PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO: 688
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 11 March 2016
QUESTION PAPER NO: 4
DATE OF REPLY:
Mr B M Bhanga (DA) to ask the Minister of Telecommunications and
Postal Services:
(a) What amount of money has been approved by the National Treasury in the
Medium Term Expenditure Framework for the Universal Service Access Agency
of South Africa to connect schools in the eight identified municipalities
in the (i) first and (ii) second phases of the South Africa Connect project
and (b) what are the relevant details of (i) what services and (ii) items
these funds will be spent on in each of the specified municipalities?
NW803E
REPLY
The Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa is allocated the
following budget as part of the MTEF to maintain equipment and internet
connectivity in schools and other access centres such as clinics and
community access centres nationally:
Table of Budget Allocation:
|2016/2017 Financial |2017/2018 Financial |2018/2019 Financial |
|Year |Year |Year |
|R18, 776m |R19,865m |R21,017m |
*Note:
- Please note that the amount is only for maintenance and provision of
internet connectivity of the already existing schools as outlined in the
USAASA Annual Performance Plan.
- The Agency through the MTEF was not provided any additional budget to
connect schools either in first phase or second phase of the SA Connect
Project.
The expenditure estimates per year for schools is reflected in the table
below:
|District |Province |School Name |Expenditure Per School per year |
|Municipality | | |(R) |
|Vhembe |Limpopo |Fulufhelo Special School |163, 324.38 |
|O.R. Tambo |Eastern Cape |Tsolo Special School |119, 016.00 |
|Â |Â |Makgatho Lewanika |189, 665.00 |
|Pixley Ka Seme |Northern Cape|No Site |0 |
|Umzinyathi |KwaZulu Natal|Bhambatha High School |205,000.00 |
|Â |Â |Macingwane Secondary School|205, 000.00 |
|Â |Â |Mkhamo Secondary School |205, 000.00 |
|Â | |Mhlakothi High School |205, 000.00 |
|Umgungundlovu |KwaZulu Natal|No site |0 |
|Gert Sibande |Mpumalanga |Phumulani special school |163, 324.38 |
|Keneth Kaunda |North West |No site |0 |
|Â Thabo |Free State |No Site |Â |
|Mofutsanyane | | | |
|Â |Â |Â Total |1,455,329.76 |
*Note: The total amount of R1, 455,329.76 as indicated in the table above
is what the Agency will be spending in the 8 schools already deployed
within the 8 Districts for the next three financial years. The budget
allocation for USAASA over the MTEF will not be sufficient for the Agency
to rollout schools in the identified 8 Districts.
(b) What are the relevant details of (i) what services and (ii) items these
funds will be spent on in each of the specified
municipalities?                                                            Â
                 Â
Answer: In the 8 schools that USAASA connected through its connectivity
programme in the past financial year (2015/2016), the following services
and equipment were funded:
Equipment & Services Deployed
|Site Name |Province |Tablets & |Printer|Projector|Smart |Movable |Internet |
| | |Laptops | | |Board |Trolley |Connectivity |
|Macingwana |KwaZulu |150 Tablets |0 |0 |0 |Mobile |10Gb per month |
|Secondary School |Natal |and | | | |Trolley |at 10Mbps |
| | |smartphones | | | | | |
|Mkhamo Combined |KwaZulu |150 Tablets |0 |0 |0 |Mobile |10Gb per month |
|School |Natal |and | | | |Trolley |at 10Mbps |
| | |smartphones | | | | | |
|Mhlakoti High |KwaZulu |150 Tablets |0 |0 |0 |Mobile |10Gb per month |
|School |Natal |and | | | |Trolley |at 10Mbps |
| | |smartphones | | | | | |
Note:
⢠The table above indicate the services that are provided at the schools
including those that are within the 8 Districts.
⢠The services indicated in the above table will also be provided in the
future years. Indicated in the table below is the budget allocated to
USAASA as part of MTEF for maintenance/support of deployed ICT
equipment and internet connectivity to already deployed sites.
Schools outside the 8 districts
|Province |2015/2016 |Expenditure Per site|2016/2017 Financial |2017/2018 Financial |2018/2019 Financial |
| |Financial |per year |Year |Year |Year |
| |Year | | | | |
| | |Â R17,862m |R18, 776m |R19,865m |R21,017m |
|Limpopo |14 Schools |R66, 000.00 |R66, 000.00 |R66, 000.00 |R66, 000.00 |
| | |(R924,000.00) |(R924,000.00) |(R924,000.00) |(R924,000.00) |
|Eastern Cape |09 Schools |R59,400.00 |R59,400.00 (R534,600) |R59,400.00 (R534,600) |R59,400.00 (R534,600)|
| | |(R534,600) | | | |
|Northern Cape |23 Schools |R92,000.00 |R92,000.00 |R92,000.00 |R92,000.00 |
| | |(R2,116.000.00) |(R2,116.000.00) |(R2,116.000.00) |(R2,116.000.00) |
|KZN |06 Schools |R59, 520.00 |R59, 520.00 |R59, 520.00 |R59, 520.00 |
| | |(R357,120.00) |(R357,120.00) |(R357,120.00) |(R357,120.00) |
|Gauteng |04 Schools |R85,410.24 |R85,410.24 |R85,410.24 |R85,410.24 |
| | |(R341,640.96) |(R341,640.96) |(R341,640.96) |(R341,640.96) |
|Mpumalanga |14 Schools |Â |Â |Â |Â |
|North West |30 Schools |Â |Â |Â |Â |
|Old Telkom |12 Schools |R80,400 |R80,400 (R964,800.00) |R80,400 (R964,800.00) |R80,400 (R964,800.00)|
|schools | |(R964,800.00) | | | |
|Free State |15 schools |R42,000.00 |R42,000.00 |R42,000.00 |R42,000.00 |
| | |(R504,000.00) |(R504,000.00) |(R504,000.00) |(R504,000.00) |
| |127 Schools|5,742,160.00 |128 schools |129 schools |130 schools |
|New School |Â 0 |0 |R1,200,000.00 |R1,200,000.00 |R1,200,000.00 |
| |Schools |R1,455,329.76 |R1,455,329.76 |R1,455,329.76 |R1,455,329.76 |
| |within the | | | | |
| |8 Districts| | | | |
| |10% Price |0 |R719,748.90 |911,723.86 |1,122,896.25 |
| |escalation | | | | |
| |Total |7,197,489.76 |9,117,238.66 |11,228,962.53 |13,551,858.78 |
| |Expenditure| | | | |
| |on Schools | | | | |
Note:
1) Whilst the total allocation was R17,862 million, the expenditure
actual expenditure breakdown that is tabulated above can be
summarised as follows:
⢠Schools within the 8 Districts = R1,455,489.76
⢠Other schools outside the 8 Districts = R 5,742,160.00
⢠The rest of the allocation was spent on old Telecentres and clinics
(Msinga, Emalahleni, Ratlou, and Joe Morolong) that were connected
already.
2) In the MTEF period (2016/17 up to 2018/19) the amount indicated at the
bottom of the table will be spent on schools including the additional
school in each year. The rest of the budget will be used to support
and maintain the equipment and provision of internet connectivity at
the currently connected clinics and Telecentres
3) The R1.2 million added in each year is for an estimated cost
(connectivity, maintenance and equipment) for an additional school
that is added in each year
4) The base cost (in FY2015/16) is escalated by 10% in each financial
year of the MTEF (FY2016/17; FY2017/18 and FY2018/19)