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The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services today re-iterated its grave concern regarding the state of correctional facilities around the country because of insufficient maintenance due to budget shortfalls.

The committee indicated that the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and National Treasury (NT) must work closely together to find solutions to the dire condition of some facilities.

The committee today received a briefing from the DPWI on the dispute between the DPWI and the DCS about user charges and on matters identified during oversight visits.

The DPWI told the committee that the itemised billing was approved by the NT in terms of Treasury regulations. However, the rates approved by the NT are far below the calculated level required to achieve full cost recovery. This has led in a shortfall of R24.1 billion since the implementation of itemised billing.

The DPWI, which acts as landlord, said that it received R4.7 billion from client departments at an average of R23,24 per m2, whereas it pays the private sector R110 per m2. Annual day-to-day maintenance amounts to R2.2 billion for 56 414 buildings occupied by government and rates amount to R1.8 billion. The committee heard that in terms of the DCS, NT only allows it to pay R14.33 m2 for building space.

The committee was told that, for properties occupied by the DCS, the DPWI is running at a loss. Over the past five years, the total deficit amounts to R1.9 billion, with an annual average loss of R376 million. However, a task team is working on finding solutions to the challenges facing the two departments.

Committee Chairperson Ms Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng said the committee noted the work of the task team. She advised the task team to identify and prioritise those matters that cannot be left to deteriorate further. This should include DCS's day-to-day operations, which require regular service and maintain. “It does not help if you have a beautiful kitchen in a centre with five or six stoves but only one is working. We saw that for ourselves in KwaZulu-Natal. In some instances, we even had to recommend that the kitchen should be shut down,” Ms Ramolobeng said.

“Once inmates are unable to eat or are given one meal a day,” the Chairperson continued, “it becomes a serious challenge.” The committee advised the DCS to continue to do maintenance and repairs and use offender labour for this. The filling of artisan vacancies was also highlighted, as they could assist offenders with repairing facilities.

The committee also agreed on the need for a meeting of heads of department between the DCS, DPWI and NT to discuss the issue of the user charge allocation. During a presentation a few weeks ago, the committee heard that more than R842 million was processed and paid to the DPWI in terms of this allocation during the 2024/25 period. However, DPWI has since relinquished the majority of maintenance responsibilities to the DCS, even though payments were made.

The committee will also invite NT to brief the committee on this matter. In addition, the committee will require regular updates from the task team on progress achieved.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

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The Presidency cautions South Africa against treating Democratic Alliance (DA) disinformation on matters of international relations and diplomacy as official Government policy.

The DA's latest effort to embarrass President Cyril Ramaphosa's Special Envoy to North America, Mr Jonas Mcebisi, involves claims - in the DA's framing – that the United States has rejected Mr Jonas's “credentials” and that Mr Jonas is therefore unable to perform his role as Special Envoy.

The DA seeks to add sensationalism to its claim by suggesting President Ramaphosa and Mr Jonas face a crisis in view of the United States' pending implementation of trade tariffs announced several days ago by President Donald Trump.

The facts around this matter include the reality that Special Envoys do not present diplomatic credentials to host countries in the way designated Heads of Mission or other diplomats are.

While envoys are not required to account publicly for the work they undertake, the President's own accounts of his performance include elements facilitated by envoys.

Mr Jonas's outreach does not in any way supersede the leading role played by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in our difficult but constructive trade negotiations with the United States, or in our diplomatic relations with this longstanding partner.

Mr Jonas has, however, played an important role in working with the DTIC to develop the trade proposals in which South Africa is currently engaging the United States in good faith and with the expectation of mutually beneficial terms.

Similarly, he has been assisting DIRCO in Government's efforts to reset diplomatic relations and all areas of cooperation between South Africa and the United States.

While these processes are underway and in view of President Ramaphosa's telephonic contact with President Trump as well as his Working Visit to Washington in May 2025, President Ramaphosa has not had a need for Mr Jonas to visit the United States on urgent business.

The Presidency is therefore concerned about the Democratic Alliance's persistent campaign against South Africa's national interest and its posture of trying to embarrass and belittle our country and in this specific circumstance, Mr Jonas.

This campaign has its origins in a Democratic Alliance visit to the United States earlier this year, to advance an ideological agenda rather than our national interest.

The DA has positioned itself as part of a right-wing nexus that seeks to use a foreign state to effect changes to democratically developed national policies in our own country.

The DA is trying cheaply but dangerously to exploit a critical engagement between South Africa and the United States to protest President Ramaphosa's removal of Mr Andrew Whitfield as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.

The DA's pronouncements and insults against countries and international organisations – such as the Republic of Cuba or the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees – offends South Africa's international relations and posture.

If the DA were to succeed in undermining South Africa relations with various nations or institutions, the party will harm the viability of businesses and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of South Africans who work in sectors that depend on the expansion of our trade relations with the world.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

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The Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries has noted the Policy Framework on Internationalisation of universities as presented by the Department of Higher Education and Training on Tuesday.

The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Makhi Feni, called on the department to provide updated statistical information, that will help the committee to act from an informed perspective on issues in the sector. He said: “We appreciate this initiative but we call on the department to ensure that it empowers black South Africans, the previously disadvantaged and other vulnerable groups.

“Keeping up with international standards is ideal but such move must empower South Africans. We must not be swallowed up in convenient phrases, but we want South Africans to equally influence the world through research output that does not regurgitate international models.”

Minister Nobuhle Nkabane led the departmental delegation in the meeting with the committee this morning. She informed the committee that the policy will serve as a guideline to South Africa's institutions of higher education.

Mr Feni said the policy is urgent and that in the era of indigenous knowledge systems and decolonised knowledge, we should be able to make conditions conducive for black South African scholars at home and abroad. “But in the absence of relevant and reliable information, we are unable to do anything. Even the swirling complaints about foreign nationals uprooting Black South Africans from their system will continue,” Mr Feni said.

Mr Feni said the development of a policy framework must not be delayed as Black South Africans legitimately feel they are being substituted by foreign nationals. “There will be claims of xenophobia, when in fact this was something that could have easily been avoided.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, has since the media briefing given by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, received requests from the media to comment on his removal from the position of Premier of the North West Province.

Mr Mahumapelo is unavailable for media interviews and for comment on the grounds that, among other things, he is a Member of Parliament. Parliament has established processes and procedures for the Portfolio Committee on Police, the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, and the Standing Committee on Intelligence relating to the national security allegations.

Furthermore, Mr Mahumapelo has a case in the North West High Court in Mafikeng and is suing for defamation against the Revolutionary Council and three others. Mr Mahumapelo received threats that if he did not get out of the position he would be killed. Threats on his life are due to political interference and evidence will be presented before the constituted committees as and when required.

As a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress, the NEC will first look into the matter and decide on its approach as a collective of the ANC.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

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The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), together with the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), and other relevant parliamentary oversight committees, have committed to a coordinated approach to municipal oversight.

This follows the alarming municipal audit outcomes that the Office of the Auditor-General (AG) reported to the committee earlier this year.

During the committee meeting this morning, the Chairperson, Dr Zweli Mkhize, expressed deep concern at the lack of progress in municipal finances. The audit outcomes for local government for the 2023/24 financial year showed that only 16% of 257 municipalities achieved clean audits, while the rest either regressed or remained stagnant, with audit opinions ranging from qualified to disclaimers or non-submissions. When she presented the audit outcomes to the committee earlier this year, the AG noted that, despite having exercised all available remedial powers under the amended Public Audit Act, the audit outcomes remained largely unimproved.

In response to this, Dr Mkhize said that the committee will adopt a revised and more collaborative oversight model with a focus on intergovernmental accountability. Based on this new model, the committee will, with relevant oversight committees, conduct joint visits to provinces and municipalities, beginning with the Free State on 24 and 25 July. Oversight visits to the North West and Eastern Cape will then follow. According to the Chairperson, the committee wants to avoid duplication, promote institutional coherence and ensure that every sphere of government accounts for its constitutional responsibilities through this collaboration.

During these oversight visits, Members of Parliament will engage with Premiers, Speakers of the provincial legislatures, Members of Executive Councils (MECs), municipal mayors, Speakers of municipal councils, and accounting officers. Provincial legislatures will also be involved in the process. “The purpose of this,” the Chairperson said, “is to evaluate the systemic causes behind repeat audit failures and to demand clear responses on what corrective actions have been taken and what measures are in place to prevent further regression.” The focus is on accountability and ensuring that there are consequences to prevent repeat offenders, the Chairperson said, adding that this will help improve governance and ensure effective service delivery.

He said the committees would pay particular attention to repeat disclaimer audit opinions, the poor quality of financial statements, overreliance on consultants without any tangible improvement, and persistent irregular expenditure. Unfunded budgets, non-functional internal audit units and poor contract management will also come under the spotlight.

Dr Mkhize confirmed that the committee sought legal clarity about coordinating oversight across spheres of government. He said the committee solicited several legal opinions to ensure the planned oversight is rooted in the principles of cooperative governance with due regard for the autonomy of each sphere of government. The Chairperson said the committee is satisfied that the oversight plan now aligns with constitutional provisions.

“This new approach,” he said, “reflects Parliament's commitment to proactively preventing dysfunction rather than reacting to failures. It is designed to hold not only municipalities accountable but also provincial governments, which are constitutionally obligated under Section 154 of the Constitution to support and monitor local government. Premiers and MECs will therefore be asked to account for how they have fulfilled their oversight roles, particularly in cases where municipalities have consistently underperformed.”

The Chairperson said this joint oversight model is an institutional response to the Auditor-General's earlier call for decisive intervention and her letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly. “The Office of the Auditor-General should not be placed in a position where it is compelled to perform administrative duties, such as correcting municipal submissions,” he said. “The AG's function is to provide independent audit outcomes, not to compensate for governance failures.”

Dr Mkhize reiterated the importance of this new collaborative oversight approach and said it is an important shift from fragmented accountability to a much-needed collective responsibility. “We intend for this model to serve not only as a corrective measure but also as a blueprint for systemic reform and to ensure that audit reports reflect tangible improvements in governance and service delivery at the municipal level,” he said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.