(1) (a) On what date was the information technology (IT) infrastructure of (i) his department and (ii) entities reporting to him last upgraded or updated, (b) what is the name of the company contracted to do the upgrades, (c) what was the monetary value of the contract and (d) what is the name of each IT system that was upgraded; (2) (a) what is the name of the company that is currently responsible for the maintenance of the IT systems of (i) his department and (ii) entities reporting to him and (b) what is the value of the contract?

(1) How many officials and/or employees in his department were granted permission to have businesses and/or do business dealings in the past three financial years; (2) are any of the officials and/or employees that have permission to have businesses and/or do business dealings doing business with the Government; if so, (a) what was the purpose of each business transaction, (b) when did each business transaction occur and (c) what was the value of each business transaction?

(a) What are the (i) full names and (ii) registration numbers of each company contracted directly and indirectly for the upgrades to the Nkandla homestead of the President of the Republic, Mr Jacob G Zuma, (b) what is the total number of the specified companies that have been blacklisted as of 28 February 2017 and (c) what is the total number of the specified companies that have been contracted by the State in any capacity after their involvement in the upgrades at Nkandla? NW606E

With regard to a presentation by the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) to the Portfolio Committee on Public Works on 23 August 2016, in which it was noted that the mandate of the CBE and the six Built Environment Professional Councils includes the establishment of a Standards Generating Body, has such a body been created; if not, why not, if so, what are the relevant details?

With regard to the 2014-15 annual report of the Council for the Built Environment (CBE), which noted that 51 of 170 applications to the Engineering Council of South Africa for Recognition of Prior Learning were not accepted in the specified financial year, (a) what were the reasons for each of the specified applications not being accepted and (b) how does the CBE plan to reduce the high proportion of unaccepted applications?

With reference to the total state of collapse and disrepair of the Op Die Berg Police Station in the Koue Bokkeveld and the wholly inadequate resources available at the specified police station to service its vast rural and farming area, (a) when will (i) upgrades and/or (ii) repairs to the specified station take place and (b) what are the relevant details of the (i) upgrades and/or (ii) repairs that will take place? REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA Department of Public Works l Central Government Offices l 256 Madiba Street l Pretoria l Contact: +27 (0)12 406 2034 l +27 (0)12 406 1224 Private Bag X9155 l CAPE TOWN, 8001 l RSA 4th Floor Parliament Building l 120 Plain Street l CAPE TOWN l Tel: +27 21 468 6900 Fax: +27 21 462 4592 www.publicworks.gov.za NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WRITTEN REPLY QUESTION NUMBER: 670 [NW785E] INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO.:No. 08 of 2016 DATE OF PUBLICATION: 11 MARCH 2016 DATE OF REPLY:24 MAY 2016 Mr J Vos (DA) asked the Minister of Public Works: With reference to the total state of collapse and disrepair of the Op Die Berg Police Station in the Koue Bokkeveld and the wholly inadequate resources available at the specified police station to service its vast rural and farming area, (a) when will (i) upgrades and/or (ii) repairs to the specified station take place and (b) what are the relevant details of the (i) upgrades and/or (ii) repairs that will take place? NW785E REPLY: The Minister of Public Works The National Department of Public Works (NDPW) has established that the property where the Op Die Berg Police Station in Die Koue Bokkeveld is currently accommodated is under the custodianship of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC). The maintenance of this police station is therefore, currently, not being done by the NDPW. However, it is the responsibility of the NDPW to provide accommodation to the SAPS in terms of its police stations. To this extent, this anomaly is being rectified in tandem with the PGWC and a request for the compilation of a formal lease agreement has been submitted. The formal lease agreement with the PGWC shall specify responsibilities for maintenance and will provide answers to the following: (a) when (i) the upgrades and/or (ii) repairs to the specified station shall take place; and (b) the relevant details of the (i) upgrades and/or (ii) repairs that will take place. ________________________________________________________________________

(1) Whether, since his reply to oral question 471 on 9 September 2015, he has received any requests from any departments regarding further upgrades at the Nkandla residence of the President, Mr Jacob G Zuma; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether he has worked on a costing exercise to ascertain how much the further security upgrades needed at the Nkandla residence of the President, Mr Jacob G Zuma, will cost the taxpayer; if not, when he will know for sure how much will still have to be spent

Has his department awarded any contracts to companies indirectly or directly owned by certain persons (names furnished) in the (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15 financial years; if so, in each specified financial year, (i) how many times were such contracts awarded and (ii) for what amount?

Whether his ministry has any frozen vacant positions; if so, (a) how many of the specified positions are vacant, (b) what are the designations of the specified positions and (c) for how long have the specified positions been vacant?

Whether he and/or his department has bought advertising space in The New Age in the (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15 financial years; if so, (i) what number of times and (ii) for what amount in each specified financial year?