View Document - Parliament of South Africa

849 THURSDAY, 30 OCTOBER 2008
850
cases pending on 31 March 2008; if
so, what are the relevant details?
NW1862E
The MINISTER OF WATER AFFAIRS
AND FORESTRY:
(1) (a) Yes.
(b) (i) No.
(ii) No.
(iii) One.
(iv) Yes,
86 officials
Departmental
R674 362,25.
debt recovered
(2) Yes.
(a) Nine.
(i) Eight.
(ii) Two.
(iii) One.
(b) R227 898,95.
(3) Yes, three, Deputy Director: Hydrology,
Chief Forestry and Deputy Director:
Water Resources. Two officers were
charged for fraud and one for racism,
all of them were dismissed and they
appealed the sanctions, outcome of
appeals from the Minister confirmed
dismissal.
Performance agreements
1242. Mr K J MINNIE (DA) asked the
Minister of Health:
(1) With reference to her department’s
reply to Question 77 on 26 March
2008 regarding the signing of performance
agreements, what are the reasons
for this low rate of compliance;
(2) whether she has taken any action
against senior managers who failed
to sign performance agreements in
each of these three years; if not, why
not; if so, what action in each case;
(3) whether she has taken any steps to
ensure a greater compliance rate of
senior managers; if not, why not; if
so, what (a) steps and (b) are the
reasons that these compliance rates
still decreased over the past three
years? NW1989E
The MINISTER OF HEALTH:
(1) Noncompliance by Senior Managers.
(2) Yes, steps were taken. Senior Managers
who did not submit signed performance
agreements, did not receive annual
package progression.
(3) Yes.
(a) Senior Managers did not receive
annual package progression.
(b) Noncompliance by Senior Managers.
MCC investigation into Bitter Orange
1376. Mrs S V KALYAN (DA) asked the
Minister of Health:
Whether the Medicines Control Council
has conducted any investigation into or
taken any action against any products sold
as alternative medicines containing the
product Bitter Orange; if not, what is the
position in this regard; if so, what are the
relevant details of (a) such investigations
and/or (b) action? NW2120E
The MINISTER OF HEALTH:
Bitter Orange, also known by its scientific
name — Citrus aurantiumth contains the
substance Synephedrine, which brings about
stimulation similar to ephedra. The Minister
of Health, on recommendation of the Medicines
Control Council (MCC) has resolved,
by publication in the Government Gazette
No. 491 of 25 April 2008 that all ephedra
alkaloids (natural or synthetic) intended for
oral use (except when indicated for treatment
of colds and flu containing not more
than 30 milligrams of ephedra alkaloids per