Madam Speaker, the additional appropriation this year is not much in relation to the original budget. It is just about 1,2%. However, notwithstanding a 21% vacancy rate in personnel, the department identified R6 million savings on compensation of employees. This amount plus an additional R2 million is to be shifted or transferred for pensionable service costs in the government employees' pension fund for the former non- statutory forces members.
I do not begrudge anybody their pension. I would like to ask the hon Minister, if she could please inform this House who these non-statutory members are and why the Department of Housing has to contribute to this fund, and not the Department of Defence? Secondly, why an amount of R105 million is to be allocated to the North West province for emergency housing? Once again, I agree that this is a very necessary expenditure.
However, I would like to ask the Minister if this is for the same disaster area in Taung where flooding took place in early 2006. The committee visited that area in October last year and contrary to what we found in other provinces, the rebuilding of houses was actually going very well there. Therefore, my question to the hon Minister is whether this transfer is for the same project or for other emergency housing in the province? And will the province be able to spend these funds on such emergency housing, preferably within the next month or so? I thank you.