NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 1570
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPERS: 21/06/2013
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 22/2013)
Mr N D du Toit (DA) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
Whether health risk managers have been appointed in terms of the
Policy and Procedure on Incapacity Leave and Ill-health Retirement; if
not, (a) why not and (b) when does she anticipate that such managers
will be appointed; if so, (i) when were the specified managers
appointed, (ii) what are the names of the persons who have been
appointed as health risk managers and (iii) to which provinces has
each health risk manager been allocated? NW1916E
REPLY:
No Health Risk Managers have been appointed nationally.
(a) The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) is
responsible for the appointment of a Panel of Health Risk Managers
from which Departments can select and contract a Health Risk Manager.
The process of selecting and contracting panels by the Departments has
been suspended pending the resolution of a legal challenge instituted
by an unsuccessful bidder. An attempt to implement a contingency plan
was also halted due to a possible lawsuit from the unsuccessful
bidder. This has resulted in all departments in all provinces not
being able to appoint a Health Risk Manager until these legal matters
are resolved by the DPSA.
(b) The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has been informed that
the matter served in court in March 2013, but judgment has been
reserved.