Status on Aid was offered and/or provided in the past five years to countries in which South Africa has an Embassy

QUOTE

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO: 2061

PUBLISHED IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO: 19 OF 06 AUGUST 2010

Mr S Mokalapa (DA) to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation:

1. Whether any aid was (a) offered and/or (b) provided in the past five years to countries in which South Africa has an Embassy; if not; why not; if so, in each case, (i) what was the (aa) nature, (bb) reason for offering or providing of the aid and (cc) value of the aid and (ii) from which budget were these funds sourced.

REPLY:

1. (a)

Yes aid was offered and provided to countries in which South Africa has Embassies. Aid was provided to the following countries:  

Africa

The Republic of Zimbabwe

1. (i) (aa)

In 2009, the Government of South Africa provided financial support to assist the economic recovery of Zimbabwe. The support included a contribution of R300 million to a SADC led Zimbabwe Humanitarian and Development Assistance Framework (ZHDAF). The ZHDAF was formed to manage SADC’s humanitarian assistance to the people of Zimbabwe. In this regard, the SADC Troika decided, in accordance with Article 9(6) (a) of the Treaty, to launch an urgent international campaign to mobilise financial and material resources for the people of Zimbabwe in order to help them overcome the challenges facing their country. This contribution was therefore utilised to purchase agricultural inputs (seeds, fertiliser and diesel) from South African suppliers.

The second amount of R300 million was to finance the Short Term Emergency Recovery Plan of Zimbabwe (STERP). The Extraordinary SADC Summit in Swaziland on 30 March 2009 urged Member States to support Zimbabwe to implement the STERP, in the form of budget support, lines of credit, joint ventures and toll manufacturing.  The Summit also called on the international community to support Zimbabwe and provide it with the necessary financial support for its economic recovery.

1. (i) (bb), (cc) and (ii)

The support from the South African government took the form of a targeted contribution to the 2009 Budget of the Zimbabwean Government. This contribution was governed by an MoU signed by the respective Ministers of Finance. As per the MoU, the funds were transferred to the Zimbabwe Ministry of Finance in three equal tranches of R100 million in May, June and August 2009.

(ii)The funds were sourced from the African Renaissance Fund.

            The Union of Comoros

            (i) (aa)

The South African Government, in fulfilment of its pledge during the 8 December 2005 Comoros Round Table Donors’ Conference held in Mauritius,  provided R10 million to assist with the socio-economic and infrastructural recovery of the Union of Comoros.
   
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation provided financial assistance to facilitate the South African Government’s support for the 2006 Union of Comoros Presidential elections.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation also, with the assistance of the South African Independent Electoral Commission, provided four used computers and printers to the Union of Comoros Independent Electoral Commission (C.E.N.I) to facilitate the administrative processes associated with the December 2009 Union and Islands Legislative Elections. 

1. (i) (bb)

The assistance was focussed on training in especially the electoral and security sectors,   with the goal to ensure that there is effective capacity building and transfer through this assistance, thereby ensuring that the Comoran Government is sufficiently capacitated in order to enable it to organise future elections.

1. (i) (cc)

The value of the aid was R 6, 2 million.

1. (ii)

The budget came from the African Renaissance Fund.

            The Republic of Madagascar

1. (i) (aa)

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation in 2008 made available funding to Madagascar to support the Malagasy Government’s efforts to alleviate the devastating impact of two consecutive cyclones on the Island’s population."

1. (i) (bb)

The financial assistance was earmarked as a contribution towards the Malagasy
Government’s ongoing humanitarian assistance initiatives in the aftermath of the cyclones.

1. (i) (cc)

The value of the Aid was R 1 million.

1. (ii)

    The budget came from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s Humanitarian Aid Budget.      

The Republic of Sudan

1. aa) and (bb)

Aid was offered to Abyei town, Sudan, in 2008 as a result of deadly fighting that broke up and displaced over 50 000 people to Agok ( 25 kms to the South of the region) and other neighbouring villages. This deadly fighting also led to the destruction of Abyei town and looting of properties of civilians.

1. (i) (cc) and (ii)

The aid included food items, non perishable items (tents, buckets, and basins), blankets, medicines (oral rehydration salts, malaria drugs, cholera treatment, and diarrhoea control. The Gift of Givers provided 40 tons of non-perishable items.  These include 150 tents, 5 000 blankets, 2 000 mosquito nets, 500 inflatable mattresses, 4 tons of non-perishable food and clothes.  The Department of International Relations and Cooperation helped with the transportation of the said consignment; the transportation cost was R2.200.00.

In February 2005 following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the Capacity Building Project for Southern Sudan under auspices of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Government of Southern Sudan and the University of South Africa was launched.  The project is scheduled to run until 2011. Phase I of the project conducted from February 2005 – March 2006.  The Government of South Africa spent R7.1 million during the Phase I.  The money came from the African Renaissance Fund (ARF).  Phase II of the project conducted from April 2006 – March 2008.  The Government of South Africa spent R27 million during Phase II. 

(ii) The money came from the ARF.  Phase III of the project is still to be implemented.

The Republic of Benin

1. (i) (aa) and (bb)

Financial contribution made for humanitarian assistance to the Government of Benin after significant damage due to floods and collateral damage to hospitals and infrastructure.

1. (i) (cc)

The value of the aid was R500 000.

(i) (ii)

The aid was sourced from the Humanitarian Aid budget managed by the Directorate: Humanitarian Affairs.

The Republic of Burkina Faso:

1. (aa) and (bb)

Financial contribution made for humanitarian assistance to the Government of   Burkina Faso after significant damage due to floods and collateral damage to hospitals and infrastructure.

1. (i) (cc)

The value of the aid was R250 000.

1. (i) (ii)

The aid was sourced from the Humanitarian Aid budget managed by the Directorate: Humanitarian Affairs.

 The Republic of Guinea

1. (i) (aa)

   South Africa gave a rice donation to the Government of Guinea.

1. (i) (bb)

 The funds were provided to help alleviate a precarious food security situation in Guinea.

1. (i) (cc)

The donation amounted to 1 449 293 Euros.

1. (i) (ii)

 The funds were sourced from the African Renaissance Fund.

The Republic of Guinea (Conakry)

1. (i) (aa)

Financing a three year Trilateral Project between South Africa, Guinea and Vietnam to improve rice and vegetable production in Guinea,

1. (i) (bb)

The project is aimed at improving food security in Guinea

1. (i) (cc)

The value of the aid was R45 000 000

(ii) Funds were sourced from the African Renaissance Fund.

The Republic of Mali: Total amount: R20 million

1. (i) (aa) South Africa government committed R20 million to the Timbuktu Manuscript project in Mali.

(bb) Project aimed at conserving the manuscripts at the Ahmed Baba Institute and rebuilding the library and archival infrastructure of the institute.

(cc) In total, against the project cost of R59, 4 million; R40 million was received as

donations against which R25, 2 million has been spent at the end of 2007/8.

The short fall of R19, 4 million plus interest has been funded through the ARF.

The Republic of Uganda: Total amount: R32 million

1.(i) (aa) Refurbishing and reconstruction of the OR Tambo School of Leadership in Kawaweta-

(bb) This project aimed at the refurbishment and construction of the O R Tambo School of Leadership in Kawaweta, Uganda. The South African Departments of International Relations and Cooperation, Public Works Defence and the Freedom Parks Trust all played a major role in this project. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Governments of South Africa and Uganda on 6th March 2007.

(cc) In terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, South Africa undertook to contribute R22 million towards the Project

The funds were sourced from the African Renaissance Fund

CHOGM 2007

1. (i) (aa) Funding to support with the hosting of the Common-Wealth Heads of Governments Meeting: Uganda(2007)

 

(bb) This project entailed training of Ugandan security and protocol officials, as well as assistance with security logistics for the Summit.

(cc) It was agreed that an amount of R10 million be allocated for the cost of assisting Uganda with the successful hosting of the 2007 CHOGM.

The funds were sourced from the African Renaissance Fund

The Republic of Burundi – 2006: Total amount: R28.5 million

1. (i) Funding for the Burundi Peace Process (Office of the Peace Facilitator)

 

(aa) Funding payment of accommodation and allowances of the rebel movement Palipehutu FNL leadership to join the Peace Process, food, administrative costs to maintain the Facilitators Office and allowances for government delegates within the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism in Burundi.

(aa) Funding from the ARF to the value of R28.5 million was approved to support the establishment of the Office of the Peace Facilitator in July 2007 for the 2006/7 financial year. With this funding, South Africa entered into trilateral cooperation with the Governments of Belgium, France and the Netherlands for financial support.

The funds were sourced from the African Renaissance Fund

The Democratic Republic of the Congo:   Total amount: R101 million

1. (i) (aa) Public service census

(bb) The overall objective of the DRC census project is to provide an employment profile of the public service including staffing numbers, gender, employment duration, age groups, and place of employment, occupational categories and grades.  Additional benefits will be a credible payroll, identification of staff for retirement and information that could be used for future public service reform and human resource planning

(aa)  Decentralisation Programme

 

(bb) The Administrative Decentralisation project’s main objective is to provide support to the DRC with the process of drafting a legislative framework on administrative decentralization (organic law). The legislative framework will provide the basis for the development of models for the organization of provincial public administration, rationalization and restructuring of the public service as well as the establishment of the process of transfer of public servants from central public services to the provincial public administration.

(aa) Establishment of a Public Service Training Institute

 (bb) The National School of Public Administration project is aimed at supporting the DRC with the process of establishing a national school of public administration, namely the École National d’Administration (ENA) as well as training public service

(aa) DRC Water Project

(bb) The objective of the project is the provision of support to the REGIDESO, the water supply corporation in the Katanga Province of the DRC through the supply of South African pumps and electrical equipment. The purpose of the intervention in the Katanga Province is to put the National Water Supply Agency in Katanga in a position to improve its level of service by making available additional pumping capacity that is urgently needed.The funds were sourced from the African Renaissance Fund

The Kingdom of Lesotho: Total amount: R100 million

1. (i) Funding of the Sani Top to Mokhotlong Road

 
(aa) The Department of Environment is jointly involved with the Kingdom of Lesotho to develop the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Park (MDTP).

(bb) As part of a SADC Ministers strategy to “position TFCAs as southern Africa’s premier international tourism destination”, there is a need to develop adequate access infrastructure into the MDTP. Upgrading of the road to the tourism development node, Sani Top, as well as the border post is hence needed. The Department of Transport (DoT) and DEAT are upgrading the South African side. However, on the Lesotho side, it was recognised that the road from Sani Top to Mokhotlong will have to be upgraded.

 

(i)   Funding for the Metolong Dam Project

(aa) The aim of dam is to improve access to water to the lowlands of Lesotho. Hence idea is to dam the Caledon River Catchment area. South Africa is already on the Project Steering Committee of the entire Lesotho Highland Water Project and so would be able to supervise the project. 

(bb) Based on the idea that SA cannot take water from Lesotho, without giving them water too and to assist Lesotho out of its LDC status, it was advised that the request be supported.

(cc) The value of the aid for the two projects was a total of R100 million.

The funds were sourced from the African Renaissance Fund

Middle-East

1. (a) and (b) Yes.

(aa) Palestine: Annual contribution to the United Nations Regional Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA);

(bb) Financial support to the UNRWA to support relief efforts for Palestinian Refugees

(cc)

• Financial year 2007/08               R1,2 million
• Financial year 2008/09               R1 million

Financial year 2008/09 R1 Million (Emergency relief fund following Israeli military action in Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009)

• Financial year 2009/10               R1 million
• Financial year 2010/11               R1 million

• Department of Foreign Affairs (-2009) Department of International Relations and C0-operation (2010 -)

B

(aa) Contribution to support the Palestinian Embassy in Pretoria

(bb) Financial support to the Palestinian Embassy in Pretoria as per the agreement establishing a Palestinian Mission in South Africa (1995)

(cc)

• Financial year 2006/07               R1.8 million
• Financial year 2007/08               R1 million
• Financial year 2008/09               R1 million
• Financial year 2009/10               R1.2 million
• Financial year 2010/11               R1.2 million

• Department of Foreign Affairs (-2009)/Department of International Relations and Co-operation (2010 -)

C

(aa) Support to Palestine in terms of commitments made at the Paris Donors conference in 2007

(bb) South Africa participated in the International Donors Conference for the Palestinian State, which was held in Paris on 17 December 2007. At the Donors Conference, South Africa expressed its support for the plan for Palestinian institution building called “Building a Palestinian State”, presented by Palestinian National Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. It was also announced that the South African Government would donate an amount of 1 million United States dollars per annum for capacity building and humanitarian assistance in Palestine over the following three years, to support the plan presented by Prime Minister Fayyad.

(cc)

• R1.35 million (Training of Palestinian Diplomats)

• Department of International Relations and Co-operation (2009-2010)