Hon Speaker and hon members, on 15 June the Human Resource Development Council, after a thorough multistakeholder consultative process, endorsed the artisan recognition of prior learning system.
In support of the endorsement by the council, the Department of Higher Education and Training allocated an amount of R41 million for the development of a national artisan recognition of prior learning system for the period 2012 to 2015.
The project will develop an advisor training programme and produce toolkits for specific trades to assist further education and training colleges in the certification of candidates with prior learning experience.
I am informed by the Department of Higher Education and Training that a pilot phase of the project is scheduled to start in April this year and more than 4 000 applications have been received from artisan assistants who wish to participate in the programme. I thank you for your attention. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker, I thank the hon Deputy President for the response. I think the timelines that you have given in your response, hon Deputy President, will assist us as Members of Parliament to monitor that, because this is one of the areas that we have worried about. We see a lot of exploitation of these people who have incredible skills but who do not have certificates. We see them being exploited by some of the industries. Thank you very much, hon Deputy President.
Hon Speaker, I wish to say this to the hon Deputy President. Given the crucial function and role of the recognition of prior learning, RPL, in providing redress to people who have been denied access to education, and given the fact that the Human Resource Development Council, HRDC, has committed itself to the implementation of the RPL in June 2012, as you have mentioned, we still find that after more than a decade of the implementation of the RPL it is still not functional. It is still necessary to establish a ministerial task team, whose report we still don't have. It hasn't been gazetted, months after it was apparently completed.
What assurance can the hon Deputy President, as the chairperson of the HRDC, give us that what he has announced will in fact take place? What pressure will he put on the Minister of Higher Education and Training to expedite the implementation?
Hon Speaker, in fact the hon Minister of Higher Education and Training is always persuaded by sound arguments. Therefore, we don't have to pressure him at all. As I said, the commitment is for the pilot project to commence by 1 April, which is next month. I am sure that there will be no delays in that regard. Thank you.
Official duties performed by Deputy President
2. Mr D J Maynier (DA) asked the Deputy President:
What official duties did he perform between 23 December 2012 and 4 January 2013? NO302E
Thank you very much, hon Speaker. Hon members, I did not perform any official duties between 23 December 2012 and 4 January 2013. Two weeks ago, during the debate on the state of the nation address in this House, the hon Maynier stated that he would be asking me a question regarding my holiday in the Seychelles. Although he has not from the outset asked that specific question, I wish to alleviate his anxiety and respond to it.
In terms of government policy duly adopted by Cabinet, transport for the Deputy President, whether for official or private purposes, is the responsibility of the state. The state also has a duty to provide security for the Deputy President at all times, whether he is engaged in official duties or he is on leave. This policy was reaffirmed by Cabinet on 20 March 2007.
All matters pertaining to the transport and security of the Deputy President are handled by the competent state organs. The SA Police Service is responsible for security, including ground transport, while the SA National Defence Force is responsible for air transport. The Deputy President has no role whatsoever in the planning and carrying out of operations concerning his own transport and security. These matters, including deployment of personnel and equipment, as well as related costs, are managed by the competent state organs. I thank you for your attention. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker, I wish to say to the Deputy President that my anxiety is not relieved. We all know that his holiday has caused a political war within the Presidency. [Interjections.] The Deputy President's spokesperson, Thabo Masebe, tells us that the holiday was above board because it complied with the rules contained in a secret presidential handbook. However, the President's spokesperson, Mac Maharaj, implies that the holiday was not above board because there is, in fact, no secret presidential handbook.
Will the hon Deputy President therefore assist us and tell us whether the President's spokesperson, Mac Maharaj, lied when he claimed that there is no secret presidential handbook? I say this because, if he did not lie, then we must assume that the Deputy President's spokesperson, and by extension, the Deputy President, himself, lied about the secret presidential handbook. [Interjections.]
Thank you very much, hon Speaker. Hon Maynier, as I have stated, this policy was duly adopted by Cabinet in March 2007, basically reaffirming policy which obtained as far back as 1993.
The question that you are now putting, on the comments made by the spokesperson for the Presidency, is irrelevant to the facts. [Laughter.] This is because the reality is that you are saying that if Mr Mac Maharaj was uncited and/or was asked a question which elicited the response he gave, that affects the basis of the authority for providing services to the Deputy President. I'm saying to you here and now, it doesn't. It is irrelevant in the sense that he may have been uncited, or whatever, but we can't go into that for now. Thank you. [Applause.]
Thank you, hon Deputy President. May I remind hon members that you cannot impute to an hon member his having lied to the House. I'm going to study the Hansard again and I will come back with a firm ruling on the matter.
Enkosi Somlomo, andinawo umbuzo kodwa ndifuna ukuthi kuMnumzana uMaynier, ndiyavumelana noMphathiswa uSisulu ngazo zonke izinto aqhele ukuzithetha ngawe. Ungathini ukuthi emva kweminyaka eli-18 ungazi ukuba uMongameli neSekela lakhe bamelwe kukukhuselwa nokuba baya phi na. Ingxaki yakho kukuba, kuba ngoku kuphethe abantu abamnyama, ngoko mabahambe ngaphandle kokhuseleko. Kusaphethe thina okwangoku okanye i-ANC isaphethe, ayisoze yenzeke loo nto. Ndicela ukuba ningachithi ixesha lethu nisibuze imibuzo xa ningenanto yokwenza; sinayo thina into yokwenza. Enkosi. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Mrs P TSHWETE: Thank you, Speaker. I do not have a question but I just want to say to Mr Maynier that I agree with everything that Minister Sisulu usually says about him. How can you, after 18 years, not know that the President and his Deputy have to be protected wherever they go? Your problem is that now that black people are in power, they have to do without security. Whilst we are still in power or the ANC is still in power that is not going to happen. Please don't waste our time by asking us questions if you have nothing better to do; we do have something better to do. Thank you.]
Order, hon members! Order!
Particulars regarding scope of Anti-Poverty Programme
3. Mr L S Ngonyama (Cope) asked the Deputy President:
Whether the Anti-Poverty Programme, including the War on Poverty Campaign, involves the issue of empowerment through (a) land tenure and (b) ownership of the rural land; if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?