framework declares, it is based on the constitutional imperative assigned by the Founding Provisions of ...
(1) Whether a certain official (details furnished) has any relationship with a certain convicted criminal (name and details furnished) that may influence the specified official’s policy decision-making; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what is the nature of the relationship and (b) does it include discussing Crime Intelligence matters;
(2) whether the specified official has had any discussions with the specified convicted criminal regarding the removal of a certain person (name and details furnished); if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what security clearance did the convicted criminal attain to gain access to the specified official, particularly as it relates to discussions of Crime Intelligence matters? NW1982E
Due to the position of the official in question and the sensitive nature of the enquiry, this is a matter that is best raised in the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI).
Whether, with reference to Recommendation 2.4 of the Report of the High- Level Review Panel on the State Security Agency (SSA) published in December 2018, he referred the recommendations of the Panel to the appropriate law enforcement bodies, oversight institutions and internal disciplinary bodies for investigation of all manifest breaches of law, regulations and other prescripts at the SSA as highlighted by the report with a view of instituting, where appropriate, criminal and/or disciplinary prosecutions; if not,
(a) why not and (b) by what date does he envisage he will give the instructions; if so, (i) on which date(s) did he give the instruction(s), (ii) to which law enforcement bodies, oversight institutions and internal disciplinary bodies was each instruction given and (iii) what are the details of (aa) all criminal and disciplinary prosecutions that have ensued as a result of the referral for investigation and (bb) the current status and/or outcome of each criminal and disciplinary prosecution to date? NW2266E
The High Level Review Panel (HLRP) Report on the State Security Agency was handed over to the former Ministers of State Security for implementation.
With regard to Recommendation 2.4 of the Report, criminal and departmental investigations were initiated prior to the recommendations of the Panel in compliance with the law.
Criminal investigations were referred to the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation on 19 ...
Whether he will furnish Ms E L Powell with the full details of each of the projects that he announced when he addressed Parliament on 15 October 2020 stating that a robust pipeline of projects that will completely transform the landscape of our cities, towns and rural areas with 276 catalytic projects with an investment value of R2,3 trillion had been developed by the end of June 2020?
Through the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium (SIDS) process, a number of infrastructure projects were submitted to the Investment and Infrastructure Office in the Presidency. The 276 projects received had an estimated value of R2.3 trillion. These projects were divided per sector, of which 71 were in human settlements, 64 in transport, 42 in water and sanitation, 33 in agriculture and agro-processing, 25 in energy, ...
Whether he has found that the popular insurrection was instigated by certain persons and/or factions of the African National Congress; if not, which persons and/or factions have been identified as instigators of the popular insurrection; if so, what (a) action, if any, does he intend to take against the specified instigators and (b) are the further relevant details in this regard?
Law enforcement agencies have arrested several individuals alleged to have been involved in the instigation and/or incitement of the violence that occurred in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July 2021. These cases are now before the courts and the law must be allowed to take its course. Investigations by law enforcement agencies are ongoing. It would not be correct to pre-empt the outcome of these ...
With reference to his address to the nation on 16 July 2021, wherein he characterised the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng from 9 to 18 July as a popular insurrection, (a) on what ground(s) did he rely to classify the unrest as a popular insurrection and (b)(i) what are the details of the evidence that informed his decision to classify the unrest as a popular insurrection and (ii) which persons and/or entities supplied the specified evidence?
In my address to the nation on 16 July 2021, I described the violence and destruction of the preceding days as an attempted insurrection that failed to gain popular support.
In that address I outlined some of the key features of this attempted insurrection, including:
- deliberate, coordinated and well-planned actions intended to cripple the economy, cause social instability and severely weaken – or even ...
Whether there are specific conditions which must be satisfied before the National State of Disaster imposed to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is lifted; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
All organs of state must develop sustainable regulatory measures for the control of COVID-19 beyond the state of disaster. Measures must be infused into policies and regulations to normalise COVID-19 preventative measures in the society.
The current measures contained in the regulations for dealing with the disaster in the context of the risk adjusted strategy remain necessary to limit the negative impact of the ...
(1)Whether he was satisfied that when he instructed that a certain person (name and details furnished) should be placed under precautionary suspension, based on adverse findings of the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) in an audit of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 financial years of the National Skills Fund that any other officials, including the specified person, as the Accounting Authority, had not been coerced, forced and/or given any political directives which led to the irregularities and/or qualified opinion(s); if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether any other government (a) departments and (b) organisations such as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, sector education and training authorities, and/or state-owned enterprises have received qualified audits from the AGSA in the past five financial years, where the Accounting Authority of any such department and/or organisation was placed under precautionary suspension by (i) him and/or (ii) a Minister; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, which government (aa) departments and/or (bb) organisations;
(3) whether any investigations were conducted into government (a) departments and/or (b) organisations that (i) he and/or (ii) any of his Ministers placed under precautionary suspension; if not, why not; if so, what were the broad outcomes of such investigations?
The President of the Republic of South Africa has in terms of section 42A(3) of the Public Service Act,1994 (Proclamation 103 of 1994) delegated powers to the Minister of Home Affairs to deal with the possible precautionary suspension of the Director-General of the Department of Higher Education and Training, Mr Qwebinkundla Qonde. This arises from adverse audit findings made by the Auditor-General of South ...
With regard to his statement (details furnished) on Africa Day on Tuesday, 25 May 2021 and in light of the fact that much of the Republic’s current debt is odious and its trajectory, according to analysts, is not sustainable in the long run, what are the full, relevant details of the plan to achieve the ideals of public debt management, financial integrity and the creation of a more favourable climate for private sector investment?
Government is committed to promoting economic recovery and returning the public finances to a sustainable position. Faster economic growth remains the most important determinant of fiscal sustainability, and private investment remains a key driver of that growth. For this reason, government is taking steps to promote both private and public investment.
The economy has started to recover in response to improved global conditions and ...
Whether he received a gift and/or donation on behalf of the Government from a certain person (Mr Solly Noor) at a certain iftar gathering hosted by the Muslim Judicial Council in Cape Town on 6 May 2021; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what amount of money and/or other goods did the specified person gift and/or donate to the Government, (b) for what purpose was the money and/or other goods gifted and/or donated and (c) what are the further relevant details in this regard;
(2) whether he received any other gifts and/or donations on behalf of the Government from any other person in attendance at the specified gathering; if so, (a) what amount of money and/or other goods were gifted and/or donated, (b) from which person and/or entity was each gift or donation received, (c) for what purpose was each gift and/or donation received and (d) what are the further relevant details in each case?
At the iftar dinner in Athlone on 6 May 2021, Mr Solly Noor handed the President an award from Global Islam Finance that Mr Noor had collected on the President’s behalf and a letter from Islamia College, where the event was held, thanking the President for his attendance.
No other gifts were received by the President at that occasion.
