QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN REPLY: IQP 10 OF 2010

74. Mr D B Haddon to ask the MEC responsible for Housing:

(1) Whether she has been informed of media reports of 22 February 2010 which stated that two directors from her Department were arrested for drunken driving; if so,

(2) whether any action had been taken by her Department against these officials as at the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, why not; if so, what action;

(3) what action will be taken if these officials are found guilty in a court of law and convicted?

75. Mr D B Haddon to ask the MEC responsible for Housing:

(1) Whether her Department has any plan in place to audit the legal occupancy of housing beneficiaries in the province; if not, why not; if so, (a) what plan and (b) when will it be put into effect;

(2) whether this plan includes auditing those beneficiaries who do not have legal title deeds to their properties; if so, (a) when and (b) how will the results of this audit be made known?

76. Mr D B Haddon to ask the MEC responsible for Local Government and Traditional Affairs:

Whether all municipalities in the province had the latest updated property valuation rolls as at the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, (a) which specified municipalities do not have these rolls and (b) when will they receive them?

77. Mr J Pienaar to ask the MEC responsible for Health:

(1) Whether his Department currently has any contract with a service provider to deal with the medical waste in the province; if not, (a) why not, (b) when will such an appointment be made, (c) to whom will the contract be awarded, (d) when will the contract come into effect, (e) what will the period of the contract be and (f) what is the anticipated cost to his Department of appointing this service provider over the contractual period; if so,

(2) (a) what is the name of the service provider currently rendering this service, (b) what is the period of the contract, (c) what is the cost of the contract, (d) who was the previous service provider, (e) when did the previous service provider’s contract end and (f) why was it ended?

78. Mr J Pienaar to ask the MEC responsible for Health:

(1) Whether any medical superintendents in the province absconded from work from 1 January 2005 up to and including 31 December 2008; if so, (a) how many and (b) what are their names;

(2) whether any salaries were paid out to such absconded medical superintendents during that period; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether these payments were in line with the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999; if not,

(4) whether any disciplinary steps have been or are to be taken against the responsible officials in this regard; if not, why not; if so, what steps?

79. Mr J C Cupido to ask the MEC responsible for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture:

(1) (a) How many traffic fines were received by any (i) MPLs, (ii) Heads of Department, (iii) Senior Managers and (iv) any other staff that fall under her Department while using any departmental vehicles or vehicles hired by her Department in (aa) 2008/2009 and (bb) 2009/2010 up to and including the latest specified date for which information is available and (b) what were the details of these fines in each case;

(2) whether her Department had paid these fines as at the latest specified date for which information is available; if so, what amount was paid for each specified fine;

(3) whether any vehicle damage was incurred by any (a) MPLs, (b) Heads of Department, (c) Senior Managers and (d) any other staff that fall under her Department while using any departmental vehicles or vehicles hired by her Department in (i) 2008/2009 and (ii) 2009/2010 up to and including the latest specified date for which information is available; if so, what are the relevant details in each case;

(4) what is her Department’s policy in respect of recovering monies from MPLs or staff who (a) have been given speeding fines and (b) have caused damage to departmental or hired vehicles?

80. Mr J C Cupido to ask the MEC responsible for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture:

(1) Whether any action has been or is to be taken against members of the former Provincial Heritage and Resources Authority (PHRA) Council, as the tender process for the PHRA website was ignored for an invalid reason;

(2) whether charges of financial misconduct are to be filed against the chairperson of the PHRA Council for bypassing the tender process, as stipulated in the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999; if not, why not; if so, when;

(3) how many meetings (a) did the present chairperson of the PHRA Council attend during his last term of office and (b) were held by the PHRA Council in the past three years;

(4) whether the chairperson submitted written apologies, as required, for the meetings he did not attend?

81. Mr J C Cupido to ask the MEC responsible for Finance, Economic Development and Environmental Affairs:

(1) (a) How many traffic fines were received by any (i) MPLs, (ii) Heads of Department, (iii) Senior Managers and (iv) any other staff that fall under his Department while using any departmental vehicles or vehicles hired by his Department in (aa) 2008/2009 and (bb) 2009/2010 up to and including the latest specified date for which information is available and (b) what were the details of these fines in each case;

(2) whether his Department had paid these fines as at the latest specified date for which information is available; if so, what amount was paid for each specified fine;

(3) whether any vehicle damage was incurred by any (a) MPLs, (b) Heads of Department, (c) Senior Managers and (d) any other staff that fall under his Department while using any departmental vehicles or vehicles hired by her Department in (i) 2008/2009 and (ii) 2009/2010 up to and including the latest specified date for which information is available; if so, what are the relevant details in each case;

(4) what is his Department’s policy in respect of recovering monies from MPLs or staff who (a) have been given speeding fines and (b) have caused damage to departmental or hired vehicles?

82. Mr R S Stevenson to ask the MEC responsible for Finance, Economic Development and Environmental Affairs:

(1) What amount was paid to Dompas Media Productions in relation to the failed three-day Nelson Mandela Bay International Music Festival;

(2) whether the Eastern Cape Tourism Board exercised due diligence in ensuring that this company was capable of handling such an event; if not, (a) why not and (b) what are the further relevant details;

(3) whether the full Board approved the decision to appoint this company to handle the project; if not, what structure approved the decision;

(4) whether any conditions were laid down by the Board in respect of the utilisation of money for this project; if not, why not; if so,

(5) whether these conditions were adhered to; if not, why not;

(6) whether any steps have been or are to be taken by his Department with a view to recovering its money in terms of the forensic audit that has been undertaken in this regard;

(7) whether any disciplinary action has been or is to be taken against any officials who approved this funding; if not, why not; if so, what action;

(8) whether his Department will supply a copy of the forensic audit into this matter; if not, why not?

83. Ms V Mvenya to ask the MEC responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development:

(1) Whether he has been informed of the auction of moveable assets belonging to the Ncora irrigation scheme, which was advertised in the Daily Dispatch of 19 and 20 February 2010; if so, (a) why were these assets auctioned and (b) what amount was realised from this auction;

(2) whether the Ncora irrigation scheme was still functional as at the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

84. Mr R S Stevenson to ask the MEC responsible for Provincial Safety, Liaison and Transport:

(1) Whether any further progress had been made with regard to the establishment of a community court in the Port Elizabeth Central area as at the latest specified date for which information is available; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether her Department regards the establishment of such a court as necessary; if so, (a) what steps will it take to expedite the matter and (b) when;

(3) whether her Department has been informed that the Department of Justice is still in favour of the establishment of this court; if so, what was the latest information received from the Department of Justice in this regard?

85. Mr R S Stevenson to ask the MEC responsible for Education:

(1) Whether his Department owns a property at 7 Hartley Road, Parsons Hill, Port Elizabeth; if so,

(2) whether he has been informed that an application has been made to the city council to renovate the building so that parts of it can be converted into a bed and breakfast; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) (a) to whom was this property leased as at the latest specified date for which information is available and (b) what are the terms of the lease;

(4) whether his Department has given permission for the building to be renovated; if so, what are the relevant details;

(5) whether it is in line with departmental policy for a person to lease a house and subsequently convert it into a business; if so, what are the relevant details;

(6) whether any steps have been or are to be taken with a view to addressing this matter; if not, why not; if so, what steps?