→ House of Assembly → 1988 → FEBRUARY, 1988 → House of Assembly: Vol7 - FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY 1988

House of Assembly: Vol7 - FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY 1988

FRIDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 1988

†Indicates translated version.

For written reply:

General Affairs:

Johannesburg North: applications for telephone services/private post boxes outstanding 17. Mr P G SOAL

asked the Minister of Communications:

Whether any applications for (a) telephone services and (b) private post boxes were outstanding in the Johannesburg North constituency as at the latest specified date for which figures are available; if so, (i) how many and (ii) when is it anticipated that the backlog will be eliminated?

 The MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS:
  1. (a) Yes, 667 as at 31 December 1987:
    1. (i) and (ii) In addition to applications that are met on demand on a continuous basis where telephone numbers and cable leads are available, service will be provided as follows to waiting applicants in the areas indicated:

Exchange area

Number of waiting applicants

When services are to be provided

Bramley (includes the suburbs of Eltonhill, Winston Ridge, Kentview and Birnam)

154

Within the next 3 months as cable works are completed.

Rosebank (includes the suburbs of Fairways, Illovo, Melrose, Melrose North, Melrose Estate, Birdhaven, Dunkeld, Dunkeld West, Parktown North, Parkhurst and Craighall Park)

192

Within the next 3 months as cable works are completed.

Randburg (includes the suburb of Craighall)

175

Within the next 3 months as cable works are completed.

Linden (includes the suburbs of Victory Park, Pier-neef Park, Pine Park, Blairgowrie and Beaconsfield Estate)

(b) yes, 94 as at 10 February 1988;

146

Within the next 3 months as cable works are completed.

(i)

(ii)

Birnam Park post office

40

The structures of the hired premises housing these post offices unfortunately preclude the installation of additional private boxes.

Parkhurst post office

22

Pinegowrie post office

32

Tenders for the erection of a new departmental post office in which 2 000 private boxes will be installed, close on 2 March 1988. If an acceptable offer is received and unforeseen difficulties do not arise, the building will be completed and the backlog eliminated by August 1989.

Note: The possibility of accommodating the waiting applicants at Birnam Park and Parkhurst at the proposed new Pinegowrie post office will be investigated in due course.

 Mossel Bay: land purchased by State 78. Mr D J N MALCOMESS

asked the Minister of Economic Affairs and Technology:

Whether (a) the State, (b) Soekor and/or (c) any other company in which the State directly or indirectly owns shares has purchased any land in the Mossel Bay area since his reply to Question No 321 on 23 February 1987; if so, (i) what specified land in each case, (ii) what was the cost of each specified piece of land and (iii) from whom was each such piece of land purchased?

 The MINISTER OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS AND TECHNOLOGY:
  1. (a) No, not as far as the Departments of Mineral and Energy Affairs and of Trade and Industry are concerned.
  2. (b) No.
  3. (c) Yes. Land has been bought in the name of MOSSREF (PTY) LTD, a full subsidiary of CEF (Pty) Ltd. All the issued shares of CEF (Pty) Ltd is held by the State.
    1. (i) 60 residential stands in Mossel Bay Extension 12
    2. (ii) Total cost R630 000
    3. (iii) Municipality of Mossel Bay
 Public telephones: cost of repairing 92. Mr P G SOAL

asked the Minister of Communications:

What was the estimated cost of repairing public telephones in the Republic in 1987?

 The MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS:

R0,657 million for repairs arising from vandalism and the theft of apparatus.

 Bramley: construction of post office/postmen’s depot 93. Mr P G SOAL

asked the Minister of Communications:

  1. (1) Whether a post office and postmen’s depot is to be constructed for Bramley; if so,
  2. (2) whether tenders have been invited for this purpose; if not, why not; if so, when?
 The MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS:
  1. (1) Yes, provision has been made in the Department’s buildings programme for the erection of a new post office and postmen’s depot during the 1989/90 financial year;
  2. (2) No, the project is at present in an early planning stage and if matters progress favourably tenders will be invited early in 1989 provided funds are available.
 Alexandra Township: telephones installed 132. Mr D J DALLING

asked the Minister of Communications:

  1. (1) How many telephones were installed in Alexandra Township for (a) private and (b) business purposes in 1987;
  2. (2) how many applications for telephones for (a) private and (b) business purposes were received in 1987 from (i) residents and/or (ii) business persons in this township?
 The MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS:
  1. (1)
    1. (a) 1 118, and
    2. (b) 82;
  2. (2)
    1. (a) 1 846, and
    2. (b) 79.
 Applications for telephone services outstanding 134. Mr D J DALLING

asked the Minister of Communications:

  1. (1) How many applications for telephone services were outstanding in respect of (a) the exchanges of (i) Bryanston, (ii) Randburg, (iii) Benmore Gardens, (iv) Sandown, (v) Kelvin, (vi) Bramley, (vii) Rosebank and (viii) Sunninghill Park, and (b) any other exchanges servicing the Sandton constituency, as at the latest specified date for which figures are available;
  2. (2) when is it anticipated that the backlog in respect of each exchange will be eliminated;
  3. (3) what steps are being taken to satisfy the demand for telephones in respect of each such exchange?
 The MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS:
  1. (1)
    1. (a)
      1. (i) 71,
      2. (ii) 175,
      3. (iii) 118,
      4. (iv) this exchange is no longer in existence and all telephone connections that were previously connected thereto have been cut-over to the Benmore Gardens exchange,
      5. (v) 63,
      6. (vi) 154,
      7. (vii) 192,
      8. (viii) 124; and

(b) Farmall

13,

Fourways

169,

Olivedale

61,

Diepsloot

1,

Bromhof

99,

Crowthorne

46,

as at 31 December 1987; and

(2) and (3) Bryanston,

Randburg,

Bramley

Rosebank,

Sunninghill

Park,

Olivedale,

Diepsloot,

Bromhof,

Benmore

Gardens and Kelvin

If everything proceeds according to plan, all the waiting applicants in these exchange areas will be provided with service within the next three months on completion of cable works. It is expected that a 1 048 line extension of the Bryanston exchange will be taken into service early during the second half of this year (initially anticipated during the first half of this year).

Farmall

Restrictions on the provision of telephone services are at present in force owing to a shortage of telephone numbers in the exchange and in some cases cable leads. It is expected that the applications on hand will be met within the next three months as minor cable works are completed and by making use of numbers that become available as a result of the discontinuance of existing services. The existing exchange will be replaced by an electronic unit during the first half of 1990 which will result in this exchange being extended by 891 lines.

Crowthorne

Owing to a shortage of and Fourways telephone numbers in these exchanges, services can at present only be provided when telephone numbers become available as a result of the discontinuance of existing services. It is expected that a 910 line extension of the Fourways exchange will be taken into service during the second half of this year and a 884 line extension of the Crowthorne exchange towards the end of this year. All outstanding applications will be met after completion of these extensions.
Telephone directories printed/distributed 312. Mr J B de R VAN GEND

asked the Minister of Communications:

How many (a) telephone directories were printed in each specified region of the Republic in 1987 and (b) such telephone directories had been distributed in each of these regions by 31 December 1987?

 The MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS:

(a)

(b)

Date on which distribution commenced:

Vaal Triangle

116 343

112 265

1987-02-25

Port Elizabeth and surrounding area

156 349

155 726

1987-02-23

East London and Eastern Cape country

128 022

125 303

1987-03-23

West Rand

680 192

577 813

1987-06-23

Cape Peninsula:

White Pages

550 247

493 007

1987-06-08

Yellow Pages

353 347

332 582

1987-06-08

Johannesburg:

White Pages

930 361

823 635

1987-08-11

Yellow Pages

282 419

227 458

1987-08-11

Boland and West Coast

153 331

122 663

1987-08-24

Southern Cape

68 595

54 062

1987-09-07

Karoo and Namaqualand

34 090

27 791

1987-09-28

East Rand

659 791

560 323

1987-10-13

Durban and surrounding area:

White Pages

424 064

291 504

1987-11-02

Yellow Pages

238 407

181 313

1987-11-02

Northern Cape

86 604

64 700

1987-11-02

Orange Free State

208 777

137 587

1987-12-03

Pretoria:

White Pages

394 729

241 235

1987-12-14

Yellow Pages

130 241

45 829

1987-12-14

Natal South Coast

46 022

Nil

1988-01-18

Natal North Coast

69 808

Nil

1988-01-18

Northern Transvaal

95 824

Nil

1988-01-15

Eastern and South-Eastern Transvaal

156 381

Nil

1988-01-15

Western Transvaal

121 989

Nil

1988-01-15

Johannesburg and Witwatersrand:

Business and Industrial

Yellow Page Telephone Directory

40 320

Nil

1988-01-02

Pietermaritzburg and Natal Interior

158 854

Nil

1988-01-27

Note: In those instances where “Nil” appears in column (b) the directories were printed during December 1987 and could not be distributed during 1987. For the sake of completeness the actual dates on which the distribution of the various directories commenced have also been furnished.

 Technicians/postmen: resignations 316. Mr J B de R VAN GEND

asked the Minister of Communications:

  1. (a) How many employees in his Department resigned in 1987 and (b) how many such employees were (i) technicians and (ii) postmen?
 The MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS:
  1. (a) 4 564; and
  2. (b)
    1. (i) 380; and
    2. (ii) 250.
 Flats/housing units owned by Department 317. Mr J B de R VAN GEND

asked the Minister of Communications:

  1. (a) How many (i) flats and (ii) housing units were owned by his Department, and (b) how many such (i) flats and (ii) housing units had been allocated to non-White employees, as at the latest specified date for which figures are available?
 The MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS:
  1. (a)
    1. (i) 1 132,
    2. (ii) 1 792, and
  2. (b)
    1. (i) 52, and
    2. (ii) 52,
      as at 18 February 1988.