Finance and Economic Opportunities

1. (a) details of hotspot areas where her department was deployed and the related activities undertaken there

• The department supported the following areas with the Covid-19 SMME Safety Toolkits initiative. The COVID19 workplace safety kits aimed to enable SMMEs, both formal and informal, to continue to operate in a safe and responsible manner under covid-19 conditions and waves of infection.

• In the rural areas 4656 kits were allocated in the five districts and the local municipalities. Specifically the following can be reported - Saldanha Bay (221), Swartland (166), Bergrivier (193), Cederberg (150), Matzikama (200), Drakenstein (500), Breede Valley (277), Witzenberg (219), Langeberg (222), Stellenbosch (282), Overstrand (379), Theewaterskloof (120), Cape Agulhas (140), Swellendam (360), Mossel Bay (207), George (162), Knysna (150), Bitou (150), Oudtshoorn (138), Hessequa (120), Kannaland (100), Laingsburg (50), Prince Albert (50) and Beaufort West (100).

• In the metro 6344 kits were distributed in the four hotspot cluster areas. These hotspots were in the following metro sub-districts - the Western and Southern region received 2090 kits, the Khayelitsha and Eastern region received 2578 kits, the Klipfontein and Mitchells Plain region received 885 kits and the Tygerberg and Northern region received 762 kits. The Ministry also distributed 29 kits in metro areas. (The regions include the following areas: Masiphumelele, Lotus River, Grassy Park, Retreat, ImizamuYethu, Hangberg and Capricorn Park. The Khayelitsha region included Mandela Park, Ilithe Park, Harare, Kwezi Park, Trevor Vilakazi, Town 3 Village 2. Also, Mfuleni, Macassar and Strand. The Klipfontein region includes Gugulethu, Nyanga, Manenberg, Gatesville, Hanover Park, and Lansdowne; along with the Mitchells Plain region includes Philippi (East), Browns Farm, Philippi, Weltevreden Valley, Crossroads, Tafelsig, Lentegeur, Mandalay and Portlands).

(b) a detailed expenditure breakdown per area

Procurement was not done per area and a detailed expenditure breakdown per area cannot be provided. The total value of the project spend was R3 144 000.15.

(c)(i) the budget allocation versus the expenditure by her Department in these hotspot areas

The budget allocation for the Covid-19 SMME Safety Toolkits was R3 100 000.00 and the expenditure was R 3144 000.15

(ii) how the money was used;

The funds were used to procure 11 000 Tote bags, 22 000 hand sanitizers, 33 000 posters and 110 000 masks along with 50 foot-operated sanitizer dispensers.

(2) (a) what was her Department’s contribution and specific activities or projects in (i) saving and retaining of jobs, (ii) support of labour-related challenges and (iii) support of small businesses, especially in townships and small rural towns, and

The Covid-19 SMME Safety Toolkits initiative contributed to the support of small businesses, especially in townships and small rural towns by providing sanitisers and masks that assisted them to continue trading and providing them with information that allowed them to operate responsibility.

(b) what were the (i) results

•    The Covid-19 SMME Safety Toolkits project ensured that 11 000 safety kits were distributed in hotspots regions across the metro and non-metro municipal areas.

•    In the rural areas 4656 kits were allocated in the five districts and the local municipalities

•    In the metro 6344 kits were distributed in the four hotspot cluster areas.

(ii) expenditure on each of the above?

As indicated above.

1. (a) details of hotspot areas where her department was deployed and the related activities undertaken there,

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Early Childhood Development (ECD) Businesses were instructed to close in March 2020 which resulted in them not being able to collect fees. When they were allowed to re-open, they required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as prescribed by the Covid-19 Regulations, which majority could not afford, resulting in them not being able to re-open safely. The Department delivered the safety kits to 250 ECD businesses across the Western Cape in December 2020 and February 2021.  Some of the areas delivered to included – Du Noon, Philippi, Samora Machel, Gugulethu, Joe Slovo, Fisantekraal, Retreat, Steenberg, Lavender Hill, Capricorn, Grabouw, Swellendam, Napier.

(b) a detailed expenditure breakdown per area

Procurement was not done per area and a detailed expenditure breakdown per area cannot be provided. The total expenditure amounted to R807 031,25

(c)(i) the budget allocation versus the expenditure by her department in these hotspot areas

The budget allocation for the ECD Business Safety Toolkits was R1 230 000 and the expenditure was R807 031.25. There was a savings for this project as the department procured the single items, assembled and delivered the toolkits to each of the 250 ECD businesses.

(ii) how the money was used;

The funds were used to procure 250 toolkits which consisted of a 150litre Big Jim storage box, water soluble sanitizer tablets, disinfectants, cloth masks for teaching staff, protection visors for children, antibacterial soaps, tissues, paper towels, bleach, digital thermometers, batteries etc.

(2) (a) what was her Department’s contribution and specific activities or projects in (i) saving and retaining of jobs, (ii) support of labour-related challenges and (iii) support of small businesses, especially in townships and small rural towns, and

The Covid-19 ECD Businesses Safety Toolkits initiative contributed to the support of the ECD businesses by providing them with the necessary PPE to enable them to open safely and compliant with the regulations as published by the National Department of Social Development.

(b) what were the (i) results

250 ECD Safety Toolkits were delivered to 250 ECD Businesses

(ii) expenditure on each of the above?

As indicated above

1. (a) details of hotspot areas where her department was deployed and the related activities undertaken there,

The COVID-19 Temporary Employer Relief Scheme (TERS) was created by the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to assist employees who lost income due to COVID-19 and the regulations limiting economic activity during the various levels of lockdown. Eligibility of benefits was limited to employees whose normal monthly renumeration was reduced, or those who received no monthly income. Overall, these benefits were provisioned to alleviate the economic impact of the national disaster by assisting employers to pay their employees during the closure of their businesses.

(b) a detailed expenditure breakdown per area

The UIF project did not have any expenditure other than COE.

(c)(i) the budget allocation versus the expenditure by her department in these hotspot areas

None

(ii) how the money was used;

N/A

(2) (a) what was her Department’s contribution and specific activities or projects in (i) saving and retaining of jobs, (ii) support of labour-related challenges and (iii) support of small businesses, especially in townships and small rural towns, and

The Department assisted 9227 employees (from 100 companies and individuals) to receive payments, the average value of the pay-out estimated to amount to R47 196 105.

(b) what were the (i) results

The Department assisted 9227 employees (from 100 companies and individuals) to receive payments, the average value of the pay-out estimated to amount to R47 196 105.

(ii) expenditure on each of the above?

As indicated above