QUESTION 1 (CO1387E)

7. Mr K M Mmoiemang (Northern Cape: ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:

(1) Whether the Government has developed any mechanisms to monitor the (a) state of service delivery and (b) quality of services that are offered by (i) Government departments, (ii) provinces and (iii) municipalities across the country which are adequately responding to the needs of communities; if not; why not; if so, (a) what progress has been made in this regard;

(2) whether the Government has identified main causes of poor service delivery in many townships and informal settlements across the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality area; if not, why not; if so, (a) what plans are in place to expedite basic service delivery in the said areas and (b) what are the further relevant details?

REPLY:
 
Chairperson of the NCOP,

As we start this session, I wish to express our deep condolences to the families of those travellers who lost their lives in a horrific bus crash near Makhado on Sunday, and to the nations of Zimbabwe and Malawi, who lost their compatriots.

Our thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased. We wish the dozens of injured persons a full and speedy recovery.

Honourable Members,

Government has a comprehensive framework to monitor the state of service delivery and the quality of services offered by municipalities. 

The Department of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation monitors Government’s programmes and conducts oversight visits to advance the goals set out in the Medium Term Development Plan. 

Government has adopted the District Development Model, which is an integrated planning, budgeting and implementation framework.

This helps to ensure that all three spheres of Government work together in a coherent and coordinated manner, together with other role-players in the District. 

The implementation of the plans developed through the District Development Model is monitored to track progress on service delivery and other developmental outcomes.

The Department monitors and supports municipalities in a number of ways.

These include the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Municipal Performance Turnaround Strategy, which is responsible for strategic interventions in prioritised municipalities to strengthen financial stability and enhance service delivery.

The Department of Cooperative Governance leads the implementation of Municipal Support and Improvement Plans for distressed municipalities. These are integrated support plans tailored to address specific service delivery and governance challenges. The implementation of these plans is monitored and reported on, on a quarterly basis.

The Metro Trading Services Programmes is a reform programme led by the National Treasury to address infrastructure deficiencies and enhance service delivery in municipal trading services such as water, electricity, sanitation and waste management.

National Treasury rigorously monitors municipal financial health through the Local Government Revenue and Expenditure Reports. 

This system tracks budget credibility, spending on service delivery infrastructure, revenue collection and debt levels.

The City of Cape Town shares many of the challenges of other metros and cities.

These include rapid urbanisation and population shifts, leading to increased pressure on services like housing, water and sanitation.

The legacy of apartheid spatial planning placed many townships and informal settlements far away in distance from economic hubs and service centres.

While the City of Cape Town tends to perform well on measures of financial governance, it has not demonstrated significant progress in reducing the levels of inequality within the metro.

In fact, census data shows that in the decade between 2011 and 2022, Cape Town performed worse than the average of all metros in expanding access to services such as refuse removal, piped water, electricity and flush toilets.

Analysis of the City’s budget suggests that the per capita investment in infrastructure and service delivery is significantly lower in townships and informal settlements than in the City’s more affluent areas.

In the spirit of cooperative governance and the Constitution, the National Government works with municipalities across the country – including the City of Cape Town – to address these and other challenges.

This assistance includes conditional grants for infrastructure and capacity building, technical assistance programmes, training for municipal officials and infrastructure development support.

The National Government is committed to working with provincial governments and municipalities to ensure all the country’s citizens enjoy equal access to quality services.

I thank you.

QUESTION 2 (CO1395E)

8. Ms N S Du Plessis (Gauteng: DA) to ask the President of the Republic:

What concrete steps have been taken to address the reported allegations of criminality and corruption against a certain Minister (details furnished) as his serious measures to root out corruption in Cabinet?

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

To overcome the scourge of corruption in our society, we need to uphold and advance the rule of law. We need to ensure that due process is followed without fear, favour or prejudice.

Since the start of this Presidency in 2018, we have focused on rebuilding our law enforcement agencies, strengthening and resourcing our institutions and entrenching the independence of the Judiciary.

The results of these efforts are now plain to see.

Bodies like the Special Investigating Unit, the Hawks and the Investigating Directorate against Corruption are registering significant progress in uncovering corruption, making arrests, embarking on prosecutions and recovering stolen assets.

These bodies have shown that they do not fear to act. As we speak, senior figures in Government, State-owned enterprises and business are standing trial for alleged corruption.

We have introduced a tracking mechanism to ensure that referrals from the Special Investigating Unit are implemented.

Members of the National Executive are not above the law. 

If there are credible allegations against anyone in Cabinet, they should be investigated by the relevant law enforcement agency.

If any member of the National Executive is charged with corruption or another serious crime, they will need to vacate their position pending the outcome of any case against them.

The fight against corruption must be grounded in the rule of law and due process.
Corruption must be rooted out in all its forms in all of our society.

I thank you.
 
QUESTION 3 (CO1388E)

9. Ms M Dhlamini (Free State: ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:

(1) Whether the Government is making any progress in (a) reviving local industries and (b) strengthening the manufacturing sector through localisation to create (i) local economic and/or (ii) employment opportunities among communities; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details.

(2) whether the said progress includes reviving and/or harnessing local manufacturing and textile industries; if not, why not; if so, (a) what progress is the Government making to support (i) automotive and (ii) agricultural industries to strengthen their capacity to create more employment opportunities for local communities and (b) what are the further relevant details?        

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

Government continues its efforts to expand and deepen the domestic market as a driver of inclusive growth. 

Government has put measures to revive local industries through supporting domestic production, strengthening supply chains and reducing reliance on imports. 

These measures include the implementation of industrial masterplans in key sectors, such as automotive, poultry, furniture, sugar, clothing and textiles, and steel.

Government is supporting the revival of manufacturing capabilities by using state procurement and by engaging with various procuring entities to support procurement of locally manufactured products and services. 

According to local content declarations by organs of state, R11.7 billion worth of tenders with previously designated products for local content and production were awarded between July and September 2025. 

This Government expenditure supports local manufacturers in value chains spanning from steel products, clothing and textiles and furniture to boats and working vessels, cables, electric transformers and valves. 

Government has been assisting the clothing and textile industry through an incentive programme called the Clothing, Textiles, Footwear and Leather Growth Programme. 

This programme provides a combination of a grant and a loan to support the competitiveness and sustainability of companies related to people, process, product, market and capital equipment.

In the automotive sector, government is in the process of reviewing the Automotive Production and Development Programme.

This aims to realign South Africa’s automotive policy framework with a rapidly evolving global environment driven by the transition to electric vehicles.

The framework will be realigned while ensuring that we preserve our auto manufacturing capabilities as a country.

A central focus is on the fiscal and policy environment to determine whether these mechanisms adequately promote domestic vehicle demand, localisation and green industrial investment. 

The review also examines opportunities for mineral beneficiation, recognising South Africa’s rich endowment of critical minerals and their potential to support local battery assembly and broader electric vehicle value-chain development. 

Government also supports the agro-processing sector through various initiatives under the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan and the Industrial Policy.

These include incentive programmes such as the Agro-processing Support Scheme, the IDC Agri-Industrial Fund, Land Bank and the Department of Agriculture’s Blended Finance Scheme to promote investment in value-added agricultural production.

Other initiatives include the promotion of local sourcing by major retailers and food manufacturers and support to black industrialists and agro-preneurs in expanding export markets.

We are focused on boosting exports and reducing reliance on raw commodity exports.

The Government’s industrialisation drive seeks to revive and strengthen the manufacturing sector to improve job creation and retention, increased industrial output and enhanced export competitiveness.

I thank you.

 
QUESTION 4 (CO1391E)

10. Ms M Makesini (Free State: EFF) to ask the President of the Republic:

With reference to the failing state of the country’s railway stations and the collapse of commuter rail services, (a) what are the Government’s plans to revive the rail sector, (b) how will such revival contribute to (i) job creation and (ii) economic growth and (c) what time frames have been set to ensure that rail infrastructure is restored to serve communities and the economy effectively?

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

The Government, through PRASA, has embarked on a comprehensive recovery and modernisation plan for the country’s commuter rail services, which had severely deteriorated due to infrastructure neglect, corruption, vandalism and operational failures. 

This includes upgrading the signalling and telecommunications system on the Metrorail network to restore core rail functions. 

This will enable higher-frequency services and safer, more reliable operations.

There has been substantial capital investment over recent years on rolling stock acquisition and infrastructure recovery.

Plans are underway to restore and optimise recovered service lines, reintroduce signalling, and deploy "on-track machines" to improve track quality.

The infrastructure-led recovery programme is expected to create between 350,000 and 400,000 jobs through direct, indirect and induced effects. 

The full recovery of PRASA’s commuter rail services is projected to add R34 billion to South Africa’s GDP annually. 

This recovery also supports approximately 150,000 jobs each year and injects over R15 billion into household incomes, with a fiscal benefit of around R11 billion in government revenues.

Beyond quantifiable economic benefits, the project will improve safety, reduce travel costs, lower road maintenance costs and decrease carbon emissions.

It will promote social welfare by restoring dignity and reliable transport access to millions, all of which contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

PRASA has made significant progress, recovering 35 lines or substantial sections over the past three years. It aims to achieve 116 million passenger trips in the current year, which it hopes to more than double over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period.

In summary, the Government’s revival plan includes significant capital investments and operational reforms aimed at restoring the rail network within the next three years.

This will yield substantial benefits in job creation and economic growth through the restoration and modernisation of rail infrastructure and services.

I thank you.

QUESTION 5 (CO1392E)

11. Ms S M Mokoena (KwaZulu-Natal: MKP) to ask the President of the Republic:

(a) What are the principles that have truly defined his presidency as he has promised a ‘new dawn’ that has been built on integrity, accountability and renewal in 2018 (details furnished) and (b) how he reconciles such stated principles with the grim reality which is facing ordinary South Africans today?

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

In the State of the Nation Address on 15 February 2018, I said we were determined to build a society defined by decency and integrity.

I said that, as South Africans, we had to seize the moment of hope and renewal, and to work together to ensure that it makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our people.

The Honourable Member may recall where the country was at that time.

The institutions of our state had been captured by criminal interests. People had been placed within our most critical institutions for the sole purpose of redirecting public funds towards the enrichment of a corrupt few.

The extent and depth of this criminal conduct was laid bare before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry.

The impact of state capture extended far beyond the loss of billions of rands of public funds. It contributed to a decline in investor confidence. It rendered companies like Eskom and Transnet unable to meet their responsibilities to produce electricity and efficiently transport goods. It undermined the ability of the state to collect revenue, and hindered the police, NPA and other law enforcement agencies from acting against criminals.

The task that we have had is to undo that legacy.

First, we acted decisively to end state capture. We started rebuilding institutions like SARS, the NPA, the SAPS, the Hawks and the State Security Agencies, ensuring that credible people were appointed to head those bodies.

Over the last few years, these agencies have made significant progress in prosecuting many of those allegedly responsible for state capture and recovering billions of rands in stolen funds. The work to tackle corruption is gaining momentum with each passing day.

We have seen progress in other areas. 

The capture, corruption and mismanagement at Eskom prior to 2018 laid the basis for the most severe and sustained period of load shedding in our history. Through hard work, commitment and focus, we have turned that situation around. In the 2025 financial year, for example, the country experienced loadshedding on just 13 days, down from 329 days the year before.

We have seen similar recoveries in entities like Transnet, PRASA, SAA and SARS, where the institutions have been stabilised and there is a clear and steady improvement in their performance.

But while there is progress, there is still much further to go.

Not only do we need to rebuild in the wake of the era of state capture and undo the persistent legacy of apartheid and colonialism, but we have also had to contend with the devastating economic impact of COVID, catastrophic flooding and the civil unrest of July 2021.

That is why this Government of National Unity is at one on the actions we must take to drive faster and inclusive economic growth and job creation. We have a clear programme to tackle poverty and the high cost of living, and to build a capable state, particularly at a local level.

Across all of these areas, we are seeing fundamental progress that will ultimately transform our country and the lives of our people.

I thank you.

QUESTION 6 (CO1389E)

12. Ms D W Fienies (Northern Cape: ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:

(1) Whether, in light of the persisting genocide and atrocities in Gaza by Israel, including the persisting diabolical use of starvation as a weapon of a senseless vicious war against the people of Palestine that represents an affront to international justice principles and the rule of law, South Africa has considered approaching the International Court of Justice to compel it to rule on Israel in committing genocide in Gaza; if not, why not; if so,

(2) whether Israel has complied with the order to take actions to prevent genocide in Gaza Strip; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY:

Honourable Members,

South Africa has already instituted proceedings at the International Court of Justice arguing that Israel is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention. 

The Court has ordered provisional measures against Israel on three separate occasions, which Israel continues to violate. 

These proceedings are ongoing, and Israel is due to deliver its Counter Memorial to the Court by 12 January 2026. 

The Court will thereafter set the dates for the merits phase of the proceedings. 

As the ICJ is fully seized with the matter, South Africa, as a party to the proceedings, cannot compel the Court to rule expeditiously or to influence its processes in any way. 

Several international processes are underway to end Israel’s unlawful conduct in Gaza, and to ensure that there will be no impunity for the atrocity crimes it continues to commit against the Palestinian people.

These processes are taking place at the United Nations, through the Hague Group – which is a global bloc of states committed to defend international law and act in solidarity with the people of Palestine – and by civil society actors across the world 

We welcome the first phase of a peace plan between Israel and Hamas, including the ceasefire and release of hostages and political prisoners. These are steps which we have consistently called for. 

The peace deal must lay the basis for an inclusive process that outlines a clear path to an independent and viable Palestinian state, existing in peace alongside a secure and peaceful Israel.

The Government of South Africa remains resolutely committed to using every available legal and diplomatic avenue to protect the Palestinian people and to uphold the rule of international law.

I thank you.