Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile in his capacity as the Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), will on Sunday, 24 March 2024, deliver the keynote address at the national World TB Day commemorative event, and Launch the SANAC Situation Room, Evaton, in the Sedibeng District, Gauteng province. 
 
World TB Day is commemorated each year on March 24, to build public awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease. This day is also designated to highlight the devastating health, social and economic impact of TB. South Africa remain amongst countries hardest-hit by TB disease and it has remained the leading cause of death in the country, claiming around 56 000 lives a year, 53% of which are people living with HIV.
 
This year’s official country theme for World TB Day is "Yes! You and I Can End TB", a clarion call to encourage all South Africans to contribute to the national effort against TB. The theme also emphasises the importance of being accountable as an individual and as part of a collective.
 
The significance of this year’s commemoration will be marked by the launch of the SANAC Situation Room, a cutting-edge data visualization and analytics platform that provides up-to-date statistics in an easy-to-use format to support evidence-based decision making and planning. It does this by bringing together both biomedical and non-biomedical data from a variety of disparate data sources and consolidates it into a single repository from which insights and nuances can be drawn. 
 
The World TB Day commemoration will be preceded by Policy-in-Action engagements led by the SANAC Civil Society Forum in collaboration with government, the private sector and development partners on 22 and 23 March in various areas around Sedibeng District in Gauteng.
 
Deputy President Mashatile will be joined by the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla; Premier of Gauteng, Mr Panyaza Lesufi; SANAC Civil Society Chairperson, Ms Steve Letsike; Chairperson of the SANAC Private Sector Forum, Ms Mpumi Zikalala as well as representatives from development partners inclusive of United Nations Agencies, USA Government Agencies, research entities, civil society movements and the private sector.
 
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the commemorative event as follows:
 
Date: Sunday, 24 March 2024
Time: 08H30
Venue: Wilberforce Community College, Evaton, Gauteng Province* 
 
Media Programme:
 
Photo-Opportunity
08h30: Arrival of the Deputy President at Wilberforce Community College, Evaton

Media in Attendance
09h30: Launch of the Situation Room 
11h30: World TB Day Message by Deputy President 
13h30: Integrated Health Service Delivery Blitz - Evaton Mall, Orange Farm & Spar Zone 3  
 
For media queries, please contact:
 
1. The Presidency – Sam Bopape: matome@presidency.gov.za / 082 318 5251
2. SANAC – Nelson Dlamini: nelson@sanac.org.za / 078 731 0313
3. Department of Health – Foster Mohale: foster.mohale@health.gov.za / 072 432 3792
 
Members of the media are kindly requested to RSVP with their full name, designation, media house and ID numbers to Simangaliso Motsepe: simangaliso@sanac.org.za 
 

Media enquiries: Mr. Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to Deputy President Mashatile on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

 
 

QUESTION 

1. Dr MME Tlhape (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic: 

Considering that the land reform programme in the agricultural sector has resulted in a growth of 4,2% per annum with 985 000 persons employed in the sector, as well as an increase in employment in the last quarter of 27 000 persons, what is the integrated plan of the Government going forward to maintain growth and job creation in the agricultural sector through land reform? 

REPLY:

Honourable Members, 

Land reform is vital to the transformation of our society and to correct historical injustices.

Redistribution, restitution and the provision of secure tenure also contribute to greater agricultural activity and enable more people to earn a living off farming.

Government’s land reform programme is supported by several complementary programmes and initiatives to enable growth and job creation.

In May 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development signed the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan with partners in business and labour.

Among many other things, the plan supports the acceleration of land reform and outlines actions that the private sector can take to support optimal use of land available to black farmers as a result of land reform projects

These actions include support to black farmers and SMMEs at the processing level to have better access to domestic and export markets.

The plan also encourages large commercial farmers to participate voluntarily in the land reform programme by donating land to historically disadvantaged farmers or participating in joint ventures to facilitate linkages between small- and medium-scale farmers operating on a commercial basis.

If the proposed interventions are implemented effectively, the social partners believe that by 2030, the agricultural sector can grow by an additional R32 billion above the ‘business-as-usual’ baseline.

Through this plan, they intend to maintain the existing jobs in the sector and create many more jobs by 2030.

For the economic potential of our land reform programme to be fully realised, we are prioritising broader rural development.

The Integrated Rural Development Sector Strategy of 2023 aims, among other things, to revitalise the rural economy through investment in, and development of, rural infrastructure.

This includes investment in roads, bridges and other transport infrastructure, water and irrigation schemes, public health and education. 

The strategy also provides for support to industries that support rural development, including agriculture and agro-processing, mining, the digital economy, the ocean economy, tourism, arts and culture.

Improvements in rural infrastructure are necessary if we are to reap the economic potential of land reform. Beneficiaries of the various land reform projects need to be able to access water resources, get their produce to market, participate in local economic activity and have ready access to funding and other support.

The land reform programme is also supported by initiatives that support skills development and employment, particularly for the youth.

Through the National Rural Youth Service Corps – or NARYSEC – government provides young people with the skills and capabilities to participate in the economy. Through such rural development initiatives more than 1,100 jobs have been facilitated in the current financial year.

Through Presidential Employment Stimulus, more than 180,000 agricultural production inputs vouchers have been issued to subsistence producers. 

The Presidential Employment Stimulus has also worked with the provincial departments of agriculture and social partners to provide support to more than 62,000 subsistence and smallholder producers to strengthen self-employment and food security. 

Through these complementary programmes and initiatives, we are working to ensure that land reform is harnessed more effectively to support the growth of agriculture and agro-processing and to expand employment and livelihoods in this vital industry.

I thank you.  


QUESTION 

2. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic: 

Whether, with reference to his commitment during his reply to the debate on the State of the Nation Address on 20 February 2018 that lifestyle audits will be done starting with Members of the Executive and his pledge on 31 August 2020 to conduct lifestyle audits on all public representatives in light of it becoming compulsory on 1 April 2021 for all Ministries and departments to conduct lifestyle audits and noting his reassurance in his State of the Nation Address on 10 February 2022 that lifestyle audits were already being implemented across the Public Service, the lifestyle audits on Members of the Executive have now been concluded since his reply to oral question 13 on 5 September 2023; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details of the outcomes of the lifestyle audits? 

REPLY:

Honourable Members, 

After several delays, lifestyle audits of Members of the Executive are underway. This process is being led by the Director-General in the Presidency and Secretary of Cabinet. 

The President, Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers are currently in the process of submitting addional information required for these audits. 

As I have indicated before, the aim of a lifestyle audit is to collect as much information as possible on an individual’s lifestyle to be able to identify when an individual’s expenditure exceeds his or her income. In itself a lifestyle audit is not conclusive, but may indicate that further investigation is required to establish if there is any wrongdoing. 

Due to cost containment measures in government, it was decided to build capacity within the Office of the Director-General to conduct these lifestyle audits.

The Office of the Director-General had to source competent and skilled personnel with experience in conducting lifestyle audits. The capacity building exercise took longer than anticipated which impacted negatively on the timelines for the audits. 

This is the first time that national government is conducting lifestyle audits of Members of the Executive, requiring new systems, processes and methodologies to be developed. 

The Director-General will decide on the most appropriate way to communicate the outcomes of the audits once completed.

I thank you.


QUESTION 

3. Mr M Nontsele (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic: 

Considering that since its implementation the Presidential Employment Stimulus has created an estimated 1,2 million job opportunities for particularly youth and women, how (a) does the Government intend to intensify the specified programme to expand public employment and (b) will the Government ensure that the programme is linked to skills development? 

REPLY:

Honourable Members, 

Between October 2020 and December 2023, the Presidential Employment Stimulus has created work and livelihood opportunities for over 1.7 million people. 

Of the participants in the various programmes, 65 percent are women and 85 percent are young people.

The Presidential Employment Stimulus has built an institutional architecture that is able to scale rapidly should the opportunity to do so arise. 

Right now, fiscal constraints mean that while the programme has been extended to March 2025, it is not currently able to expand. 

The focus in the coming year is therefore on taking the quality of outcomes to the next level, focusing on enhancing the work experience for participants as well as on the quality of the social value they create for communities. 

This includes skills development – both ‘soft’ skills derived from work experience as well as more formal skills development. 

Different programmes are able to achieve this to different extents, depending on the budgets made available. For example, in the Social Employment Fund, the skills development offered is a key criterion in the selection of implementing partners. 

Programmes such as the Basic Education Employment Initiative have also augmented what they can offer by building partnerships with the SETA system, with TVETs and also with organisations outside of the state. 

The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention’s approach to skills development focuses on demand-led skilling, which is about increasing the relevance and delivery of interventions that address current skills gaps and emerging needs. 

To take forward this work, the Department of Higher Education and Training, with the support of the Presidency, has established demand-led skilling workstreams in priority growth sectors. This is to ensure that skilling interventions respond to demand and encourage inclusive hiring for young people and marginalised communities. 

The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention’s, in partnership with the National Skills Fund, has also launched Jobs Boost, a R300 million outcomes fund that will fund implementing organisations to skill 4,500 marginalised young people and place them in sustainable, quality jobs.

The Presidential Employment Stimulus and the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention have made a real difference in the lives of millions of young people. 

Through the work already done, we have established a firm foundation for these intiatives to make an even greater contribution to addressing poverty, unemployment and inequality in our country.
 
I thank you. 
 

QUESTION 

4.     Mr V F Hlabisa (IFP) to ask the President of the Republic: 

Whether, in light of his one-month suspension of the Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Ms E D Peters, who counts among members of his Executive that were implicated in the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State (the Zondo Commission), he now intends to take action against other specified members of the Executive that were also implicated in the report; if not, how does he account for failing to act on the Zondo Commission Report into State Capture after R1 billion was spent to produce its findings; if so, when will he act? 

REPLY:

Honourable Members, 

This government has acted decisively and with purpose to respond to the findings and recommendations of the State Capture Commission.

On 22 October 2022, I submitted to Parliament my intentions with regards to the implementation of the recommendations of the State Capture Commission.

Among other things, the State Capture Commission made over 200 recommendations with respect to criminal investigation and possible prosecution of individuals, entities and named groups of people.

These recommendations were directed by the Commission to law enforcement agencies. The commission also made recommendations with respect to further investigation of and possible action by the relevant bodies against individuals and entities for disciplinary offences, tax offences, delinquency of directors and other activities.

The Presidency provided each of the bodies to which such recommendations were directed with copies of each part of the State Capture Commission Report as they were received by the Commission, so that they may act on the recommendations in line with their respective mandates.

As has been reported on several occasions to this Parliament and to the public more broadly, these recommendations are currently receiving attention from law enforcement agencies and the other bodies.

Therefore, as regards the recommendations with respect to criminal investigation and possible prosecution and other actions against individuals, the President has fully acted upon the recommendations of the Commission.

As I indicated in a written reply to this House on 17 November 2022, any actions that I take with respect to members of the executive about whom the Commission made findings will be informed by the outcomes of the processes undertaken by the relevant entities.

The extensive actions that this administration has taken on the recommendations of the State Capture Commission – including the introduction of draft legislative changes that are currently before this House – have been detailed in several public reports.

The most recent comprehensive report was published in November 2023, and there is a searchable online database that enables members of the public – and indeed Members of Parliament – to track progress. 

The report and the database may be found at: www.stateofthenation.gov.za.

I thank you.

QUESTION 

5. Dr PJ Groenewald (FF Plus) to ask the President of the Republic: 

In most democracies that place a high premium on good governance, members of the Executive lose their positions as holders of a public office once they undermine the public’s trust through their actions and conduct, as established by Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests in the matter of the then Minister of Transport, now the Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Ms E D Peters, why would he therefore suspend the Deputy Minister, Ms E D Peters, for only one month instead of removing her from Office as would be the ordinary democratic practice commensurate with good governance and his sworn fight against corruption? 

REPLY:

Honourable Members, 

This administration places a premium on good governance, due process and the rule of law. 

This House made certain determinations in relation to Deputy Minister Peters. 

I have sanctioned her in relation to these. In my view the sanctioned imposed on her was commensurate with the breaches this House found her to have committed, over and above the sanctions imposed by this House.

Other current Members of the Executive implicated by the State Capture Commission have not been charged or found wanting in terms of ethical breaches by any body at this stage. 

As I have said before in this House, any actions that I take with respect to members of the executive about whom the Commission made findings will be informed by the outcomes of the processes undertaken by the relevant entities.

It is important to note that Parliament itself has an important role in combatting corruption and state capture through its own Committees, for instance, through the Ethics Committee and the Powers and Privileges Committee.

I thank you.

 
QUESTION 

6. Ms GK Tseke (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic: 

What is the comprehensive strategy for social infrastructure that the Government is implementing to increase the capacity for planning, project preparation, as well as project implementation to address the low level of planning and budgeting for infrastructure maintenance? 

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

One of the most important pillars of government’s economic recovery plan is a significant increase in infrastructure investment. This has meant that we have had to give specific attention to effective project preparation and the mobilisation of funding on a far larger scale.

We have amended the Division of Revenue Act to provide for the pledging of future infrastructure grants to crowd-in private sector finance and to leverage external technical capacity.

This will facilitate integrated planning and implementation. It will also enable the development of a funded maintenance programme, a monitoring and evaluation framework, and a governance structure to manage the programme delivery.

I previously spoke about the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape as pilot provinces to address the social infrastructure backlog in schools as well as in housing.

Infrastructure South Africa is making use of its project preparation facility to support the two pilot provinces to develop quality business cases for submission to the Treasury Loans Coordinating Committee and the Budget Facility for Infrastructure. 

Through this mechanism we will ensure that social infrastructure, particularly health and education infrastructure, is delivered in a manner that is cost-effective. It will also help to increases the participation of the private sector, both in terms of financing this build programme and also drawing on its expertise and capabilities.

As part of capacity building, the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent – MISA – is developing guidelines for municipalities to use for project scoping and packaging. Importantly, the Municipal Infrastructure Grant makes provision for a portion of the grant to be utilised for refurbishment.

Through these efforts, the infrastructure build programme is starting to gain momentum.

Infrastructure projects worth over R230 billion are currently in construction, including in energy, water, roads, rural bridges, human settlements and student accommodation.

These projects are contributing to greater economic activity and creating employment while improving the lives of South Africans and expanding the capacity of our economy.

I thank you.

Programme Director;
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Mr Sihle Zikalala;
Premier of the Western Cape, Mr Alan Winde;
Honourable Ministers from other countries on the African continent;
Ministers and Deputy Ministers;
Delegates;
Sponsors,
Distinguished guests;

Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to speak at the 2024 Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium, which has become a valuable platform to enable greater investment in infrastructure in South Africa.

Investment in infrastructure is central to the achievement of our development goals. 

Infrastructure is an enormous economic multiplier, providing dividends for an economy long after the infrastructure has been built. 

This Symposium is an important part of our effort to close the infrastructure spending gap in our country. 

It is estimated that to achieve our infrastructure goals, we need an additional R1.6 trillion in public sector infrastructure investment and a further R3.2 trillion from the private sector by 2030. 

A number of bold initiatives are being implemented to deliver infrastructure at the required scale and pace. 

We are working on reforms to develop sustainable infrastructure, lift business confidence and encourage investment. 

These reforms include the amendment of the Division of Revenue Act to enable provincial governments to use their infrastructure grants and budget allocations to crowd-in private sector finance for large social infrastructure programmes.

These programmes focus specifically on health and education. 

Among other things, this would enable government to diversify infrastructure financing through innovative solutions. 

Amendments to the Public Private Partnership regulations, which have recently been published for public comment, are part of broader reforms to mobilise and pool public and private sector resources for infrastructure. 

The operationalisation of the Infrastructure Fund has seen a steady growth in the portfolio of blended finance projects that use relatively small fiscal allocations to de-risk public infrastructure projects and raise finance in debt capital markets. 

Through the work that has been done in transforming the infrastructure landscape, the total value of the country’s Strategic Integrated Projects has grown from R340 billion in July 2020 to R540 billion now. 

Eighteen projects, valued at around R10 billion, have been completed, covering human settlements, roads, water and sanitation. 

The value of projects currently in construction is over R230 billion.

Projects worth nearly R170 billion are currently in procurement. 

It is significant that blended finance projects, which leverage private sector financing, are also growing steadily. 

In this calendar year, eleven such projects, with a total investment value of R45 billion, are expected to reach financial close. 

One of the areas that we have focused on is the unblocking of multiple government authorisations, permits, licences and exemptions. 

To date, Infrastructure South Africa has unblocked a total of R25 billion worth of projects in the renewable energy space using the Infrastructure Development Act to fast-track government authorisations. 

Among the Strategic Integrated Projects, the energy portfolio has the biggest project pipeline, covering transmission, gas, renewables and green hydrogen. 

The project pipeline comprises more than 100 projects amounting to R240 billion. 

South Africa is positioning itself to be a leader in green hydrogen, working towards a sustainable future driven by innovation. 

The green hydrogen programme, estimated at R300 billion and comprised of 14 projects, is an important part of the country’s just transition. 

Major water infrastructure projects are under construction in several parts of the country, expanding the capacity of our dams and bulk water infrastructure. 

The transport sector is one the best performing portfolios in the SIP pipeline, with six projects worth R25 billion completed to date, and a further five projects currently in construction. 

The human settlements portfolio has to date created over 38,000 direct jobs and nearly 9,000 housing units have been constructed. 

The key to developing a bankable and viable project pipeline is project preparation. 

Projects being taken to procurement without the requisite readiness often lead to cost and time overruns during implementation. 

We have made bold and decisive interventions to provide a predictable funding regime for project preparation and consolidate expertise in developing bankable projects through our own infrastructure development agency, Infrastructure South Africa. 

Infrastructure South Africa is re-orientating project preparation to promote growth and enable export sectors, manufacturing and the green economy. 

It is focusing on projects that contribute to job creation, both during construction and operations. 

It is promoting economic competitiveness through projects that help integrate South Africa into global supply chains, particularly focusing on rail and port.

Infrastructure South Africa is also preparing projects in a manner that contributes to inclusivity by broadening the participation of local content.

This approach is being applied to what it has identified as the top 12 priority infrastructure projects, with a cumulative project value of more than R180 billion.

It is anticipated that more than 400,000 jobs, both direct and indirect, will be created during the construction and operation of these projects. 

The top 12 priority infrastructure projects aim to leverage technical and financial expertise of development finance institutions and multilateral development banks to increase the capacity of the state. 

The priority projects include the Fetakgomo Tubatse, Namakwa and Nkomazi Special Economic Zones, which are earmarked for project preparation support. 

Four of the top 12 priority projects support the planned investment in rail and ports to alleviate the freight congestion, shift transportation of goods from road to rail, and boost exports through improved access to international markets. 

There also priority projects for project preparation in energy security and the green economy, such as Eskom’s gas project at Mossel Bay and pumped hydro storage project in Fetakgomo Tubatse Special Economic Zone. 

Water infrastructure projects have traditionally been financed largely through the fiscus. 

Through the preparation of both the Amathole Water bulk supply augmentation and the Rooiwal waste water treatment plant, Infrastructure South Africa is aiming to leverage private sector involvement in the financing and delivery of these projects. 

The health and education programmes included in the top 12 priority projects are aimed at addressing the funding challenge, avoiding cost and schedule overruns and ensuring integrated planning and proper procurement processes. 

We are working to rebuild the construction industry and ensure that it is able to deliver projects on time, within budget and to the right quality. 

With well over 1.2 million people employed in the industry, there needs to be a constant reliable pipeline of projects that enables the sector and its supplier industry to plan ahead. 

Infrastructure South Africa is today publishing the first edition of a Construction Book that showcases 153 infrastructure projects across five major state-owned enterprises. These include Transnet Freight Rail, Transnet National Ports Authority, Airports Company South Africa, Eskom and SANRAL. 

The projects showcased in this Construction Book will contribute to greater economic growth, while at the same time supporting the provision of public services and laying the foundation for long-term growth. 

The Construction Book, a first of its kind in South Africa, demonstrates government’s ambition to drive economic development through the construction sector and deliver high quality infrastructure projects that create value in the economy and society.

We are not limiting our ambition to South Africa alone.

The development and integration of the African continent requires a massive investment in infrastructure, including regional infrastructure. 

We have built broad political consensus on the need for infrastructure integration, but despite this, progress on implementing regional and continent-wide infrastructure has been slow. 

Compared to other regions of the world, Sub-Saharan Africa has the longest export times, the highest export costs and onerous border compliance requirements. 

Transport costs along Southern African Development Community corridors are among the highest in the world, with border posts imposing significant costs and time delays. 

We therefore welcome the inaugural Leaders Forum Meeting convened by Minister Sihle Zikalala yesterday. 

We hope that it will bring fresh momentum to regional and continent-wide projects, institutionalise platforms of engagement and lead to a sharing of resources for project preparation and execution, finance and private sector participation. 

We must be resolute as we work to progress projects to financial close and implementation. 

We must continue our efforts to create the right environment to develop better infrastructure, and we must improve the delivery of catalytic infrastructure projects that connect countries and regions. 

Since it was first held in 2020, the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium has been an essential part of the growth of infrastructure investment in our country.

As we reflect on the great progress that has been made, we look ahead to even better prospects for growth and development in our economy.

We have done much over the last few years. Through this Symposium we are laying a foundation to do much more.

I thank you.